A friend of a friend is considering buying one as his first boat - yes I know, not a bad place to start - has anyone any comments on their build quality or other characteristics please ?
Depends whether he has any previous experience, if not, bit of a handful for a first timer but not too big an issue if he gets some training on it before embarking on any serious cruising. I believe Powerskipper is someone who organises this and worth a PM. The difference between a 40' and 46' is not that huge once you get the swing of things but right on the limit for short handed use if its your first boat, its a big boat and a lot of windage coming along side in a blow.
As far as the boat goes no real issues, well built and screwed together properly and a good hull, very sure footed and solid in the water if a little ponderous (don't expect sports boat handling) not the cheapest boat in the world to run, shaft drive with big mother diesels will fairly suck the go go juice.
If he is considering new it might be worth asking about the new IPS drive from Volvo and whether Fairline are intending to use it in this model as the IPS 500 installation will be about 30% cheaper to run and will probably sell better second had a few years down the line. Also for re-sale must have all the bits , upgraded genie, passerelle, air con, leather etc.
I know the phantom 46, she is a nice boat and handles well, her close quarter stuff is good to, a nice easy boat to use and learn to drive, once you get the hang of EDC and the size.
um , i totally disagree. Although the boats make sense from a design and useabiolity point of view, some of the build is flaky to say the least with too-heavy reliance on selftapping screws and silicon mastic. PDI is godawful in my experience, with one ex-dealer reporting boats delivered with as many as 170ish faults needing attention in comparison with a dozen or so faults with another less well-known brand (not UK based). Secondhand is therefore probably the best option.
If he is considering new it might be worth asking about the new IPS drive from Volvo and whether Fairline are intending to use it in this model as the IPS 500 installation will be about 30% cheaper to run and will probably sell better second had a few years down the line.
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Provided IPS takes off as Volvo hope it will.
Otherwise an IPS boat mught be nigh on unsellable a few years down the line if relegated to "ideas that were tried and failed"...
having said that Volvo are chucking huge sums of money at advertising and buttering up the builders to commit to volume over the next two years and with the given advantages not only to them (builders) in production costs but to the consumer in running costs and better performance with really only one unknown (an underwater impact) its a reasonable bet that it will catch on.
The downside is if have a 2005/6 boat with shafts and the next guy to you has IPS and your are both selling it will a hard job to convince someone to give you the same money for a boat that will be slower, heavier on fuel and does'nt handle as well.
There again of course nothing is a given and only time will tell.
The Phantom 46 is totally unsuitable. He should look at something 4 feet smaller, preferably just under a year old, made by another British manufacturer beginning with P /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
How do you define huge sums? PDI is checking things that where done at the factory, one of the main issues with a new boat, unlike a new car is most problems do not raise their head until the boat is weeks/months old.
Investement in after sales would be more appropriate than tightening a few more screws when the boat is delivered to the dealer.
Well, i think you oughta listen to people who have owned these boats rather than merely read the sales blurb. Or is there summink you aren't telling us?
EyeNo, you're showing your lack of knowledge in this area simply by stating that 'Fairline' have invested huge sums in PDI. It is their distributor, B A Peters, who own and operate the Chichester and Ipswich sites, not Fairline. Have you got personal experience of recently buying a Fairline from Peters? If so, lets hear about it. 2 yrs ago, I bought a boat from Peters (admittedly it was a couple of years old and through their Majorca operation) and, whilst the people concerned were perfectly helpful and pleasant, it did'nt make up for the fact that the quality of the boat was sub-standard in some areas. I'm not saying Fairline boats are rubbish; they're just not any better or worse in terms of quality than other suppliers in the industry
I have just taken delivery of my new Fairline Targa 43 from Peters in Chichester and the PDI, handover and after sales has been excellent. I have gone over the boat in the greatest detail and the faults I have found are so small that it is almost not worth mentioning but I did!!