Introduction: For boat owners and daydreamers alike, Fairline's Targa 48 is a classic, and not many boats achieve such status. Visually, the proportions are right from all angles, this being the very best incarnation of the Fairline Targa range, most sporting the Pershing-like flat oval side windows.

The boat was first displayed at the London Boat show in 1996, and the display model was sold immediately. Orders rolled in, such that Fairline made over twenty in the first year, and eventually almost two hundred in total.

The Targa 48 was a significant leap in size for Fairline's Targa range - remember that up until this time the largest model in the range was the T39, itself an ageing stretched 38 with lengthened swim platform, a lot smaller in every respect.

A key attraction of the T48 is that it's the smallest boat open boat you can buy with three proper double cabins. No other boat manages this trick quite so neatly. The owner’s cabin has privacy at the forward end of the saloon, with two mirror-image twins aft of the saloon.

The specialist motorboat magazines almost audibly mourned passing of the T48 when it was eventually replaced with the T52, still a good boat but which crosses the psychologically important 50-foot barrier beyond which many owner-drivers feel that a boat becomes too big. A T48 isn't quite as quick as the later T52 replacement, but for most owners it will do everything they want for a fraction of the price. Most agree that it's better looking too.

Perhaps one reason for the success of the T48 is that it hits the spot for everyone on board. First and foremost, it looks the absolute business. It's big enough to feel safe and roomy enough to live aboard for a couple of weeks or more and invite friends to stay too.

Step aboard and the near 12 tons displacement feels a lot more solid than the smaller sub-forty foot sisters in the Targa range. There's a huge party area in the cockpit and a smart dashboard. The saloon down below is a modern, with clean flowing lines: space to move around the galley to the port side or seat at least six around a table opposite. Those rear cabins are cosy yet they're proper cabins, not the usual squeeze into a hole with a mattress. These are good enough to invite guests to stay, and the very best dens for even full-sized children.

The main cabin forward has a large Queen-sized main bed and an ensuite. This probably represents a compact version of the sort of accommodation an owner will have on dry land. It's a seagoing 3-bedroom luxury house.

Right, that's enough of the advertising waffle, let’s get down to the nitty gritty. You want to know what goes wrong with these boats. Take a 3-bedroom luxury house and set off at 30 knots plus and most will have problems. The T48 is no exception. But for the most part, it's no dud.

Product lifecycle: The Targa 48 was born at the Earl’s Court Show in 1996, and replaced only six years later at the 2002 show by the Targa 52. For a large boat, this doesn’t seem to be a long time. Luxury cars stay in production for longer, sometimes a lot longer.

The changes weren’t major: Later models have less practical but more luxurious-looking veneered galleys, the dinghy garages lift part of the swim platform, and “glove compartments” in the cockpit that use cheaper transparent plastic. You can’t easily tell which model you’re in from inside a cabin or the ensuites and they are all about the same, and pretty good stuff.

Hull: The preferred colour is a dark blue. Expect to pay less for a white hull. Green or burgundy were early options to be avoided, or pay a lot less. Over time in the Med sun, the blue hull starts to fade, especially at the prominent rear quarter where the blue hull is most exposed to the sun. It costs money to restore and takes some effort to stay gleaming, much like having a black car. But when cleaned up, although white is easier to maintain, blue looks more attractive.

Generator and aircon: The "minimum required spec" for T48 is with a generator and reverse-cycle air-conditioning. There are a few without this, but you'll then need gas on board to cook, and then heating, and you won't be able to sell to a Med buyer. You need the air and genny in the same way as you need an automatic gearbox in a Merc.

Interior colours: Colours inside aren’t too critical within reason. There are two colour options for internal wood, there’s a rich cherry, or a much lighter maple. The cherry is the safe option, but there were a few examples of the light wood with light berber and these seem a lot roomier inside. Carpets are cream berber or cut pile foam backed carpet, and a total replacement with higher quality carpet will cost around £1,000 - £1500 including fitting. Early models had off-white cupboard doors, which opened sideways. Later versions are smarter but less practical, with top-hinged wooden galley cupboards.

