advanced italian - Tom Jenkins Yacht Sales 620 Language...italian advanced The Ferretti 620 ... The...
Transcript of advanced italian - Tom Jenkins Yacht Sales 620 Language...italian advanced The Ferretti 620 ... The...
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The Ferretti 620 will have Americans speaking the language of love.
By chris caswell
78 november 2011 / yAchTing www.yachtingmagazine.com
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The ferreTTi 620 Tops ouT aT more Than 32 knoTs.
YTG111-FERR620.indd 79 9/26/11 5:27:30 PM
I was prepared to “like” the new Ferretti 620, but I was fairly
sure that I wasn’t going to love her to death.
She is, after all, the latest confection from this Italian builder
on this side of the Atlantic, and she’s full of stitched leather and
whitewashed oak and the many amenities you’d expect in an
Italian palazzo overlooking the sea.
It would be easy for me, calloused yacht tester that I am,
to dismiss the 620 as just another Portofino Palace, a stylish
transporter of crumpets and champagne along the Riviera. She
seems like a yacht designed for lazy afternoons in the sun, a few
getaway weekends moored stern to the quay in St. Tropez, and
perhaps an annual outing to Corsica or Sardinia. She doesn’t
seem a yacht for the “serious American yachtsman.”
And then I had The Epiphany.
She is esattamente the kind of yacht our serious yachtsmen
will appreciate because, you see, this is how we use our boats
too. Language differences apart, Italian yachtistas are just like
American skippers. We don’t set off on voyages to tropic isles
and we don’t plan to live aboard. We, and they, have limited
time in our busy schedules, which means that a weekend aboard
is a vacation, and a Sunday boat ride and barbecue are what
anesthetize us for the workweek ahead.
They may go to places like Monte Carlo or Porto Venere,
but we have Block Island or Catalina or the San Juans or the
Keys. Sometimes we get a week or two to spend aboard, and
so do they. There is an international bond among yachting
enthusiasts who, if they are honest, will admit they never have
enough time to enjoy their boats.
And the Ferretti 620 is perfect for all of us, Italian or American.
More than a little of this perfection is the result of the Italian
builders listening to experienced American advisors like Brian
Kelley, the North American Ferretti product manager.
The basic 620 is a very nice yacht, but Kelley quickly realized
that it needed some massaging to fit American needs and tastes.
First to go was the stern passerelle, which
is rarely needed here in the New World,
and which eliminated some complexity
and added space. Next to go was the
enclosure around the galley that, again,
is de rigueur in Europe, where the cook’s
presence should be tasted but never seen.
In America, the chef is part of the family
and isn’t to be locked away.
This tinkering has created a yacht that is
a delight on many levels. She is a powerful
performer that is exceedingly comfy for two
couples and kids on a weekend, and she’s a
yacht that begs to invite your best friends
aboard for a barbecue.
Which is not to say that there are not a
few, um, Italianate quirks, but none that are
either so irritating or so incurable that you
wouldn’t buy this yacht. More later.
At first glance, there’s no question that
the 620 is Italian, with curvaceous lines,
a sheer that romps rather than swoops
and a rakish look from reversed transom to swept-back spoiler.
Of course, so many North American builders either use Italian
designers or steal their ideas that the 620 might well be built
in Nebraska. But, no, this is authentic Italiano, from the dual-
language electrical panels to the Euro appliances in the galley.
Neither of these, I must add, are the problems I mentioned
earlier. The panel labeling is clear, and appliances, such as
Miele, Bosch and Isotherm, are now as easily repaired stateside
as are GE or Whirlpool.
With the bulkhead removed from around the galley, your
first impression when you step into the salon is of an unbroken,
airy expanse. The absence of bulkheads between the cockpit
and the wraparound windshield makes the salon seem immense.
With the galley and a buffet/bar aft on one level and the
entertainment area and helm raised slightly, it fulfills Norberto
Ferretti’s goal to “bring the outdoors into the yacht.”
When the window by the galley is hinged up and the sliding
doors are moved aside, even the shaded cockpit is included in
this sweep of salon. One particularly impressive feature is the
one-piece curved windshield unmarred by the usual support
mullions, and if you don’t think glass bends, consider that it was
perfectly f lat before being sealed into place.
The midsection of the salon has a leather couch facing an oversize
wraparound settee. The glass table expands for dining or contracts
to turn the area into a lounge to enjoy the pop-up TV to port.
