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We were recently asked by a client to do a comparative
analysis of several similar boats. The Cranchi 40 was one of them,
the other was an Avanti 40 by U.S. Marine. The client didn't know
anything about boat quality, but he was interested in getting the
best he could. That included not just the eye candy, but the basic
engineering as well.
I will confess that I've never been much impressed
by Italian boats, which are famous for their "old world craftsmanship,"
but often fall far short on modern world engineering. Economically,
Italy is one of the weak sisters of the European Union, with substantially
lower labor rates. Among other things, this makes Italian boats
considerably lower priced that American counterparts.
So when the client mentioned Cranchi -- a builder
who's products I've never seen before -- I cringed. If you want
to know why, just check out the Mochi 50 review on this site. Well,
it just goes to show that you can't paint everyone with the same
brush because I was pleasantly surprised. Even more so because it's
been a while since I've seen anything (short of the really high
dollar stuff) that has really caught my attention and interest.
I regret that we don't have any pictures for you, but I ran out
of film.
People laugh when I tell them that I kick the sides
of boat hulls, actually thinking I'm making a joke. I'm not. I really
do kick the sides of boats and that's the first thing I did with
the Cranchi. With very high spring tides up to within a foot of
the dock, there was a lot of hull exposed this time. I now have
sore toes. The day before, I kicked the side of another boat and
I was horrified that that my foot nearly went through. A 40 footer,
the side of that hull could not have been more than 1/8" thick.
I could push it in 1/2" with my thumb easily.
It's amazing. No one in their right mind would
consider a house built that flimsily. A boat goes to sea, a house
doesn't. Go figure.
With only a limited amount of internal hull access,
I quickly determined that the engineering that went into this hull
was superb. Nothing fancy, they just put some frames in the hull
like everyone else should be doing. In fact, the framing was better
than anything I've seen in a very long time.
Frames that run down the length of hull sides are
called "clamps," hearkening back to the days of wooden
boats when we had chine clamps and sheer clamps. In addition to
a stiffening liner in the bow section (it's spoon-billed and needs
serious framing), there were two 6" half-round frames or clamps
running down the length of both sides. The stringers were not massive
but 4" wide shallower hat sections outboard, with tall narrow
hats inboard. Transverse frames were numerous but smallish glass
over ply, as were the major bulkheads. Speaking of bulkheads, not
just partitions, either. I would throw my body weight into them
and they wouldn't budge. If I did that on some boats, I'd take the
partition right out.
The deck is heavily glassed to the hull. All over,
and not a single metal fastener. This join is never going to leak.
It looks like a real piling crusher instead of the usual other way
around. I don't know about you, but I don't like egg-shell boats.
I don't like screwing around with fenders. I expect the boat to
bump against a piling without causing thousands of dollars worth
of damage. These days, it's hard to find one.
The foredeck is well supported by bulkheads below
so that it doesn't bounce when you do. The stainless bow rails were
uniquely solid and firm. Silver anodized windshield is extra strong,
curved with glass, not plastic lites. The non skid is that diamond
pattern with the points cut off midway, so it's easier on bare feet,
knees and elbows. Also easier to keep clean. It also looks like
they opted for a softer gel coat that doesn't stress crack. There
weren't any, but oxidizing is a problem. Needs to be polished 2x
a year.
The detail work with the engine room and systems
was excellent. A lot of integrity here. Of course, it was absolutely
no surprise that anyone who would take that much care in building
a hull, that they would do everything else right, too. Integrity
of effort, or lack of it, rarely ever applies to just one aspect
of the overall boat. When the builder starts counting beans, he
counts all of them, not just a few. Ergo, if one major aspect is
right, it's likely the rest is too.
Unfortunately, with a deep vee hull, they decided
to reduce draft by giving it propeller pockets. This forced the
engines inboard and created a very cramped engine room when it shouldn't
have been. Extremely large fuel tanks set in front of the engines
didn't help matters, nor did the low profile of the sheer line which
makes the engine room shallow. Engine and engine room maintenance
will be problematic here. This boat just happened to have a meticulous
owner, so that problem wasn't showing up here.
A lot of high quality plumbing. Braided stainless
jacketed oil and hydraulic hoses. Everything neatly laid out. No
tangles of wiring, hoses and pipes anywhere. Neat, clean and professional.
Like a yacht rather than just a boat.
Europeans have very different ideas about interiors
than Americans. It's hard to explain but you know it when you see
it. You sort of get the impression that it's sort of like a waiting
room, a place where you're not supposed to stay very long. You got
all the amenities, but somehow you get the idea that they're really
not intended to be used. Layouts are usually not well proportioned,
with a whole different emphasis on mode of use. Like heads without
showers. Many Euro boats are more set up to be day boats than overnighters.
That is somewhat the case here, though not excessively
so. The beam looks to be narrower than most equivalent counterparts,
so that's part of the story. It also had one of those "generators
in a suitcase." Too small to be serious. Charge the batteries
maybe, but turn on the stove and it comes to a screeching halt.
The interior has something I've never seen before: molded plastic
cabinet doors. What! Did the Cranchi builder own an injection molding
company, too? My first reaction was "tacky and cheap,"
but the scheme fits the decor. At the very least, the material is
durable and practical .After a while, it sort of grew on me and
I stopped noticing because there's really nothing chintzy about
it. It's actually well done and certainly cost a lot to do it. There
is no bright wood anywhere on the boat. Insides of all the cabinets
are nicely finished. In fact, there is nothing shoddy in any of
the places you can't readily see. If you stick your hand into a
blind hole, it won't be ripped to shreds by rough fiberglass or
anything else for that matter.
The cockpit decking was interesting from the standpoint
of it being a bunch of vinyl covered panels attached to an aluminum
framing and guttering system. Very different from the usual fiberglass
molding, but I'm not sure if that's good or bad. It does have a
nice feel when you walk on it, particularly with bare feet. No doubt
it also cuts down on engine noise. I haven't a clue as to what's
under the wood. Hopefully not plywood. On the other hand, there
wasn't a leak anywhere in sight.
It's got big Volvo diesels, horsepower unknown.
Volvo doesn't put spec. plates on their engines. We didn't sea trial
this boat, so we know nothing about performance. It's got propeller
pockets and outboard rudders.
To give you an idea of how well known Cranchi is
(They're been around a while) they are not even listed in the BUC
book. The original price of this boat is well under most others
in its class. At 2.5 years old, the asking is 2/3 rds the original
and the boat doesn't have much in the way of extra goodies. The
markdown is in keeping with a comparable line of price boats. At
the asking, it is remarkably good value for the money. On the other
hand, for a 40 footer, it is small; narrower in beam and lower in
profile. It's got that Mediterranean look, you know, so you give
up a bunch for styling. But what you get in quality is enough to
make you think hard about trade-offs.
I could see serious cruising for two, but not for
four. Then again, different people have different ideas about the
definition of "cramped." Otherwise, it is a high quality
day boat with an adequate cockpit arrangement and a nice walk through
transom onto the swim platform.
For its class, we'll give it 4.5 stars for a job
very well done.
| These
are "reviews", not surveys, and bear no resemblance
to our survey reports.
We do not publish the results of the surveys that we perform.
Please note that the purpose of these reviews is educational,
to help you discern the differences in quality among boats generally.
They are not offered as a means to help you evaluate any particular
boat builder. We have no other reviews than those posted. |
Posted April 8, 1999
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