SECS on a T60 !!

[Planty]

Whilst posting on earlier thread re T60 remembered what I thought was a hoot at the show.

Button near helm position marked "SECS" when asked what it did was told its the "Sealine Extending Cockpit System", (which I have to confess to thinking is a brilliant idea), however imagine berthing up and calling to ones wife from the Flybridge, "OK love, turn on my SECS and make it 3foot longer!!". Or maybe, "No love, we won't get in there 'cos remember with SECS it grows by about 3foot!!" Could make for some interesting glances in many ports!

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Planty on 29/09/2004 10:01 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[tcm]

Did you think it a bit naff?

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[mjf]

I agree the SECS is excellent design innovation - odd it has not been widely copied.

Ideas like the lowering bathing platform and the owners stateroom rectangle windows are almost common now.

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[Planty]

Not sure really that the idea is naff, in essence the idea is probably sound and my experience whilst visiting a 42/5 is that it does make a hell of a lot of room available. Whether or not the execution is naff? It seems to work well, reasonably quiet, smooth etc. So don't know really, I think if the boat was the right one for me and it had this feature it would be a great benefit, just like 'em not to call it "SECS" I suppose.

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[DepSol]

Lets see if the old saying is true that SECS really sells !

<hr width=100% size=1>Dom

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.soltron.co.uk>the website</A>

 

[halcyon]

Well the SDS has died a death.

Brian

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[jfm]

SECS will not be widely copied imho because the sliding part, ie the bench seat at aft of cockpit, is usually the standing headroom section of the aft crewcabin. Such crew cabins normally have 2 berths and a small shower room/WC. Sealine can only fit SECS because they dont have an aft crew cabin at all. They just have a single crew berth on the port side. So, a pretty big price paid is imho for the SECS system, a price many wont pay.

This pretty much rules out any charter use for T60, which would need 2 crew beds, captain and stewardess.

In general, I think the T60 is pretty underwhelming and the things Sealine have done differently (aft dining+ forward saloon, SECS, the look of the thing in profile) have been done disappointingly. And the flybridge layout (crucial for Med market) isn't as good as it could have been. I definitely wouldn't buy one. All imho

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[DepSol]

So in summary

People wont pay for SECS because they only have one bed and no showering facility.

<hr width=100% size=1>Dom

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.soltron.co.uk>the website</A>

 

[Alistairr]

I agree however, For something as small as the F34, it is quite useful at making a small area bigger.

And i do believe Doral use the same system as well, even down to there 25 footer, Who used it first, i Don't know!!!



<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://arweb.co.uk/argallery/alistair?&page=1> My Pictures, Please take a Look.</A>

 

[jhr]

....but if you get blown(!?) on to a lee shore, it will enable you to have SECS on the beach.......

<hr width=100% size=1>Je suis Marxiste - tendance Groucho

 

[jfm]

Agreed. Moreover, they would need to make it standard, or a no-cost option, becuase most T60 buyers would not pay for SECS anyway.

Yes in a 24 foot boat Alistair, or even the sealine 42/5, SECS is a totally different ball game and could be quite an advantage compared with no SECS, or indeed no ball game. All I'm saying is that SECS is no good on a 60footer if it means no crew cabin, or if the crew's head would get hit by the sliding part during the SECS act...ivation

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[benjenbav]

au contraire, I heard that Phantom were looking at a similar system, provisionally named the Phantom Universal CocKpit Utility Provider, or Ph.U.C.K.U.P and that Fairline had similar ideas.

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[ari]

Non of it matters though, as they'll sell all they can make to people trading up from smaller Sealines and finding the path to reasonable residuals on their current Sealine is buy a bigger Sealine (at full list price of course) and get offered a generous part exchange for their old one.

Thats why people will buy the T60 over a Squadron or Sunseeker, I bet you'll find 90% of T60 owners will have traded up from smaller Sealines.

Can't argue with Sealines stratagy!

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[mjf]

Good point!




I remember seeing it a couple (3?) years back at Earls Court on the 43/5.

I thought it excellent on that boat - so agree good to have on smaller F/B shaft boats.

Thinking on - I guess you either have two cockpit covers or have one with an elastic strip for use when extended in Uk winter harbour conditions???


I reckon the T60 gets a thumb down from the forum then now eh?



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[DepSol]

Bit unfair to give a boat the thumbs down forum wise for a handful of posts especially when no one has actually been out to see on one. If we had over 100 posts maybe and the views of people on board.


<hr width=100% size=1>Dom

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.soltron.co.uk>the website</A>

 

[adarcy]

At least it's not just me

<<the look of the thing in profile) have been done disappointingly>> jfm

I don't want one anyway so I doubt if Sealine care about my opinion but ever since I first saw it I thought it looks a bit odd in profile.

Looked at the MBY test and piccies and the outside of it at SBS and still couldn't work out why it looked wrong. I get the impression it looks broken-backed and I've now decided that it's due to the curve on the underside of the lower aft saloon window. ? should be straight ?

Anybody else feel the same or is it a select group of jfm and yours truly?

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[tcm]

ooh no, it's just you and jfm. I have come to love the way that sealine inlcude curly writing and lovely faux-veneer, especially when retained by crosshead screwdrivers in the dashboard, and i especially like the way that the retro(?) aluminium-looking cast cleats from the late 70's adorn all boats in the range and i especially like the Sealine Port, Aft & Starboard Trim Interior Colourway System design too.

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[Wiggo]

Re: Crash!!!

Could have sworn I just heard someone throw a stone through the side of their own rather transparent (albeit leopard-print carpeted) house...

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://homepage.ntlworld.com/graham.wignall/boats/eulimene600x800.jpg>The old and the new</A>

 

[jfm]

Yup, the look is almost right, about 80% there, but just not right. Hard to pin down, but the fwd raked radar arch is a mess, the swoop down to the transom, the knuckle, and much of the detailing just aren't right. Result is a somewhat ugly boat imho

I'm not saying they should have made a fair/prin/sseeker clone, they didn't need to. They could make it different and still look ok. Look at the Palmer Johnson Cover Drive for example, a new look but fab style, invisible flybridge. Or more mainstream boats such as that new Prin 67 are moving onwards stylewise, but getting it very right. Even the Sq 58 did, in its day. This T60 just isn't as clever as these examples, and seems notable only for the fact it is sealine's biggest ever boat plus quirky features like SECS and dining-saloon switch. Those notable features divert attention from the fact it has a poor flybridge layout, no internal stairs (which are NOT a gimmick on that size boat, they get used all the time) and limited crew facilities (so owner drivers only, when praps 50% boats that size in the med are 2 crew - doh)


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