Sealine T60 Review

benjenbav

benjenbav

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P'raps the first and last in a series of benjenbavTM boat reviews:

Manufacturer: Sealine

Model: T60

04_SealineT60_edited.jpg


Description :
They say: "60 feet of uncompromising luxury"

Benjenbav says: "Biggish, in yer face, flybridge cruiser"

Performance: Overtook me in the harbour but turned left (I was going right) so can't comment on how the claimed 30 knots matched up to my Portofino at WOT but I bet it wasn't as quick, har, har.

Distinguishing feature: Full width shagatorium: You can see straight in from cockpit level in a Portofino so maybe curtains would be a good idea to preserve modesty.
 
I somehow doubt they will be inviting you to contribute to the 2008 brochure /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

dv.
 
It's a hard life being an independent reviewer; knowing that all you have to do is say the product is wonderful to be invited to the next exotic launch. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
It's a hard life being an independent reviewer; knowing that all you have to do is say the product is wonderful to be invited to the next exotic launch. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

It's not as simple as that you know. They have to tailor how wonderful to advertising revenue.

And they have to cross the photography boat's wash several times to ascertain rough sea handling in all weather conditions.

It's very scientific this boat reveiwing malarky. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
This looks like the kind of honesty we could do with more frequently! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
To be a proper boat tester you have to say that it feels like a much bigger boat (even though you said the same of every other boat that size you tested, meaning that's what boats that size feel like), crucially you missed out that it "breathes easily", but then you have to drop in a subtle complaint that there's no fiddles on the countertops so that you are seen to be objective and unbiased and in no way swayed by those double page spread adverts /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
How come you lot all seem to assume that if a reviewer says anything nice about a boat then it must be because he's been bribed? Don't you *like* boats? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Or do you think we ought to give every new product a thorough slagging off, just to show how unbiassed we are, until every boat and equipment maufacturer refuses to let any of us anywhere near any of their products? That would be really good, wouldn't it! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Puzzled
Tim Bartlett
 
[ QUOTE ]
How come you lot all seem to assume that if a reviewer says anything nice about a boat then it must be because he's been bribed? Don't you *like* boats? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Or do you think we ought to give every new product a thorough slagging off, just to show how unbiassed we are, until every boat and equipment maufacturer refuses to let any of us anywhere near any of their products? That would be really good, wouldn't it! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Puzzled
Tim Bartlett

[/ QUOTE ]

Because no matter what, you never ever say anything bad beyond a very mild comment about fiddles or something in a bid to show your unbiasedness.

Look at the recent group tests! They're all fantastic. Some are fractionally more fantastic than the others, but we really should be buying all of them really. And you'll pick a winner buy the narrowest of margins backed up by lots of reasons why the other boats are just as good really and we shouldn't not buy those.

I'm afraid you've hit the nail on the head in your reply there, you're clearly so afraid that manufacturers won't let you near their products if you dare say a negative word that you're scared to death. That and the Walker Wingsail ruling that still gets a mention from time to time by IPC staff past or present.

Seriously, pick up a car magazine or two, see how they're not afraid to be blunt, not afraid to properly critique a product. And you know what? They still get to test cars.

Honestly, you asked so I'll say, MBY boat tests are a joke, they're glorified manufacturer brochures, nothing more.
 
I think you'll find that we boat testers are now testing the Beta version of ReviewMax 3.1.1 at the moment, which now allows us to insert the approprate phrase using the F number keys at the top of our keyboards (I've inserted the real meaning, for those of you not familiar with the genre):
F1 = Sleek lines and aggressive looks (looks better from a distance...of 5 miles)
F2 = Spacious and well-equipped galley (cat-swinging not recommended)
F3 = Controls fell easily to hand (you can reach everything, copyright MCN 1976)
F4 = Light and airy (you can stand up straight)
F5 = Breathes easily (origin and meaning unknown)
F6 = Sumptuous owners suite (dark and pokey main cabin)
F7 = Service items are all easily accessible (for a contortionist dwarf)
F8 = Typically Italian helm ergonomics (can't reach anything and can't see out)
F9 = Level of build quality we've come to expect from French yards (rubbish)
F10 = Outstanding value for money (cheap sh*t)

Run in conjunction with the Libel-b-Gone plug-in, ReviewMax is now an industry standard and version 3.2 is expected to include the facility merely to input the specifications into the appropraite fileds, press "enter", and out pops a 2000 word boat test. Huzzah, and trebles all round!
 
That is superb and just about sums it up! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I'm still chuckling that Tim Bartlett (is it really Tim Bartlett by the way, or just someone having a laugh?) even tries to defend MBY boat tests! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
It really is Tim, and if anyone in this business tells it like it is, Tim is the one.

But in fairness to most boat testers, it really is quite difficult to slag things off when most of the stuff out there is pretty good. We go through this every six months ago here on the MoBo forum, and I don't propose to go through it all again. Suffice to say, it's a difficult job and most testers do their best to be fair to builder and reader alike. Generally speaking, if a boat builder is confident in his product, and the magazines think it's a good product, they'll test it.

If it's a shed then either the builder won't make one available for testing or the magazine will politely decline to test it. I was recently on a big sportsboat that was shockingly bad, and it would have been very easy (and a lot of fun) to rip it to shreds in print, but we decided just to ignore it. Regular readers of the magazine know that if we don't test it, it probably isn't worth buying.
 
[ QUOTE ]
It really is Tim, and if anyone in this business tells it like it is, Tim is the one.

[/ QUOTE ]

Then no one does tell it how it is.

[ QUOTE ]
But in fairness to most boat testers, it really is quite difficult to slag things off when most of the stuff out there is pretty good. We go through this every six months ago here on the MoBo forum, and I don't propose to go through it all again. Suffice to say, it's a difficult job and most testers do their best to be fair to builder and reader alike. Generally speaking, if a boat builder is confident in his product, and the magazines think it's a good product , they'll test it.

[/ QUOTE ]

So you only test boats you think are good before you test them !!??? And you wonder why no one takes you seriously!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif


[ QUOTE ]


If it's a shed then either the builder won't make one available for testing or the magazine will politely decline to test it. I was recently on a big sportsboat that was shockingly bad, and it would have been very easy (and a lot of fun) to rip it to shreds in print, but we decided just to ignore it. Regular readers of the magazine know that if we don't test it, it probably isn't worth buying.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok well I reckon in the last 2 years there's been boat tests on probably 20% of the Sealine range, the Fairline range and the Princess range.

So by your very own words, IPC think that 80% of these marques output are "shockingly bad", is that correct?
 
I don't work for IPC these days so I can't comment on what they do (well, I could, but I won't!)...I'm freelancing for Boat International, and we don't do little stuff (under 60ft). But of the big stuff, we have a good look over a boat before we test it to check whether it's good enough. If it's rubbish, we move on to something else. If it's good, we'll take a closer look and write about it in the magazine.
 
So its true then, it is basically it is just a cozy little love in between "journos" and the manufacturers, you really would rather not say anything nasty than actually educate the public.

Tell you what, have a look at this months Car Magazine and read their review of the new Hummer H3.
 
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