Sunseeker Seem Cheap!

Scubadoo

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Reading through the MBM and MBY mags and looking at the Boats for sale back pages. I have started to notice secondhand Sunseeker boats seem cheaper than other british boats i.e. Fairline, Princess, Sealine etc on age and size. I've seen a 1995 Sunseeker 41ft at a price similar to a 30ft Fairline, Sealine.

It would also seem that Princess boats are good value for a 36ftish size between 1988-1992 compared to other makes.

Why is that, they are not petrols all diesels. Yet 28-32ft cruisers like Fairline Targa 29,30 etc and Sealine S28, S34 etc seem to cost more for less boat. I can only guess this is down to some are more in demand than others, prehaps an image thing i.e. like BMW in the car world.

RM.
 
G

Guest

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Yeah, I noticed the bit about Sunseekers, too. I don't know that much about them, but I think the smaller ones (40ft ish) tend to have less accomodation than equivalent sized boats from Fairline, Sealine etc, and are more intended for Med usage. Having just bought a Fairline Targa 29, they seem to be more expensive than the equivalent Sealines. I think you're almost certainly right about the BMW analogy:
Sunseeker = Porsche
Fairline = BMW
Princess = Merc
Sealine = High end Audi or something

There now, that should start a flame war... ;-)
 

jfm

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Re: flames

Sunseeker = merc ish
Fairline and Princess = both Ford/Vauxhall
Sealine = Hyundai (but earlier ones = Reliant)

JFM
 

petem

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Richard,

I suppose small Fairlines (like small Mercs/BMW's) will always be more saleable. However it took over six months to sell my immaculate Targa 30.

I always think Sunseekers are a little too futuristic and tend to date faster.

Despite that there's a fair few Fairlines/Princesses hanging around and indeed some cracking bargains.

How about a 2000 Phantom 38, commissioning hours only. Advertised at £200,000 (£20k off list) and I bet they'd take an offer. I imagine that old stock is a complete nightmare for the dealers. We're half way through the summer and Southampton is already looming.
 

Geoffs

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Re: Floating Caravans

The accomodation on the 'smaller' Sunseekers is rather limited. I remember commenting as much to a Sunseeker salesman on their stand at Southampton. He replied,

'Ah sir, we don't build floating caravans, our boats are designed to look like they are doing 40 knots when sitting in the marina'!!!

I don't know what that makes a Manhatten, a floating Mansion maybe, or the Super Yacht 105, a floating Hotel maybe.

A bit quite here at the moment, innit. Everyone away on their boats.
 

miket

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Re: flames

Leander???????????????
I thought I knew most boats. Not one of these rag and stick jobs?

Broom = Rolls Royce. (Integral zimmer frame mounting)
 

Scubadoo

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Fairlines are very popular and I guess that keeps the price up - for me they are too pricey when I can get a Sealine S28 (30ft) same age for about 20k less than a Targa 29/30. As for quality I think they are pretty much the same. I got the impression from Fairline owners that they are good quailty - however I checked this out at a boat show and thought it was pretty much the same as Sealine or had a slight edge prehaps.

Your right about Sunseekers they look great at first but then a 5 year old example looks tatty and dated - very much like a Jaguar XJ6, is it because these owners have more money than sense and don't look after them!

RM.
 
G

Guest

Guest
How many of us spend £7 a month to spend hours happily browsing the for sale ads and brokers lists and dreaming? I do for one.

They say you can't buck the market and I suspect that price is a fair guide to desirability. Which for those of us looking at used boats is probably more influenced by practicality and durability. Looking at length and then looking at the boat is often a suprise. Compare the volume of a Searay with a Sunseeker of equivalent length so one's not always comparing like with like. Displacement may give a further clue.

I was told once that you won't go wrong with a Fairline/Princess/Sunseeker where build is concerned. Sealine have (had?) a reputation for being built for showroom appeal rather than durability - but I get the impression that these days its more of a level playing field amongst the Brits - its just that they deal with the inevitable compromises in different ways. The Sunseeker compromise seems to be for style over practicality, particularly in their more sporty sports boats, and there will be fewer North Europeans happy with this compromise. Sealine does seem to be a cheaper new deal, which will knock on to s/h. And I think with Princess/Fairline it comes down to the popularity (reputation?) of each model.

I'd love to try a few different 36 footers in a rough sea, and live on board for a few days. That must be the test - not unreasonable, surely, if one's spending couple of hundred k. Have to say I didn't even take my current boat for a test run (more fool me! - fortunately it's been great) Meanwhile, I'll continue to pour over the lists and speculate..... and dream about the next "upgrade".................
 
G

Guest

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For what it's worth here's my opinion.

Most of the 'sporty style' sunseekers are based on a 4:1 length/beam ratio as opposed to the 3:1 seen on many mainstream boats. This ratio helps to generate the exeptional high speed handling and performance of the Don Shead hull design used on most Sunseekers.

The obvious downside to the 4:1 ratio is in interior volume. (Typically, a 44ft sunseeker would have only 11ft beam). To compensate for this factor, and also the low deckhight it is neccessary to go for a much longer boat than with a more conventional hull.

I needed the space of a 35ft boat. I bought a 44ft sunseeker. Fortunately for me, the secondhand market reflects the volume of the accomodation not the overall length.

The downside is paying for a 44ft berth. The upside is you get a superbly built and highly appointed boat with superb handling and exciting performance. The added length gives the boat much nicer sea keeping characteristics.

Sunseeker = Aston Martin

KL





KL
 

petem

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More like...........

Princess = Mercedes - discreetly styled. Quality. Look good and stand the test of time.

Fairline = BMW - Same as the above with a little more flair.

Sunseeker = Jaguar - Sporting heritage. Well built and date quickly. Pick up a cheap one that's a few years old.

Sealine = Rover - Like to think they're like the top two but aren't really in the same league. A bit crap really (see this months MBY).

Traders = Rolls Royce - Big old barges for big old men.

Windy = SAAB - Built somewhere a little cold where it's dark all the time. Safe bet.

Nimbus = Volvo - More boring version of the above. Still safe.

Cranchi = Alfa Romeo - Cheap and go well but a bit flimsy.

Leopard = Lamborghini - For the man who has everything (except sublety).
 
G

Guest

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Re: leander

Markc is referring to a masive superyacht of the same name. it isn't a production boat, but you could have one made for err mebbe $50m.
 
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