Feedback on Prestige Yachts

Capt. Tony,

A bit late is better than never. When I replied last year I mentioned my experiences with this boat, which were limited but for me important to highlight. It is limited to one boat/model in the lineup. I also failed to mention 2 other brands I believe are above the quality level, but also in price. One is in a different league as it was a Pershing 92 and as size grows usually so does the level of workmanship and details. But they do make boats of similar size to those being compared. The other is Windy from Norway. This boat I knew well and again, workmanship and quality is on an altogether different league. I also believe the price difference is significant. If I were looking for a new boat I would probably assess the type/size boat I am looking for and start looking from the best down to really recognize quality differences and expectations. Hopefully this would help me identify quality better and give me an idea of the cost I would incur for this quality. The second aspect I cannot stress enough is to really ascertain where and how you boat. If you don't ever expect to be in somewhat inclement weather then any boat probably can do. If this is not the case then how the boat performs in such situations become critically important as your life is at stake. Once all these questions are answered, I would try and get REAL feed back from owners of similar vessels. BTW, I just exchanged several mails with a person looking to buy a boat similar to mine, I live in Barcelona, Spain, and he lives in New Zealand. Search and ask.

One last note. I believe dealer support is important. ALL new boats have issues as they are complex installations. But warranty lasts for usually one year with hull problems maybe another 10 years. For ME, the most important is having engine service support nearby. You will need them far more often not just for warranty issues but many other service calls. For engine feedback you can search over at Boatdiesel as they have really good people helping with feedback and help.

And because you fully disclosed your position, this post will remain. Had you not, it would have been removed because it reads like a blatant copy & paste from a Prestige sales brochure.

OP is considering as his first boat, among others, IPS, in Lake Michigan. Once every few years I hit a water logged tree stump in LM. That is an experience I have never had with an IPS rig. I hope I never do.

To the Admin - As well you should if that were the case, but I assure you it is not. Those are entirely my words. I have seen the Prestige brochures but only to look at pictures and specs. I am not in sales nor have any monetary gain to be had by that post. I am however sensitive to the fact the internet is a very powerful tool and that the lives of the Prestige workers and their families can be effected by certain information, be it positive or negative, right or wrong. To that effect I felt the need to respond. I meant no disrespect to this venue in my support for Prestige Yachts and hope that you do not take it as such. I do have a knack for writing well when I am passionate about something and perhaps that is what you picked up on. Thank you for allowing my post to stand. Peace.

To Mojito - Thank you for your reply. I was not challenging or disputing you on any of your comments. I have also had days when plowing into 3 ft seas felt more like 12 ft greenies even though I was on an 80 ft high end yacht.....I'm sure you know it's all about steepness and frequency as much as direction. On a related note, I hope your friend was able to resolve the sunroof issue. If not please let me know and I will do what I can to help out with securing parts or other issues. By-the-way, you live in a beautiful city (Barcelona). My family hails from Spain.

Bliss, I can relate to that concern. I recently picked up an IPS boat in Savannah GA on a delivery to South Florida. The Savannah river is riddled with jetsam and flotsam. I kept the boat at displacement speed while traversing that area.

You are absolutely right. One particular brand (40' yacht tender style) that was recently introduced in the U.S market has no rub rails at all. I can't see those freeboards looking nice after a few months. Some Euro boats that I have run have what appear to be rub rails but they are actually hollow chrome inserts that will cave in upon touching anything with any sort of pressure.

Yeah, the hollow s/s rubrails are horrible........ But getting on and off most of the European boats on a normal dock is a nightmare.....

My son in law wants to move up from his Swedish built 43 ft Volvo sterndrive flybridge boat to something bigger. He asked me for advice about the Prestige 680 IPS Flybridge.








I could not be of any help. French boats are not really on my Radar, the only french products, I normally buy, are french cheese or red wine .

His present boat lives in sweet water on a river above a lock and does trips down the river into saltwater and so will his new boat. Out of season it will be located in winter storage in a heated shed. Due to the preoccupation by his profession (time), his boat will only get about 500 engine operating hours a year.

Does any member have personal experience with Prestige Yachts in general (driven, owned or maintained one) or has even had his hands on this particullar type of boat? Neither my son in law nor me have ever seen this boat in person.

I would appreciate any advice / pro and con. With enough arguments, I could even talk him out of it, without having to travel with him to the factory in western France .

They seem to be built ok. I've run a 50' Flybridge a lot. They're are built light and their ride reflects that. They ride ok but not great, the 50' is very wet however. Their holding tanks are very small for a boat of it's size and the fuel capacity range is also on the small side, however they do hold a lot of fresh water. The 65' Sunseeker Manhattan is a heck of a lot better boat in ALL aspects and can be bought with IPS drives.

