Hello everybody, I am considering purchasing a Pershing 76 to park in South France and eventually move around to Spain, Italy, Corsica and Sardinia, but not very often. (I would have preferred the 88, but a "reasonably priced" one would tend to be much older.) What attracts me about it; styling, interior & exterior space (layout), performance, recent vintage, quality (as reported) and current market purchase pricing. What worries me: maintenance and operating costs. Single person operation. Does anybody have any experience with this type of yacht? Are there any specific areas of concern with it that are worth discussing? Many thanks for any input.
We'd have to know more about your experience to answer the one person operation question. It's definitely not the easiest boat you could find to dock and maneuver in tight settings. Now the real thing of consideration is how you feel about surface drives. With twin 2000 MTU's which seems to have been the standard, the boat accelerates quickly. At 1500 RPM, it runs 26+ knots. WOT is 42+ knots.
Oldboater, thanks for the data. My experience is limited to small outboards and fairly long sailboats. But like I mentioned, I don't plan to move it often. What do you mean by "how do I feel about surface drives"?
Exactly what I said. Surface drives, which is what the Pershing has, have very different characteristics than other drives. You say you don't plan to move it often. Are you saying you don't intend to use it much? Is it your intent to just let it sit?
Yes, most of the time. If I am tired of one specific place, it would have to sail on to another marina in another town. I was also thinking of chartering it out a few times a year to help generate cash for its own maintenance and mooring. So, it would have to be fully operational most of the time.
You should use the Yacht Forum search engine and search " Surface Drives" to learn more. Google maybe too. Just to familiarize yourself with them some.
So you're not a boater, have no real interest in boating or cruising, just want it to park and spend time on? Why do you want a boat? If I was buying a boat as an apartment as it looks like you are, I'd buy something more utilitarian than a Pershing.
Many thanks. I have done some research and find it very efficient. And I am sure it will have its fair share of maintenance.
I think you are jumping to conclusions there. I obviously have interest in boating and sailing otherwise, like you said, I wouldn't think of a boat. But to get started (right now), I don't plan on sailing much with it, except as described above. We will nevertheless see when it happens, if it happens. Does a surface drive get more affected by long time parking than another system?
No. They all get affected. I am concerned that you were thinking of buying a Pershing and didn't know what a surface drive was. What attracted you about the boat? How much experience do you have handling boats, especially larger ones? You could have difficulty getting insurance that would allow you to operate a boat that size without a licensed captain if you lack experience. There are many who buy boats and keep them parked for long times. Most, however, start with plans to use them more and just aren't able to. In your case, just trying to understand why you are looking to buy. By understanding that, then we might give you better advice than otherwise. There is no way any of us can really give an opinion on whether a boat matches your needs without knowing those needs nor can we on whether you can single hand it without knowing your experience.
Pershing uses both, they have recently launched the 82' VeryHighPerformance that uses Top System 95P and has a maximum speed of 50+ knots
AGP22, Whether you have a Pershing to sit on in the Med and sail occasionally or live on the hook as you cruise for weeks to months at a time, you need to get the boat you like. I, for one, cannot knock anyone interested in a Pershing. I have no experience with one, but it is a boat, and a rather large complex one at that. All systems will require maintainence, trouble shooting and fixing. Most operators do not like boat systems to sit for any length of time as you probably know having been involved in larger sailboats. I cannot imagine anyone operating a 76 foot boat single handed. Not that it cannot be done, it is just not safe. Have you gone to the Pershing section of Yachtforums yet? Please do. There are some awesome posts about a members Pershing 80 I think his forum name is MaxPower? At least you don't have to worry about fuel costs if you are sitting in the marina enjoying the south of France. I do hope you will keep us updated on your process regardless of the nay-sayers and dock queen haters. I like any boat shopper as it is a sign of economic movement and we need to support the lifestyle and industry that we all love regardless of intended use of the vessel. -Greg
Olderboater, don't worry, I know what a surface drive is, and I am well aware of the insurance issues. Again, my experience with larger boats is with sailboats, that require a couple of people or more to maneuver in tight spots. As stated in the beginning, I am attracted to the Pershing 76's styling, performance, layout, current market price and the fact that they are not too old. I am aware this is an A-class boat as per EU certification, and has very high top and cruise speeds especially considering the weight. I assume it has an exceptional seakeeping judging from other Pershing tests. I have looked at other boats that were offered to me, or that simply please me, Italcraft Drago 70, Absolute 70 and 64 STY, Tecnomar Velvet, Riva 63 Vertigo, and I like this one and the Pershing 88 more than others. But the 88 is considerably more costly to acquire if you are looking at more recent vintages, and there has to be a limit. I did not join this forum to find out if other forum members think this is the right boat for me or not. Frankly, I think that's up to me to decide. So let's remove the "single hand operation" issue from the conversation, and if you want, let's discuss other more interesting issues. What I am interested in finding out is if anybody in this forum has any experience with the Pershing 76. Does it have issues that are specific to it (does it tend to blow up anything in particular)? Many thanks
Again. Look up MaxPower and his posting of his Pershing 80. Not all forum members hang out here everyday. You have to look around. But you are in the right place in yachtforums.
