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"A Philosophy, Of Sorts"


Our publication was invited to visit the recent Fleming Yachts
owners' rendezvous at Elliott Bay Marina in Seattle. We ventured down
on a Saturday afternoon to discover about 8-10 Fleming motoryachts
moored on "N" dock. Nearly all were 55-footers, but the star of the
show was most certainly the new Fleming 65. It was our memorable
privilege to tour the 65 with the company founder, Tony Fleming.

Tony Fleming has been involved in boat building for almost 45 years. He
had been trained as an engineer, and he joined American Marine in Hong
Kong shortly after that company was established. Tony served as
American Marine's technical director of new product development and
exerted significant influence in the early concept and design of the
firm's best known product, the Grand Banks motoryachts. Tony Fleming
is a hands-on boat builder. He personally monitors and directs
production of each new semi-custom yacht in a southern Taiwan boatyard,
(Tung Hwa). Buildings at Tung Hwa are built to specialized designs that
facilitate all aspects of Fleming production. The yard builds for no
other manufacturers, and the facility includes a huge "test tank"
where completed boats undergo a battery of systems tests before ever
leaving the plant.

Fleming motoryachts have navigated to Hawaii from the West Coast and
have made Atlantic crossings, but Fleming Yachts prefers to
characterize their vessels as "coastal cruiser." Fleming's
semi-displacement design parameters emphasize a combination of extended
range and excellent seakeeping ability. Fleming hulls are drawn with an
expectation that most owners will usually operate at 12-14 kts, but a
typical Fleming can be pressed up to around 16kts when conditions
either allow or require a faster pace.

As we visited with some of the assembled Fleming owners, we discovered
that a surprisingly high percentage of them routinely cruise in
offshore, blue-water conditions. When a Fleming goes "coastal
cruising", it is likely to be actually running up a continental coast
rather than hugging the shorelines of an inland archipelago.

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).

The 55, 65, and 75-foot Flemings are handsome and traditionally styled
motoryachts featuring Portuguese bridges and covered side decks aft of
pronounced pilothouses. In fact, if a group of naval architects were
each asked to draw an idealized version of a long-rang pilothouse
coastal cruiser from "scratch", most of the finally results would
probably be very similar to the Fleming profile. These stately yachts
with classic style would have been "in fashion" 20 years ago, and
will quite likely continue to look contemporary decades to come. Form
and function meld almost perfectly in the lines of a Fleming.

Build and Layup:

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.

Layup below the waterline consists of five or more layers of woven
roving, alternating with an additional five or more layers of
fiberglass mat. Vinylester resin is used below the waterline to prevent
blistering. There is no "chop" in the Fleming layup. Stringers are
a full-length, box-section style FRP and bonded into an interlocking
network with the bulkheads and frames. There is no wooden "core" in
the stringers, which are laminated over a foam form and derive all
strength from the box-section design. The stringers are taller in the
aft section to reinforce the transom and to bring the tops of the
rudderposts above the waterline. To assure maximum integrity, every
Fleming yacht includes two double-fastened hull-to-deck joints, rather
than one. The hull and deck are mechanically fastened as well as
chemically bonded at the top of the bulwark as well as the edge of the
main deck.

Engine Room:

Engine room access is through a hatch in the cockpit. The bilges are
painted in bright white polyurethane and the lead sound insulation is
covered by perforated aluminum to create a bright, clean atmosphere
with plenty of workspace. High capacity AC and DC lighting systems
ensure good visibility.

The Fleming 65 is a twin engine motoryacht, with 660hP Cummins QSM11
engines considered standard. Caterpillar C12 and C18 engines, rated at
750 and 1000 HP respectively, are optional. Fuel capacity is 1700
gallons, in four tanks, and all tanks can be filled from either the
port or starboard side at the fuel dock. Fuel transfer pumps, automated
oil change systems, and lighted drip pans assist in engine management.
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.

While conduction our tour of the engine room aboard the Fleming 65,
Tony Fleming took special care to point out the Aquadrive system
included on all Fleming yachts.

"Most boats are designed to transfer the thrust developed by the
propellers up through the shaft, the transmission, and the engine and
actually push the boat along with the engine mounts," said Tony.
"With the Aquadrive system, the thrust is transferred directly to the
full through this brace just aft of the gearbox, and that allows us to
use softer engine mounts than can be used in an installation where
those mounts have to drive the boat.
The softer engine mounts create a much smoother and quieter vessel. An
additional benefit of the Aquadrive system is that the flexible coupler
between the engine and the shaft eliminates any concerns about engine
and shaft alignments, which can be other sources of excessive noise and
vibration." (Aft of the flexible coupler, Aqualoy 22 Hi-Strength
shafts turn 4-blade nickel/aluminum/bronze props through dripless
bronze shaft seals).

