fleming 65 trawler yacht

• THE PRINCESS PASSPORT
• Email Newsletter
• Yacht Walkthroughs
• Destinations
• Electronics
• Boating Safety

• By Chris Caswell
• Updated: October 4, 2007

“I’m not in this business to build an empire,” protests Tony Fleming, with a wry smile. And yet, with 189 of his Fleming 55 trawler yachts sold since production began just 20 years ago, the numbers belie his modesty.

After the overwhelming acceptance of its first offering, Fleming Yachts brought out a 75-footer that has proven to be equally popular. But the boatbuilder also discovered that a 20-foot jump in size was a bit much for some owners. To fill that gap, the Fleming 65 was born.

While the earlier two boats were designed by Larry Drake with styling by Tony Fleming, the 65 is a Doug Sharp design with entirely new hull lines. It still has the long keel of the other Flemings, but the 65 flattens aft for improved speed and stability, while prop pockets keep the draft to just five feet for island cruising. On a windy and rough trip down the Pacific Coast, the first 65 hit 20 knots while surfing some of the big seas. That was far beyond her 11-knot cruising speed, yet she tracked straight with fingertip control on the wheel.

Upping the length from 55 feet to 65 provides far more than just a few dimes’ worth of difference: The beam increases by more than two feet and the displacement soars from around 66,000 pounds to 108,000 pounds. Most important, however, is how the interior volume increases geometrically to create a spacious three-stateroom layout with liveaboard space.

From the outside, the new 65 won’t disappoint Fleming aficionados, who will see at a glance that the styling cues haven’t been lost in the designer transition. The boat still looks long and lean on the water, mostly because the foredeck is surrounded by teak-capped rails rather than the solid raised bulwarks that give some trawlers a bluff-bowed appearance. Here the Portuguese bridge remains forward of the pilothouse, while the wide side decks are protected by the overhang of the bridge (good for sun protection in the tropics as well as from rain in northern climes). The sheerline curves sweetly from bow to stern.

Inside, the design brief was for more comfort, sensibly achieved. Rather than trying to shoehorn in additional cabins, the three staterooms have been enlarged to the size of those on much larger yachts. A day head is in the pilothouse. The owner’s cabin is forward, with a queen-sized berth that hinges up on gas lifts to reveal a king-sized storage bin underneath. Two hanging lockers have real-world dimensions so that clothing actually hangs on the hangers rather than simply being wedged in vertically; ample drawers create bureaus for smaller clothing-room enough for a major clothes horse.

Distinguishing the 65, as with other Flemings, are the clever solutions to problems often overlooked or simply swept under the table by other builders. Because the Fleming 65 will be offered in Europe, it must meet CE safety requirements that emergency exits be nearby in each stateroom. To solve the problem, Tony Fleming devised the lighted ceiling treatment in the owner’s stateroom so that it hinges down to reveal not only a deck hatch, but a fold-out ladder as well.

The master head is comfortably sized and has a large stall shower with a Corian deck grating and Headhunter pressure-jet toilets, which are standard throughout.

The port guest cabin has twin berths (a queen is optional), plus a Pullman fold-down on the inboard bulkhead and a stretcher-bar berth over the outboard berth. Across the companionway is the guest head with another large shower, with a seat for added functionality.

Several arrangements are available for the starboard cabin, but our 65 had one that Tony believes is likely to be the most popular: a pair of criss-crossed upper/lower berths. The lower berth can be used as a settee, and there’s a desk on the forward bulkhead large enough to serve as an onboard office complete with computer.

The real living areas on the Fleming 65 are likely to be the saloon and pilothouse. Though separated by the galley bulkhead, these seem to flow into one large space. The saloon has a settee to starboard with a table that unfolds to become a dining table. A pair of Tony Fleming-designed swivel bucket chairs also serve as table seating, and a pair of Fleming-designed hassocks conceal large storage bins as well. A 37-inch Sharp Aquos TV pops up on an Inca swivel lift from a cabinet in the after corner, while a wet bar with a fridge is to port.

