The Italian-made Fiart 43 Seawalker was something of an eye-catching standout at the recent Palm Beach show, with its plumb stem, low lines and post-modern European design.
Although it’s relatively new to the U.S., Fiart is a well-known name in Europe. The company was founded on the Gulf of Naples in 1960. Since then, it’s designed 150 different models and built thousands of boats that were sold across the continent. Fiart now has offices in Spain, France, Croatia, Turkey and Israel. It is represented here by YachtCreators in Fort Lauderdale.
The 43 is the flagship of Fiart’s Seawalker line. It’s powered by twin 380-hp Volvo IPS pod drives, developing a top speed of about 36 knots. It has two cabins below, one forward with a double berth and one aft with side-by-side single berths. They share a large head with a stall shower. For a low-profile boat, the Fiart has lots of space below, with almost 6-foot headroom throughout.
For day cruising, the Fiart 43 can hold a dozen people, with large sun lounging areas forward and aft. It has walkaround decks, and a modular deck design. Fiarts are highly customizable; indeed, you can order the aft deck in five different configurations. If you press a button, the swim platform extends from two feet to four feet.
In Italy, Fiart also just introduced a new company flagship, a 54 (pictured above) with very different lines from the Seawalker series. It’s meant for much longer cruising, with a full-beam owner’s stateroom amidships, aft of a lower salon, galley and lounge. A guest cabin is forward and it’s large enough to be split into two smaller cabins via a sliding fore-and-aft bulkhead.
The 54’s outdoor social areas are immense; the company says that 14 people will fit on the recessed lounge area on the bow.
Standard power for the 54 is twin Volvo IPS950 pod drives, for a 39-knot top speed.
Specs.: LOA: 45’4”; Beam: 13’; Draft: 3’4”; Disp.: 18,600 lbs.; Fuel: 303 gals.; Water: 163 gals.; Power: 2×380-hp Volvo IPS500 pod drives. Read more at http://fiart.com and see the video below:
