|
A lift-up center section
allows access to a deck hatch that leads to the lazarette, six feet long
and containing just the battery charger. I dumped our deflated eight-foot
inflatable, 6-hp outboard, two bikes, canvas, and the flying-bridge lounge
filler cushion here and had room left over. The freshwater pump and rudder
quadrants are accessible behind a hinged aft panel.
A larger hatch forward
leads to an anteroom mostly taken up by the standard 8-kW Onan genset
with hush box and battery box. Aft, a stainless steel box contains solenoids
activated by small helm rocker switches, a design that saves helm space
and is more pleasant to use. To port are three properly labeled air conditioning
pumps, and all through-hulls, even the A/C inlets, have strainers.
The engine space is
tight but generally workable. It’s easy to check the oil, but the
coolant is another matter. The Volvo Penta engines have no remote expansion
tanks, and their coolant fills are right up under the sole. You can check
(but not top off) the port engine by blindly sticking your finger into
the filler opening, but the only way to access the starboard engine is
from the saloon. The entire sole opens via two hatches, but because the
port hatch overlaps the starboard one, you must open both to check the
starboard engine. So you must first remove the carpet runner (if installed),
then the table, then the aft part of the settee. This could be easily
and cheaply avoided with a pair of remote coolant tanks and/or small access
hatches in the saloon sole.
The saloon, awash in
leather and cherry, is truly comfortable. To port, as you enter past the
heavy yet smooth-sliding door, is a Sony automotive AM/FM stereo (the
optional eight-CD changer is under the lower helm seat), and in a cherry
corner cabinet, the TV/VCR sits over the icemaker. Forward, a settee is
actually two seats that can be moved across to the beautiful double-fold,
hi-lo saloon table. It’s surrounded by the comfortable U-shape settee,
the center portion of which is a fold-out double bed. I slept on this
for a week (two teenagers got the staterooms) and found it firm and comfortable,
although I did have trouble reinstalling the cushions after the mattress
was retracted. I also had a problem finding a place for those cushions
and the table when the bed was folded out.
Forward on the same
side is the lower helm. Like many of you, I first thought it redundant,
expecting to use the flying bridge in all but the worst weather. But this
soon became my favorite operating venue. Elevated to provide headroom
for the stateroom beneath and served by a windshield with heavy-duty wipers
with integral washers, it offers superb visibility. It may not be the
better spot for spotting lobster pots, but it is definitely superior for
docking, offering a much better view aft and better communication with
line handlers. Assisting that and offering a breath of fresh air are port
and starboard electric windows.
The helm is complete,
down to placing all breakers at your fingertips (possible since they are
small) and a surplus of electronics space, although our boat didn’t
need all of it because she has Raytheon’s Pathfinder combination
radar/chartplotter. The Volvo Penta electronic controls are in the center
on a pedestal that makes them easy to reach from either of the two pedestal
seats. Everything here is laid out with an eye to ergonomics, although
passage in and out of the seats is tight.
Down three steps, the
lower level offers a port galley that worked well during my week afloat.
I feared the below-counter refrigerator might prove small, but it was
completely adequate. There’s plenty of Avonite workspace (especially
with the two lids covering the deep stainless steel sinks in place), cabinetry,
and, thanks to the windshield above and two ports, light. Beneath is a
shallow in-sole stowage space; there’s a bigger one behind the stairs,
unless you order the washer/dryer, which our boat had and which was convenient
and effective, but really slow.
Both the starboard guest
and forward master stateroom have hanging closets (the master’s is
half-height because of the TV), A/C controls, opening ports, drawer stowage,
and near-identical en suite heads, with circular showers and the same
headroom as the saloon, about 6'3". The guest has twin berths, but an
insert transforms them into a queen, while the master has a full-size
hatch with integral screen and shade.
Most of my time was
spent on the flying bridge, both underway and at rest. It feels narrow,
because of the generous side decks, but it’s actually quite roomy.
The helm is low, yet the windshield offers good protection, and the three
pedestal seats are comfortable and well positioned, but the helm lacks
fuel gauges and the Pathfinder is to starboard where you can’t see
it from the helm seat. A port-side chart flat is a good place for the
current chart and spares in a separate compartment beneath. Aft and to
starboard a peninsula contains a refrigerator, sink, and an optional electric
grill that really works. Farther aft, comfortable seating surrounds a
fiberglass table that lowers to create a sunpad. All is protected by the
sturdiest bimini I’ve ever seen: It’s secured by four plastic-sheathed
stainless steel cables with turnbuckles, and I never saw it budge once,
even in the six-footers. A stylish aft mast holds a spotlight, various
antennas, and the radar, the latter mounted (like too many these day)
a bit too low and close to people for my taste.
When it comes to human
relationships, it’s said that familiarity breeds contempt. Such is
definitely not the case with our Phantom 43. Indeed, our experience with
her is best summed up by another old saw: To know her is to love her.
She’s become a part of the family, and we’re gonna hate to see
her go.
Fairline Boats of
North America Phone: (843) 342-3453. Fax: (843) 342-3483. www.fairline.com.
Next page >
Fairline 43 Specs > Page 1,
2, 3, 4, 5,
6
|