Our test boat was hull #1; it was being kept by Fleming as a demonstrator and to allow the company to try out new systems and equipment. In the galley, which fills the forward end of the saloon, is an unusual Brandt four-burner induction cooktop. Not only does it heat without heat (you can put your hand on the burners!) for safety at sea, but it also works very quickly: A pot of cold water boils in under two minutes.

The pilothouse is likely to be the gathering spot while underway, with a curved settee to port, a custom pedestal chair behind the helm, and an expanse of black dashboard that would be a challenge to fill with electronics. With big windows, the visibility is superb, but late-afternoon sun glare can be an issue. The solution is a set of pull-down blinds to shade the crew while imparting a 1940s film noir touch to the proceedings.

The large day head to starboard is a welcome addition, and future 65s will have a wet locker for foul-weather gear as well, since the crew will be coming and going in all conditions through the two sliding doors on each side of the pilothouse. Another thoughtful inclusion is the chart table built into the starboard side of the dashboard, since savvy skippers still use paper charts to back up their occasionally fallible chart plotters. There also are drawers to handle those charts underneath.

The flying bridge is just steps from the pilothouse, with a raised platform for the port-side helm to give the skipper a clear view of the bow. Just aft of the helm is a built-in barbecue with an undercounter fridge, and a huge Glacier freezer that will handle the frozen food for weeks of cruising. To starboard is a comfortable J-shaped settee. A Bimini top that uses a hinged fiberglass radar arch as a primary support, as well as for storage, protects the entire area.

Aft, the boat deck is as solid as a concrete sidewalk, and easily holds a 14-foot Zodiac tender on fore-and-aft fiberglass ribs. Key to this rigidity are the cradles, which are really aluminum weldments molded into the deck to create sturdy cantilevers that support the tender. A 1,500-pound Steelhead crane launches both tender and watertoys.

Standard power is a pair of Cummins QSM11 660 hp diesels (CATS to 1,000 hp are available options) in a spacious engineroom that has nearly full headroom, thanks to the clever use of space in the wide bilge area of the keel. Full-beam fiberglass tanks plus a pair of auxiliary tanks store 1,700 gallons of fuel, and a tidy manifold system allows for fuel transfer. With long-range roaming in mind, this 65 has a Sepa fuel polisher as well.

The standard Fleming 65 has an Onan 21.5kW genset, but Tony Fleming decided to tinker a bit with our test boat since he likes quiet while at anchor. A Mastervolt system of four 2,500w inverters plus banks of 1,100-amp-hour batteries provide silent power for the majority of the systems. Most unusual, however, is the Sterling external combustion generator, which provides AC power at the sound level of a sewing machine. External combustion engines, which were used on the space shuttle, are too complicated to explain here (go to www.howstuffworks.com), but make perfect sense in this usage.

Underway, the Fleming 65 was a delight. We topped out at nearly 17 knots, but 1,600 rpm give somewhere around 11.5 knots, a comfortable ride in most seas, and long-legged range. With bow and stern Sidepower thrusters, she was much more nimble in close quarters than you’d expect from her fiftyish tons, but all that weight and her hull shape give her a comfortable motion at sea, too.

Tony Fleming may say he has no plans for an empire but, with the Fleming 65 already sold out through 2009, his fans may build one for him.

Contact: Fleming Yachts, (949) 723-4225; www.flemingyachts.com

• More: Fleming Yachts , Trawlers
• More Yachts

Bering Yachts Showcases Exploration

Merritt 88 Skybridge Reviewed

Tankoa Launches “Diamond Binta”

Duffie Boatworks 70 Reviewed

For Sale: Pershing 82 VHP

Sunseeker Predator 55 Prepares for Debut

• Digital Edition
• Customer Service
• Privacy Policy
• Email Newsletters
• Cruising World
• Sailing World
• Salt Water Sportsman
• Sport Fishing
• Wakeboarding

• Subscribe Now
• Digital Editions

Fleming 65 yacht tour: 60,000nm at sea? No problem for this classy $4m trawler

• Top stories
• yacht tours

Jack Haines takes us on a full tour of the Fleming 65, a refined trawler-style yacht that has serious offshore cruising pedigree…

It’s not a brand new model, in fact they started building them back in 2005, but the Fleming 65 is a very interesting boat nonetheless.

