Sunseeker Portofino 47, Fairline Targa 47 gt or Princess v48 - which to buy?

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Dannyg

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Hi guys,

I am looking to buy a 45 - 50ft motorboat with a convertible roof, good cockpit And it needs to look the part. I'm struggling to decide between the Sunseeker, Princess and Fairline boats around the 48ft mark. I am looking to spend around £200k and buy a boat around built 2007 - 2009. From what I can make out they all use the d9s and perform about the same top end.

Portofino 47 - like the lifting platform but I have heard that they can be trouble as can the hard top mechanism?

Princess v48 - I like everything other than the interiors which all seem to have the dated looking dark wood finish.

Targa 47 gt - I love the interior on these boats but the finishing in the cockpit seems a little less bling than the ss 47.

Has anyone got experience on all three boats with pros and cons? I know that this has been covered briefly before but there was not much about common faults or real differances between the boats. Amy help would be really appreciated.

Thanks Dan
 
Yeah I have heard that the pods can be trouble but are more efficient. The pod models use d6's too. I would rather the reliability of a big low reving engine and soak up the extra fuel costs
 
The v48 has nice lines, looks best with a white hull imho (good for Med use), has a canvas roof which means bigger opening area but is effectively a consumable item which will need replacing after a few years. Saloon design is dated. There are no opening side windows in the cockpit which is a consideration if you're heading to the Med.

Portofino looks nice but I find the cockpit seating too shallow, and personally I don't like the circular saloon seating.

The T47 has a lot going for it, the later cockpit design is a big improvement. Rigid hard top so slightly smaller opening but more reliable. Looks best w a blue hull. You could argue that the exterior lines haven't aged as well as the other boats but this is a very subjective point. If you are tall, check the dims of the master cabin bed. I think the galley worktop is perhaps a bit limited.

Of the three, I'd have the T47. Good luck!
 
Slightly biased as we have a t47, we had same boat choices though, we decided on the t47 as didn't like the canvass roof on the princess 48, as Jimmy has said, I've herd also subject to condensation mold and I thought might not be as warm in winter, cockpit felt dated with the wood dash, we were put off the sunseeker as the cockpit is really quite small, the table is fold out rather than fixed, the sun pad is small, unless the back rest is folded forward which then makes the cockpit seating area even smaller, the accommodation just feels cramped, especially the rear cabin, like I said I am biased but I think for good reason, enjoy hunting, look forward to hear what you decide on.
 
Thanks for the input guys. I have read the old ybw reviews and I'm thinking a blue Targa 47 may be the best option. One write up claims that the Targa will get 1.16 mpg at 25kts where the Portofino delivers 0.8 mpg. I know that there is a bit of a beam and weight difference but surely the consumption can not be that different?

Also I have read that the Absolute 47 is a good boat but I know that on pods and I have not heard great things about this set up?

Who else ownes a Targa 47 on here, I would love to talk a few points over with you.
 
Dannyg said:
Also I have read that the Absolute 47 is a good boat but I know that on pods and I have not heard great things about this set up?
Click to expand...

I am not a fan of pods, though of all makes I think Absolute would be up there as favorites with the IPS drive system.
They where among the first tinkering with the pods in 2005/6 for the 56 model, and then launched the 52 and 47 in 2007.

Absolute 47 top 38-40 knots if with the large IPS600 Volvo D6 435hp engines, and gains a large midships owners room.

With IPS you save in fuel (should be quite a good gain for the above boats versus an Abs 47), and you have to add a bit in servicing costs because of the drives.

I think the exterior layout of the Fairline 47 Targa works a bit better to that of the Abs 47.
 
Hi Dannyg
I plumped for a Targa 47 earlier this year having weighed up the other boats discussed here, definitely the right decision as
I have been very impressed with build quality , sea keeping, and layout.
feel free to pm me for more detailed opinions of the boat

Cheers
Tetleys
 
We have a 2009 T47 and now in our 3rd season. This now our 3rd Fairline having previously owned a Phantom 40 and Targa 44 on IPS.
Feel free to ask questions (wil do my best to answer) and you'd be more than welcome to have a poke round our boat if your close to Swanwick Marina.

