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Is this idiotic design the new trend in small yachts?

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by Pascal, Mar 23, 2013.

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  1. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Opening the April issue of PMY, thankfully free..., page 16 is a picture and drooling praise for the new Monte Carlo 70

    Whoever designed that thing should be forced to cruise on it for a year as it has no bow rails whatsoever! Forget using that fancy sunpad underway and even on the hook you d better not fall asleep and roll overboard

    Then we have that raised foredeck again with no rail so good luck tending to bow lines... You can't stand there except in calm conditions to reach the chocks..

    Stupid!!

    And then when you are tied along side a fixed dock, you can't board the **** thing as there is no boarding gate...

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  2. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Here is the side view...

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  3. Fishtigua

    Fishtigua Senior Member

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    Style over substance.

    It's just nuts to make a yacht like that, if not, down right dangerous. Thank heavens it will never leave the marina.

    The owner, a first time buyer, will use it once, scare himself and it'll sit there and lose all it's value. He will then sell it for a loss and tell all his friends what a waste of money yachts are and to never buy one.

    Stupid!!!
  4. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    There is a grab rail along the bow the length of the cushions. I have mixed emotions. They've made LOTS of sportfish with no bow rails and those guys don't have problems with tending lines or setting out an anchor in a sea. I've worked as a mate on a few many years ago, and never had a close call. I also don't think anyone is going to be on the bow of any yacht that size in anything over 2-4' seas at cruise because they're going to get soaked anyways from spray..... I do agree the boat is a little too much form over function.
  5. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    There is indeed a grab rail around the pad but it is level with the pad, it s nearly useless.

    I know it s been a trend with big SF but only the crew goes forward. A MY is different. I see it almost everytime we go out, whether on charter or even on my own boat... Folks like to sit or lay down at the bow when cruising is calm waters. There is no way I would allow anyone forward on a boat like that as soon as the engines are running. Next thing you know, they ll do titanic picture, without any rail to hang on

    What is even more shameful is that a rag like PMY applauds the design!
  6. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    I agree, the magazines promote it, and the new owners want it. Especially with interior furnishings. A lot of things they're putting on yachts is not geared toward longevity. You go on a 1970's Hatteras or other yacht and as long as the interior was half taken care of, the wood and most furnishings are still intact and in good shape.....with exception of a few things......I have a late 90's Azimut MY I take care of and the wall fabric is delicate and then glued to 1/2" foam and the foam is disintegrating everywhere and the wall fabric looks like a shower curtain now.....
  7. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    i thought Lazzara has a patent on shower curtain wall panels... didn't know Az did it too... :)

    last month i saw a new Astondoa 72 with a very similar foredeck layout. i just can't get over it... it makes not sense as on one hand they are improving the foredecks with not just a basic pad but nice sitting areas while at the same time making them less accessible.
  8. AlfredZ

    AlfredZ Senior Member

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    The only use of that rail is when the passenger is strapped down to the pad and goes on a speed ride to see which will kill him first, thrill or spray! (It seems to be dry on plane with a nice bow flare, so I vote for thrill!) :p

    My question is; aren't there minimum requirements by CE and ABYC for rail height? I always thought they dictate such stuff on manufacturing standards, Any one has details or references on this?
  9. AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

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    There are rules for charter yachts, but I have not seen any for private yachts. On our line of boats we have no exterior rails forward of the bridge, just inside pilot rails, so you have something to grab to if you need to get there or jumping on or off. But I don´t want to see people, especially kids, hanging on the foredeck at higher speeds. So no rails unless on special order...

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  10. Milow232

    Milow232 Guest

    The designers are Nuvolari& Lenard... they are renowed for their collboration with OceAnco's Y700 line (80-87m), Lürssen's "Quattroelle" but also were responsible for designs of US builder Marquis yachts for example. (similar size range to MCY)
  11. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    the marquis are pretty decent when it comes to deck access, boarding, etc...

    and boarding is something else that drives me nuts... many european boats only allow boarding at the stern via a passerelle. great over there but useless here in the US.

    in addition to this Monte Carlo, Fairline and Sunseeker are among the worst providing no boarding gates on the side decks. I recently asked the captain of 70 something new fairline how his guests got on board from a side tie. he admitted he sometimes have to carry them! i remember being docked next to a sunseeker predator, 60 something, again with no side boarding, watching guests struggling to get on the boat.

    and one final rant... what is it with this new trend of using natural unprotected teak for tables and rails? i love natural teak decks but for rails and tables? put down just one cold drink without a coaster and you have a nice round stain. then god forbid should a drop of red wine find it's way outside the glass...
  12. HTMO9

    HTMO9 Senior Member

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    Italo design

    In Germany motorbikers call their female backseater Sissy after the austrian empress Elisabeth of Austria. And those Yachts are called Sissi transporter and the sun pads called Sissi pads. These Boats do not really travel. The average private planning yacht in Europe is statisticly less than 12 days a year out of its harbour. And this probably only in nice and calm weather. A toy.

    Cheers
  13. Kafue

    Kafue Senior Member

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    The sunpads are made from Velcro!:D
  14. karo1776

    karo1776 Senior Member

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    For the Sissi Navi set...
  15. Opcn

    Opcn Senior Member

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    How is this any different than if you set anything wet on or spill anything on a teak deck? A stain on a table can be dealt with more easily than a stain on a deck. But really as things weather the stains disappear on their own. A table in your living room will have that condensation ring on it until you take it out, a table outside on a boat is going to have that stain disappear into a sea of stains.

    Red wine is a partial exception, as are oils and waxes. Not so much because they cannot be dealt with, but rather because your not going to get an even spray of those things all over the place.
  16. YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

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    I was onboard the boat at the Miami Boat Show in February. Tom Serio was with me and he took a few details shots for me. I know he sea trialed the boat and wrote a review for one of the rags, but I wasn't as optimistic. There were some blatant fit & finish issues that made me question the areas I couldn't see, however this was the first build in the series.
  17. RT46

    RT46 Senior Member

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    I recently saw either the same pic or a very similar pic as in the OP in a well known mag from a slightly different angle.

    The pic that I saw appeared to be reckless to have passengers on the forward seating area while under way at cruise speed.
  18. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    I saw the boat yesterday leaving the show and was behind it coming in Port Everglades and passed it. The sunpad cushions are above that little grab rail on the outsides. It is truely a nuts idea.....Maybe they strap you in like on a stretcher when you're up there???
  19. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Here is a pic of the Astondoa 72. Same stupid design...

    And note how there are no rubrails...so what are you supposed to do when coming in a narrow slip with pilings on each side? Have 2 crew on each side manning fenders?

    I don't understand how European builders keep ignoring the needs of the US market yet want to sell boats here...

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  20. carelm

    carelm Senior Member

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    Pascal,

    On a much smaller scale, this is a picture of a chris-craft express cruiser similar to what our family had in the late 50's, early 60's. My favorite position was having a couple seat cushions and sitting in front of one of the port holes while under way. Since I was the oldest son, I was also the bow-line tender. When my father brought the boat into the dock, I would jump off the bow and secure the bow-line and then grab the stern-line and secure that as well. The only grab rail we had was on the cabin top.

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