Tony Fleming, the man behind these boats, has taken hull number one on a cruise of over 60,000 miles, which perfectly demonstrates exactly what these ocean bashers are all about.

In this video, Jack Haines takes us on a full yacht tour of a Fleming 65 that’s been equipped with a pair of 405hp Cummins diesel engines and a 1,700 gallon fuel tank, giving it a cruising range of more than 2,500nm.

Our tour starts in the cockpit where a pair of sliding doors grant access to the saloon, which sports a very traditional design and layout.

Practical features can be found throughout this boat, including an overhead rail that runs all the way forward until you meet the bannisters, so you’ve always got something to grab onto in a rough seaway.

Article continues below…

Fleming 85 first look: This globetrotting flagship is a mini tri-deck superyacht

Altena 53 yacht tour: this pocket explorer yacht can handle pretty much anything.

There are a couple of different saloon layouts available, but whatever you go for Fleming will also fit a hugely practical kitchen with a breakfast bar, twin sinks, a dishwasher, a four-burner induction hob and an American-style full-height fridge freezer.

Enjoy the tour…

Fleming 65 specifications

LOA: 70’10” (21.6 m) Beam: 18’8” (5.7 m) Draft: 5′ (1.52 m) Displacement (light): 102,698 lbs (46,583 kg) Fuel capacity: 1,700 US gals (6,435 l) Water capacity: 400 US gals (1,514 l) Engines: Twin 405hp Cummins Top speed: 18 knots (with larger 800hp MAN engines) Cruising range: 2,500nm @ 10 knots Price: $4million (ex. VAT)

Riva El-Iseo: Is this the coolest electric boat money can buy?

Best prime day deals on pressure washers, best prime day cooler and 12v portable refrigerator deals, latest videos, bluegame bgm75 sea trial: the €6.8m powercat that thinks its a monohull, cormate chase 32 tour: fast, stylish and practical weekender, axopar 29 sea trial: sun top vs cross cabin – which is best, sunseeker ocean 182 – see how this compact superyacht copes in a wet and windy sea trial.

2024 Fleming 65

• Phone (optional)
• RE: 2024 Fleming 65
• [bws_google_captcha]
• Email This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Asking: $ 0

Description.

New Fleming 65 Build – Contact us or visit our website for full details on new Fleming Yachts as well as view our list of Previously Cruised Flemings for sale.

• SPECIFICATION

The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.

Sign Up for Our Email Updates

Tony Fleming

A Source of Universal Satisfaction

...that every Fleming Yacht bears the distinctive look of the first boat. Of course, they are very different under the hood as we continue to develop and refine the designs as a result of feedback, experience and new technology. Our boats may have the classic look but, technically, they are always at the cutting edge in design and equipment. Our focus as a company has always been on the boats themselves and in working to make them the very best that we can. It is for this reason that we go to work every day and do what we do.

Our YouTube Channel

Follow Tony's Adventures

• Search forums

Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.

Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.

• Trawler Forum
• General Discussion

Fleming 55 v Fleming 65

• Thread starter bowball
• Start date May 5, 2022
• May 5, 2022

Looked at the Fleming 55 side by side with a 65, and I think the 55 just feels better for a couple (even with a guest couple perhaps). Does anyone else agree cozier can be better? Not in the engine room but if that maintenance is outsourced when feasible. I’m not taking about handling or docking, but being inside in the saloon and cabins. Anyone else?  

Veteran Member

100% would recommend the 55 over 65, especially for a couple.  