Galley: Colours for the Avonite (similar to Corian) galley worksurfaces were also available to be chosen from a range of dark mud to almost white. There seem to be a preponderance of the grey mud-colour, easy to keep clean (don’t bother) but the saloon can become subdued to the point of gloominess. The optional microwave/combi is a reasonably high-spec unit, but not well secured for marine use. As a buyer, you’re looking for an electric-only boat, with no gas - but this won’t be possible unless the generator option is taken. In practice, buyers were attracted by the low ticket price and then arm-twisted into sensible options.

Canopy: The canopy structure is simple and robust. With the rearward facing radar arch, the camper hood at the back slots up and around in seconds. Two side panels slot in and zip, and the forward panel rolls up from the windscreen and zips quickly. With expertise you can do the whole thing in a few minutes.

In the Med, the bimini normally stays up all the time: three straps from the forward canopy to the screen hold the front down fairly firmly at sea.

Best colour for the canopy is blue, as the white goes grey after a couple of seasons. Expect the fabric/zip to last a maximum of five years before needing attention. The fabric straps can disintegrate in Med sun, though not expensive to remake -you don't need factory replacements for any of this.

The canopy is large, and should be seen as a sun canopy, as it's not completely rainproof. Really cherished example will have an overcover for the canopy, and you should be impressed. This wasn't a factory fit.

The factory did supply a flat "winter cover" or tonneau for the cockpit, which fits only when you have removed the entire upright canopy and even then it's very tight. It might be stored under berths down below, or else be safely stored in the first owner's garage at home. Unless you're a real sun worshipper and drive around with no shade at all, you won't ever use this cover; as a winter cover, you can't walk underneath to check inside the companionway except on hands and knees.

Rear swim platform: This is a good size for swimming japes. It's teak, but not solid teak. Over enthusiastic scrubbing can wear away the few millimetres of real teak and reveal the plywood beneath, so take a careful look for any bare patches.

There’s a simple hatch containing the swimming ladder. The hinges around here can rattle badly, and should be reset with Loctite or other thread filler. The hatch itself can vibrate noisily at sea too - simple to deaden once you've found the problem.

Damage around the rear of the boat is not uncommon. Have a good inspection all around, from the quayside. The correct height of the antifoul is just above the water level. Expect later models with heavier dinghies to sit somewhat low in the water.

Passarelles/gangplanks: A vital requirement for these essentially med boats. These are hydraulic, and should slide away underneath the boarding gangway. No end of problems for dealers, they are supposed to neatly pull up a flap to close invisibly, but the screws holding the flap can work loose, and the flap falls off after the first couple of years, never to be refitted.

Early one-piece factory-fit passarelles from Wittal were problematic. Later models were often ordered without the passarelle so that aftermarket fitters could supply more reliable stainless steel units with local backup. Expect to pay at least £7k for a new one, or make sure the existing unit works reliably by leaving small children to play with this as you work your way around inside. You need a minimum of two remotes too, to operate it from the quayside.

Cockpit seating: The cockpit seating area around the table is so good that many potential owners had been sold at about this point. It’s great design. The seats are white plastic piped in blue, with the backs fixed to the GRP. Damage will look a mess, and needs fixing. Again, the very best example will have non-standard aftermarket towelling over covers for the seats, and you can be impressed if they are blue: white ones are totally impractical.

The single seat next to the barbecue should be inspected closely. The manufacturing method requires that the seatback is stapled to the hard plastic core, but this is often done so enthusiastically that the multitude of staples causes the seatback to snap along the perforations. This sort of upholstery job can be fixed fairly cheaply, but it's awkward to fix.

The seat cushions themselves lift up. You want to see these mould-free, although they may well be damp if the boats been washed recently. Without covers, the seats should be a dazzling white - stored down below when the boat isn't in use. There's storage underneath the port side seats for a valise liferaft if they're serious boaters or about three boxes of wine if they're serious holiday people.

Cockpit barbecue: This is an option that most take. The sleek glass barbecue hiding under the starboard cover looks the business. But the de Dietrich units are not a marinised barbecue (if there is such a thing) so again, aftermarket options include a new unit (several hundred pound) or a better barbecue with a separate cooking tin in which to cook. Water around this area eventually kills the standard unit, so check that it’s working.

