New Azimut 50 Fly

I just traded my Sea Ray for a 2016 Azimut 50 Fly. I'll let you know how it goes in the first year. So far, I'm at least as impressed with the build quality and materials as I was with the Sea Ray. Everything looks robust and serviceable in the US.

I'm glad to hear you like your new Azimut. So, you were not happy with Sea Ray?

Having owned 3 Sea Rays in the last 10 years and recently purchasing an Azimut, I have considered all I have read and heard about the dangers of switching from a solid American company to a European brand without an equivalent dealer network and parts availability. First, I need to start by saying that if you have not seen late model Azimuts and you are generalizing issues with build quality from pre 2010 years, your generalizations do not apply. Something changed for the better in their design and construction after 2013. There can be no comparison made with any accuracy between older Azimuts and current models. Of course, the jury is still out and I will report my experience over time.

I have read all the negative online reviews and experiences of Azimut owners, even those of current models and there seems to be a common denominator, electrical. There are a lot of complaints with motors, compressors, and electronics. I realized that my boat did not come with an isolation boosting transformer, like my recent 10 year old Sea Ray had. It wasn't even an option on the Azimut. Why? Well in Europe, they are on 240V and don't have floating docks. Voltage is stable and more forgiving. Here in the US, especially in the Boston area, shore power is terribly unstable. Voltage drops kill motors, compressors, and electronics. I don't think the European designers and engineers are privy to that fact about our American electricity. Everything is supposed to be better in America. right? Guess what my first upgrade will be before the boat hits the water. Hopefully, electrical issues will be eliminated from my problem list.

I see you are in Ft. Lauderdale. We spend the better part of our short summer season repairing docks and their electrical systems after harsh winters. Ice, salt on the docks, heavy winds straining the floating docks, and freezing temperatures take a toll on the wiring, connectors and posts. Talk about Mickey Mouse connectors, you should see the condition of the shore power on our old wooden docks up here. Outages, inoperable outlets, arcing, fires, and brown outs especially at the end of the docks where they put the big boats are not unusual. The big boats are at the end of the run at our marina. If you have a 50A boat up here and don't have an isoboost transformer, you can bet on losing a modern fridge, or AC condenser like mtvernon did. The older components tend to be more forgiving. I believe American made appliances have a wider voltage range. Not to mention that your boat will be grounded together with every boat on the dock, including those with electrical leaks. All the more reason, to protect an electrically sensitive European fridge or AC condenser with an isoboost transformer.

I don't see what you are describing of the electrical system on my 2016 50 Fly. Have you poked around the engine room and behind panels in one of the current Azimut models?

Yes, sir. If you don

Yes, Sir. If you don't have eyes on the monitors it is easy to screw things up, especially running the whole boat off one 50A cord. As you said, using an isoboost transformer to keep the electronics in the happy range may drop the available amperage, which will cause them to get hot if you are drawing more than what is available after the voltage boost. I'd bet money most yacht owner know nothing about any of this and that's why they are able to complain about parts availability. They are burning out their electrical components by either low voltage or drawing more amps than what is available in the one cord. That is not hard to do.

I plan to run one cord most of the time, but will put the voltage on autopilot with the isoboost transformer. I hope to protect the boat from voltage drops without having to constantly have eyes on the display. Plus, if the voltage drops without the isoboost, the only option you have is to disconnect from shore power. Now, knowing I may lose amperage by boosting voltage, I can limit my use at the panel and keep that under the available amperage. That is easy enough to do by shutting off a non-critical high load device or two and watching that the crew don't run the microwave, toaster, and hair dryer while the hot water heater and AC are cranking. Those times can be anticipated and the generator can be switched on or that second shore power cord can be put to use.

