SURVEYOR SAYS
The ‘new’ generation of Sunseeker hulls introduced around this period are reasonably bulletproof so osmosis-related problems are very unlikely but gelcoat stress cracking along the sprayrails is always a possibility. Cosmetic gelcoat stress cracking in the cockpit and around the deck areas are also common. Despite this, Sunseeker make one of the best gelcoats in the business and the dark blue gel will always restore well.
Good maintenance on a boat of this age and specification is always the key so check the operation and condition of the various hydraulic packs fitted in the lazarette for the garage door, hardtop, passerelle and trim tabs. (A full pre-purchase survey should cover all of these points.)
The Volvo D12 engine on shafts option is a good one as these are relatively uncomplicated tough engines with reasonable spares and repair costs, but rear crankcase seal leaks and turbocharger problems are not unknown. High-specification creature comforts such as the vacuum toilets can be troublesome (worn seals) and any original navigation gear such as the VDO instruments may need replacing. Otherwise, the interiors wear well whilst the opening hardtop concept is a must for all climates, not forgetting the bonus of the amazing tender garage facility.
Tony Mcgrail, Yacht Surveyor
Tel: +44 (0)7711 329314. Web: www.superyachtsurveys.com
fixed but with a sliding section in it. It’s far more sophisticated, gains glass panels that let light in when closed and results in an even betterlooking boat, but you do lose a little of that open boat vibe.
Beneath it, the cockpit remained unchanged. The bench seat next to the helm means that four people can sit abreast behind the windscreen and enjoy the view forward while the large dinette behind is catered for by a wet bar opposite. Aft is a vast sunpad that tops another great feature of this boat.
TENDER TOUCH
At the proverbial touch of a button, a huge section of the transom and bathing platform rises to reveal a large garage with a central roller system big enough to house a Williams Turbojet 325. It was a key element of Chris Watkins’ decision to upgrade his Sunseeker Camargue 55 to the newer Portofino 53. “The garage system works really well, we don’t need to deflate the tubes of the tender and it runs freely so we don’t have to heave it out – we just lower it into the water with the garage winch. It gives us an extra dimension to the boat as the Williams is large and powerful enough to waterski behind or go exploring in.”
Chris keeps his boat in Alicante and holidays aboard with his family, typically taking the boat along the coast or across to Ibiza. Fitted with MAN 800hp engines like Nigel’s boat, Chris also sees a mid-30knot top speed and cites a couple of interesting advantages over his previous Camargue. “It’s surprisingly economical. We normally cruise at about 20 knots which is just 1,800rpm and we can get to the Balearics and home without refuelling. Another key difference with this boat is just how accessible the engines are. It was a struggle to even get into the engineroom of the Camargue but there’s masses of space in this boat. You feel like you could put a deck
chair in there if you wanted to. As a result, it’s easier to keep the engines clean which in turn makes it easier to spot any issues like oil leaks.”
In fact, there were several engine options available for the Portofino 53, all twin shaftdrive installations that benefitted from the hull’s semitunnels for the propellers. At launch, Sunseeker installed Volvo Penta’s 715hp D12-715 engines or the MAN D2876 LE 405 units at 730hp each. From September 2005, Volvo Penta’s upgraded D12, the 800, found its way aboard, along with the option of MAN’S popular and equally powerful R6 800CRM. A Caterpillar C12-710 option was introduced predominantly (but not exclusively) for the US market. All of which provided a generous spread of engine options giving speeds (dependent on power) in the low to mid-30-knot range. But there was a very intriguing alternative.
Alongside the Portofino 53 in Sunseeker’s portfolio of pleasure was a model called the Predator 55. The nomenclature suggests a very different model but it wasn’t. Above the waterline, it was identical apart from one small but important detail – the bathing platform was a mysterious 2ft longer. Peer beneath it and the mystery is immediately solved – a pair of raceboat-style Arneson surface drives protrude menacingly from the stern just beneath the surface. Out go the shafts and tunnels and in come twin MAN 900 V8 (D2848 LE 423) and those fearsome Arnesons. If you are the kind of boat owner for whom 34 knots is simply not enough, this is the boat for you.
NEED FOR SPEED… AND SPACE
Powerboat racer Dorian Griffith had a Thunderhawk 43 in Portugal but it simply wasn’t big enough. “I needed more space but didn’t want to compromise on the performance. David showed me a Superhawk 50 but that was another narrow, gofast boat, it didn’t answer my space requirements. Then I was presented with the Predator 55 – it was perfect! The three cabins mean I have space for my family (we have three children) but those engines and drives mean I don’t compromise on performance. Flat out we get 42 knots and we cruise at 40 knots. It’s not economical at that speed – we’re burning 450 litres an hour – but dropping back to 30 knots returns a more sensible 240lph. It’s a great sea boat too, we never have to slow for bad weather. It’s a long, heavy boat so it never pounds.”
The Predator 55 was a rare boat. Only 20 were built out of a total run of almost 200 Portofino 53s by the time production ceased in 2009, not least because the Predator 55 cost a whopping £170,000 more than a shaftdrive Portofino 53. Two were also built with the larger MAN 1050hp engines and two with the MAN V10 1100 CRM motors, giving an even more impressive 45 knots. Driving them required more specialist knowledge too.
“Because the propellers are pitched for over 40 knots, at tick-over ahead it does 7 knots. And because they are so far aft – actually behind the boat – if you try and steer going backwards, the boat remains pointing the same way but just starts to crab sideways”, says Dorian. He resolved the issue by upgrading the bow thruster and adding a stern thruster. Now he can power the boat sideways or spin it by opposing them. “You need to understand how to drive an Arneson boat. With the props so close to the surface and so much power, if you’re hamfisted, it’s easy to induce cavitation. The key is to feed the power in gently and then trim out once it’s up and running. Once you have the hang of it, it’s as easy as conventional drives, just a little more involved. And it is spectacular – absurd performance for a 60ft cruiser and a rooster tail of spray that looks like we’ve got a fire hose attached to the transom!”
These faster Predator versions still command a premium but with prices of Portofino 53s now dropping below £300,000 for the first time, it’s a lot of classic Sunseeker for the money.