YOUR MBY
HAVE YOUR SAY IN PRINT AND ONLINE
ALL GREEK TO ME
I very much enjoy your detailed reviews of boats and would like to ask your advice. As I am new to boats ( I have recently purchased a 1989 Fairline 33 Targa 1989) I want to exchange it for a newer boat and I am caught between a 2001 Fairline Targa 39 and an Azimut 37 Fly.
Which in your opinion is better and, given that I am based in Greece, is the Azimut more likely to need air-con than the Fairline? During a long summer vacation on our 33 Targa we didn’t use the air-con at all.
Thank you in advance I.SKALKOS
First up I’m a little surprised that the Targa 39 is a 2001 model, I thought it was replaced by the Targa 40 in 2000. Perhaps it was a last of the line boat that was nominally a 2001 model year.
That aside they are such different boats that you can’t really compare them. The Targa is likely to be more fun to drive, with better performance and a more agile hull, but the Azimut will have more accommodation and of course that extra flybridge deck. Both are well built, well designed boats so I would base your decision on what style of boat you really want and then make sure you find one in the best possible condition.
As for air-con, the enclosed saloon of the Azimut will get hot in summer so air-con could be a good option. HUGO
COUNTING THE COST
I was interested to see the comments from Rick Channon in the February issue (YOUR MBY) about cruising speed. The fact is that on inland waterways ie the Upper Thames, France, Holland etc, the speed limit is often around 8kph (4.3 knots) so you have to go rather slowly. At this speed my Elling is using 4lph. The tank holds 1,500 litres of diesel (giving a theoretical range of 1,620nm at 8kph). Last year we covered 750nm!
On open water we cruise at around 12 knots when the fuel consumption rises to 12lph and flat out at 20 knots it goes up to 40lph.
Most boaters I meet take fuel consumption seriously. We love our expensive pastime, but sometimes we do have to count the cost.
I can certainly see the appeal of only needing to fill your boat once or twice a year but it’s interesting to see that according to those figures your boat is very nearly as efficient at 12 knots as it is at 4.3 knots – at both speeds it’s burning roughly 1 litre per nm. HUGO
MOB RULE
I am disgusted that after many years as a power boat instructor, I see you show a picture on p93 of the February 2021 edition showing someone trying to retrieve a man overboard at the stern of a boat using a boat hook, and worse still with the engine obviously still running and angled towards the position of the man (buoy) being retrieved. In my many years as a power boat instructor it was always the case that as the recovery boat approaches the person in the water the engine must be switched off and the kill cord removed. Your poor ‘man’ in the water is in grave danger of having a severe propeller accident.
CHRIS LINTERN. SHOREHAM
Thank you for the comment, first of all let me assure you that the boat is definitely in neutral with no propellers turning. I also make it clear in the text opposite and the accompanying video that the engine should be stopped if there is any danger to the person in the water, especially if there is a risk of the rescuer falling against the controls as can happen in a small sportsboat – hence why you were trained quite correctly to pull the kill cord – but unlikely on a boat like this where my rescue position at the stern is well away from the controls. There are occasions, such as in rough conditions or a lee shore, especially when single-handed, that turning the engine off might not be ideal. JON MENDEZ
SPECIAL MENTION
I fear I may have missed my chance to nominate Richard and his staff at Ocean Marine Services at Chichester Marina for this year’s Customer Service Award but I would like to let you know nevertheless what a good job they have done to ensure my 62ft Prestige has been well looked after, even during Covid-19.
For example, during their winterising service, they took all my damp cushions off the flybridge and lugged them through the marina to their warm storage facility to dehumidify them, for no extra charge. Richard also helped me inflate and test a lightweight tender and e-motor when they delivered it, taking time to show me all aspects of its use and maintenance, again at no extra charge. JOHN VENEMA