greater. When a builder goes to the length of designing
and building a vessel that meets such a lofty standard, it is
making a statement about where it expects the vessel to
cruise, how the vessel may be used, and what the
expectations of the owners might be.
Fleming yachts have met CE guidelines since 1998,
long before doing so was chic or well known on this side
of the Atlantic. When I signed on for the passage from
Scotland to Iceland, a region notorious for its tumultuous
sea conditions, knowing the vessel was built to an ocean
A rating only served to increase my sense of confidence in
the vessel. Simply put, Flemings are built to be used in
harsh conditions without undue concern; they have made
transatlantic and West Coast-to-Hawaii transits, and not
one has suffered weather-related damage under way.
While all Flemings yachts are capable of receiving CE
approval, it’s not “standard equipment” per se. (Venture II is
CE rated and also is built to European specs, with a 230-
volt, 50Hz electrical system.) CE guidelines dictate
everything from the type of wire used, visibility from the
helm, and resin composition to cockpit drainage speed and
Steve D’Antonio
fuel tank flame resistance, for which the boatyard must
perform flame testing. However, the critical aspects of
vessel design, hull construction, and scantlings and
equipment selection that afford Fleming yachts CE
certification—and provide stability and seaworthiness—
are, for the most part, retained aboard every Fleming that
leaves the factory, which means they all benefit from the
certification process.
FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION
The F65 is equipped with four bulwark boarding gates
at two different levels—two amidship that access the
generously wide side decks, and two at the pilothouse
level—along with another gate in the transom. This
offers the boat owner a variety of boarding options,
including boarding from a dinghy. (The crane on the 65
is designed to set the dinghy precisely alongside at the
starboard gates.)