Standard climate control on the Fleming 65 is Cruiseair reverse cycle
AC. The Fleming 65 at the rendezvous was additionally outfitted with a
WhisperGen (tm) heating and DC generating system. We asked Tony Fleming
how the WhisperGen, which is based on a Stirling external combustion
engine principle was performing.

"Very well, but you must be careful to follow the installation
instructions very exactly. For example, we use two exhaust hoses on the
WhisperGen because if the exhaust become blocked for just a fraction of
a second it can cause the system to shut down. The system is great, but
won't perform satisfactorily unless properly installed."

On deck:

The decks and superstructure of the Fleming 65 are cored FRP.
Consistent with a traditional style the decks are overlaid with teak,
and there are teak caprails on the bulwarks as well as teak handrails
on stainless stanchions. For yachtsmen desiring slightly less teak,
stainless handrails as well as non-skid FRP decking for certain areas
can be specified.

Than anchor pulpit is configured for two anchors, hauled by a Lofrans
windlass equipped with two chain guides and a common rope winch. Rope
and chain lockers are accessible through deck hatches, and the entire
assembly is mounted just forward of a watertight "crash" bulkhead
below. Fleming's ground tackle system is designed to be
self-launching and self-stowing upon retrieval of an all-chain rode.
The winch can be operated from the pilothouse, the flybridge, or with a
plug-in control module on the foredeck. The rope drum on the Lofrans is
vertically mounted, and can double as a warping winch when required.

Stainless hawse and large 14 and 15-inch stainless cleats are
strategically placed to maximize the mooring and springing options.

Traffic between the Portuguese bridge and the foredeck passes through
port and starboard hinged doors. Stowage lockers are built into the aft
face of the Portuguese bridge cowling.

Side decks along the main cabin are wide enough to be traversed easily,
even if carrying a load. The bulwarks are high enough to provide a
sense of security should the boat be rocking or pitching in a seaway.
Bulwark doors open in, rather than out, preventing any embarrassing
knockings off by pilings or other obstructions near a dock.

The teak aft deck on the Fleming 65 is amply proportioned for outdoor
entertaining or some casual fishing. Flush, dogged down hatches with
high-capacity gutters and drains access the stowage areas in the
lazarette as well as the ladder to the engine room. Warping winches are
mounted in the port and starboard aft quarters to assist when landing
against a crosswind. The exterior access to the flybridge is a
stainless ladder with teak treads, located just starboard of the main
door to the salon on the aft cabin bulkhead.

The flybridge and boat deck are non-skid. A two-person helmseat and an
L-shaped settee with table provide seating on the flybridge. A hinged
radar arch is standard, with an optional yacht mast that can be mounted
on the arch itself. A 1500-lb capacity stainless steel davit hauls an
owner's shoreboat onto the deck chocks.


Interior Configuration and Amenities

Clearly evident throughout the Fleming 65 are the results of
Fleming's boat building philosophy. Tony Fleming has stated, "The
objective was very simple: to build the best coastal cruising boat
using the experience accumulated over many years. During the
development of the Fleming we took a fresh and objective look at every
system and piece of equipment. Each was carefully considered and
selected on the basis of what would be the best and most practical for
a well-found and seaworthy vessel intended for extended blue-water
cruising."

Tony Fleming informed us that each Fleming motoryacht would be laid out
and equipped somewhat differently. The company works closely with each
buyer to create a yacht that reflects the personal tastes and
preferences of the client ordering the boat. The accommodation and
features of the Fleming 65 at the rendezvous reflect a typical
three-stateroom build, but should not be considered the only version
available.

The master stateroom is most forward, with a queen size bunk on
centerline surrounded by teak lockers and drawers. An impressive light
fixture is mounted above the bed, with teak trim and a multi-layered
etched glass insert. Tony Fleming remarked, "We build this boat to an
international standard, and that requires that we provide an additional
exit from this forward stateroom. Tony reached up and released the
light fixture, which swung down on hinges to reveal a ladder that can
be extended from the master berth to the foredeck hatch.

