Wes Dickman thinks he smells a sea change among boaters. He thinks they've

become disenchanted with traditional boat styles-particularly the convert­ible-and are searching for something that better reflects the way they really use their boats. He thinks boaters are tired of spending more money to get more performance and more luxury out of a boat that was never intended for either. The convertible, he reminds us, was created as a fishing boal, and loday, for any number of rea on , a 10l of b at

buyers aren't particularly intere ted in fishing any more. So Dickman thjnks America is looking for a different kind of

boat, and he thinks he 's got it. Whether you buy his logic or not­

and there are some pretty successful builders in New Jersey, North Carolina, and Florida who deflilltely do not-you have to at least listen to the man. He 's

done time in just about every area of the boat business, from brokerage (Great

American Boatyard) to engines (Volvo Penta) to builders (Hatteras, Bertram,

86 POWER AND MOTORYACHT • MAY 1994

and Wellcraft), and what he says has a certain logic: If you're looking for the sportiness of a convertible and the luxury of a motoryacht, where do you go?

Dickman hopes the answer is Fen·etti

and that if he can get these people aboard any of the four models (the 150, 175, 185, and 215 Flys), they' ll have an

epiphany-they'll take one look and say, " Wow! llis is the kind of boat I've wanted all along."

After having spent two hours at the Ferretti slips at the Miami Boat Show, I can te ll you a lot of people have srud just thal. And after spending the better part of a day aboard the Ferretti 185 Fly, I can

tell you that whether Dickman is a vi­sionary or dreamer, he' s selling one re­markable boat. It better be because he, the Ferretti family, and a Greek investor have a lot riding on the success of Fer­retti of America.

If the market Dickman envisions ex­ists, the Ferretti 185 Fly is surely a boat that can fill it. For one thing, this is not

one of those Italian imports from the 80s where you step aboard and everything feels alien. It is a measure of Ferretti's

commitment to the U.S. market and its respect for Dickman's input that II ma­jor items have been deleted from the Italian version of the 185 Fly and 26

The lower station offers room for electronics and engine instrumentation.

Left: The saloon features acres of flawless mahogany. The gaI­ley, in the right foreground, has been moved here specifically for the American market. Right: The owner's stateroom is fully forward. Note the two pullout stools in each corner of the berth.

others have been added to make the yacht more appealing to Americans. Ma­

jor systems bear names Americans are comfortable with: Hynautic, Marine Air,

Racor, Kohler, Raritan, Furuno, Ship­

mate, Autohelm, and Navionics. Ameri­

canization includes a llO/220-volt elec­

trical system, wiring for TV and water,

spare shaft and props, disposal, battery

charger, and isolation transformer. But the biggest measure of Ferretti's

commitment to America is the 185's

Americanized layout. Enter the saloon

and you find the gal ley to starboard,

down two steps, which keeps the cook

part of the action. (In the Euro version,

the galley is well down and well for­

ward, purposely isolated.) Abaft the en­

gines is room for both 8-kW and l5-kW

Kohler gensets because the Euro "sailor

cabin" has been removed.

Acceleration is surprising for a boat of this heft, and she turns

like a sportboat.

Unchanged are the superb joinerwork

and stunning detai ls that have always

been the hallmarks of an Itali an yacht.

For instance, the transom platfolm is

wide enough to carry a dinghy, and so it

has its own dav it. It 's a structural part of

the hull and an extension of the running

bottom, so there's deep stowage inside it

beneath its hatches. (I counted 38 stow­

age compartments aboard the 185, and I'm sure r missed a few.) The swim lad­

der extends and retracts electricaJly, and

the transom door opens paralle l to the

transom instead of swinging out, thanks

to a hinge system that i itself an engi­

neering triumph. The spare shaft nestles

in a special comp,utment accessed by a

plate on the tran om.

In the cockpit, inwale compartments in each aft comer conceal a small sink , a

cleat, and a c<UlYas bag to hold excess

dock line. A boathook hides inside each

cabin side, easily at hand when you need

it. The sole is covered with teak, as are

all exterior decks on this level. III its

center is the engine room hatch, flanked

by two more hatches that cover stowage

bins. Below, things are tight-especially

outboard of and atop the engines. (This

is characteristic of Italian yachts-they

must hold mechanics in the same low re­gard they do cooks and crew.) Yet the

cockpit sole attaches with angle brack­

ets, so remove a dozen or so bolts and it

lifts off completely, providing access

sufficient even for- heaven forbid- an

engine removal.