• May 6, 2022

The ER in the 55 is challenging while the 65's is well laid out with good accessibility. Look up Tony Fleming's videos for some insight on the 65. But, they both are in demand suggesting it would be tough to find one.  

Senior Member

I think it all comes back to the mission. The 55 will allow you to get into some places the 65 can't go. The 65 being a bigger boat will be better when it's rough. The space on the 65s boat deck allows for two dinghies, big and small. That's a plus for exploring, big dinghy let's you cover lot's of ground in rougher water and small dinghy can help with difficult shore landings. The 65 allows for two lower helm seats which I think is a plus for a long haul or when two people are needed for navigation. Sometimes it's helpful for one person to drive the boat and a second person to work out navigation stuff. I prefer a boat where two people can put their feet up on a settee or chair and footrest in the salon. Both boats allow for that. The 65 could allow for 4 people to enjoy feet up relaxation. I could see the 65 winning out for the extra capabilities mentioned above however from a stateroom, salon and gallery perspective it seems like a 55 would be fine. I've only toured a 55, 58 and 65 so no experience actually cruising on any of them. I did tour the engine room of a 58 and wasn't that impressed with the access to the outboard side of the engines. It would be lots of yoga for me to get to the outboard sides, access down the middle was lovely.  

The 55 we toured seemed cramped, likely because their great side decks reduce interior space so much (and compared to our own boats). On paper, the 65 looks really nice to me... and the few we've been near present well on the outside. (Our previous marina is next door to the local dealer, who also leases a number of slips for their Fleming transients in that marina.) But.... maybe the 58 is the best compromise. Haven't been on one of those either, but it looks better to me on paper than the 55. -Chris  

ranger58sb said: The 55 we toured seemed cramped, likely because their great side decks reduce interior space so much (and compared to our own boats). On paper, the 65 looks really nice to me... and the few we've been near present well on the outside. (Our previous marina is next door to the local dealer, who also leases a number of slips for their Fleming transients in that marina.) But.... maybe the 58 is the best compromise. Haven't been on one of those either, but it looks better to me on paper than the 55. -Chris Click to expand...

• May 7, 2022

RedRascal said: I think it all comes back to the mission. The 55 will allow you to get into some places the 65 can't go. The 65 being a bigger boat will be better when it's rough. The space on the 65s boat deck allows for two dinghies, big and small. Click to expand...

twistedtree

This isn't specific to the F55 vs F65, but is more a general comment that if you are torn between a larger and smaller boat, go with the larger boat. Boats get smaller over time, never bigger. Every time I have compared two size boats and thought "oh my god that is so huge", that feeling has only lasted a short time. Yet over my ownership of each boat I'm constantly reminded how glad I have been that I picked the larger boat. Some people say you should get the smallest boat that will fit your needs. I think that's backwards, and that you should get the largest boat that you think fits your needs and that you can manage operationally, financially, logistically, etc.  

• May 8, 2022

pjtemplin said: By the numbers, they have the same draft. 10' difference in LOA, 11' difference in LWL. 2'8" difference in beam. Clearly some slips are a no-go for the 65 where the 55 would fit. What else are we talking about? I know Tony Fleming gets two dinghies because the smaller one is deflated to fit under the davit. Otherwise, you're likely going to have to rearrange railings and block the access hatch to get a second up there...right? Click to expand...

twistedtree said: This isn't specific to the F55 vs F65, but is more a general comment that if you are torn between a larger and smaller boat, go with the larger boat. Boats get smaller over time, never bigger. Every time I have compared two size boats and thought "oh my god that is so huge", that feeling has only lasted a short time. Yet over my ownership of each boat I'm constantly reminded how glad I have been that I picked the larger boat. Some people say you should get the smallest boat that will fit your needs. I think that's backwards, and that you should get the largest boat that you think fits your needs and that you can manage operationally, financially, logistically, etc. Click to expand...