Aside from protection from brownouts, the isolation boosting transformer also removes the boat from the daisy chain that makes all of its underwater metals protect the entire string of boats. I suspect that the corrosion problems relating to the lift are partially caused by the lack of isolation from other boats in the marina. I also agree that not having anodes on the lift, using the wrong anodes, or painting the anodes are service related issues that can cause the corrosion. Not having an isolation transformer in a million plus dollar yacht is pound foolish. Perhaps it is not necessary in Europe with stable 230V standard and masonry piers. It is not out of the realm of reality that many of the Azimut electrical problems voiced in online forums are preventable with power management.

I have some experience and information to report. The most important thing to understand about Azimut is that it is a European designed and equipped yacht. That is to say that it is different in some ways. Not worse, but different. In some ways better.

You will need to spend some time studying and understanding how it is different. For example, raw water pumps have permanent bronze impellers, not rubber impellers. The grey water pumps out underwater from a large holding tank. Everything runs on 24V DC. Fridges and pumps have a narrow range of working voltage, not 120-240V, like American systems. There are no Cruisair units with raw water cooling. There are 7 chillers that circulate antifreeze from the engine compartment.

I can't find fault with the design or equipment, except that is does not come with an isolation or boosting transformer. If you buy one in the US, then you have to have an isolation AND boosting transformer, just like all big Sea Rays, Tiara's, Carvers, etc have. Why? Because American shore power is terribly unreliable compared to European shore power. In Europe, you med moor to the concrete pier that has 240V power installed and grounded on land at your mooring. European 240V power is robust and reliable. In America, you attach to floating docks that have overtaxed and poorly maintained, fluxuating 190-240V electrical lines constantly moving under the docks. Your ground needs to connect with every boat on the dock before it reaches land. Why is this a problem? Because this boat has two 50A power cords that need to be connected to run the boat properly. Are you familiar with all the Azimut electrical issues reported online? In my opinion, they are due to one thing, human error. The error is not understanding the design of the boat and specs of the electrical equipment and not installing an isolation/boosting transformer or monitoring the boat's electric use. What does that mean? It means plugging in both 50A cords at the dock or when using one, make sure the voltage stays above 220 AND the amperage use stays below 50. If you are only plugged into one and approach 50A, you will see the voltage drop below 220. What happens when your voltage drops below 220? The electrical components that you did not read the specs on, receive a lower voltage and a higher current than they are designed for. Then, they fail. If you are on one 50A cord, shut off high powered items, like the hot water heater, SeaKeeper, and chiller if you are going to use the stove, grill, or oven. If you don't you will burn out compressors and pumps. What happens if you tie into all the other boats on the dock for your ground? Galvanic corrosion. Get an isolation transformer.

The most important point is that this is not an entry level, turn key machine. Don't expect it to run without understanding, monitoring, and maintaining things. This is not Europe, so if you buy an Azimut, use both 50A cords if you are not capable of frequently monitoring your electric use. Definitely, install an isoboost transformer to keep yourself isolated from all the other boats on the dock and boost the dock voltage to the specs of your equipment.

Mechanically, the boat has no more problems than any other new boat on the first month's shake down. The punch list is shorter than my previous new Sea Rays. An isolation and boosting transformer is on that list. Until then, I will minimize my grounding to the dock and monitor my electric use to keep it at or above 220.

The seaworthiness and build quality is as good or better than US yachts. Better in that the hull is vacuum formed and not sprayed. No shards of fiberglass when reaching behind panels. Everything is smooth, white, and finished on the inside. All electrical and plumbing is neatly run and labeled. It is better in that it is built to CE Category A Ocean standards. Comparable American yachts are built to Category B Off-Shore standards. The hull is strong. You can feel the difference in heavy seas. The Seakeeper necessitates a more robust stringer system. The upper deck is formed with carbon fiber. I've seen it inside. The hull does not flex. Doors open and close with the same force, no matter if on land, in the water, or during or after running in seas. That was not my experience with prior American built boats.

The hull design is excellent. Fuel load is well balanced. Cruise speed is an easy 25 knots at 2100 RPM with full fluids. I've topped out at 32 knots.

So far, I am pleased and report positively on the Azimut 50Fly.