fleming yacht owners club

Tony Fleming

A Source of Universal Satisfaction

...that every Fleming Yacht bears the distinctive look of the first boat. Of course, they are very different under the hood as we continue to develop and refine the designs as a result of feedback, experience and new technology. Our boats may have the classic look but, technically, they are always at the cutting edge in design and equipment. Our focus as a company has always been on the boats themselves and in working to make them the very best that we can. It is for this reason that we go to work every day and do what we do.

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Fall Rush New Member

Fleming Owners; Where are you? Would love to hear of your experiences with purchasing. I am leaning toward a 55 but still considering; Grand Banks 59 (most expensive) Selene 58 (cheaper) Any other similar builder suggestions would be appreciated as well. John W

84far Senior Member

John, My uncle had the Selene 58 for about 6 months, then sold it, someone offered him more money then what he paid for it… cant say no with those ones. So I can’t tell u about wear and tear. i can tell u that the metal work looked pretty good, but it could have been 304g s/s and not a better grade, and the timber work was fine also, its only when u get up and close to the timber work where u notice the joining could have been a bit better in some areas. u do hear some scary stories coming from china, but it seems to be ok with this brand. I feel that this line of boats are a bit young for any bad stories to arise though. I personally would stick with the GB, u know your going to get the boat u paid for. Good hunting far

Kafue Senior Member

Fleming 55 alternative If you are looking at a Fleming 55 then you should also consider the Offshore 58 or 62 (same boat, just different stern arrangement). I had one, 1996 58' with MAN engines. Great all round boat, good in the ocean and very comfortable for extended cruising. Even used mine for marlin fishing. In comparison to the 55 Fleming, it is a FAR larger vessel. The salon especially. Sailed mine down most the Queensland coast and have nothing but good experiences to share. Was caught in a following sea, at least 4 to 5 meters and she tracked true all the way. Just watch out for moisture in the sides of pilothouse and check the sole here as well because many owners cruise in all weather with the pilothouse doors open, not realising how much sea water is being blown in, this then tracks into the master cabin and ensuite. Believe the Fleming is a very well built boat. The Offshore is built in Taiwan by Carmague Yard, excellent reputation IMO. Selene is different as I believe it is full displacement, so its built to survive the worst seas and you will use more for extended cruising rather than a day trip. Any of these 3 vessels are, in my opinion, the dream boat for a couple! DO IT!!!!!!!

Thanks fellas

PropBet Senior Member

We looked at both their 55 and 65 extensively and was pretty impressed with them both. The size difference between the two was night and day. The 55 was a little snug, but very well put together and very well thought out. The jump from the 55 to the 65 is a completely different boat in both size and engineering. I'm personally not a huge fan of the MAN engines they use in the 65, but they seem do work well for them. There were a few weird however minor quirks about them on the finish. We were given a detailed tour of the boat with praise on their fit and finish all the way through from the factory rep. and then when we came across something as minor as a door latch / strike plate that was completely butchered, we were kind of left scratching our heads. Out on the water, both the 55 and 65 are very fine boats. Very predictable, stable, quiet, and comfortable. We have friends with an older 55 which we've spent a fair amount of time on the water with them on, which led up to look at their current offerings when we were looking for a smaller boat. I was impressed with everything about them other than the couple of minor quirks like I mentioned earlier. It's a displacement hull, so it's not fast, but it is stable. We ended up going with something in the same range, but would get up and cruise at 17ish kts. If cruise speed wasn't one of our major considerations, we would have probably purchased a Fleming without reservation. Very well built, very functional, well thought out for the cruiser, and safe.

PropBet, Thank you for your insight. - What do you mean "MAN" engines? - Also, Fleming is adamant that they will cruise comfortably at a true 16-17 knots when needed. - What did you end up with? - Do you know of any other resources that Fleming owners use to convene? JW

Fall Rush said: PropBet, Thank you for your insight. - What do you mean "MAN" engines? - Also, Fleming is adamant that they will cruise comfortably at a true 16-17 knots when needed. - What did you end up with? - Do you know of any other resources that Fleming owners use to convene? JW Click to expand...

'RoundTheHorn Senior Member

Fleming Promotional Magazine The magazine from Fleming is called Venturer and can be viewed directly from the Fleming website. http://www.flemingyachts.com/vmag.html Just click on the image of the magazine cover to view.

PropBet, Your replies are meaningfull so I hope I don't come off as argumentative but; Flemming touts itself as a semi displacement and "will cruise all day" at 16-17, refering to a real comfortable 16 knots. They say, "Anything above that is not comfortable and therefore not practical for more than a couple hours." Does that mean the bow is pointing toward the moon between 11 and 17 knots? Since I have yet to take a ride, I continue to wonder... As far as the GPH numbers; I don't see that the GB59 is much better. Lastly, the GB59 is an absolute gem and would be interested in yours but my experience is that they are about 250K more than a new FL55. Are you on the East Coast? John W

Fall Rush said: PropBet, Your replies are meaningfull so I hope I don't come off as argumentative but; Flemming touts itself as a semi displacement and "will cruise all day" at 16-17, refering to a real comfortable 16 knots. They say, "Anything above that is not comfortable and therefore not practical for more than a couple hours." Click to expand...