No personal experience with either, Sunseeker Manhattan 65 vs. Prestige 680.

• Builder: Sunseeker
• Model: Sunseeker Manhattan 65
• 2015
• Boat Type: Cruiser
• LOA: 69'1"
• Beam: 16'10"
• Draft: 5'0"
• Standard Power: 2/1,000-HP MAN V8s
• Fuel Capacity: 925 gal.
• Water Capacity: 215 gal.
• Price: $2,494,820 (ex works Poole)
• Cruise Speed: 27 knots
• Top Speed: 29 knots

I note the fuel capacity from the Power and MotorYacht stats above seem comparable. I imagine the Price is comparable as well.

That's with only 50 hours too. Prices in the UK in US dollars have really dropped as the pound has fallen. There is also one in the UK with IPS.

The IPS is a little faster. It's also available with 1200 MAN's although doubt you'll see any on the used market. And they even offer CAT's but you won't see many of them at all.

There is a new Prestige 680 shown in the UK at $1,811,428. That doesn't look right. The new Prestige shown in South Florida is $3,165,194.

The pound has recovered some the last week.

Thanks for Your response. First, he is looking for a factory new boat. A planning boat with flybridge, easy to handle with two or three adults, no crew and mainly to be used for weekend trips and short vacations. And most important, NO unscheduled maintenance (quality). The only tools he is used (and may be able ) to handle are his sterile tools, he uses in the operating room as a surgeon. So, an IPS boat with joystick maneuvering would be a good idea.

His present boat, the NW 430 Flybridge



This swedish company is out of business but the quality of this boat was and is second to none.

The Prestige 680



The Sunseeker Manhattan 630



Stepping up to a Prestige 680 or a Sunseeker Manhattan 630 would be a big step for him. And this from the ownership and the skipper point of view. Both would just fit into his slip and most important would remain within the size and airdraft limit for the upper Weser River and his winter storage. AND both boats are within his budget, as I am not paying the bill . I offered him my 50 ft inland waterway cruiser for free but he wants to see planning speeds in order to reach the North Sea from Bremen and back on a normal weekend trip.

Btw. I was told by one of my skippers, the bigger Prestige Boats (620 and 680, 750) are built on a different production line with much more emphasis on quality and better materials. Is that correct?

Did the OP "Tatasboat" ever buy a boat. It has been a couple of years since he has posted here.

What are the air draft limitations of the Weser?

I've been on 680 last year, and was not impressed by how the interior was put together. For instance, the headboard in the owners cabin almost fell down when I touched it.

The airdraft limit on the Weser upbound to middle of the town of Bremen is unlimited, as large ocean going cargo vessels go up the Weser to the Bremen port. The first limit is the fixed highway and railwaybridge in the City with an airdraft limit of 42 to 45 ft depending on tide. This limit remains up to his slip behind the first lock just upbound the Drettman facility. From this point, the Weser is an inland commercial waterway with international limits in locklength, width, depth and airdraft (360 ft LOA x 40 ft width x 15 ft draft x 20 ft airdraft with a speed limit of 8 Kts). But buying a fast planning for going mainly on speed restricted canals and rivers does not make sense to me. Thats why I offered him my full displacement steel cruiser. But he wants to go mainly downriver and to and into the coastal waters of the North Sea.

As Natuzzi mentioned, quality is what concernes me the most with french boats. Most french boats I have been on or have sailed myself, were of lousy build quality, had low quality equipment built in and definately not being made to last. Thats why I was asking wheather this boat would be different.

Remember, the whatever boat will stay and be used in Northern Europe.

The reason for my question is that the Sunseeker with a factory hardtop will not clear the 20'. Without the hard top, it's very close on the 20' but only the electronics mast is an issue. I do not have the measurements on the Prestige, but am pretty certain the one pictured with the hardtop would not clear 20'. I'm guessing it would then need 22' or so like the Sunseeker. The issue isn't the top but the electronics on and above it. So, just something to be aware of.

Son in law wants to have a deeper look into the Prestige 680 and the Sunseeker MH 630. If time permits, I will give him a ride and go with him. The yards are going to tell him, where we can set our feet on one of these boats. Btw. only about 17 Prestige 680 have been built up to now. I will post the results.

Too bad the Delta 80 is to large for him and the Delta 54 to small. AMG has designed a Delta 67 IPS Flybridge. Built by Delta power boats with twin IPS 1200 and with the same weight watching disziplin like the Delta 80, this boat would be a rocket and my favorite. And with a laydown mast, it would meet all airdraft limits.



Well done Lars, again!