One of Tony Fleming's hobbies is charter cruising on icebreakers and
other commercial vessels. A useful feature in the master stateroom is a
fold-down metal fiddle rail that secures the books in a row of open
shelves above the master bunk, but releases easily to allow the books
to slide in and out unhindered when desired. "That's an idea I saw
in use on an icebreaker," he explained.

The master head is located in the aft port quarter of the stateroom.
This deluxe compartment features a Headhunter (tm) pressure-jet marine
toile, a stall shower, the owner's choice of marble or granite
countertops, an efficient ventilation system, and a porcelain hand
basin with designer faucet.

The port stateroom, aft of the master head, is configured with two
parallel twin bunks. A fold-down platform creates an upper bunk on the
inboard side of the stateroom, and a suspended canvas hammock stowed in
the port gunwale can be employed to create an upper bunk on the
outboard side as well. "That canvas bunk just might be one of the
most comfortable berths you could ever hope to sleep in," remarked
Tony.

The starboard stateroom on the boat at the Fleming rendezvous was set
up as a combination stateroom and office. Two single berths and a
surprisingly ample desk can be efficiently arranged in the compartment.

The guest of day head is to starboard, complete with Headhunter (tm)
marine toilet, a stall shower, a deluxe sink and all elegantly
appointed to a very high standard.

The galley and the salon are on the main deck level, with the U-shaped
galley in the port forequarter of a common compartment. Top caliber
fixtures and appliances include granite countertops, a 20.5 cubic foot
side-by-side refrigerator/freezer, a trash compactor, Insinkerator
macerating garbage disposal, a Quartzite composite sink, a microwave
oven, and an amazing "induction" cooktop. Tony Fleming demonstrated
the electric cooktop.

"We found that these cooktops are very common in Europe, but almost
unheard of in the US. They work on a magnetic principle, and all the
energy is used to make the contents of the pan hot while the top itself
stays relatively cool." Tony put a paper towel directly on the
cooktop, set a pan with a few inches of water directly on the towel,
and turned on the element. On a normal cooktop, the paper towel would
have burst into flames within seconds, but about a minute later the
water was boiling merrily away and the paper towel was still none the
worse for wear. "When we finish cooking, the top might be slightly
hot but only because heat has transferred from the pan itself back to
the cooktop, not the other direction."

The salon is formal but comfortable. The salon windows are fixed, as
they are a heavy, laminate glass that will resist breaking if clobbered
by a breaking wave in a beam sea. The teak solids in veneers in the
salon, as in the rest of the boat, are finished to a "fine
furniture" standard. Teak valances and wooden boat blinds dress up
the window areas, and the number of rendezvous participants visiting
about the Fleming 65 proved there is more than ample seating to
accommodate a small crowd on the exquisitely appointed furnishings.

"We make our own chairs for the salon," said Tony Fleming. "They
are properly scaled for the boat, and they have additional stowage
areas concealed under the seats."

If we were to pick a "favorite" area on the Fleming 65 it would be
the pilothouse. The Fleming 65 is intended for some serious, often
challenging navigation and the pilothouse is configured in a manner
that is appropriate to the task. The large destroyer wheel is on the
centerline, with many feet of teak charting surface to both starboard
and port. Visibility is exceptional in every direction except aft, a
limitation addressed on the 65 at the rendezvous with the inclusion of
a video camera system. The camera keeps watch aft, and additionally
displays images of the engine room or other selected areas of the
vessel. The Fleming 65 is designed to incorporate large screen
electronic navigation systems, with ample space included in a dedicated
teak console just forward of the wheel.

As the pilothouse can be considered an important "nerve center" of
a long-range cruiser, Fleming has taken steps to emphasize its comfort
and convenience. A pilothouse head with a Tecma (tm) marine toilet and
a hand basin is located to starboard, and on the port side a large
settee surrounds an inlaid teak table that should prove to be ideal for
dining or socializing. There is quick and easy access to the port and
starboard decks from the pilothouse as well as a set of steps leading
to the flybridge.

Conclusion:

The Fleming 65 is an impressive vessel. Among the promotional materials
for Fleming is a quote attributed to Tony Fleming. It is a statement
that rings particularly true after touring the boat. "You'd have to
say that behind every product there's a philosophy, of sorts. Perhaps
that's too strong a word, but there is always something of the maker
in everything made. In the case of the Fleming, our goal was to create
a refined and dependable cruising yacht, capable of taking her crew in
comfort and safety to wherever they might wish to go. The selection of
every item, from the shape of the hull to the choice of each piece of
equipment, reflects this philosophy.