Fall Rush, here is the burn info on the GB 59 This is from GB, which our numbers are a little different (slightly better). RPM / KTS / GPH 900 / 8.2 / 6 1200 / 10.3 / 13 1500 / 11.7 / 32 1800 / 17.2 / 64 2100 / 22.3 / 91 2300 / 22.5 / 103 You can compare to Fleming's info on their website.

captainJJ New Member

Fleming Owners If you are seriously looking at an alternative to a GB try a Marlow Explorer, very good well built and good re sale:

captainJJ said: If you are seriously looking at an alternative to a GB try a Marlow Explorer, very good well built and good re sale: Click to expand...

Ocean Alexander So it goes on!!! Have you considered an Ocean Alexander? Not sure how good the quality is on the newer ones but the old ones were terriffic. Had an OA 50 Mark1, full displacement, rolled in the ocean like a barrel and was powered by twin elastic bands (Ford Lehman 120Hp), but we loved her like a baby. All character, but lots of work on the teak rails. They still fetch good prices due to their strength. Would consider a newer plus 60 footer. Good hunting.

OA is another great boat in comparison to both Fleming and Marlow. I think they're better than Marlow's, personally. I looked at the 60 Classico when it was first released, and it's quite nice. Not our preferred GA, but a nice boat indeed and well worth a look for someone in that market. It's very rare to find an OA owner who has anything bad to say about their boat. Current, or prior vintage.

PropBet said: OA is another great boat in comparison to both Fleming and Marlow. I think they're better than Marlow's, personally. I looked at the 60 Classico when it was first released, and it's quite nice. Not our preferred GA, but a nice boat indeed and well worth a look for someone in that market. It's very rare to find an OA owner who has anything bad to say about their boat. Current, or prior vintage. Click to expand...

Kapn Member

I've spent about 10 years running Flemings, Grand Banks, Marlows, OA's, and others. The one thing I've found is that boat owners come in two types: ones who always think their boat was the best choice, and those who always complain about their boat and have issues with the builder, broker, and yard. The combination of seakeeping, efficiency, and speed are different things to different boaters. I've run Flemings all day long at 16knots, so I know that they will cruise that speed. I believe they market the boat with a semi-displacement hull, not a planing or displacement hull. Keep in mind that every boat is a trade off in terms of speed, cost, hull design, layout, etc. Weight will bring a smoother ride, but more fuel burn at speed. Less surface area under the water (rudders, keel, stabilizer sizes) will bring speed, but reduce rough seas slower speed performance. High yearly production numbers will bring lower resale values, custom one off boats will result in terrible resale.

rudolph New Member

Do you favor any ONE of the boats you ran and if so, why? Thanks!

Burger Boy New Member

I'd recommend looking at a Jefferson Pilot House 57 or 64 as well. We have a 57 and it is a great boat. Not the best of the best quality wise, but if you take care of her she stays in good condition. The boats from 4-5 years ago looked like a Selene, but were sleeker, as they're semi-disp. The salon windows are a bit different now. The difference between the 57 and 64 is a slightly larger salon and an extended cockpit.

It's a tough call. The situations (in terms of sea state, wind, etc) are always different and the boats are never exact model to model comparisons. So all I can do is generalize what I've observed. The Flemings have a lower cruise than some other boats (16-17ish kts) in good weather. But as soon as it starts to turn nasty, they don't bounce around as much. They are definitely the quietest boats I've run. The OA's were nice as well, probably not the same fit and finish in the engine room and other places you don't normally look. Wider beams meant more interior space along with a higher deck level to give it a yacht like feel. Add in less weight overall and it seemed to bob like an empty milk jug going across the gulf. On the Marlow, I was impressed with the open layout, until I spent a few hours running the boat when we were out afterdark and the lower helm was a compromise. In good weather it wasn't an issue, but the distractions from the family and televisions while navigating in the rain and fog was a bit much on the nerves. Having a pilothouse also gives you a place to sit, read, watch tv and be away from the other people in the salon. On the Marlow I also noticed a vibration that seemed to permeate the entire hull at certain speeds. I've heard it from other captains too, I guess it's part of that lightweight construction. Having the ability to run above 20 knots was nice, but we rarely used that speed as it wasn't as comfortable as in the 'teens where the boat rode a little softer. Another rambling thought: the owners of boats are difficult to stereotype in general, but some boats tend to draw less experienced owners who buy a boat based on square footage or 'floorplan' like it's a house. They don't realize that every part of the boat is designed, engineered, and built to different standards with different builders. Other owners are more experienced and don't buy a boat because it's big, but because it has the highest quality. If I ever win the lottery it will be a Fleming for me.

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