Princess V52 vs Sea Ray 510 Sundancer

Don't know.....the Sea Ray I would for simplicity until I saw the performance numbers.......BUT, princess wouldn't be one of my choices.....especially if it has the convertible soft retractable top that only lasts 50/50.....50 hours of use or 50 miles of combined wind. The last Princess I ran was a brand new 56' FB 2014. In the first 50 miles of an 800NM trip, we had to tie the retractable top to the windshield supports with 5/16" line and with 12 different lines because it was losing all of it's hardware and self destructing. I really like the way the Sunseekers run and ride, that I have to give them.

just my 2 cents
i was on the azimut atlantis 50 at the german boot 2014 and was very disappointed. the poorest quality of woodwork and installations ever seen. even worser than bavaria.
at the same show i also was on the princess 48 and the sunseeker san remo
sunseeker : great layout, good quality, you enter and say wow, my 14 year old son fall in love immediatly but for me for a relatively small boat it´s very heavy, very small cruising range and only 30 knots wot. to slow for such a sporty looking boat in my opinion.
princess : same quality as sunseeker, you have the option of salon door or open version with tender garage, but forget about washer dryer, no place
formula 45 : i love the performance and the imron paint, i´m not really a gelcoat fan, great quality but in my opinion the 45 is the most ugly of all formulas
predator 53: can´t tell anything about this boat
tiara 45: probably the best hull of all mentioned boats, outstanding build quality and maybe the best service if you live in the states

greets from cold germany

The Formula build and ride are pretty good. Tiara's are good build quality but wet boats. Of your size range, I'd be looking at the Sunseeker personally. I run a 62' Predator, it cruises at 28 knots with a great ride and is super dry. 8 out of 10, 150NM ocean trips I never even have to rinse the boat from the rubrail up because it doesn't get any salt on it. Every boat has their issues and things you're going to have to compromise.

I cannot say the Princess is the same quality as Sunseeker. I have run several of them and the last one was a brand new 2014 56' flybridge. We had a ton of issues and things falling apart. Inlcuding the mirror fell off of the cabinet in the bathroom vanity, the macerator wouldn't pump the boat out, location of the seacock and manual pump was almost impossible to get to, the convertable top disintegrating, and when you run them at cruise they are very noisy downstairs with creaking and such.

There is a huge difference in the boats you're talking about. A Predator 53 is twice the boat of a Tiara 45 Sovran, has a displacement more than double. That's not saying any of these boats couldn't do what you need. But for a rough day I'd want to be in the Predator. On the other hand it is a 60' boat by the time you add the pulpit and the platform. If we had not purchased Riva, we probably would have chosen Sunseeker.

Formulas and Tiaras are not bad boats. Decently built. On the lake I lived on there were many smaller Formulas and generally the owners were very pleased. Azimut Atlantis wouldn't be considered my most to be up to the Sunseeker quality. Princess also seems to have it's issues although some Princess owners are very happy.

The San Remo is beautiful but as someone else mentioned range, I'll note that it only has 349 gallons fuel capacity versus 580 for the Predator. Yes, the IPS is more efficient, but still I do consider that small.

I'm a Riva fan but they are all open in that range, the first Coupe being at 63', although a flybridge model at 56'. Their 52' is open. One thing I do like about Riva is that their boats from 44' up are all built to CE Classification A while most of the others in that size range are to B.

What boats have you handled? Been on? What experiences as skipper or passenger? I'm asking as wondering what frame of reference you have. And does your wife have similar exposure?

I see you looking at sporty boats. Is speed important? Why this type boat? Looks? I ask not negatively as we have such a boat. But there are other types that make great family boats. There are many happy owners of every boat you mention but the key is matching the right boat to you. That's why defining your family's requirements is so important.

Are you looking at the 2014 in Annapolis with 250 hours? Or an older model?

I run a 26' Formula bow rider and talk to lots of Formula owners, they love the 45 Yacht, not sure it fits the bill for accommodations compared to the others but she will fine in coastal and big lake waters with proper attention to weather and fuel management. Certainly can find a lightly used one for way under $1M.
I can say the the TAG (Technical Assistance Group) folks at Formula is always very responsive and knowledgeable.
Good warranty, might still be 5 years, and there is ni netter factory use of Imrom on the water.
That is not my opinion, just try not to notice a Formula Thinderbird.
Happy shopping!

Take a look at the Fairline boats. If you enjoy the joystick and a Volvo IPS drive, it's the Targa 48GT. If you prefer shaft drives, it's the Targa 50GT.