Targa 47 or V48 Open

[ROW]

Alright, I'll say it, why not just charter the Boats.co.uk T47 until you know what you want longer term?

Buying your own for a year is going to cost:
Surveyor/flights etc £1k
Delivery cost £??
Berth £10k
Servicing £3k
Insurance £2k
Antifouling £2k
Polishing £1k
Guardiennage and cleaning £1k
Opportunity cost of capital £10k
Brokers fee and VAT on re-sale £15k
Unexpected repairs £??

That's assuming you can sell it quickly for the same price that you bought it a year later, and that you don't want to make any changes or upgrades. Compare that with the cost of chartering the Boats.co.uk boat, but remember with chartering you just turn up and go, so you're only paying for the days you are out using the boat.

Thanks Nick H

Your numbers make perfect sense and in
many ways using the BCU T47 would be a sensible plan. However not sure being sensible is what I want to do on this occasion! That said I am mega busy at the moment so on a price per day of use basis, chartering makes perfect sense!!

 

[ROW]

I think you're a bit light on some of those costs Nick but I agree the general message!

Yes think the costs are a bit light too!!

However does any of this make sense financially!! It's a very expensive hobby whichever way you cut it!!

 

[ROW]

We have a 2009 Targa 47 with a 2015 Williams 325s Jet rib. Love both boats and a perfect combination. I think everything regarding the T47 has already been covered on here. You do seem read a lot of noise on here regarding Williams reliability however they remain popular and ours has been great (so far), however we look after it by the book, which I think lots of others don't, which may be the problem? We mono ski with ours so as you can guess for the size, there's nothing else that comes close.
Be more than happy to answer any questions from a first hand owner perspective, although we do all our boating in the UK (Solent) and I promise I'll try and be as objective as possible with both positive and negatives!!

Thanks Illusion

I'm glad you're enjoying the combo!

I can understand the issue re Williams maintenance - just not sure I want a tender that needs to be looked after. I also think I'm too lazy to want to waterski!!

The interesting thing is no-one has a bad word to say about the ownership experience of the T47 so far! It does seem to be a great boat.

 

[NGM]

I can understand the issue re Williams maintenance - just not sure I want a tender that needs to be looked after. I also think I'm too lazy to want to waterski!!

.

I'll second the Williams, wouldn't be without it, great fun, looks cool, and personally I don't like the look of a big outboard sitting on the bathing platform.
I've had ours for 4 years, without a single problem (jinx myself there !!) we have been religious with the annual service and the 'looked after' is nothing more than a 3 minute fresh water flush when you get back to berth. They are expensive but generally seem to hold value v well. If you don't want to ski or pull toys then a boat to shore tender will suffice.

 

[MapisM]

We mono ski with ours so as you can guess for the size, there's nothing else that comes close.

I'm half curious about that, because one boat I'm considering comes with an Avon 320, which I suppose is similar to the W325.
How does it behave when the skier pulls a bit strong while crossing?
On paper, the capacity to keep a steady course (as opposed to being "steered" by the skier turns) is not a strong point of waterjets...

 

[jfm]

I'm half curious about that, because one boat I'm considering comes with an Avon 320, which I suppose is similar to the W325.
How does it behave when the skier pulls a bit strong while crossing?
On paper, the capacity to keep a steady course (as opposed to being "steered" by the skier turns) is not a strong point of waterjets...

MapisM, as you know I've had the older a320 2T, and the newer 4T version. With both, a mono skier is definitely the skipper of the boat. Ok for recreational playing of course and a good boat driver will steer against the skier so it is not a disaster, but is nothing like a tournament boat or even a Joe Average speedboat.

My brother's new aquastar 74 came with 2x Avon 2T jets, a 320 jockey and a 400. Both heading for eBay very soon.

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

My brother's new aquastar 74 came with 2x Avon 2T jets, a 320 jockey and a 400. Both heading for eBay very soon.

*Two* jet tenders?? Was that because the prev owner thought three was excessive?

 

[jfm]

Haha!
Yep! Good to see you never miss an opportunity to re-crack that joke:encouragement::encouragement:

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Haha!
Yep! Good to see you never miss an opportunity to re-crack that joke:encouragement::encouragement:

Sorry, sorry. Makes me laugh every time (although I recognise that I am the only one....).

But... why did he have two such similar tenders?

 

[jfm]

But... why did he have two such similar tenders?

Because 3 similar tenders would have been excessive:encouragement:. Seriously, I have no idea. Like a lot of choices on the boat, it makes no sense.

 

[MapisM]

MapisM, as you know I've had the older a320 2T, and the newer 4T version. With both, a mono skier is definitely the skipper of the boat. Ok for recreational playing of course and a good boat driver will steer against the skier so it is not a disaster, but is nothing like a tournament boat or even a Joe Average speedboat.

My brother's new aquastar 74 came with 2x Avon 2T jets, a 320 jockey and a 400. Both heading for eBay very soon.

Yeah, I wouldn't expect even a proper big tender (like for instance the 430 Novu) to be anywhere near a Mastercraft ProStar for pulling a skier along a slalom course, obviously.
And the days when I could perform much better if pulled by a proper skiboat are gone anyway, I'm afraid...

