New build Princess F55 flybridge

[MapisM]

Let me answer for our train of thought.
...

I half recalled you mentioning that you saw them all, and eventually made your decision, which is perfectly fine.
What puzzled me in hinch post is that he seemed even unaware of what the market has to offer - hence my question.

As an aside, I'm also a bit puzzled by his liking for the Manhattan 55, which in this segment would be at the very bottom of my personal ranking.
Though that's mostly for reasons not obvious at first sight, i.e. their 100% marketing-driven decision to offer the same boat either with pods or shafts.
Which by definition puts her in the "jack of all trades, master of none" category, IMHO.
Then again, his money, his choices!

 

[ari]

As an aside, I'm also a bit puzzled by his liking for the Manhattan 55, which in this segment would be at the very bottom of my personal ranking.
Though that's mostly for reasons not obvious at first sight, i.e. their 100% marketing-driven decision to offer the same boat either with pods or shafts.
Which by definition puts her in the "jack of all trades, master of none" category, IMHO.
Then again, his money, his choices!

Surely they must use different hull mouldings for shafts and pods?

 

[henryf]

I’ve tried hard to make sure we visited Europe both in Cannes and Düsseldorf to have a good look at what was out there. Cannes in particular allowed us to see non British offerings which aren’t well represented over here.

After all that I still bought a British built Princess 100% on merit rather than rose tinted loyalty.

 

[rafiki_]

Really interesting to hear your thoughts particularly on the side decks. The rails come further back on the Princess so you’re never exposed and the was a definite bulge forcing me out on the M55.

We use our boat in anger and need it to cope with all eventualities not just marina to marina. I’m also really conscious of crew and guest safety.

Pearl is nothing to do with the French guys, a totally independent set up who get their manufacturing done mostly in China / Taiwan although the company is based in the Midlands. I think they offer an interesting option but at a slightly larger size than the 55 footers.

If you ever want to have a chat and we are on the boat feel free to get in touch. Whilst I’m clearly a Princess fan I do look and have looked elsewhere at length both here in the UK and also in Europe.

Henry

I‘m pretty sure that the Pearl hull is Taiwanese, then shipped to Portsmouth for the complete fit out.

 

[MapisM]

Surely they must use different hull mouldings for shafts and pods?

Of course they have to, but my understanding is that aside from the inevitable changes triggered by the different propulsion, the hull design is identical.
Which implies that it's either OK for one transmission or the other (or neither!), because there's simply no way it can be optimized for both.
BTW, for all I know they could as well have built just one mould, suitable for different modules depending on the transmission. But this is just a guess!

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Of course they have to, but my understanding is that aside from the inevitable changes triggered by the different propulsion, the hull design is identical.
Which implies that it's either OK for one transmission or the other (or neither!), because there's simply no way it can be optimized for both.
BTW, for all I know they could as well have built just one mould, suitable for different modules depending on the transmission. But this is just a guess!

It’s done with removable plugs for the variable bits I think. Not separate hull moulds.

 

[MapisM]

Makes very good sense.
I said I was guessing just because I never heard anyone confirming that, but I'm not surprised at all if you can.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Bit like (if you remember that far back) the plugs for jfm extra bow cabin windows in the Sq. albeit different scale and complexity.

 

[jfm]

Looking at the v55 I cannot see any spacer on the toilets? Is that spacer only fitted if soft close toilet seats are spec'ed? I had no option for soft close seats.

Afaik, yes. The axis of rotation is further aft with the soft-close hinges. You can sort of see that I think in Henry's photo.

 

[jfm]

I‘m pretty sure that the Pearl hull is Taiwanese, then shipped to Portsmouth for the complete fit out.

Happy to be corrected but I think with Pearls the whole thing is contract built (95% level) in China/Taiwan then shipped, 95% complete, to UK.

I say China/Taiwan because iirc they have more than one location/more than one contract builder. The 95 is iirc built in China (Xiamen) but not sure that's true for all the smaller models.

Makes a heck of a difference to the final price compared with building in say Italy (I checked!), if you're ok with the quality difference..

 

[jfm]

Bit like (if you remember that far back) the plugs for jfm extra bow cabin windows in the Sq. albeit different scale and complexity.

You've got a good memory

 

[henryf]

Happy to be corrected but I think with Pearls the whole thing is contract built (95% level) in China/Taiwan then shipped, 95% complete, to UK.

I say China/Taiwan because iirc they have more than one location/more than one contract builder. The 95 is iirc built in China (Xiamen) but not sure that's true for all the smaller models.

Makes a heck of a difference to the final price compared with building in say Italy (I checked!), if you're ok with the quality difference..

At one stage I think they used to do quite a lot of the finishing work in the shed at Endeavour Quay Gosport but I believe now it’s pretty much all done overseas. I had a chat with them at Düsseldorf.

A small niche manufacturer within a small niche industry but they seem to survive. They give a 5 year guarantee as well (arguably forced upon them a bit) which is refreshing and not the norm within the industry.

But an interesting company and I think the boating world benefits from their presence.

 

[Parabolica]

Happy to be corrected but I think with Pearls the whole thing is contract built (95% level) in China/Taiwan then shipped, 95% complete, to UK.

I say China/Taiwan because iirc they have more than one location/more than one contract builder. The 95 is iirc built in China (Xiamen) but not sure that's true for all the smaller models.

Makes a heck of a difference to the final price compared with building in say Italy (I checked!), if you're ok with the quality difference..

