Fleming 65 for Sale, the Owner-Operator Passagemaker Explained

The biggest Fleming most owners still run themselves

When a Fleming 65 for sale appears on the brokerage market, the buyers circling it are usually Fleming 55 owners who want more room, or owners of 70 to 80 foot yachts who are tired of depending on full-time crew. The 65 answers both. It gives a couple and their guests a genuine small-ship experience, yet Fleming designed its deck, docking controls and systems so a competent owner and partner can handle it without a hired captain on most days.

Fleming introduced the 65 in mid-2005 as an intermediate model between the 55 and the 75, and has built at least 65 hulls since, all at the Tung Hwa yard in Taiwan. Its length overall including swim step and anchor platform is 70 feet 10 inches, on a waterline of 61 feet 11 inches and a beam of 18 feet 8 inches. Remarkably for a boat this size, draft is only 5 feet, the same as the 55.

That 70-foot overall length is the threshold to understand before you buy. Insurance underwriters, marinas and some charterers start asking different questions at this size, and the boat moves out of the owner-operator mainstream if you lack experience. Many 65 owners run with a part-time captain for long deliveries and on their own for the rest.

MAN power, Twin Disc thrusters and hydraulic reserve

Current 65s carry twin MAN i6-800 diesels producing 800 hp each at 2,300 rpm, with an optional pair of MAN V8-1,000 engines for buyers who want more speed in reserve. Power runs through Twin Disc MGX-5126A or ZF 360A transmissions. Earlier boats were offered with different engine packages, so confirm the exact engines, ratings and hours on any listing.

The docking hardware is what makes the 65 manageable for two people: Twin Disc hydraulic bow and stern thrusters of 65 hp each, which can hold the boat against wind for as long as needed rather than overheating like small electric units. Combined with ABT TRAC stabilizers with 9 square foot fins and winglets, and a 21.5 kW Onan generator, the 65 is equipped more like a commercial vessel than a production yacht.

Speed is semi-displacement territory. Fleming's published fuel curve for the MAN i6-800 package shows roughly 10 gph at about 9 knots, around 15 gph at 10 knots, the burn climbing steeply through the low teens, and close to 90 gph at a top speed near 19 knots. The hull is happiest either at displacement speed around 9 to 10 knots, where its long waterline makes it efficient, or running fast in the mid to high teens when a weather window demands it. Ask the seller for the curve that matches the V8 option if the boat has it.

1,700 gallons and what that buys you at displacement speed

Fuel capacity is 1,700 gallons, with 400 gallons of fresh water and a 330 gallon black water tank. Reading Fleming's i6-800 curve, a 65 burning about 10 gph at 9 knots covers well over 1,000 nautical miles with reserve, enough for Seattle to Ketchikan and back without refueling, or Florida to the Exumas and a long season of island hopping. Owners who loaf at 8 knots extend that substantially.

That big holding tank is an underrated feature. In the Bahamas and on the US East Coast, where pump-out access and no-discharge zones shape where you can stay, 330 gallons means days at anchor without worrying about the next pump-out dock.

Saloon, galley and a choice of master cabins

Inside, the 65 follows the Fleming formula at a larger scale. The main deck has a saloon and galley with a dining area, a pilothouse up a few steps forward with a lower helm, settee and chart table, and side doors to the decks. Below, a central passageway four steps down from the saloon serves three staterooms. In most boats the owner's cabin is forward with an island berth and private head; a popular alternative puts the owner's cabin to port with a VIP forward, and a full-beam master reached from the pilothouse is also offered. The two guest cabins share a head as standard, with a three-head arrangement available.

Joinery is warm teak throughout the accommodations, fit and finish is consistent, and the pilothouse is a genuine ship's bridge with room for a full electronics suite and two people to work comfortably. The flybridge carries a second helm and seating, and the boat deck takes a 16-foot tender on a standard 1,500 pound Steelhead hydraulic davit.

Can a Fleming 65 do the Great Loop

Technically yes, practically with planning. The published air draft is 17 feet 11 inches, which should clear the roughly 19-foot fixed bridge near Lemont, Illinois, with the mast lowered, and the 5-foot draft is acceptable on the rivers. The constraint is length. At more than 70 feet overall, a 65 will find fewer transient slips on the Illinois, Tennessee and Tombigbee rivers, will be the biggest boat in many lock chambers, and will cost more per night everywhere.

Most 65 owners we know cruise the East Coast and Bahamas, the Pacific Northwest to Alaska, or the Sea of Cortez, and treat the Loop as a once-in-a-lifetime project with a crew member aboard. If the Loop is your primary goal, the Fleming 55 is a better choice.

Budgeting a 70-foot yacht without crew

Plan for $180,000 to $350,000 a year in running costs, excluding depreciation and any full-time crew salary. Insurance on a multi-million dollar yacht, a 75-foot slip, twin MAN services, generator service, stabilizer and thruster maintenance, bottom paint and brightwork make up the base. A part-time captain or a maintenance management company adds to that but often pays for itself in avoided problems.

On the other side of the ledger, Fleming's resale strength means depreciation is lower than for most yachts this size. A well-kept 65 sold after five to eight years of ownership typically loses far less than a comparable planing motor yacht.

• Hydraulic thrusters and stabilizers need specialized service
• MAN engines require dealer-level diagnostics for electronic controls
• 330 gallon holding tank reduces pump-out frequency
• 1,500 lb Steelhead davit and boat deck carry a 16-foot tender

Early hulls versus late hulls

Early 65s from 2005 to about 2009 are the value buys, often under $2.5 million, and they share the same basic hull and layout as current boats. What changes over the years is the depth of refinement: engine room layout, electrical systems, stabilizers, insulation and electronics integration. If you buy early, budget for a systems refresh, typically electronics, batteries, soft goods and perhaps stabilizer modernization.

Late hulls with the MAN V8 option are the choice for owners who want maximum speed in reserve and the most current systems, and some buyers would rather pay near new-boat money than wait years for a build slot.