DavidJ
Well-Known Member
Good find. That will be gone before the days out
Sunseeker Superhawk 34
- Thread starter Bradm
- Start date
Scotsman231
New Member
I bought a Superhawk 34 last year - the previous two boats were a Khamsin and a Targa 33. The Targa had a nice main cabin but we never used it and wanted more cockpit space. We looked a S34 in Salterns two years ago which we really liked but the broker selling it was a complete arse and we ended up buying the Khamsin which on the face of it ticked all the boxes and was a great boat, but for some reason I never really fell in love with it.
That was sold at the end of the summer and we were wondering what to get next when my wife said "you know the boat we really liked' and I said "yes, the Sunseeker". It turned out that the same boat we looked at in Poole was on the market again and this time we bought it. It actually belonged to the same owner who decided to keep it and in the intervening period spent a considerable amount of money on upgrading pretty much everything so that was a bonus.
To my mind you buy a Superhawk 34 because you want one, and the space in the cabin is a secondary consideration. I'll admit to being biased but I still think it's one of the best looking boats Sunseeker ever built and there's only two of us so the accommodation is adequate. Some modern boats seem to be designed from the inside out to maximise the interior space and the aesthetics suffer as a result - when the S34 was designed it was as if Don Shead said "here's the design, see what you can fit into it" and you get the benefit of a fantastic hull design . We live in Port Solent which means we can pick the good weather and the cockpit is great - the sunbed with cupholders keeps the crew happy.
As with boats of that age obviously the condition varies tremendously. Mine has a white hull which is an advantage - both the previous boats had blue hulls which inevitably start looking a bit doggy when the spring polish wears off later in the season. As for worrying about failing ECU's, if you't buying a 20 year old boat you are taking a gamble anyway. The Fairline had AD41's which everyone says are "bulletproof" and one of them let go spectacularly to the tune of a five figure repair.
Good luck finding one - you won't be disappointed. I can see mine every time I look out of the window and even when it's not going anywhere it makes me feel happy!
That was sold at the end of the summer and we were wondering what to get next when my wife said "you know the boat we really liked' and I said "yes, the Sunseeker". It turned out that the same boat we looked at in Poole was on the market again and this time we bought it. It actually belonged to the same owner who decided to keep it and in the intervening period spent a considerable amount of money on upgrading pretty much everything so that was a bonus.
To my mind you buy a Superhawk 34 because you want one, and the space in the cabin is a secondary consideration. I'll admit to being biased but I still think it's one of the best looking boats Sunseeker ever built and there's only two of us so the accommodation is adequate. Some modern boats seem to be designed from the inside out to maximise the interior space and the aesthetics suffer as a result - when the S34 was designed it was as if Don Shead said "here's the design, see what you can fit into it" and you get the benefit of a fantastic hull design . We live in Port Solent which means we can pick the good weather and the cockpit is great - the sunbed with cupholders keeps the crew happy.
As with boats of that age obviously the condition varies tremendously. Mine has a white hull which is an advantage - both the previous boats had blue hulls which inevitably start looking a bit doggy when the spring polish wears off later in the season. As for worrying about failing ECU's, if you't buying a 20 year old boat you are taking a gamble anyway. The Fairline had AD41's which everyone says are "bulletproof" and one of them let go spectacularly to the tune of a five figure repair.
Good luck finding one - you won't be disappointed. I can see mine every time I look out of the window and even when it's not going anywhere it makes me feel happy!
ontheplane
Well-Known Member
I agree it's a stunning looking boat, and yes, for a couple the below decks accommodation is fine.
I agree the Kasmin is better than the Tornado, if they were similar money it's a no-brainer, way beyond my means sadly!
I agree the Kasmin is better than the Tornado, if they were similar money it's a no-brainer, way beyond my means sadly!
Depending on what your budget is, a good alternative is the Hunton XRS37, well built, quality high end sports boat etc. During my brokerage career I’ve sold a few tornados & tbh there lovely boats (friend had one) but compared to other windy s I’ve sold (ghibli,khamsin,Mirage and a few more) they seemed to hang round a lot longer Than their larger and smaller siblings.
