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We repeated the scene
in the opposite direction, then went below for yet another take, this
time recording sound levels on a decibel meter that never rose above 78
dB-A (65 dB-A is the level of normal conversation). As we traveled at
more than 27 mph with the engines turning 1750 rpm, the sound level was
a mild 74 dB-A. Exceptional visibility, side-by-side adjustable seats,
and a skillfully organized instrument panel with plenty of room for flush-mounted
electronics made the lower helm all the more comfortable.
Industry legend has
it that Fairline designs such functional interior bridges because the
weather in the builder’s native Britain so often forces boaters below.
But given the 50’s rich amenities, you’re likely to linger here
even on fine days. The saloon is laid out conventionally, but with fashionable
styling and expert fit and finish. To starboard, for example, a sideboard
with a liquor cabinet and an optional icemaker faces cabinets with shelving
for audio equipment, books, CDs, and videocassettes to create a svelte
curving cul-de-sac of deeply lacquered honey-maple paneling.
The layout of the compact,
efficient galley to port on the bridge level has a certain novelty. When
facing the three-burner Kenyon stove, above a Sharp microwave/convection
oven, the cook enjoys nearly the same prospect as the skipper. With a
chart on the countertop, you could navigate while stirring a chowder.
Aft, a Euro Engel refrigerator/freezer is tucked under more counter space
beside a stainless steel sink. In this direction the cook can engage guests
in the saloon and even enjoy a good view of the 21-inch Sony TV.
Accommodations below
are finished to the same high level of attention to detail. A master in
the forepeak, with en suite head and shower, encloses a queen-size island
berth flanked by hanging lockers to port and starboard. In a pair of guest
cabins to either side of the companionway, I especially liked the design
of the lockers, which were three-quarters height on one side for hanging
garments and divided into deeply recessed shelves on the other. While
the twin-berth cabin to port accesses the guest head with shower via the
corridor, the full-berth quarters opposite opens onto it directly.
One factor contributing
to all this below-deck space was Fairline’s decision to mount the
50’s marine-grade alloy fuel tanks outboard of and even with the
engines, as opposed to forward of them. Their location would have perplexed
me had I not been accompanied by Fairline production manager Matthew Hayes
when I discovered them. Hayes, who was waiting at Marina One as Hansen
deftly backed the 50 into her slip, was apprenticed to Fairline’s
Oundle, England, boatworks at age 16–more than 11 years ago–and
is expert in the 50’s every aspect. When I remarked on the difficulty
of servicing the outboard sides of the Volvo Pentas because of the fuel
tanks, he led me into the saloon and began sliding around furnishings
and rolling back carpeting like someone striking a set. In less than a
minute he revealed hinged panels in the saloon sole that provide lean-over
access to the areas in question. Moreover, he pointed out that Volvo Penta
assembles the engines for Fairline so that all frequently necessary maintenance
can take place in the alley between the engines; only raw-water pumps
and a few zincs are outboard.
Conventional access
to the engine compartment is through a hatch in the cockpit sole. Once
in the service alley, a man of average height needs to crouch only a little.
Clearly labeled fuel-transfer valves are mounted high on the forward bulkhead
above sea strainers at waist level for convenient inspection. According
to Hayes, R & D flexible couplings on the prop shafts permit five
thousandths of an inch in engine misalignment–a considerable span
in that context–which makes annual engine realignments much quicker
and easier. With Tides Marine dripless shaft seals and twin bilge pumps,
the space should be easy to keep tidy, and just in case of accidents,
Fairline has included a dregs pump for diverting oil or antifreeze spills
into a bucket rather than into the briny.
Another hatch in the
teak-covered cockpit sole reveals additional systems behind the scenes.
The 42"x34" access on sturdy gas assists covers several cubic feet of
fender stowage, along with a 10-kW Onan genset in a soundshield, a 70-amp
battery charger, and a D.C. panel housing the battery isolator relays
(all of which are conveniently controlled by master switches located at
the lower helm).
As if the extra space
below the cockpit weren’t enough, there is an enormous amount of
stowage–a 4 1Ú2'x5'x2 1Ú2' volume–beneath the transom benchseat.
Fairline offers an optional crew cabin in this area (which necessitates
removing one of the twin Glendinning Cablemasters), but as the quarters
would certainly be cramped by American standards, preserving the space
for stowing cockpit furniture strikes me as the better alternative. A
table and some teak folding chairs in the cockpit would bring the 50’s
dining areas to three and make alfresco meals possible when you don’t
feel like making trips between the galley and the flying-bridge dinette.
Or maybe instead of
teak you should get directors’ chairs to lounge in over evening drinks
while you plot courses to best exploit this able performer. When critics
ponder actors’ abilities, they often consider "range."
The 50 has it: speed, toughness, and stability in agitated seas; style
and polish inside and out; and a backbone of thoughtful technical systems.
Guts, good looks, brains, and heart. What more could a director–or
a skipper–ask?
Fairline Boats
Phone: (843) 342-3453. Fax: (843) 342-3483. www.fairline.com.
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