Batteries are eas il y accessible, con­

tained in long boxes inboard of each in­

board stringer. Yet there 's plenty of

room to walk and decent headroom.

Most ervicing of the I,OOO-hp MTUs

will be a snap, since all major service

points have been moved inboard. (This is a V -drive boat, so the engines are " back­

wards.") This includes the expansion

tanks, which are plumbed directly to the

freshwater sy. tem so you don 't have to

struggle with pouring water into them.

Forward, twin fuel tanks feed a small

day tank with raised fuel pickups, so

MAY 1994 • POWER AND MO TORYACHT 87

sediment and water accumulate on the

tank bottom and are not ingested by the

fuel system. The tank has a drain so you can periodically remove the sludge.

Entrance from the cockpit to the sa­

loon is via a massive stainless steel and

glass sl iding door; a large window to port flips up to open the entire saloon­

cockpit area. A matching stainless steel

and glass cockpit table is available for

outside dining and entertaining. Its legs

(no doubt designed by the same guy who

did the transom door hinge) fold com­

pletely into its frame, allowing it to hang

unnoticed on the outside of the bulkhead

when unneeded. Enter the saloon, and after you recover

from the oceans of mirror-like mahoga­

ny, you notice that here (and everywhere

else) light switches are on the overhead

at the entrance to each room, so you

never have to hunt for them. In the gaI­

ley, the countertops are real granite, the

Miele dishwasher (the only non-Ameri ­

can appliance brand aboard) is stainless

steel inside (not porcelain), and a solid

mahogany door completely conceals the

door of the full-size GE refrigerator.

Two more steps down and forward take you into a utility room, with separate

full-sized washer and dryer, GE micro­

wave, and about a dozen stowage cabi­

nets and drawers.

Two more steps down toward the cen­

terline you find a stateroom with a twin

bed and half bath. In spite of its some­

what isolated location, a port keeps it

from feeling claustrophobic. It 's a per­

fect place for kids.

Back up on the main deck, a console

separates the lower station from the sa­

loon. In board il holds a 5 ' 10" electrical

distribution panel of superb design. It 's

hinged at the b llom and latched with

two barrel boilS at the lOp. all owing total

accessibility . Outboard lhe cons Ie holds

stairs to the flying bridge (there's also a

ladder in the cockpit). On its fo rwa rd

face is the helm seat, which fo lds away

completely for stand-up operati n.

The helm provides excellent sightlines

forward, a full complement of YO

gauges, and room for electronics and

88 PO WER AND MOTORYAC HT • MAY 1994

While things are undeniably tight in the engine room, the entire overhead is easily removable for total access.

PMY TESTED: FERRETTI 185 FLY Boat type: express cruiser Base price: each boat individually priced Standard power: 2I1,000-hp MTU 12V183TE92 diesel inboards Optional power: 211, 150-hp MTU 12V183TE93 diesel inboards Notable standard equipment: Marine Air MC; 15-kW main and 8-kW standby Kohler gensets; two da­vits; extra battery for VHF and SSB; foredeck fresh­water outlet; Raritan ice maker; TV antenna; isolation

SPECIFICATIONS 17'11" to arch

transformer; custom bedspreads, shams, and tow­els; custom framed art; Furuno 48-mile radar and SSB; Autohelm 7000 autopilot; Shipmate VHF; Na­vionics GPS/plotter Notable optional equipment on test boat: none Hull type: modified-V, 13° dead rise Designer: Ferretti Craft Construction: Aramatlfiberglass with anti-osmosis resins

DRIVE TRAIN LOA: 57 '10" Maximum saloon head· Test engines: 2I1 ,000-hp

Propellers: Radici: 29.5x39.5 4-blade Ni­bral Beam: 12'6" room: 6'8" MTU 12V183TE92 diesel

Draft: 17' 8" Fuel capacity: 887 gal. inboards Approx. displacement: Water capacity: 243 gal. Transmission: ZF w/BPM 70,780 Ibs. (dry) Sleeping capacity: 7 V-drive Bridge clearance: Reduction ratio: 1.54:1

Steering: Hynautic Controls: Hynautic Trim tabs: BCS

TEST RESULTS: Conditions: temperature: 80°; humidity: 79%; wind: 10 to 15 knots; seas: 4 to 6 feet; load: 500 gal. fuel , 243 gal. water, 4 persons, minimum gear. 1.4 7.5 3

1000 8.4 1248 64

1250 13.7/(11 .9) 20.6 652 66

1500 15.8/(13.7) 33.4 0.5/(0.5) 464 70

1750 21.8/(18.9) 41 .2 0.5/(0.5) 519 71

2000 27.1 /(23.5) 60.0 0.5/(0.4) 442 75

2250 32.21(28.0) 80.4 0.4/(0.3) 393 75

2500 35.0/(30.4) 101 .8 0.3/(0.3) 337 80

1\ 1.3

11

, ~ 1.0

D.' 0.8

0.7

0.' 0.5

0.4

~ , ."