• May 9, 2022

pjtemplin said: By the numbers, they have the same draft. 10' difference in LOA, 11' difference in LWL. 2'8" difference in beam. Clearly some slips are a no-go for the 65 where the 55 would fit. What else are we talking about? Click to expand...

RedRascal said: It boils down to scenarios where you're keeping a minimum distance between the boat and a rock. If you draw the line at maybe maintaining a 10 foot buffer between the boat and a rock the extra beam on the 65 may eat into your 10 foot buffer. This can also come into play with dog leg entrances, the 55 will give you a little more buffer over the 65 when you have to make turns between rocks. Click to expand...

RedRascal said: I am thinking about anchorages that are tight or have rocks that you need to maneuver around. Once in awhile you get into issues with tree branches. Examples of some places that come to mind would be: -Pirates Cove on De Courcy Island with the Canadian Gulf Islands, not sure if Tony Fleming stuffed Venture in that one or not. -Prideaux Haven in Desolation Sound, B.C. Canada, you need to make a turn the get in there and it may be tight with a 65 -Barkley Sound off the West Coast of Vancouver Island, Canada, has numerous places where both boats will not fit but you'll have a better chance of stuffing the 55 in somewhere than the 65. Tree branches would be an issue with Julia Passage by Alma Russell Island. It boils down to scenarios where you're keeping a minimum distance between the boat and a rock. If you draw the line at maybe maintaining a 10 foot buffer between the boat and a rock the extra beam on the 65 may eat into your 10 foot buffer. This can also come into play with dog leg entrances, the 55 will give you a little more buffer over the 65 when you have to make turns between rocks. Click to expand...

bowball said: Looked at the Fleming 55 side by side with a 65, and I think the 55 just feels better for a couple (even with a guest couple perhaps). Does anyone else agree cozier can be better? Not in the engine room but if that maintenance is outsourced when feasible. I’m not taking about handling or docking, but being inside in the saloon and cabins. Anyone else? Click to expand...

koliver said: Pirates is too shallow for even the 55, IMO. The entry is over a shoal that has nailed almost every depth over 4', so I won't go if i have a lowish tide at the time of entry or exit. Once inside, there isn't much room, even if tied back. Ruxton Passage is a much better bet for DeCourcy. Prideaux frequently has boats of over 80', draft of 8+, though the same big boats go in and out with local knowledge. Low speed through the entry is the key. Outside, there are available, deeper, friendlier coves a plenty. I don't see the F65 being any more of an issue than the F55 anywhere in Desolation. Click to expand...

Attachments

DegoRed said: 100% would recommend the 55 over 65, especially for a couple. Click to expand...

BandB said: Cozier was translated by Ranger into cramped and that's how we'd translate it. Sure, much more comfortable than a 30 or 40', but the 55 leads to a lot of trade ups due to it's cramped conditions. However, the 55 has many many very happy owners and the number one criticism is the bow master cabin. That's a personal decision. That's one thing that led to the 58 which is really closer in size to the 65 than to the 55. The full beam mid ship master is so nice. Ultimately, it depends on personal tastes and use. If I was using in protected and near coastal waters, then the 55 is fine. If cruising long distances offshore, then I'd go larger. Click to expand...

bowball said: Why? Click to expand...

Ah, I understand. I have a 70’ slip… but I agree with you the 55’ is a great boat. Just wondering if the 65’ is twice as good! By myself I’d feel lost inside the 65’.  

• May 10, 2022

bowball said: I like the forward master berth, so that’s what I would want in the 65. Great ventilation and quiet at anchor. I wouldn’t say the 55 is cramped. Maybe with 6 adults the salon would feel tight after a wheel but there are so many other places to go. Going from a 16’ beam of the 55 to the 18’8” (?) beam of the 65 is meaningful though. Click to expand...

ranger58sb said: We recently moved from bow master to full-beam midships master. Taking a flying leap to get on and off the bow master was getting to be a PITA for olderboaters like us. Standard height bed in a full walk-around... good. (Standard height in the bow wouldn't be bad, but I've not seen any like that...) That's just us, of course... -Chris Click to expand...