On our test boat, salon décor was a mix of white leather upholstery,
pale ash woodwork, gray stitched leather paneling and chocolate
fiberglass sections. Neutral and very appealing, it underlined that
this is an adult yacht and not one for kids armed with Crayons.
The galley is sleek and stylish, with a composite counter and
good backsplashes, although missing any fiddles on the front
edges. Included in the appliances are a Bosch four-burner cooktop,
The shaded cockpiT opens To The galley and salon areas.
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80 november 2011 / yAchTing www.yachtingmagazine.com
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microwave, dishwasher and Isotherm refrigerator hidden behind
ash paneling. Two of the counters separating the galley, as well
as the counters on the facing buffet/bar, were inlaid with stitched
white leather to match the seating. In my world, that would mean
we were drinking only white wine, because I would slit my wrists
if I discovered a circular vino rosso stain on that sumptuous Italian
leather. (On second thought, I wouldn’t: Blood also stains!)
Galley stowage is of the “let’s eat out” size, and, while a
large wine locker is under the helm seat forward and there is
dedicated space for Ferretti glassware in the buffet, Americans
may find it challenging to stash a box of Wheaties — lots of
smallish nooks, no pantry. I’m told this is being addressed, so
bring on the breakfast cereals.
The helm is clearly designed for a slim Italian, and most
Americans will probably want the helm seat moved aft a bit
so they don’t become a permanent fixture wedged between
seat and wheel. Tucked under the seat console is a wine cooler
(remember, white only!), and the entire dash assembly has a
lovely faux suede finish.
Outboard of the helm seat is the
electrical panel, and I liked the Lucite
cover over the lower horizontal section
to protect against spills. Our test 620 was
fitted with a Furuno NavNet 3D monitor
and three digital MAN engine screens,
with space for more. I love the compact
ZF shifters for their precision, and perhaps
because they remind me of the equally
precise controllers for my childhood
model trains. I also give Ferretti credit for
a monitoring panel that shows the yacht
in profile, with tiny lights indicating
any systems in use. It’s a multilingual
warning of bilge pumps that are running
or running lights that are not.
The master suite is everything you could
want in a cool and serene getaway — with
one caveat. Located below the salon, the
master spans the full beam, giving anyone
The masTer suiTe is full beam and full of naTural lighT (above); The galley feaTures Top european appliance brands.
82 november 2011 / yAchTing www.yachtingmagazine.com
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in the forward-facing queen-size berth the full benefit of views
through large windows (with two opening ports) on each hull side.
A built-in bureau is to port, a settee to starboard, and there is a
large walk-in closet off the entry from the foyer. Just as thoughtful
is the hidden full-size washer and dryer in the foyer.
OK, now we come to a quirk. The master head also spans
the full beam just abaft the suite, with a Tecma MSD and
vessel sink all the way to starboard, and a large shower with
seat all the way to port. This leaves a rather useless walkway
between the two. With a second door to the head on the port
side and a centerline shower, this could be a terrif ic his-
and-hers head without dead space. When I left, Kelley was
noodling out how to do it.
Forward, the larger guest cabin continues the “bring the outdoors
in” theme with big windows on each side of the queen-size island
berth. The cabin is simple but elegant, with one large drawer under
the berth and two hanging lockers, and it has a comfortably large
en suite head with a shower that Americans will appreciate.
Finishing up the accommodations is the children’s cabin on
the starboard side, with two singles and a private door into the
day-head, which has a two-part rotating door that creates a
shower “tube” when needed.
Then, of course, there is the crew cabin. Instead of the usual
impossible European ladder into a dungeon, this has a nearly
impossible stairwell from the corner of the cockpit that leads to a
quite civilized (but tiny) cabin with single berth, head and shower.
For owners on this side of the pond, it’s a good place for a teenager.
Or that slim Italian who can get down those narrow stairs.
a hallmark of The 620 is iTs openness — The lighT, floWing
inTerior connecTs Those aboard To The World ouTside.
WHO IS THAT MAN?
mAn diesels are found on many yachts
these days, including the Ferretti 620
shown on these pages, but most people
have only a vague sense that they are from overseas.
mAn (maschinenfabrik Augsburg-nürnberg) actually cel-
ebrated its 250th anniversary in 2008, but, of course, it hasn’t
been building diesels that long. The company traces its roots
back to an ironworks founded in the ruhr steel region of ger-
many in 1758, and, over the years, it moved from mining to ma-
chinery to steel construction, including many major bridges.
in the late 1800s, rudolf Diesel (shown above) worked for
four years with mAn engineers as he created the fi rst diesel
engine, never seeing how successful mAn diesels would be-
come, since he threw himself off a channel ferry in despair.
