Who likes Azimut boats?

EME said:
at last Cannes Boat Show exposed studs in panels / headlinings
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you're absolutely correct EME. I've walked on zillions of Azimuts including 2009 models and, for example, they install their internal cabin door frames with cross head countersunk screws on show all the way around the jambs, urgh. They also fit lots of panels with screws and then just bang a plastic cap on so you can see loads of these srew caps. If PY disagrees, then I don't know what to say cos I'm sure I'm not blind. I can't beleive the comments on here that their joinery quality is streets ahead of the competition. It just isn't. It's perfectly ok joinery, apart from their choice not to hide screwheads, but it isn't loads better. Also, there is a bit less joinery on some models because they choose now to have large areas of exposed cream gelcoat especially in cabin and saloon ceilings, which FL/Prin/Sseker just don't do

I'm not knocking them generally, indeed I like Azimuts very much. I'm just arguing against this "superior joinery" claim
 
I did not say they are superior, I said in the bigger models 78 feet upwards they are
in the smaller one they are similar to the others
the recent ones I have been on 62S, 43S and 47 from 2008 had no screws visible as long I can remember. This usually annoys me a lot so if I see it I am sure to speak it up...
the gelcoat yes now is being used on the main deck saloon headliners of the new models, some like this others dont, still has the advantage of being maintenance free
OTOH I dont see much builders putting wood up there, old Ferrettis used to have these striped wood leather panels in the past. Deleted User 46 might still have them I think. Today they dont. For most of the others is leather or imitation.

I think if you start stripping an Azimut and a Fairline today of the same lenght of its wood you want have much difference in the weight one way or the another...
 
jfm said:
you're absolutely correct EME. I've walked on zillions of Azimuts including 2009 models and, for example, they install their internal cabin door frames with cross head countersunk screws on show all the way around the jambs, urgh. They also fit lots of panels with screws and then just bang a plastic cap on so you can see loads of these srew caps. If PY disagrees, then I don't know what to say cos I'm sure I'm not blind. I can't beleive the comments on here that their joinery quality is streets ahead of the competition. It just isn't. It's perfectly ok joinery, apart from their choice not to hide screwheads, but it isn't loads better. Also, there is a bit less joinery on some models because they choose now to have large areas of exposed cream gelcoat especially in cabin and saloon ceilings, which FL/Prin/Sseker just don't do

I'm not knocking them generally, indeed I like Azimuts very much. I'm just arguing against this "superior joinery" claim
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I agree with that. IMHO, I don't think the standard of their current timberwork is significantly better than the best Brit builders (swoopier, maybe) although I am regularly disappointed with Sunseeker timberwork that I see on show boats. But in the past and based on my own experience, my AZ46 was much better screwed together than the Targa 48 I had previous to that. Fairline did go through a period where they fixed everything with self tappers, double sided velcro or spray on glue. I spent most of my time with the T48 reattaching stuff which had fallen off whereas I can't remember anything falling off the AZ. As I said, I don't think there's much difference now but I think thats because the Brits have upped their game over the last 10yrs
 
Deleted User said:
I agree with that. IMHO, I don't think the standard of their current timberwork is significantly better than the best Brit builders (swoopier, maybe) although I am regularly disappointed with Sunseeker timberwork that I see on show boats. But in the past and based on my own experience, my AZ46 was much better screwed together than the Targa 48 I had previous to that. Fairline did go through a period where they fixed everything with self tappers, double sided velcro or spray on glue. I spent most of my time with the T48 reattaching stuff which had fallen off whereas I can't remember anything falling off the AZ. As I said, I don't think there's much difference now but I think thats because the Brits have upped their game over the last 10yrs
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Generally agreed Deleted User. Gotta be slightly careful to compare the same time periods. Your T48 was >10yrs ago I think, and your Az46 early 00's? My comments refer generally to now, ie a 2009 FL vs Azi vs Prin vs Sseeker

Of the UK big "quality" builders s/seeker clearly have the worst joinery. They apply a very fine (2-3mm) silicone bead along virtually all visible joints, which none of the others do. That's really bad if you care about joinery! They also in many instances select the cheaper door/drawer catches from the same catalogues the Fair/Prin buy from, even on the 80 foot stuff - Fair/Prin buy the top line one. But I'm being picky, they're ok obviously

Here are some pics of a 2009 Azi 58 fly taken at LIBS this afternoon. First the door jambs. Pic is of main door to master cabin. Worse even than I remember. The screws are on show but worse still they're mostly driven in at 10deg off perpendicular, so one side of the screw head is proud and t'other recessed. Am I beng picky, or is this really a crime on a £1.2m boat?
IMG00062-20100115-1730.jpg



Next, a piece of trim at bottom of a handle in the walkway/lobby between the cabins. Attached with a kinda random screw with a white plastic cap from Screwfix. Urgh
IMG00065-20100115-1733.jpg



Finally two slabs of foam. To Fair/Prin/Sseekr/lots of makers, this is raw material. To Azi it's a finished helm seat. I've sat on better seats on the number 68 from Euston station. This boat is over a million quid, remember.
IMG00066-20100115-1735.jpg
 
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Thanks for the photos JFM
I can live with second and with third. The second is actually an acceptable detail and if you start to see you will find much worse...
but not with the first. I cannot remember on which boat I saw something similar. Still for Azimut this a big disapintment.
I think for photo 3 the helm seats on the fly you have a different option. The 58 which I saw had different seats in fact, like the one on the 47 which for a fly if you are fuzzy IMO has a very good helm.
 
