Recommendations for a 55’ - 65’ express cruising boat

I've managed a 2007 62' predator since 2011 with MAN 1100's. Aside from the hour meter boards needing replacement and a few sensors, the engines have been flawless. They run great and are a perfect fit in that boat IMO. I am not a huge fan of Multiple Trouble Units and their myriad of sensor issues.

I delivered a brand new 55' Uniesse with Arnesons around 2014 1000 nm's. In anything over 1' or 2', we had to back it down to 24 knots from 34 knots. It pounded like crazy and the COG was way off. The build quality was way off also, we had an AMAZING amount of issues. Literally, every single day we had a major issue pop up...….VIP flooded with hot water from a 90 degree fitting you couldn't access...… raining hyldraulic fluid in the other stateroom because they used screws on the joinery that had 1" of the tip sticking out past the wood it was secured to, and unsecured Arneson steering high pressure hoses rubbing on it. Fresh water leak. A Flap that was stuck down because they used crappy hose they knew was a bad batch. We had to take the hose off and swap it with the pressure side to get down there. A major freshwater leak, tranny filter broke the plate above the gear it was mounted to and wore a hole through it, electrical issues, finish issues. on and on.

2012-14 was not a great year for boat building in Italy thanks to a certain Monti.
I ran a shaft driven in two meter waves no problem and all.
You are always very unlucky with Italian boats, guess I am always on your opposite and very lucky.

The Uniesse 57 that is also a great boat, possibly one of the best head seas boat I ever ridden.

We never change the boards here of the hour meters, we send them to Man in Germany and they send them back. Usually happens at around the 400 hour mark.
If guarantee is over they cost about 2k a pop including shipping.

Or Fred Hudson? From the Uniesse webste, giving credit where credit is due:

Fred Hudson
We owe our legendary designs to American designer, Fred Hudson, a long time partner of high performance boat designer Jim Wynne. Fred's career in the marine industry began with Chris-Craft back in 1960, where he was responsible for the design of their highly successful 38' Commander. It was a first for its time, as the original entry into the fiberglass cruiser market. The boat was considered a "design marvel", and helped propel the global yachting market to what it has become today. Fred's career spanned 50 years, and included work at Hatteras Yachts, Bertram Yacht, and several others. Uniesse' clean lines, efficient hulls, and timeless beauty are all credit to Fred.

I own 2 and sort of take care of 4 Italian boats and have been extremely pleased with them. I think labelling a country is just wrong and one needs to look at the specific builder and even the time period.

Fred Hudson was the stylistic designer of Uniesse (he did the lines the interior), with Walt Walters doing the hulls (the one who did the designs of Jim Wynn of Magnum marine fame).
I gave a tip about Uniesse thats not find in the catalogs or brochures.

Before Uniesse Fred Hudson also designed the Hudson and Ricci line, the motor boat brand of Cantiere dell Pardo Grande Soleil which produced a 40 and later a 54 from 1987 till 1995.

Fred had a good run on the Phoenix boat designs built in the states.

Not so sure about the Magnum - Walters connection: https://www.boatingmag.com/boats/history-go-fast-boats

"Aronow sold Formula to Thunderbird during this era and started a new company called Donzi. Then he sold Donzi and started Magnum Marine, where he teamed with designer Harry Schoell. To insiders, Magnums were game-changers.

“The defining boat,” says Allan Brown, a veteran racer, “was the 28 Magnum designed by Harry Schoell.” Aronow cut it down and sold it as the 27 Magnum, but to “Brownie” and others, the hull lived on through hundreds of copies."

Stick to the mainstream brands...….

It s not as easy to install stairs as these boats are all rounded shapes and bulges. Plus the stairs are very heavy and hard to set up unless you have a good surface to stand on.

On the 62’, I grab the sliding door handle when coming out of the engine room. The breaker panel under the helm seat is a pain, but accessible enough. The 62’ is the best running express 50-70’ I have ever run, and I run 150 different yachts a year. I’ve had her in a 10-12’ beam sea and comfortable enough and doing 21 knots. You do get used to the windshield.

I have had marquip make a single step that you attach on the outside of the boat and that works well on a lot of yachts, without dragging the heavy stairs around.

Under NO circumstances buy a Uniesse. They are poorly built and there is zero help from the owners of the company. I owned a 55 fly bridge and finally unloaded it.

I am looking at the 65 and 70 ft Uniesse and would love to get some feedback from some owners. I am not sure where to place this question but i will start here.

What issues did you have and have you heard that with outer owners as well??

I ran a 57 and 42 of a client and they might have been among the best boats in the respective sizes, for solidity and ride. The 65 Flybridge came out in difficult economic times around 2008, but is a great boat.

I do imagine that after sales can be a bit difficult, but from Italian owners there rarely is a complain. Now Uniesse since 2017 have changed owners, American and things should have started to straighten up.

I'd say you contact them about feedback. The new ownership is building about a boat or two a year, and doing things how they come.
They have a solid project in place which are they doing slowly, but that does not mean it is wrong.
The company kinda started like that in 1990.

So you joined here in 2014 for no purpose other than to attack Uniesse. You posted twice then and never posted again until 5 years later, a single post to attack them again. You refer to warranty and the owners of the company, who of course, are not now the owners and any boat from 2014 would no longer be under warranty. You offer no constructive information and haven't contributed to the forum in any other way. I'd just advise any reader to weight your comments on that basis, giving them little or no value.

I took delivery of a new (then) 2014 55' Uniesse and delivered it around 1000 NM's. We had a million major issues with the boat and I do believe everything he has posted as far as the quality is concerned.

I am partial to the Sea Ray 60 SunDancer, a good all around Express, worth a look.