One boat which IMO had good performance is the portofino 32 with a pair of KAD42s in, i sea trialed one & with 4 adults onboard + Bimini on aswell managed to get 38 knots flat out, the tornado with KAD44 got 40 knots flat out.
Im a big fan of the hawk 34 & hopefully one day ill have the £ for one.
One boat which IMO had good performance is the portofino 32 with a pair of KAD42s in, i sea trialed one & with 4 adults onboard + Bimini on aswell managed to get 38 knots flat out, the tornado with KAD44 got 40 knots flat out.
Im a big fan of the hawk 34 & hopefully one day ill have the £ for one.
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They can't be looking very hard as they've been up for sale for a long time.
DavidJ
Well-Known Member
I know. I don’t understand it. If I had a KAD44 I would snap this up as a spare. After all it’s a coastal rides guaranteed product and not from an unknown eBay source. In the current situation where there is no supplier of new ones it could mean an end of boating for a year ( or more) if your ECU packs up.
I really hope you are right that there are more of these around than I had guessed. The lack of panic buying would indicate this.
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Scare stories on internet forums don't help!
I'd avoid KAD300s for other reasons before worrying about the ECU but each to their own.
Personally having looked at a lot of 34s over the years I wouldn't buy one with a white hull (or white interior) or pay more than £60k for one (given they can take a long time to sell). You'll find a lot more buyers interested at £65k as the man maths is simpler.
I'd avoid KAD300s for other reasons before worrying about the ECU but each to their own.
Personally having looked at a lot of 34s over the years I wouldn't buy one with a white hull (or white interior) or pay more than £60k for one (given they can take a long time to sell). You'll find a lot more buyers interested at £65k as the man maths is simpler.
ontheplane
Well-Known Member
At £60k they are up against some very different boats, and yes I’d say they make a lot of sense then.
Interestingly, given the new thread on here about the new Fairline f33 and is it “good value” I have to say against what’s you can get nearly new it’s a resounding NO but maybe new buyers never consider used and vice versa?
Interestingly, given the new thread on here about the new Fairline f33 and is it “good value” I have to say against what’s you can get nearly new it’s a resounding NO but maybe new buyers never consider used and vice versa?
ontheplane
Well-Known Member
Perhaps a cheeky £60k offer?
I know sales are strong at the moment, but not everything is selling!
petem
Well-Known Member
Hhhmmmm.
petem
Well-Known Member
Weren't Sunseeker Brokerage selling one that be re-powered with mismatching KAD/KAMD engines? There's a thread on here somewhere.
Scotsman231
New Member
Brad and I both looked at that boat and moved on when the issue with the drives showed up. It has since been sold with the purchaser knowing about the problem and negotiating a corresponding reduction in price - he has apparently found a used pair of DP-G's since then.
However, in spite of allegedly having invoices for £50K of work - which weren't immediately obvious - it needed quite a lot of money spending on it apart from the drives.
However, in spite of allegedly having invoices for £50K of work - which weren't immediately obvious - it needed quite a lot of money spending on it apart from the drives.
Clipper Marine in Poole have just listed one for sale, £75k I believe with KAD44s
Bradm
New Member
Thank you for this!
alt
Well-Known Member
What reasons? I've had 2 x KAD300's for 8 years now and with the exception of having to replace the exhaust manifold gaskets (1 started to leak) on one engine, i've had zero issues
(fresh water)
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The 300s seem to be fragile to their tuning - squeezing that much power out had side-effects. All the boats I've looked at with them in (Windy, Hunton, Sunseeker) all seem to have had major service bills for them.
julians
Well-Known Member
I expect That's just normal volvo penta bills for a boat of that vintage, I'd expect d4 engines to be the same (maybe worse) when they hit that vintage
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Just viewed another boat with twin KAD300s and both need a rebuild along with their drives due to lack of maintenance. Likely to occur on any setup I supposed if you abuse the service schedule but the result is around £25k of outlay.
On the plus side VP have 14 KAD300 / KAD44 ECUs in stock...
On the plus side VP have 14 KAD300 / KAD44 ECUs in stock...