Sealine F33 V F34

[ST840]

That’s me!
I’m on my third Sealine.
I’ve never been on an F34.
The F33 has loads of space for a 33 ft boat but it’s not good at sea and is terrible in a quartering sea of any size. You get your elbows wet on the flybridge.
If you want the space and are a fair weather only boater then why not? But don’t get caught out if it’s bumpy.
Oh and I had a 27ft bay liner fly that I took to France and the Channel Islands and it was great. It isn’t that I don’t like small flybridges.
Ps I’ve not owned an f33 but have done about 150 miles in one.

Ok thanks for the info re ride quality. Sounds like it's back to the drawing board then because I don't want a boat that can't handle the Solent chop comfortably. Seeing as it can chop up quite quickly, going out only on perfect days kind of takes the fun out of going up to a bigger boat.

 

[ChromeDome]

Ok thanks for the info re ride quality. Sounds like it's back to the drawing board then because I don't want a boat that can't handle the Solent chop comfortably. Seeing as it can chop up quite quickly, going out only on perfect days kind of takes the fun out of going up to a bigger boat.

There will always be compromises when prioritizing requirements for a boat. A relatively light, planing boat to go fast and comfort in rough weather aren't easy to combine.

Look closely at commercial or pilot boats that go out in all sorts of weather (albeit not at all times in great comfort). Not a lot in common with our average leisure boats..

Marketing vid, but still: Safehaven

 

[ST840]

There will always be compromises when prioritizing requirements for a boat. A relatively light, planing boat to go fast and comfort in rough weather aren't easy to combine.

Look closely at commercial or pilot boats that go out in all sorts of weather (albeit not at all times in great comfort). Not a lot in common with our average leisure boats..

Marketing vid, but still: Safehaven

? Yeah, I'm not planning on going out in THAT kind of weather thanks!

 

[Elessar]

There will always be compromises when prioritizing requirements for a boat. A relatively light, planing boat to go fast and comfort in rough weather aren't easy to combine.

Look closely at commercial or pilot boats that go out in all sorts of weather (albeit not at all times in great comfort). Not a lot in common with our average leisure boats..

Marketing vid, but still: Safehaven

As a reminder my light, fast, planing 28 ft bay liner was a way better sea boat than the 33 ft Sealine in my opinion. Not as good as a pilot boat though. Everything is relative.

 

[ChromeDome]

Even in a chop you could be forced to slow down and quite many planing hulls aren't happy at low speeds - tend to wander.

One of the reasons semi-displacement come into scope.

 

[Elessar]

Even in a chop you could be forced to slow down and quite many planing hulls aren't happy at low speeds - tend to wander.

One of the reasons semi-displacement come into scope.

I’m not making a generalised comment on planing hulls
I’m making a specific comment on the F33. It has very poor behaviour in a quartering sea. Waves of only about a meter on the quarter will frighten people because it tips alarmingly.
I’ve no idea if the F34 is the same but it was an all new boat so hopefully not.

 

[ChromeDome]

As a reminder my light, fast, planing 28 ft bay liner was a way better sea boat than the 33 ft Sealine in my opinion. Not as good as a pilot boat though. Everything is relative.

Many Bayliner hulls actually are well designed. Pre 2000 year models caused them a bad image for build quality and the US tradition of fitting big petrol engines to entry-level boats made many a fist-boater loose interest after a few seasons.

In some markets their spring season marketing and boat+motor+trailer campaigns pushed a lot of sales to people as '..just sign the dotted line, first installment due in October..".

 

[Hurricane]

I’m not making a generalised comment on planing hulls
I’m making a specific comment on the F33. It has very poor behaviour in a quartering sea. Waves of only about a meter on the quarter will frighten people because it tips alarmingly.
I’ve no idea if the F34 is the same but it was an all new boat so hopefully not.

I've heard this from a number of places.
The F33/F34 stability was the first thing I thought when starting to read this thread.
We had one here in SC and it hardly ever went out.
The owner has now switched to a bigger Azimut.
It is a shame that the OP can't afford to make the step to the bigger F36 (IIRC) which is a totally different story.

 

[ST840]

I've heard this from a number of places.
The F33/F34 stability was the first thing I thought when starting to read this thread.
We had one here in SC and it hardly ever went out.
The owner has now switched to a bigger Azimut.
It is a shame that the OP can't afford to make the step to the bigger F36 (IIRC) which is a totally different story.

Yeah that's just too much for my wallet. I just got a quote from Mercury's for a berth. An 11.5m boat = £8.6k a year. 10.7m = £8.05k and 9.8m = £6.3k.

 

[oldgit]

Pretty certain the MBM magazine reviewed the F33 and did comment on its stability in the turns.

On the upside good use of interior space and amazing what you get for your money.
From personal observation the boat demands that the skipper will be a very skilled and compedent chap indeed to manoeuvre this boat into confined spaces with any wind around.
Much respect indeed to the skipper of one of these boats.

 

[TheCoach]

As you may have noticed from previous posts we are looking at similar sort of specs/sizes.

Had looked at Prestige 36 and 32, liked both but price, availability and engine access were downsides. We looked at F33/4 and the earlier Stateman's which were lovely boats inside but were out as the deck was too narrow for the wife to feel comfortable crewing.

We are now in process on an Antares 9.80 which has the benefit of wider walk around decks to the Sealine, nice interior, decent engine access, on shafts and enough space for me to fish from on the rear deck combined with easy access for us and dog! If you wanted a bit bigger version there is the 10.80 as well (recent one for sale as an example here)

A similar boat is the Jeanneau Merry Fisher 10 although I haven't seen many of these for sale but here is a recent one here.

