Surprise verdict

PS no need to keep apologising!! Seriously, though, the S48 is a stunning sea boat, not to be confused with the S41/42.

PPS I'd watch out for that killer whale you are riding - they can turn nasty you know, as has just happened in Florida!


Final apology, but necessary, my initial comments were based on the S41 and in particular the S42 not the S48. At 16 tons, S48 must be a different boat altogether and on shafts! :cool: :o

Why do these guys keep getting right and promptly stop building? e.g T40, T48, V48 and as you said S48?

I've always liked the smaller S series upto F37s' but like you I can't get the latest slab sided designs even though some on here like them a lot. The interiors and use of space have always been excellent.

Thanks for the warning about whale riding, unbelievable. :eek: and very sad for both trainer and whale.
 
I'm not surprised in his final choice, it shows that he hasn't owned a fast planing motor cruiser before. The S48 is exactly that, a compromise.

The S48 is one of those boats that looks great at the boat show safely tied up. The way Sealine work the useable interior space is great and the rear cabin is also very nice. That said, it's a flimsy flat bottomed boat that will probably, slam, crack and even chine walk as well. Sorry.

As to the Budget Jenneau, you get what you pay for. I've always been impressed with their lower end Merry Fishers, even up to the Prestige 32, they produce value. I have friends that have had cupboards falling off the wall, literally in a force 4. and others that were very limited on the weather they could use their Prestige 32 but now they have a proper P42 Princess they can cruise with us or when they want to. I don't believe that even Jenneau think they are a quality boat but a budget flat bottomed boat, nice for rivers and coastal use only. Of course, just my opinion.

Fairline, Princess both make boats with proper hulls and if you want to cruise at planing speeds over a decent range and offshore, they are hard to beat.

I notice no mention of Sunseeker in your engineering friends review. Sunseeker have to be included in any quality discussion.

Thanks for posting the 'verdict' I'll be interested to hear what he buys next year. ;)

I don't know whether this post is designed to wind up certain other forumites or not but it is total cock. Actually there is very little difference in the basic hull design used by any of the major Brit builders, at least for their mainstream cruiser hulls. Fundamentally they are all variable medium to deep V designs and none of them perform markedly different at sea from the others. I've had Fairlines, Princesses, Sealines and various other makes and, to be honest, they're all much of a muchness. They slam into a head sea and romp along in a following sea. Not much else you can say. As for build quality, all I can say is sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don't. I've had a Sealine 305 which was a pile of poo and a 410/F43 which was faultless. I've had a Fairline Turbo 36 which was brilliant and a Targa 48 which fell apart, a Princess 435 which was a great sea boat and a Princess 470 which drenched everyone on the flybridge in the mildest of sea conditions and had a crew cabin which filled with water.
As for the S48, I've never owned one but by all accounts it's an excellent boat and doesn't deserve to be rubbished
 
I don't know whether this post is designed to wind up certain other forumites or not but it is total cock.

No, this was a genuine conversation which took place last weekend, no it was not designed to 'wind up certain other forumites', and no, reasonable discussion is not 'total cock', if that was the case then there are many other posts on here to which you could attribute the description 'total cock'
 
I don't know whether this post is designed to wind up certain other forumites or not but it is total cock.

No, this was a genuine conversation which took place last weekend, no it was not designed to 'wind up certain other forumites', and no, reasonable discussion is not 'total cock', if that was the case then there are many other posts on here to which you could attribute the description 'total cock'

Adrian check who I was replying to and it wasn't any of your posts. I was replying to RogerRat's post rubbishing the Sealine S48
 
Or Brooms for that matter, good,solid, British build, tasteful, proffesional, manufactured to personal requirements, & holds it's value in second hand market!
 
Or Brooms for that matter, good,solid, British build, tasteful, proffesional, manufactured to personal requirements, & holds it's value in second hand market!

Indeed, we loved the Broom 45 at SBS. One manufacturer that has not gone for ultra "modern" looks, and sharp edged interiors, and that I applaud. Not sure I'm quite old enough though..............
 
...and whatever boat any of us own or "aspire" to own it is without doubt the best boat ever to have hit the water.

Bavaria to Benetti and beyond, which ever plastic, carbon, wood, steel, aluminium or ferro cement floating thing we call "ours" it will always be better than "yours".

My little Merry Fisher 695 (ugggh it's a Jeanneau and the little plasticy one too) is definitely far better than Nicho's nasty S48, it's better than so and so's Feretti and such and such's Azimut or Sunseeker.

If you ask very nicely, I will let you come fishing on my boat and if my diary allows I shall let you return the favour and I'll join any of you for a cruise around the bay and a slurp of G&T on yours.

Chill out and don't take it to heart... mine's better than yours!

Tom
 
I don't know whether this post is designed to wind up certain other forumites or not but it is total cock.

Oi! I've said sorry, it was a bad post ok? :(

'gigm's' point about opinions and values are based on latest output but historic values remain.

"Bayliner" are still running with the 'binliner' tag. They've now introduced 'Meridian' as an upmarket brand and the first one I knew about was bought by my friend Paul which promptly caught fire and sunk 3-4 miles in to his maiden voyage.

That will be remembered by quite a few people for years when the reasons are published.
 
Lets no go fast on the assumptions of that Meridian. The little report over here suggested it was more of an engine which started it all.

Then Roger again Fairline and Princess had a fire crisis in the mid nineties. A friends new nine months old 37 Phantom suffered that faith in July 1995. Where thank god no one got hurt, as this was during a weekend trip from Malta to Gozo with 2 families on board and 4 children under 15 years old. My friend was a year later given a new Fl 37 Phantom.
I remember also a new Fline 55 Squadron burning in Mallorca during delivery. I think the photo of this was also posted on a MBY of the period.
A survey told me a couple years later that some Flines and Princesses of the mid nineties had some floppy wiring and apparently 15 vessels suffered this faith.
Might have been the same contractor during the job on both the makers.
 
Bayliner is Bayliner and Sealine is Sealine. It's not fair to compare the two. Also as PYB has pointed out, fires happen on any boat. Does the fact that MBM's own Princess 360 caught fire in Cowes marina a few years back mean that all Princesses are ****? No, of course not. Actually that was down to an engine prob and so not fair to blame Princess. Maybe the same case with the Meridian?
 
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