The Avon I was talking about is the 320 4T, just for the records. Which I'd hope to be, if nothing else, a tad more reliable than the 2T.
Out of curiosity, do you know the ballpark weight of your brother's 320 and 400?
For some reason I thought that only the smaller one had the 2T engine...

 

[MapisM]

Like a lot of choices on the boat, it makes no sense.

Nothing too serious, I hope.
The specs seemed pretty good on paper, when I had a look at them...

 

[jfm]

The Avon I was talking about is the 320 4T, just for the records. Which I'd hope to be, if nothing else, a tad more reliable than the 2T.
Out of curiosity, do you know the ballpark weight of your brother's 320 and 400?
For some reason I thought that only the smaller one had the 2T engine...

The Avon 4T had the early Weber engine. Very complex beast and bad service access - I'd want it maintained very well.

Before the 4T versions arrived in about 2008, both the 320 and 400 had the 2T Yamaha 83hp engine Quite reliable motor and almost nothing to service, not even a water pump. You just had to keep the oil filled, flush it, and wipe the top, and it ran and ran, smokily!

With the 4t, the 320 and 430 were 285 and 410 kg basic weight in the brochure before fuel and anchor/gear/options etc
For the 2T, the two available models were 320 and 400 and I don't know the weights but would guess same for 320 and 350kg for the 400

 

[jfm]

Nothing too serious, I hope.
The specs seemed pretty good on paper, when I had a look at them...

No nothing too serious. Lighting is rubbish, position of fins is rubbish, fins themselves are rubbish, toilet/black system is rubbish, but all that is being ripped out and changed right now so it will be excellent when done. Aquastar are completely incapable of doing anything right when it comes to electrics - I mean properly slapdash and a bit stupid, but all that is being put right too. Ex factory, Aquastar boats are nothing like they're cracked up to be. After a £100k refit, they are excellent

 

[Nick_H]

For the 2T, the two available models were 320 and 400 and I don't know the weights but would guess same for 320 and 350kg for the 400

The handlebar 320 2-stroke weighed 210 kgs dry (I remember because I had a 200kg crane on my Sealine T46 and wasn't sure it would lift with oil and fuel)

 

[MapisM]

The Avon 4T had the early Weber engine. Very complex beast and bad service access - I'd want it maintained very well.

Before the 4T versions arrived in about 2008, both the 320 and 400 had the 2T Yamaha 83hp engine Quite reliable motor and almost nothing to service, not even a water pump. You just had to keep the oil filled, flush it, and wipe the top, and it ran and ran, smokily!

Doh! Here goes my hope that the newer was better.
Oh, well. It ain't a deal breaker anyhow, also because I might as well decide to keep my old Merc 25 2T o/b.
Besides, I've still got a few balls in the air...

 

[MapisM]

position of fins is rubbish

Wow, that doesn't sound trivial.
I mean, replacing the system for the wish to have also STAR is one thing, but moving the fins position is something else...
When will we see a SD2 refit thread?
With apologies to the OP for the o/t!

 

[petem]

When will we see a SD2 refit thread?

I was thinking that too. Interesting stuff like this shouldn't be buried in some OT posts. Get it sorted JFM (at least append to the SD2 thread)!

 

[jfm]

Wow, that doesn't sound trivial.
I mean, replacing the system for the wish to have also STAR is one thing, but moving the fins position is something else...
When will we see a SD2 refit thread?
With apologies to the OP for the o/t!

Yeah sorry o/t so I'll be brief. All of what follows is stuff we knew before SD (my brother) bought the boat, and the price was great, so no crying at all. Aquastar can't really build a boat anywhere near as their reputation suggests. Plenty of it is good, but in a few respects it is crummy and that is being fixed. The factory fins are way too far aft, so the boat fishtails and the a/pilot has been damped to stop it fighting the fins. Of course the current fins are not STAR so yaw at anchor isn't a problem, but would be with STAR fins. So the new STAR fins will be located forward a few frames, to the correct "central" position, which obviously means closing up the old holes and fitting new reinforced patches for the new fins. And an all new hydraulic system, including bow thruster in a new bigger tunnel (the factory install being a pitiful egg whisk). All perfectly doable, and in hand.

It needs a refit thread but my brother doesn't have much time. The haul out and work starts end February - all booked. The new fins will be sleipner 1.05m sq, the exact same as I have on Match. They arrive from Norway in a week. At same time a complete new black water system will be installed (Tecma), all new nav gear (Garmin), new kitchen appliances, and lots of electrical fixes - don't start me on how bad Aquastar are when it comes to electrics! Also a new tender.

All this was understood when he bought it - we surveyed it ourselves and collected this info, which of course a normal surveyor would never have done. He bought the boat for a keen price and with £150k of refit it will be an awesome boat. That was always the plan. I'll try to persuade him to do a refit thread but might end up doing it myself!

 

[MapisM]

I'll try to persuade him to do a refit thread but might end up doing it myself!

LOL, you are saying that as if you weren't already one of the very few contenders to Vas undisputed leadership in the refitting threads context...
Looking fwd to that! :encouragement: