Every month we take a look at some of the best second hand motor boats on the market. This month we take a look at the best 50ft - 60ft flybridges
Footitus is a well known and highly contagious disease that afflicts almost all boaters. It can be contracted simply by walking down a marina pontoon where larger boats than yours infect you with ideas like, “if we had a little more space the kids would be keener to come boating” or “if our boat was large enough for a dishwasher and washing machine, we could live on board all summer” – a little like off-roading in a Range Rover, no one actually does but we all like to think that we could.
The only cure, at least for UK boaters, is a boat in the 50-60ft region. A boat of this size is about as big as is comfortable in the UK, any larger and you find yourself being turned away from marinas that just aren’t geared to cope. It’s a size that can (just about) be handled by two competent people, and it’s about as big as you really want to clean. Here are four brilliant examples…
Princess 61
Built: 2002
Price: £275,000
Launched in 2001 and in build for six years, the 61 replaced the mid-1990s Princess 60 that ceased production in 2000. But this wasn’t just a revamp and an extra 12 inches on the bathing platform, this was a bigger, better boat all-round.
Saloon has separate dinette and features an internal staircase to the flybridge
Interior
The layout of the lower deck was a major improvement over the preceding 60. Where that boat had an ensuite owner’s cabin in the bow and then a pair of matching guest cabins with two single berths each amidships, both sharing the day heads, the 61 has an offset passageway to create a larger ensuite guest double to starboard yet still retains the third cabin with single beds.
It even has space for a third heads, giving all cabins the luxury of ensuite. On the main deck, the galley is behind the helm but discretely dropped to a lower level, and even has a small utility room. There’s a dinette separate to the saloon, an internal staircase to the flybridge and a side door at the lower helm.
Exterior
In 1998 Princess Yachts brought out a Princess 65 that had a distinctly motor yacht vibe, and this boat follows its lead. So you get vertical stanchions and high bulwarks along the side decks and in the same vein, the compact crew cabin beneath the cockpit seating is actually surprisingly roomy, featuring a proper separate heads, not a given at this size and age of boat. There’s also space for a lazarette under the cockpit floor.
Enlarged double cabin to starboard is an improvement over the 61’s predecessor
Performance
Twin Volvo Penta D12 700hp diesel engines were the standard option, but many were specced with the MAN D2848 LE 403 15-litre V8 engines fitted to this boat, which produced a healthy 800hp at just 2,300rpm for a top speed when brand new of 31 knots. At a more relaxed 1,900rpm, it still gave 23 knots and 360 miles of range.
Seakeeping
Handling came in for particular praise when we tested one of the first examples back in 2002. Power steering allowed gearing of just three turns lock-to-lock, giving it “wonderfully quick, fluid and precise steering that’s as good as any boat I’ve ever driven”, according to our man at the time, Dave Marsh.
Princess 61 specifications
Length: 60ft 7in (18.5m)
Beam: 16ft 0in (4.9m)
Draft: 4ft 4in (1.3m)
Displacement: 26 tonnes
Fuel capacity: 3,000 litres
Engines: Twin MAN D2848 LE 403 800hp diesel engines
For sale: Ancasta
Aquastar 57
Built: 2009
Price: £699,950
First seen at the Southampton Boat Show in 2007, it’s tempting to think that the Aquastar 57 was the biggest boat that the Guernsey-based company, well known for its Ocean Ranger 33 and 38 models, ever built. But in fact the yard has a rich back catalogue of 70 and even 80ft motor yachts, and even built 81ft, 50-tonne Maxi yachts back in the 1980s, so perhaps it is no surprise that this boat has a junior motor yacht feel to it.
Interior
Access to the saloon is via an impressive curved glass sliding door. The galley aft layout was well ahead of its time in 2009 and includes a dishwasher. Even the wood has a modern satin finish rather than the usual high gloss of the era.
Intriguingly, further forward on the main deck there’s a desk built into the starboard side directly behind the appropriately ‘little ship’ helm; perhaps the original owner of this one was ahead of the curve with remote working too. The lower deck has a three-cabin, two-heads layout with the VIP guest cabin in the bow and a full beam owner’s cabin in the centre of the boat.
Galley-aft layout and modern satin finish lend the Aquastar 57 a modern feel
Exterior
Compared with conventional flybridge boats, the Aquastar 57 has surprisingly low side decks, which means that a door in the high bulwarks that surround them allows you to step easily aboard from the pontoon amidships rather than hopping onto the bathing platform aft and heading up steps. Side deck overhangs give more of that motor yacht vibe, as does the anchor recessed into the stem. There’s a large lazarette beneath the cockpit, big enough to include a domestic washing machine.
Performance
Twin Caterpillar C15 diesel engines fire up to 865hp aside through straight shaftdrives to spin seven-bladed propellers, pushing the boat past 20 knots.
Full-beam owner’s cabin delivers impressive space, privacy and comfort
Seakeeping
The semi-displacement hull punches through the sea rather than skimming over it. This lowers the top speed but improves the ability to keep the power on in rough weather. Trac fin stabilisers dampen the roll, and hydraulic bow and stern thrusters give excellent manoeuvrability.