I used to deal with them many moons ago. How they used to make their 60's in that small shed in Warwickshire I'll never know but the end product was very nice, on the surface that is. Behind those surfaces I wasn't so impressed.

That said the intent was always there by Iain Smallridge to fulfil the remit of their claims and make a very high quality product. I had a good look onboard the first 75' (I think it was that), that was their first overseas manufactured MY at SIBS back in whatever year it was and it was shocking to be honest. I was mortified at what i saw but he was open and honest that it was No. 1 and they knew what lay ahead of them to resolve things. I haven't even glanced at on e of their boats since but the fact that Pearl are still around today underlines that they must have resolved everything and now make a fine product as the market would have decided the outcome for them otherwise.

And yes, they are manufactured in China/Taiwan or wherever it is but I cannot imagine any prospective owner not knowing this fact when they put down their money so it's obviously not a negative factor for enough buyers to, ahem, please excuse me here, keep them afloat. I suspect that the 5 year warranty was a necessity to give buyer confidence, similarly to how with the car sector, 7 year warranty's were offered on KIA's (I think it was), to stimulate market share for them and that has clearly has also worked.

So good luck I say. It's great that the brand has endured the many market swings for so many years that's we've all seen and lived ourselves too no doubt and is still going strong, however they are doing it and making it work.

 

[hinch]

If you don't mind me asking, why didn't you consider any Italian builder, which in this segment produce some boats widely regarded as among the best?
Just for disclosure, I'm Italian myself, but that's not the reason for my curiosity.
Also ruling out Fairline when looking for a flybridge of this size seems odd, in fact.

i ruled out Italian builders as being Italian too i have never liked the style and have just never sat that well with me, plus Italian build quality

same reason I have ruled out fairline just don't like the way they look and like with my cars I want something that looks good to me (personal preference)

 

[hinch]

Really interesting to hear your thoughts particularly on the side decks. The rails come further back on the Princess so you’re never exposed and the was a definite bulge forcing me out on the M55.

We use our boat in anger and need it to cope with all eventualities not just marina to marina. I’m also really conscious of crew and guest safety.

Pearl is nothing to do with the French guys, a totally independent set up who get their manufacturing done mostly in China / Taiwan although the company is based in the Midlands. I think they offer an interesting option but at a slightly larger size than the 55 footers.

If you ever want to have a chat and we are on the boat feel free to get in touch. Whilst I’m clearly a Princess fan I do look and have looked elsewhere at length both here in the UK and also in Europe.

Henry

I'm hopefully coming back down end of april for the boat show if I can get a hotel booked and rearrange somethings at work, if you don't mind i'd love to come pick your brains on it all as a decision is far from made.

 

[Portofino]

i ruled out Italian builders as being Italian too i have never liked the style and have just never sat that well with me, plus Italian build quality

You ought to visit the Genoa show ( end of Sept ) for full appraisal and qualification of this ^^ .Or at least Cannes .The food+ hospitality is better @ the Italian show fwiw .
Princess + S / Skr are @ both for a like for like step on board .Genoa is a wetter show , more likely hood they take you out if you wish .

 

[henryf]

I'm hopefully coming back down end of april for the boat show if I can get a hotel booked and rearrange somethings at work, if you don't mind i'd love to come pick your brains on it all as a decision is far from made.

I’m away for a lot of April in Thailand. I think the British Motor Yacht show Swanwick is the middle of May, that’s a very good show to visit. Easy to compare stuff back to back.

I’m happy to pop the kettle on and talk about boats

 

[MapisM]

i ruled out Italian builders as being Italian too i have never liked the style and have just never sat that well with me, plus Italian build quality

same reason I have ruled out fairline just don't like the way they look and like with my cars I want something that looks good to me (personal preference)

Whoa.
Can't argue with personal aesthetic/style preferences, which are, ...ermm..., personal.
'Fiuaskme, Sunseeker is a builder whose style stands out mostly as willingly ostentatious, more than anything else - but that's also personal, of course.

Build quality is less subjective, though.
And even for Azimut, whose build quality arguably is great value for money but not the absolute best you can get, their boats were always good enough to make them the undisputed larger boatbuilder of the planet, by some margin.
A position that even all Brit builders together can only dream of, and that can hardly be reached and maintained for years by selling junk products...
Not to mention that jfm of this parish, who isn't exactly a naive newbie unable to recognize and appreciate build quality (and is well aware of what all builders can offer, Brits included, obviously), restricted his evaluations to Riva and SL, before eventually chosing the latter.
A nice dilemma to deal with, methinks!
Then again, before this last boat which is currently being built, he was a serial Fairline buyer - and considering several FLs/Prin/Sskr that I've seen, personally I can see why, but maybe this just goes to prove that you and him have different views.

Anyway, each to their own.
I guess we must just agree to disagree, also because I don't have a snowball's chance in hell to convince an Italian who dismiss IT style...!

 

[hinch]

Anyway, each to their own.
I guess we must just agree to disagree, also because I don't have a snowball's chance in hell to convince an Italian who dismiss IT style...!

exactly

you can blame my parents and family growing up who rammed down my throat "if its not italian its not good" that has made me quite aggressively anti italian to the point i haven't even been back to see my family since my cousins wedding in 2002

 

[hinch]

I’m away for a lot of April in Thailand. I think the British Motor Yacht show Swanwick is the middle of May, that’s a very good show to visit. Easy to compare stuff back to back.

I’m happy to pop the kettle on and talk about boats

can't make it down in may so i'm coming for the think southampton show at ocean village end of april then maybe again in sept for the main show