A yacht owner's 24 month new boat experience - Azimut

Stop the puffery like you're benefitting the world. Doesn't matter how many have watched it, 99% aren't going to buy an Azimut to start with. Must you keep on with the blatant self promotion. And of course you just bumped this thread four more times. Follow the words of Susan Powter.

Susan Powter was her name. Stop the Insanity.

Do you really lump all Italian Boats together? We have two Riva's and have had no problems at all with them. Now we did have them surveyed before delivery and did have one issue fixed before we took delivery. But since then, just routine maintenance.

Hi,

In your case, and my opinion, you were so courteous to both the dealer and the manufacturer. If I was in your shoes, I'd be screaming my lungs out at everyone involved. I do love Azimut because it is a sturdy boat that fits my need of it and I didn't have problems with support such as in your flick. If I did, I'd be setting the autopilot heading straight towards the yard and let'er rip at full throttle!

I hope you are enjoying the boat now after all that agony.

Cheers.

I'm glad to hear from a happy Azimut customer. They sell a lot of boats and surely have a lot of satisfied customers in spite of other problems. You wonder in some cases where the worst of the problem is. Certainly I'm very critical of a company that doesn't provide support and a dealer that doesn't and wonder if they do put too much trust in a limited number of service centers. Then you get into extended service agreements tied to one dealer.

One consideration to give in purchasing a boat is where you're going to get it serviced. We looked around and decided based on long time relationships our captains had with them, that Rybovich would service all our boats. They are an authorized service center of many brands. If we had an Azimut in South Florida we'd probably take it to Rolly.

Admittedly a survey might not catch everything so I do add in the concept of a shakedown cruise. One US yacht builder even sends an employee or representative with you for a week on a shakedown cruise. We had virtually nothing to put on a check list when we returned but the concept of him to insure all was corrected was quite novel and good. Regardless, I'd recommend scheduling follow up check of everything after a couple of weeks and in those two weeks use the boat extensively and use every piece of equipment. This doesn't solve at all the dealer who fixes nothing right, but it does lead to addressing the issues quickly and in an organized manner.

There is no magic answer to it all. I also wonder about Azimut in Europe. One constant I hear is the wiring, so makes me wonder is it just the wiring of US boats. We hear complaints about MarineMax since that's their exclusive dealer and can't separate Azimut vs. MarineMax because to the buyer it makes no difference. What about European dealers? It seems to me that both Azimut and Benetti may have better reputations in Europe and there may be quite logical explanations. I wonder about their manufacturing methods. We've heard of many contractors doing the electric and piping. I don't know. But I do wonder if there's a separate line that US boats follow versus all boats starting the same and then some becoming US. For other builders, a US boat is basically treated as a different model. You have one group of workers who build European models and one that builds US models.

I wonder what percentage of their sales are in the US. MarineMax has sold Azimut, Hatteras, Benetti among the MY's but it seems so foreign to their basic business model built around Sea Ray, Whaler, Pontoons, Center Consoles and Ski boats.

None of this changes the problems. Just an effort to better understand the cause.

It also brings one last subject to mind. Boat Lemon Laws. We have auto lemon laws now in most states. I know on boats we have such a wide range from a $20,000 runabout to a $100 million yacht and that would make it very difficult. I know one dealer in NC who self imposed a lemon law on his dealership, not public but just his practice. He had one boat that he couldn't get right. It stranded the purchaser 3 times in the first month. He gave him a new boat and took the trouble boat on as his problem.

I agree with this as well. But owning a yacht management company they're great. You're always getting paid to fix the same things over and over again due to poor engineering.

As you can see, this is my first post to Yacht Forums. I am very appreciative for the depth of knowledge and expertise one can gain from this great site.

To Ychtcptn - Having spent 8 years as a captain of Italian boats, this certainly gives you considerable inside knowledge. Would you be kind enough to share some of that knowledge? For example, what in your opinion are the particular traits (good and bad) inherent with Italian boats? Do you also feel the same about San Lorenzo yachts? And finally, who are your favourite builders and your favourite boats up to 30 metres?

Thank you for sharing information with someone who is going from sail to power and has limited knowledge about power.

I know this is directed at Ychtcptn, but I also am a Captain and have managed/maintained/run on long trips over a dozen Italian yachts. What I've seen.

I can't say that I've seen any of the Italian boats having well done electrical. The routing of the electrical, the way it's done, placement of breaker panels and on and on. Combine that with the Euro-trash electrical components that they use Breakers/panels/connectors, and you usually need a marine electrician on speed dial. Refrigeration and freezer space is always at a premium and way too small. The engineering and placement and the way everything is run is usually not the best way. I managed one Azimut that the holding tank, seacock, and macerator pump were all in a 10' area (in a line) and they had run well over 50' of sewage hose, that made NO SENSE and kept burning up pumps. Many of the small parts are weak and break over and over again. Their furnishings many times should never be installed on a yacht (headliners, wallcoverings) and don't wear well and don't last. There is no consistency to how the electrical or plumbing is done, the owners manuals are near useless because some sub-contract that out and a different subcontractor does one boat from the next. Short fuel range on most of them. The flybridges usually aren't able to be enclosed with Strataglass due to the angles of the windshield and top. The teak decks are thin (sub 100') and don't last more than 10 years. The seating on the flybridge is usually low, and the helm usually doesn't have enough room to mount Chartplotters and such. Parts are hard to come by as the US subsidiary stocks next to nothing with most Italian manufacturers. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things.

The hulls usually ride and perform well. The general layout is usually pretty good aside from the galley which is always sub-par and tiny.

I think a couple of things. First, lumping all Italian boats together is a bit further than I'd take it. We own two and their electrical and plumbing are well done. We've had no issues with small parts. I haven't been on a Ferretti, but I've been on Riva and taken a run on a Pershing.

Second, while I don't know all the past and history of Azimut, today they are not an Italian boat. The ones coming to the US are built in Brazil. I don't know about their quality in Europe today. However, I do know Benetti is very well respected in Europe by many people who have experience with them there.

As to parts for Italian boats, Ferretti Group America Parts Warehouse has a tremendous stock and if they don't have it they do have online access to parts around the world. One of the things they have too is a recommendation of spare parts.

I also like their large group of authorized service providers. Just in South Florida there are five authorized service centers able to provide warranty service with no problems. I am not familiar with the work of all five but know three of them to be among the most respected in South Florida. This is in addition to their service center. Last they have a hotline manned 24/7. Now we've never used it so can't speak to it's quality.

I just think we have to be very careful lumping all the boats from any country together. I'm sure you wouldn't lump Princess and Sunseeker from the UK. And certainly in China and in Taiwan there is a very wide difference in quality from builder to builder.

I cannot speak for Riva, but Feretti's aren't too much better than Azimuts. Steel steering gear in a wet location, similar electrical, etc. Benetti has the same reputation for build quality, it's just their full time crews take care of it.....LOL

For whatever reason I think Benetti's reputation in Europe is better than it is here. Perhaps they're less demanding. Perhaps the boats destined for Europe get more attention in the build process. I don't know.

I'd love to hear from some members in Europe what their perception of the situation is.

Perhaps the Europeans are just used to their Euro trash electrical parts that are sub-standard compared to US breakers, panels, methods and such. Also with the small parts that break sooner than they should, they can find it at local stores so it's not as big of a deal.