GREENLINE 48 FLY
The 48 Fly boasts the green technology that Greenline is known for but how does it stack up against its rivals as a cruising package? We head across the Solent to find out
TESTED We know all about their green credentials but how does this handsome flybridge contender stack up as a family cruiser?
Launched in 2015, the 48 Fly hit the water at a time when Greenline was transitioning from one parent company to another. The boat slipped through the net, which is a great shame because I remember climbing aboard at that year’s Düsseldorf Boat Show and being struck by what a clever, practical thing it was. Fast forward to this year and new UK dealer Clipper Marina has brought one to these shores.
The timing is perfect because on first inspection it appears to be a boat very well suited to our waters.
The key thing about the 48 Fly is that despite having an
LOA a whisker under 50ft (15.2m) it feels so much bigger than that on board. The side decks for instance wouldn’t feel out of place on a 65-footer, partly because they are covered by the flybridge overhangs, partly because of their width, which allows crew to walk up and down them one foot in front of the other, and partly because of the height of the guardrails, which come up to meet your hand all the way to the bow. On the starboard side there is even a gate in the bulwark allowing the skipper to dash out quickly if single-handed.
The flybridge also extends a long way back over the cockpit and every inch of space is put to good use, with separate sunbathing and dining areas and a clever cantilevering double seat at the forward end of the dinette, which allows two or three passengers to sit facing forward and enjoy the ride. With high rails and tall backrests it feels enjoyably secure on the top deck.
LIGHT SHOW
On the inside it’s the amount of natural light that impresses, most notably in the master cabin up front, which can be fitted with either the fixed double berth we had on our test boat or scissor-action twins that slide together to make a double. The natural light floods in through long strips of glazing set at eye level within the coachroof. Cutouts in the bulwarks align with the windows on both sides to improve the views out. At bed level a pair of attractive round ports do the same thing, though these also open to allow the breeze to drift across the bed on warmer evenings. It’s an impressive cabin with a generous amount of floor space to get changed in, hanging wardrobes on both sides and a bright ensuite with enough space for a separate shower cubicle with a teak bench. The interior fit-out is mostly solid and unflashy, lifted by touches like the oval sinks and oversized taps.
Storage is a strong point with both twin guest cabins fitted with a mix of drawer and hanging options, though somewhere
to stow bags and cases would be good. The solution is found in the saloon where a hatch in the sole reveals a vast storage void. The guest cabins share one large bathroom if you opt for the “luxury bathroom” (day heads) but there is the option to give each guest cabin its own smaller ensuite for more privacy.
There are rivals, like the Absolute 47 Fly, which have more spacious guest cabins than the Greenline, but one benefit of slightly reduced headroom here is the flat main deck. From transom to companionway steps there are no obstructions to worry about so you can move about the main living spaces unconcerned that there may be a small step to catch a toe on. This, again, is something you would expect from boats the next size up but the Greenline’s saloon and its expansive aft galley and full-height fridge-freezer is a boat that will cope well with extended cruises.
We were blessed with fine weather for our test but with such a bright saloon it wouldn’t feel like a penalty to move inside the 48 Fly if the rain clouds gathered and you were forced to batten down the hatches. This boat’s light décor of unvarnished oak and striped flooring teamed with cream (faux) leather is clean and attractive, if a little soulless without the splash of colour added by some vibrant scatter cushions. The cabinetry won’t be giving Fairline or Princess sleepless nights but it all feels built to last and rather good value for £835,000 all in, given how much of it there is.
What should make the Brits and other mainstream manufacturers sit up and listen is the variety of options in the engineroom. Not just the wide range of diesel engine options from Volvo, Cummins and Yanmar at various power outputs but the hybrid drive system, which adds a pair of 14kw inline electric motors to the powertrain for a 20nm all-electric cruising range at 4 knots and a top speed of 6.5 knots. Granted, these are not ground-breaking figures but Greenline always has and still does make an effort to build boats with an eye on sustainability. The 48 comes, as standard, with 600-watt solar panels, a 600Ah service battery and inverter to allow permanent 220v power usage without the need to run a generator or connect to shore power.
SILENT SPELL
There is no escaping the fact that the main powerplants are a pair of diesel engines but that 20nm all-electric range, when spread across a cruise and used for navigating rivers or marina basins, is seriously useful. And there is something rather lovely about entering or leaving a berth in total silence.
Alas, the test boat was not equipped with the hybrid drive and had a pair of 380hp Cummins QSB-6.7S inside its spacious and well thought out engineroom. They are good for a top speed of 26 knots, just 3 knots shy of the largest twin 480hp option. Thanks to a pair of 750-litre fuel tanks the 48 will, at 7 knots, achieve over 900nm (with a 20% reserve) and cover 206 miles even at full chat. Fast cruising is most comfortable at 22 knots where the range is a healthy 250 miles and sound levels a reasonable 74DB(A) in the saloon.
The soft-riding J&J hull transitions smoothly from displacement speeds as the revs increase with no perceptible
effort to get over the hump and when up to speed it tracks as straight as an arrow with very little input needed from the helm. Our boat was afflicted by painfully heavy steering, something that Greenline put down to the cooler atmospheric temperature making the hydraulic fluid more viscous.
Even if that is the case, it doesn’t explain the ponderous turning circle, which is more likely to be an issue with rudder size. There was more evidence of this when berthing where the boat required quite firm inputs from the throttles to get it to spin without the use of the thrusters.
Stick in a straight line and the 48 shines, making serene progress and keeping engine din impressively well contained.
The lower helm is the most comfortable of the two but both suffer from a lack of adjustment as the benches and steering wheels are fixed. The bench at the lower helm does bolster, so even those over 6ft tall can stand and use it to lean against.
When berthing, although the all-round view is better from the upper helm, you can’t see the bathing platform, so if coming in astern it’s easier to use the lower helm and poke your head out of the side door to check on proximity to the quayside. The door also makes talking to crew far easier and of course enables the skipper to pop out and help with the lines. We had nine people on board for the test but this only served to highlight how well designed the 48’s deck spaces are. Between the spacious cockpit, well-proportioned flybridge and foredeck sunpad, people could spread out without any area feeling crowded. It feels like a boat for long stays or even to liveaboard.
The hybrid tech is laudable but what the 48 proves is that there is more to Greenline’s boats than their green credentials. They may be key to the boat’s character but they don’t distract from what is already a very talented boat with three comfortable cabins, two good bathrooms and well-proportioned living spaces.
It’s easy for boats to impress on a boat show stand but the early promise that the 48 Fly demonstrated at Düsseldorf translates seamlessly to life on the water.
CONTACT Clipper Marine. +44 (0)1489 550583; www.greenlinehybrid.si