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wrote:

If you've got an extra $1.2mm and need a new boat, here's a
possibility. :-)

We checked out a Fleming at Trawlerfest a few years ago. They are
impressive boats. In fact, one of the few boats I've been on that looked
like a textbook example of how to do it right.

The Fleming 65 is the "middle model" in a 3-boat line that also
includes the current Fleming 55, (earliest versions of the 55 were
introduced in 1985) and the Fleming 75 (introduced in 2000). The
Fleming owners at the rendezvous all expressed high levels of
satisfaction with their present vessels, (so a ready market for the 65
is naturally emerging among owners of the 55-footers ready to step up
to a bigger boat but without a need or desire to go to 75-feet).

I was told that they built a few 50 footers in the early years, they are
basically the same boat as the 55 only with 3 feet lopped off the saloon
and 2 feet off the cockpit.

The Fleming 65 (in common with the 55 and 75-footers) is a hand laid
hull with a deep keel. The keel is foam filled, with the top sealed by
several laminations of fiberglass. Should the keep become damaged in a
grounding or other accident, the sealed top will prevent water from
entering the bilge.

"Hand laid" fiberglass is a misleading term. It is a marketing phrase.
While it is better than chopper gun, there are many many different ways
of laying up fiberglass and some are good (ie result in strong reliable
laminates) and some are not so good. Then there is good workmanship with
fiberglass, and sloppy workmanship.

At least you make a report on the laminate schedule and resin type, good
things.

The Fleming that we looked at could have been a textbook example of good
fiberglass workmanship, even if their basic technology is old fashioned.
All the cloth edges were neat, the inner faces of the lamination were
neither scrunged with dirt or fuzz, nor raggedy with sharp threads at
roving joints. The structural details were also textbook, with proper
radius tabbing in heavy roving, and no cut edges. Really a first class job.

Engine Room:

Engine room access is through a hatch in the cockpit. The bilges are
painted in bright white polyurethane

The engine room was a marvel. Everything is installed in a very logical
relation to it's basic function. Wiring & piping runs are insulated &
mounted to a fine standard, well above ABYC requirements. They are also
well labelled. I got the impression that the Fleming engineroom would be
an easy place to work, easy to keep clean.

To reduce the corrosive effects of a salty environment, combustion air
is not drawn into the engine room directly through exterior vents
(often subject to spray). Air is introduced to the engine room on a
Fleming only after passing through a series of baffles designed to
strop away the salt.

It also makes the boat a bit quieter.

One of Tony Fleming's hobbies is charter cruising on icebreakers and
other commercial vessels.

Must be where he gets his talent for practical & sturdy vessels.

A comment about the cabins & layout.... the Fleming 55 was not a boat
designed to be "as roomy as possible." There are 45 footers that have
more beds, bigger salons, fancier galleys, etc etc. But it does offer
good privacy and a practical layout. One touch that would be appreciate
by anybody who actually cruises is that there are handholds. The fit &
finish of the interior appointments also appeared to my eye as worthy of
the highest class of yacht, no scrimping there.

Conclusion:

The Fleming 65 is an impressive vessel.

I can easily believe it, we came away from the Fleming 55 very
impressed. The only boat I've ever been on that I considered to be as
well built was an Oyster.

Fair Skies
Doug King