World War ii was both a high point and a low point for mAn.
its diesel engines accounted for the success of german U-
boats and the land-based Panzer tanks, which also made mAn
factories a target for highly destructive Allied bombings.
After the war, the company was reorganized and moved
into commercial truck and bus production. in 2006, mAn built
the fi rst diesel engine with more than 100,000 hp to power a
huge ship capable of carrying more than 9,000 containers.
in 2011, a controlling stock in mAn was acquired by
volkswagen, which plans to create europe’s largest truck
builder by combining mAn and Scania of Sweden. The
company now builds diesel engines in germany, Denmark,
France, china, the czech republic and india.
All mAn marine diesels are turbocharged, intercooled
four-stroke engines with four valves per cylinder.
84 november 2011 / yAchTing www.yachtingmagazine.com
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The bridge, however, has very comfortable stairs from the
cockpit, making access safe and secure. Once there, the helm
is tucked to starboard with a double-wide bench seat, and
the instruments are in a fold-up pod that closes for weather
protection. Opposite is another double-wide, and the entire
forward area to the venturi windscreen is a huge sun pad.
Behind the companion seat is a wet bar with space for a
barbecue, and a wraparound couch and fiberglass table that
fills the after end of the bridge. One item of concern that I’ve
mentioned several times is the radar mounted on the low spoiler
just behind the couch. This is right at head level and well inside
the 13-foot safety zone recommended by Furuno for radar
emissions. As I wrote before, you can turn the radar off when
anyone is on the bridge, but that’s where you’ll want to be in case
of fog. On the other hand, you may be able to put a raw steak on
the f lybridge table and cook it to your preference by changing the
range on the radar. I don’t know, but it seems worrisome.
Power for our test 620 was a whacking great pair of
1,100-horsepower MAN diesels, offered as an option instead of
the standard 900-horsepower MANs normally ordered for the
American market. The bigger diesels are V-10s, and they seem
to be very quiet, with less vibration than V-8s.
The engine room is a delight, with nearly full headroom,
rubber nonslip on the walk-around areas and full gelcoat
in the bilge. Access to the engines is excellent, with dipsticks
mounted facing inboard, oil and water filters close at hand,
and a protected sight gauge for the fiberglass fuel tank, which
separates the engine room from the crew quarters. The standard
genset is a 21.5 kW Onan, which is a change from the usual
Kohler found on Ferrettis, and it makes a compact and quiet
package in its sound shield.
We didn’t have any seas to challenge our test, but since the
620 hull is an extended version of the successful Ferretti 592,
I have no qualms that it is soft-riding and dry. And, to put
it succinctly, it hauls. We topped out at more than 32 knots,
plenty rapid for a 62-footer weighing in the neighborhood of
37 tons, which I take to be a testament to her slippery hull
lines. At an easy cruise of 2000 rpm, we were still knocking
off over 25 knots and the engines weren’t breathing hard.
We may not be carrying a cargo of Dom Perignon to Monte
Carlo, but Americans will nonetheless find a great deal to love
about the Ferretti 620. She is absolutely perfect for how most of
us use our yachts, and she is solidly built, thoughtfully equipped
and thoroughly luxurious. Don’t miss this Italian beauty. ❏
Ferretti Group of America, 954-462-5527; www.ferretti-yachts.com
rpm knoTs gph db(a)
600 6.8 8.9 62
900 10.8 17.2 62
1200 12.9 22 62
1500 15.9 45 62
1800 21.8 64 64
2100 28.3 89 68
2350 32.2 116 70
TesT condiTions: Speeds were measured by GPS off Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with calm seas and 5-knot winds, with ½ load of fuel, ½ load of water and five people on board. Fuel consumption was calculated by the electronic engine-monitoring system. Sound levels were measured at the lower helm.
LOA: 61’7”
LWL: 52’6”
BEAM: 17’3”
DRAFT: 4’11”
DISPL.: 82,673 lb.
FUEL: 978 gal.
WATER: 140 gal.
ENGINE OPTIONS:
2 x 900 hp MAN diesels
ENGINES TESTED:
2 x 1,100 hp MAN diesels
BASE PRICE: Upon
request
The forWard facing full beam masTer has
large porTs on eiTher side.
86 november 2011 / yAchTing www.yachtingmagazine.com
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