Regards

Phil
 
Illusion said:
We have a 2009 T47 and now in our 3rd season. This now our 3rd Fairline having previously owned a Phantom 40 and Targa 44 on IPS.
Feel free to ask questions (wil do my best to answer) and you'd be more than welcome to have a poke round our boat if your close to Swanwick Marina.

I was thinking about a Targa 44 but I could not handle a single helm seat and was concerned about the reliability of IPS. What's the difference in fuel consumption between the 47 on shafts and 44 on IPS?

Regards

Phil
Click to expand...
 
The Targa 47 is a great sea boat, as are all 3 models in reality. However the soft retractable roof on the Princess is the winner every time in my opinion.
The reason being is that the Targa 47's hard top makes it noticeably more noisy in the cockpit despite the same Volvo D9 engine arrangement. The Targa 47 did have a rare CAT option but this didn't change the noise levels and in all honesty were not really sought after unless you are a devout CAT man/woman.
The Targa 44GT with IPS is a terrible boat to drive and had lots of bolt ons added to the stern to try and assist the poor design. The outdrive version is the one to have if you are hell bent on the 44, she drives beautifully however she is on the end of the scale for outdrives. Masses of space in the cockpit 2 full size heads, and you can pick these up sub £200k now.
Servicing a shaft driven boat has got to be considered over pods or outdrives for obvious reasons.
All lead me back to the P47 although they are quite hard to find these days in great condition at the right price. Could be due to the fact that replacing it with a newer model is £650K+ and you need to be 7ft tall to stand any chance of mooring it up.
 

Interestingly our T44 D6 370's returned the same MPG figures as our Phantom 40 D6 370's on shafts, which was about 1.1 to 1.2 mpg, however we get about 0.8 to 0.9mpg from our T47 on D9's.

Also in relation to the previous posters comments, not sure about the T44 being a terrible boat to dive, I actually found it quite sporty compared to our other boats on shafts and the trim was fine. Also if you look at T44 out of the water, it doesn't have lots of bolt on bits, unlike some other boats with IPS. It did however have two large fixed trim plates and large trim tabs, which undoubtedly helped with the excellent trim range that was achievable.
 
PowerYachtBlog said:
I am not a fan of pods, though of all makes I think Absolute would be up there as favorites with the IPS drive system.
They where among the first tinkering with the pods in 2005/6 for the 56 model, and then launched the 52 and 47 in 2007.

Absolute 47 top 38-40 knots if with the large IPS600 Volvo D6 435hp engines, and gains a large midships owners room.

With IPS you save in fuel (should be quite a good gain for the above boats versus an Abs 47), and you have to add a bit in servicing costs because of the drives.

I think the exterior layout of the Fairline 47 Targa works a bit better to that of the Abs 47.
Click to expand...

I agree Absolute would be well worth a look, I bought (stole) one in 2009 & have since failed to find a boat as well made or fitted out to upgrade to, inc all the makes mentioned. This is echoed by those who have serviced her.
 
rubberduck said:
I agree Absolute would be well worth a look, I bought (stole) one in 2009 & have since failed to find a boat as well made or fitted out to upgrade to, inc all the makes mentioned. This is echoed by those who have serviced her.
Click to expand...

I have had a look for an absolute 47 but there are hardly any about. Anyone know of any for sale in the uk? I would be keen to look over one
 
That's interesting that the shaft and IPS returned the same consumption. I take it the top speed on the targa 44 was much higher though?
 
Ok maybe I was a little harsh on The Targa 44GT, it isn't terrible, but certainly isn't Sporty! Is that a nautical term? If you want Sporty you have to take a ride in the Cranchi Med 44, that thing is a flying machine! 40 knots with Twin D6 370's on Pods. Interior isn't a patch on the Targa but crikey it flies and commands attention for a lower budget. You have to ask yourself, is the guy in the Targa 44 enjoying himself anymore than the guy in the Cranchi? I would say not! Especially with an extra £100k in his pocket.
 
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