jfm piccies of door frame screws refers: when my chippies fitted hardward door frames the screws are recessed and a plug of similar timber is glued flush into the hole, and neatly rubbed down, its basic carpentry, so I cant understand their approach either
 
PowerYachtBlog said:
actually this happens in some fast to build Boat Show boat, and normally if you ask someone competent from the shipyard they will tell you they will fix it later on
I think you have to ask...
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That doesn't make sense to me .. anyone seeing the 62S at the Cannes Show would have been put off ... it really was an awful finish .. saying 'We Do it properly really" would not work for me .. and I'm an AZ lover !!
 
yes u can be rite for being dissapointed especially more in this case, as the 62S has been in production since 06, so its not really hull number one
but I am sorry to tell you that it happens.
I have seen teak flooring going off, windows fallings, leakages coming from everywhere, and furniture falling off new boats. So if the screws are only your problem sometimes you can be blessed...
 
I seem to remember an Azimut 62 (I think) at LIBS about 3 or 4 years ago.
It was virtually impossible to actually sit down at the FB helm.
When I pointed this out, the salesman said that they were going to move the whole seat unit back.
I couldnt imagine spending hours on that seat without being very uncomfortable even if they did move it back.
It was just like the one in jfm's photo.
 
I looked quite closely at an Azi39 a few years ago. It was a late boat and in good condition. At this size the flybridge was next to useless except sunbathing and rubbish compared with an equivalent Fairline Phantom which what I bought.

I had another lok just for interests sake at the show on Wednesday and they changed it completely, I left thinking it was a nice boat with good finish and a useable flybridge.

Well done Azimut, you must have listened to some customers!
 
No, not picky, that's not good enough. As you say the screws should be countersunk and plugged or, at the very least, countersunk. I've just looked at some photos of my AZ and the door frames are fixed with exposed screws although they are countersunk. I guess the boat you looked at was hastily thrown together.
My AZ was built in 2000 and my T48 in 1998 so I think a general comparison is valid. I remember tcm wasn't too enamoured with the build quality of his T48 either. Looking at pics of my T48, the door frames were very rudimentary affairs made up of straight bits of wood with variable clearances between them. At least AZ were using radiused mouldings at the time. Yes, one has to be careful making comparisons between 10yr old boats and new ones as build quality can improve or deteriorate significantly over that time. I am regularly disappointed with Sunseeker's finish, at least on the show boats I've seen
 
I dunno about the finish, as the salesman was so rude as I obviously wasn't a serious buyer, I didn't hang around long enough to look properly.:mad:
 
I'm loving the design of Azimut, interior and exterior, but having heard that certain models / years of AZ yachts are more likely to get osmosis. Just wanted to ask if anybody knows more about that, if it's true at all, and which models / years could be affected most?
Thanks and regards!
Mike
 
mike_me said:
I'm loving the design of Azimut, interior and exterior, but having heard that certain models / years of AZ yachts are more likely to get osmosis. Just wanted to ask if anybody knows more about that, if it's true at all, and which models / years could be affected most?
Thanks and regards!
Mike
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mike_me, firstly welcome to the forum. My year 2000 AZ46 developed some small blisters on the transom near the trim tabs. They were very small and you couldn't really call it osmosis. Even though the boat was outside the 5yr warranty period, Azimut agreed to pick up the cost for repairs which wasn't big anyway. I'm told that some other AZ46s have shown blistering in the same area as my boat but I've not heard of it happening in other models. I also heard that it tends to happen on boats left in the water for long periods; my AZ46 was in the water for 2years without being lifted before I bought her so that may be something to look out for too.
It wouldn't put me off buying another AZ. Obviously you should get a survey on any boat you buy and a good surveyor will pick up any signs of blistering so it's just a case of buying a boat that's clear of them and inspecting the hull on a regular basis
 
Osmosis.

I have seen it in several post 2000 azimuts never in any fairprinkers of this age. To be fair azimut do seem to live up to their 5 year warranty.

Joinery.

IMHO the joinery work is not up with the others. If not exposed screw heads they are covered with cheap plastic caps. also many I have seen are mild steel and rusting.

Machinery.

Yes. In some ways over engineered, but not thought about. I've seen major electrical junction boxes mounted inline with poor shaft seals causing water to spray over them. Batteries mounted in nearly impossible to access places (az 47), passerells mounted with seriously poor reinforcement.

All manufacturers have their faults. But some could easily be sorted with a bit more thought!
 
I've been looking into the Azimut 100 Leonardo for quite a while and I'm starting to like it.

But I don't get why there is virtually no information on it online? Sure, there is the official info/pics on the website, but I haven't found any after market models, no further pictures/videos (there is one "promotional video" from some lanuch party that is pretty non-descriptive).

Most other Azimut models have reviews, personal videos/pics etc. but there is almost none of that on the 100 Leonardo.


Isn't it popular? If so, why? Is there anything that puts people off?
 
I've been looking into the Azimut 100 Leonardo for quite a while and getting more and more interested.

Although, I seem to be the only one? When googling for Azimut 100 Leonardo, you basically get the official site, a official promotional video, some news post about it's pending arrival in 2009/2010 and nothing more.
No after market-boats, no private pictures/videos, no personal reviews etc. which you'd find on most boats, even that size.

This, naturally, makes me a bit hecitant. Am I the only one that likes this boat? If so, why?
 
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