Both are available at under £100k for boats between 2000 - 2010 roughly. Only downside we can see is the ladder to fly rather than steps and no side door access.

Anyway, just a few thoughts from our experience - look forward to seeing you in the Solent for a bit of fishing maybe - this was landed on Saturday from my little rib of Hythe. ?



Cheers,

TC

 

[ST840]

As you may have noticed from previous posts we are looking at similar sort of specs/sizes.

Had looked at Prestige 36 and 32, liked both but price, availability and engine access were downsides. We looked at F33/4 and the earlier Stateman's which were lovely boats inside but were out as the deck was too narrow for the wife to feel comfortable crewing.

We are now in process on an Antares 9.80 which has the benefit of wider walk around decks to the Sealine, nice interior, decent engine access, on shafts and enough space for me to fish from on the rear deck combined with easy access for us and dog! If you wanted a bit bigger version there is the 10.80 as well (recent one for sale as an example here)

A similar boat is the Jeanneau Merry Fisher 10 although I haven't seen many of these for sale but here is a recent one here.

Both are available at under £100k for boats between 2000 - 2010 roughly. Only downside we can see is the ladder to fly rather than steps and no side door access.

Anyway, just a few thoughts from our experience - look forward to seeing you in the Solent for a bit of fishing maybe - this was landed on Saturday from my little rib of Hythe. ?

View attachment 124035

Cheers,

TC

You wouldn't happen to be on the 2009 one from ancaster in lymington would you?
We tried to get a viewing this Saturday but as its proceeding they wouldn't allow us to just have a look around to get an idea on them.

 

[ChromeDome]

By experience, planing boats with tunnelled hulls (shafts) are much more like a semi-D at low speeds than traditional planing hulls (sterndrives/outboards).

Picture taken during antifoul dry ice blast removal:

 

[Momac]

Pretty certain the MBM magazine reviewed the F33 and did comment on its stability in the turns.

On the upside good use of interior space and amazing what you get for your money.
From personal observation the boat demands that the skipper will be a very skilled and compedent chap indeed to manoeuvre this boat into confined spaces with any wind around.
Much respect indeed to the skipper of one of these boats.

I think you are over stating the boat handling skills required . I find the F33 considerably easier to handle in confined spaces compared to the single engined S23 I had previously .
The wind can get hold of it but isn't that true of any boat especially with outdrives where all the weight is on the stern?

As for stability in turns there is no issue . It leans like a motorbike but it is not unstable.

On open water at speed the F33 can tend to lean into a side wind. But most of the time not an issue in practice.
I am considering auto controls for the trim tabs.
I did get caught by a lumpy sea and the boat together with all crew survived .

 

[SC35]

>>the single engined S23 I had previously
My S24 with a single engine was the hardest boat to dock in the Marina.
S28 was the easiest.
SC35 ... if the bow thruster fails, I am toast, I'll just drop the anchor 50m off the Marina and swim for it.

 

[volvopaul]

I take it these numbers refer to HP? 32=320 etc etc??

Also as a side note, is there a boat on the market that is very much like the F33/34 but runs shafts instead?

F36/37

 

[Elessar]

F36/37

Good answer but a lot bigger.
A proper, planted flybridge that would be a good choice. More money though.

For a smaller flybridge on a shaft that can handle any sea (I’ve had one out in a F8 twice) then the beneteau Antares 30 is a fabulous boat. Sternthruster essential though as lots of propwash [edit I meant propwalk] from the large single prop. Budget for that. Definitely my small flybridge choice (and has been said I like Sealines) and way way better than an F33 in any sort of sea.

 

[ST840]

Good answer but a lot bigger.
A proper, planted flybridge that would be a good choice. More money though.

For a smaller flybridge on a shaft that can handle any sea (I’ve had one out in a F8 twice) then the beneteau Antares 30 is a fabulous boat. Sternthruster essential though as lots of propwash from the large single prop. Budget for that. Definitely my small flybridge choice (and has been said I like Sealines) and way way better than an F33 in any sort of sea.

Deffo a lovely boat, but way out of my league.

 

[Hurricane]

Yeah that's just too much for my wallet. I just got a quote from Mercury's for a berth. An 11.5m boat = £8.6k a year. 10.7m = £8.05k and 9.8m = £6.3k.

Fully understand but Volvopaul has made the same point.
I said the F36 but I was actually thinking of the F37 - I did my Yachtmaster on one.
The F36/F37 is on shafts which think could save you in running costs but as said above, I believe that the sea keeping of the bigger boat makes it a much more useful boat.
If you bought the smaller boat, it wouldn't be long before you were looking for a bigger one.

Mercury Yacht Harbour - thats interesting
We berthed our Sealine T51 there for about 3 seasons.
Being retired, we were mostly there during the weekdays and found it wasn't a very social marina.
What about buying a bigger boat and berthing in a cheaper marina - say further up the river - both the Hamble and the Itchen.
I just think that the F33/F34 would be "false economy".

 

[ST840]

we were mostly there during the weekdays and found it wasn't a very social marina.

The sociability of the marina is what we like, we only use it at the weekends, friday til sunday and it's very social, especially where we are moored. There is a certain charm and tranquility about Mercury that we also love. Ive moored on the Itchen for years and just moved to the Hamble full time last year. I am looking at easterns but the bridges and lack of cheap fuel put me off. Although it is tranquil and cheaper, by around £2.3k a year!!