• May 12, 2022

We looked at the 55 at the last Palm Beach boat show, I think it was a 2016 model with an asking of 2.2 or so. We thought it seemed small for a 55. I was told the 65 has over 30% plus more volume. Flemings certainly command a premium. A 65 just got listed with 5700 hours at 2.3mm. Nice looking boat, just don't like the 5700 hours. https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/2008-fleming-65-8314105/ Check out this link below as it allows you to look at a listing for a 65 and below it a 55 for comparison. https://burryachtsales.com/boat-category/previously-cruised/ https://burryachtsales.com/model-comparison/  

• May 14, 2022

100% for the 58 midship master opposed to either the 55 or the 65. Currently have a 52 with OAL of 57, the 58 has an OAL of like over 64. Unfortunately it will not fit in my owned dock due to length and not many docks available here in S Florida.  

Friend had a 55 and thought it too confining to have overnight guests, see no problem with that on the 58. Likewise my 52 would be too cozy for any but family and then not more than a night or two.  

I'd take a serious look at this Grand Alaskan 62 if I were in the market for a vessel of that calibre. Seems like a very reasonable price compared to the Flemings. Probably gives up some top speed with twin 300hp Cat C-7's but sure looks beautiful to my eye: https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/2006-grand-alaskan-raised-pilot-8316382/  

socalrider said: I'd take a serious look at this Grand Alaskan 62 if I were in the market for a vessel of that calibre. Seems like a very reasonable price compared to the Flemings. Probably gives up some top speed with twin 300hp Cat C-7's but sure looks beautiful to my eye: https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/2006-grand-alaskan-raised-pilot-8316382/ Click to expand...

timb7734 said: 100% for the 58 midship master opposed to either the 55 or the 65. Currently have a 52 with OAL of 57, the 58 has an OAL of like over 64. Unfortunately it will not fit in my owned dock due to length and not many docks available here in S Florida. Click to expand...

• May 26, 2022

Few opinions. My wife and I looked at the 55 and 65. We ended up buying the 65. We manage it with the two of us (both in our 50s). We primarily have cruised the bahamas and have not had trouble finding slips though we anchor out 90% of the time. We have grown kids and the 55 certainly seemed cramped for 6 people. Think it would fine for two, but we appreciate the room for visitors, toys (scuba compressor, etc.), provisions, and larger dinghy capacity. We bought used but if I designed mine it would be midship master (much quieter). Don't think you can go wrong with either.  

BDeffebach said: Few opinions. My wife and I looked at the 55 and 65. We ended up buying the 65. We manage it with the two of us (both in our 50s). We primarily have cruised the bahamas and have not had trouble finding slips though we anchor out 90% of the time. We have grown kids and the 55 certainly seemed cramped for 6 people. Think it would fine for two, but we appreciate the room for visitors, toys (scuba compressor, etc.), provisions, and larger dinghy capacity. We bought used but if I designed mine it would be midship master (much quieter). Don't think you can go wrong with either. Click to expand...

Similar threads

• Blessed Again
• Jan 11, 2024
• Boats | For Sale

• Jun 22, 2024
• Electrical and Electronics & Navigation

• Dec 25, 2022

• Jun 29, 2024
• Tug Designs

• Mar 20, 2024

Latest posts

• Latest: paulga
• 6 minutes ago

• Latest: janice142
• 29 minutes ago
• Today at 9:46 PM
• Latest: mvweebles
• Today at 9:39 PM
• Latest: DevDoc
• Today at 9:35 PM
• Latest: CaptKevin
• Today at 9:34 PM

• Latest: O C Diver
• Today at 9:15 PM

• Latest: RickyD
• Today at 9:12 PM
• Today at 9:06 PM

• Latest: philmitch
• Today at 7:40 PM