Aquastar 57 specifications
Length: 58ft 6in (17.9m)
Beam: 17ft 0in (5.2m)
Draft: 5ft 7in (1.7m)
Displacement: 34 tonnes
Fuel capacity: 5,450 litres
Engines: Twin Caterpillar C15 865hp diesel engines
For sale: Ancasta
Sunseeker Manhattan 52
Built: 2008
Price: £459,950
Morphing out of the Manhattan 50 that originally launched in 2004, the big change that the 52 (not to be confused with the entirely different MK2 52 launched in 2016) brought to the table was the high/low hydraulic bathing platform that extended the length, hence the model designation change.
Interior
That high/low platform isn’t the only modern feature that this boat sports – it also has a full-beam owner’s cabin amidships, complete with hull windows, something that was only just starting to appear in circa 50ft boats when the 50 launched in 2004.
The galley is still on the lower deck, and it’s a great size, although it does squeeze the third cabin into a bunked cabin (great for kids but just about acceptable for adults too), leaving the forward cabin as a VIP guest cabin that also gains ensuite access to the shared day heads. The 52 also features re-profiled saloon seating (curved rather than a three-sided C shape) which ekes out a little more headroom in the owner’s cabin below.
Curved saloon is a flamboyant touch that has retained its visual appeal
Exterior
This is a great-looking boat. From the sweeping sheer line to the outrageous curves of the saloon windows, the Manhattan 52 looks extravagant without ever looking dated, and the glossy dark blue topsides add further detail. Sunseeker kept the side profile relatively low by putting the sunpad forward on the flybridge and using the space below it to eke out more headroom, although it does feel a little low-sided up top. There is a tiny crew cabin tucked beneath the cockpit seat.
Performance
Twin 715hp Caterpillar C12s were the most popular choice, the Volvo D12 715 and 775hp options an alternative. But this boat has the rare, powerful 800hp MANs which shoulder the speed up towards 35 knots.
Full-beam owner’s cabin features hull windows that were ahead of their time
Seakeeping
When we put a Manhattan 50 up against competitors from Princess, Azimut, Sealine and Fairline for a five-way 50ft mega test, the outstanding characteristic was its sporty handling. We described it as “a 50 footer that steers and handles with all the panache of a finely honed 40ft sportscruiser”. It coped with challenging sea conditions well too.
Sunseeker Manhattan 52 specifications
Length: 57ft 9in (17.6m)
Beam: 15ft 1in (4.6m)
Draft: 3ft 8in (1.2m)
Displacement: 25 tonnes
Fuel capacity: 2,140 litres
Engines: Twin MAN 800hp diesel engines
For sale: Boats.co.uk
Fairline Squadron 58
Built: 2005
Price: £365,000
Launched in late 2000 and first shown to the public at the Earl’s Court Boat Show in 2001, the original Squadron 58 (there have been two further models called the Squadron 58 since) ran until 2009. In that final year, a 58 was leaving the Oundle-based factory every three weeks, the final tally totting up to more than 200 examples sold globally.
Interior
Although light oak was an option, the early 2000s was very much the high-gloss cherry era, and most Squadron 58s, including this one, went out with the cherry finish. Again as befits the era, it’s a three cabin and two heads layout, with the ensuite owner’s cabin in the bow and then a cabin either side of the companionway stairs to the lower deck, which share the day heads.
Although the starboard cabin is fitted out with two single berths, the portside cabin gains a double berth, as well as ensuite access to the day heads. On the main deck, the sunken galley to starboard features the then-popular utility room. In fact this could be specced as a small crew cabin when new, but most owners opted to use it for the washing machine and a freezer, since there is a further small crew cabin beneath the cockpit seating aft.
Central galley makes for supersociable layout and features a utility room/crew cabin
Exterior
The fact that Mediterranean living was the priority when this boat was designed explains the massive flybridge with a huge dining table aft and sunbeds ahead of the helm forward, as well as internal access from the saloon augmenting the usual steps down to the cockpit.
Performance
Plenty of choice in the engine room when new – original buyers could choose between twin diesel Volvo Penta D12s (700-715hp), Caterpillars (660-800hp) and MAN engines (800hp only). Later models saw larger 775hp Volvo D12s and Cat C15s. Despite all that choice, 85% of the 212 boats built went out with the D12 motors, the 715hp versions fitted to this boat giving speeds of around 30 knots.
Portside cabin with double berth and ensuite heads
Seakeeping
Fairlines of this era have a fantastic reputation for seakeeping. Mix the near 60ft length and 22 tonnes of weight into the equation and you have one very capable boat.
Fairline Squadron 58 specifications
Length: 58ft 10in (17.9m)
Beam: 16ft 0in (4.9m)
Draft: 4ft 4in (1.3m)
Displacement: 22 tonnes
Fuel capacity: 2,727 litres
Engines: Twin Volvo Penta D12-715 715hp diesel engines
For sale: Network Yacht Brokers
If you enjoyed this….
If you enjoyed this….Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.
Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.
Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.
Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
