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And
literally so. Her solid FRP hull is stiffened with full-length stringers
and athwartships frames of fiberglass laminated over foam and features
a long keel that aids tracking and extends below the running gear for
protection in case of grounding.
Engine beds are steel encased in fiberglass and then dressed with
mirror-finished stainless steel.
The
engine mounts, however, are marvelously soft. So soft that Tony Fleming
was able to brace his arms against one of the 800-hp Caterpillar 3406E
diesels and wobble it in place. Using such flexible mounts, which greatly
reduce the transfer of noise-producing vibration to the hull, is only
possible because Fleming employs Aquadrive vibration-isolating systems.
The Aquadrives’ stout thrust bearings transfer propeller thrust
directly to the hull, not to the engines, and constant velocity joints
on the shafts—while conveying engine power to the thrust bearings
and prop shafts—permit engine movement in all directions. Freed
from prop thrust and the need for precise alignment, the engines can hover
relatively hushed atop the pliant mounts. With noise further contained
by lead-composite and foam sound insulation covered with perforated aluminum,
the 75 is quiet. During sea trials off Newport Beach, my decibel meter
registered only 62 dB-A as we ran at 1250 rpm, making 11 mph for a range
of more than 2,150 miles. Even at wide-open throttle (2250 rpm for 19.4
mph), the meter read just 70 dB (65 is the level of normal conversation).
As we made way in three-foot seas quartering off the port bow, the engines
seemed no more audible than the rush of water. With American Bowthruster
stabilizers ironing out an already moderate roll, it was easy to imagine
the comfort and calm of long runs on the 75.
Throughout
the trials, five of us shared the wheelhouse with never a hint of crowding.
“This is the center of the boat,” Paulsen had said when we’d
entered. Then he’d parked his 6'4" frame contentedly at the
L-shape settee and table along the aft port bulkhead and declared, “Here
you can have the perfect breakfast.” He can say so with authority
because the pilothouse’s layout is nearly identical to the 55’s,
although it is a good deal larger and has a day head to boot. And it truly
is the boat’s nexus: Companionways aft come up from the saloon and
down from the flying bridge; one forward to starboard winds from accommodations
below; and doors port and starboard lead to the side decks.
You’ll
find examples of the 75’s more lavish scale no matter which passage
you take. Below forward, where on the 55 accommodations include a master
in the forepeak with guest staterooms side to side aft, the 75 has room
for a VIP forward, a guest midcabin to port, and a master stateroom aft
that, with en suite head and shower (all three staterooms are so equipped),
stretches almost full beam.
Three
steps down the aft companionway takes you to a galley with wraparound
black granite countertops above conveniences such as a Broan trash compactor,
which can be a real godsend on a long cruise. Farther aft, the high quality
of the hand-rubbed teak joinery found throughout can be fully appreciated
in the light that pours through the saloon’s large windows. Beyond
teak-framed sliding glass doors, a California deck, furnished with a settee
and table to starboard under the extended boat deck, offers shaded outdoor
comfort forward of the cockpit.
Climb
to the flying bridge, and you’ll find that topside amenities include
a Euroflair double barbecue, comfortable seating for more than a dozen,
and enough table space for eight to dine alfresco. The helm itself features
an electrically retractable electronics console that made me wonder if
Tony Fleming is any relation to Bond creator Ian. Not only is it stylish,
but it will also keep instruments out of the weather and away from prying
eyes at marinas.
I had
trouble finding areas obviously in need of improvement on this boat. What
minor faults exist—a few of the lights in the engine room could
be better situated to avoid bumps to the head, a bench/lid design over
the MSD in the master head is, from a purely aesthetic point of view,
a failure—were often pointed out by Fleming himself. He is part
perfectionist, part tinkerer, and this being just hull number two, he’s
on the lookout for details in need of fine-tuning. (He also had yet to
determine a hard and fast base price for the 75, since he was still in
the process of deciding which features would be standard and which optional.)
Fleming
believes that a combination of systems onboard the test boat—such
as warping winches at hawsers for easy adjustment of lines, a bow thruster,
and optional remote steering and engine controls—can enable just
a couple to run the 75. Nonetheless, crew’s quarters for two, including
a head and shower, are tucked in neatly between the engine room and the
lazarette. Paulsen pointed out that the head is equipped with its own
100-gallon freshwater supply. Knowing that he often employs a crew for
his 55, I could imagine the allure these digs held for him.
Paulsen
was a presence throughout my long examination. With none of the reserve
Scandinavians are known for, he interjected enthusiastic observations
liberally, tempering them now and then with a certain wistfulness. “My
wife won’t let me have one,” he lamented once or twice. But
I wondered how long the man who for decades ran his family’s shipping
concern out of Jakarta and Singapore would be able to hold out. All over
the 75 he was confronted by his Ozmaiden’s tried and true features
adapted and augmented in ways that take maximum advantage of the new boat’s
greater length. Imagine all the best attributes of a yacht that has given
you more than 20,000 miles of top-notch cruising so clearly embodied in
one that also delivers the comforts possible with 20 more feet.
If Tony
Fleming calls to say the next 75 will be christened Ozmaiden II, I won’t
be surprised.
Fleming
Yachts Phone: (949) 723-4225. Fax:
(949) 723-4093. www.flemingyachts.com.
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