~

~ .L \)11

J

~

IL IJ"

32.5

'" 2 7.5

2

22.5

20

J- -"'. J L--"""'" 1

~ 1

7.5

2.5 ~ ~'

1 ~3 0

! ~ 10 12.5 15 17.5 20 22.5 25 RPMK 100

Speeds are two-way averages, measured with Decatur digital radar gun. Fuel flow obtained from DZL fuel-flow meters. Usable range is 90% of total advertised capacity. Decibels measured on A scale using GenRad GR1565-B acoustical meter (60 dB is the level of normal conversation).

Ferretti and Dickman make no secret of the fact that they see a void here and intend to fill it.

The flying bridge console has repeaters for most instruments and superb sightlines.

controls for the Vetus bow thruster and

Sanshin spotlight. A supplementary

e lectrical panel with the most frequently

used switches and a comprehensive

alarm system is on the cabin side. Be­

neath it, behind break-to-activate plastic

panels, are emergency fuel shuts and

manual fLre extingui sher activators. A

door leads to the side deck- li ke the

swim ladder, it operates e lectrically.

The three massive windshie ld panels

are swept with city bu -s ize articulated

wipers (the ir switches have a "mist"

setting just like your car) and washers

plumbed to the freshwater tank. (To give

you some idea of Ferretti 's obsession

with detail , the wiper motors are con­

cealed and contained in fiberglass boxes

that drain overboard should the ir gaskets

ever leak.)

Forward un der the wi ndshie ld til'

stowage eU'eas, ro m for more e lc t ron

ics, and a nag I ' k 'r into who,' cov 'r i1>

tched the leg 'nd f r ea 'h nag. si

person din'tt(; ,it1> to \ tarboard of th'

h'lm.

The main aecomll1 datioll s area,

down IWO steps, in ludes three tate­

r In., two with tw single berths and

the master, with a queen-s ize berth. All

have hanging locker , ports, and private

bath . Th baths have mahogany lids for

the t ilet (and in the ma ter, the bidet)

and a un iq u . three-panel c ircular shower

enclosure tha t re tntets comp letely when

it 's not nee led. The master gets two

hanging locker. , drawers on b Lh ides

plus under the berth , a hal 'h, and a pair

of stools that lide und 'r the berth wh n

they're not needed.

A measure of the eri usne. s with

which Ferretti takes safety is the stan­

dard ground tackJe: There are tw identi ­

cal systems, each with a Lofrans wind­

lass, Bruce anchor, full chain rode, and

line stowage compartment. Be twe n

them is a third roller in case you want to

deploy a really big anchor. Two deep

foredeck lockers provide stowage for

fenders and other gear.

Both windlasses can be controlled

from the portside console on the fl ying

bridge, which also provides the best

sightJines. There 's a couple of huge sun­

ning areas up here, too, an icemaker/

refrigerator, a large seating area, a davit,

and room for a second tender.

As you expect from an Italian boat,

performance is exhilarating. Top speed

is just under 30 knots, and crui ing at 27

knots is effortless. The 185 i respon­

sive-her standard trim tabs rea lly make

a difference-and quiet, thanks to under­

water exhaust with idle bypasses on the

swim platform. T here is no V -dri ve

whine and no exhaust rumble.

Itali an designers arc obs ssed with

maintaining a SI11(xJlh. uncluttered exte­

rior by hiding things from view. On the

185 Iy. ev(; thing seems to be con­

cea l d 'v'rything but th company 's

r s Ive about the .. market. Ferretti

und ickman make no secret of the fact

tha t th 'y !,'e a void here and intend to fill

it. ' I har lhey intend to do so with such a

love ly creation as the 185 Fly makes

th ' ir e ffo l1 all the more intriguing. 0

For more information, contact Ferretti of America, Dept. PMY, 2300 E. Las Olas

Blvd. , Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. '8

(305) 527-1126. Fax: (305) 527-5809.

(Or circle Reader Service No. 248)

MAY 1994 • POWER AND MOTORYACHT 89