Fleming, Marlow, Hampton, and Outer Reef,

You have asked about 4 very different boats and widely varied cruising grounds from the Caribbean to the Great Loop to both the East and West Coast.

Are you looking at new or used?

Fleming would be great for any of the purposes you've outlined. I would recommend the 58 or the 65. Excellent boats, modest air draft, good seaworthiness.

Marlow is very much hit and miss and varies widely from boat to boat even in the same model. Many have cavitation and other performance issues. Some also are subpar in rough seas. I could not recommend one.

Hampton and Outer Reef both are taller than the Fleming and depending on what parts of the loop, that could be a problem. Hampton's hardtops will fit under the 19'6" of Chicago if nothing placed on top. Outer Reef I believe would require some modification, depending on model. I'm a fan of Outer Reef and feel they're often overlooked as a good option. I'm far less a fan of Hampton and don't consider their ride in rough seas as good although do have friends who are very happy with their Hampton.

My choices would be as follows:

1. Fleming
2. Ocean Reef
3. Hampton
99. Marlow

I have nothing of the nature you're considering. We have Riva, Pacific Mariner, Westport, AB, Contender. Nearest to the range you're looking at, but very different, we owned a Sunseeker Manhattan 65, which was our loop boat. Likely to get a Sunseeker Manhattan 68 for repeat of loop. If Fleming was a bit faster, we'd be very tempted to own one for the Loop.

No

Owned a 73' outer reef. Was built for us. They build a good boat and stood behind their products. Would build another without hesitation. Call Mike at the office, he'll guide you in the right direction.
Fleming is a great boat but much smaller in volume than OR. This matters when living aboard.
Good luck.

+1

I ran one Hampton for a survey sea trial. 58' with a pair of QSM11's. That boat is not intended for open water.
55 Fleming is pretty and well built as you get newer but small for her size (started life as a 50'), engine room is tiny and the bow master. 58' & 65 nice but good luck finding one.
Marlow. If you are particular about your boats engineering, cavitation, exhaust engineering and smooth running gear you will not get one through survey.
Grand Banks Aleutian hell yea! 3- 72's on the market (extended/cockpit 64) built like tanks!

I have been pouring over information available and trying to figure out a reason to not like the Marlow. I have been board a couple Different Marlows and have been nothing but impressed. I get the lawsuits and have not had a test ride yet so I am very anxious to see how that goes.

If you find a used one that does a good sea trial and does well through the survey, you should play the lottery with your extreme good luck, but then go with it. If it doesn't have the cavitation issues and doesn't have ride issues, then it may be a tolerable boat and you won't have to deal with the company themselves. With all the solid boat brands, I just don't see a reason to go through all that. No two are the same so you could luck out. I'd bet against it, but possible.

In love with the boat and the price of the boat, I get it. I don’t have a Marlow, never been on one.
I have been reading guidance from the professionals and Corinthian captains here and I would put them out of my mind.
I don’t know what I don’t know. How do I know a given seatrial captain or surveyor will know? They should, but do they?
A boat should be a blessing to you not a nightmare. All that said, is there a Marlow that could be right? Sure but oddsmakers here are not keen on it.
Maybe find blogs from Marlow owners who have done the type of cruising you envision or interview Marlow owners?

When we first started considering boats, looking largely online to get an idea, we were attracted to a Marlow for the loop and attracted to their 97 for long cruising. Then we found out more. Now, buying used, you don't have to ever deal with Marlow so that's a plus. Still, no two boats alike and so many issues.

Now, why do suits matter to a used buyer or disagreements over warranty? Because the issues never got fixed in many cases. You're not going to be told it has this problem or that which no one has ever been able to correct. Calls for intense survey and trials.

Buying a new boat without issues seems very unusual. Although we would have to define issues.
Perhaps, as @olderboater always recommends, no acceptance of a new boat until satisfactory survey. I wonder, as a dealer professional, did you ever encounter new vessel buyers who required or requested a pre acceptance survey?
It seems a certified surveyor may be the correct person to decide what is and is not a problem, no?

The ONLY yacht that REALLY scared the SH$# out of me in a relatively calm sea 2-4' off the stern 1/4 was a Marlow. We were at 16 knot cruise and it pitched so violently that it threw a 12 drink cooler across the entire flybridge and it hit the inside of the flybridge 2' above the deck and exploded and nearly threw everyone off of the flybridge. I have also seen many design issues, on the larger ones, if you're at a dock with 6-12" waves rolling into the transom it stuffs the swim platform, shudders the entire boat and sends spray as high as the flybridge.

Stayed next to a marlow in guano that did that exact thing. Super annoying for us with the constant noise.

Most all of them do that in the 50-75' range, the entire boat shudders inside.