Cockpit sink: Should be no problem here - the sinkhole is too small to drain the sink quickly; the water drains straight overboard, so the hole can be drilled a little to speed things up.

Cockpit cool box: Early version until at least late 1998 had a weedy cooling unit. Later versions can freeze bottles of wine solid, so take your pick. As standard, there's no strut to hold this open - a nice little job for a DIY-er.

Icemaker: Later model offered an icemaker under the sink. Great, but it uses up the entire space under the sink, so you'll need to keep glasses in the sink or in the coolbox.

Cockpit table: The height-adjustable Besenzoni table folds out of the way to allow walkthrough, fold open to allow party seating for a friendly ten or more at a barbecue. Check the table still hold its position properly by setting to a low level and returning ten minutes later.

Generator start switch: This hides behind a little panel, very handy, just aft of the barbecue. Go on, try it now and you'll be able to see how loud it is or isn't when you're in the saloon. It should be just a gentle rumble. The unit can support all but the heaviest load - than means air, cooking and microwave. The generator trip switch is n the engine area, just ahead when you lift the rear hatch under the "sulking seat on the starboard side of the garage.

Garage: The garage door hiding the dinghy is hydraulic, and should be problem-free. The hinges aren't bomb proof, so need inspecting carefully. Inside, the visible hydraulic pipes powering the ram should also be inspected – some models didn't use stainless steel and the pipes need replacing.

Dinghy: The original design specified a 2.85 metre Zodiac Cadet with an 8hp Yamaha, and this fits exactly. A larger 15hp mercury engine also fits if you need a replacement. The dinghy can be handled by two people in and out quite quickly, or by just one person with a struggle. Look again at the stern for damage if they've let go of the dinghy and whacked the outboard on the swim platform.

Fairline soon had to give in to the jetbike craze from around 1998, the third year of production. This meant that the dinghy garage became more unwieldy; with a lump of swim platform also lifting with the door allowing the jetbike to exit into the water, and a retrieval system to drag it back aboard. Looks great, but the jetbike craze has passed, and the lack of a real dinghy means you have to stay in marinas or start enjoying wet shopping and soaking shoes. The latest models housed a real rib - far more practical than the jetbike but never as quick to launch and retrieve as the original Zodiac. All of these later options robbed space from the garage area for general bits and pieces, as well as compromising the clean design of a one-piece swim platform, without the cutaway needed to launch these heavier tenders directly into the water.

Companionway door: This can be a bit sticky, but regular silicon spray sorts it out. It shouldn't be very light. The door is acrylic and can craze a little over time. The inside lock of the door should work; otherwise you sleep behind unlocked doors at night. Ask how it works - the lock on the companionway door should be set unlocked, then manual lock works inside, but this isn't often explained which results in screwdriver attacks from inside.

Water: The water tank holds 100 gallons, the hot water only 11. The heater element can fail - we had four in five years. Check that the heater works by running off the hot water early in a visit, and that it begins to heat up using the element - not that the hot water is only available after running the engine. Bizarrely, the water tank gauge is on the dash, so you can't check if there’s enough water for a shower from down below.

Air-conditioning: These aren't cheap to replace. Find the aircon control in saloon and main cabin (separate units). Even when the aircon isn't working the fan may still but it all sounds ok. So, turn to very very cold (if it's a hot day) or very very hot (if it's cold). When feels hot/cold during inspection, change temp to opposite. Check each area has reached hot and cold, before switching, and should be noticeable in side five/ten minutes, just okay for a 20 min poke around. Check the outlet vents themselves: the MDF type can go all cracked with constant use, and look poor, not critical but worth putting on his spares list rather than ££ later.

Saloon: In the saloon, have a good grope of the carpet edges around the curvy areas on the outside of showers, to check if it is damp: the showers are sealed with silicon, and eventually there may be some damp.

Worn carpet can be hidden with an over carpet (a nice option to have actually), comfy on the feet and good for hiding red wine stains, coffee accidents etc, unless there are spills on the over carpet in which case the over carpet will have been stashed. So, if no over carpet in evidence, ask to see it.

Saloon table - Check the height can be adjusted and that it holds the required height for a longer than a minute - come back after ten minutes.

If you’re buying from a dealer, perhaps ask to swap the flimsy fold-out standard T48 for a nice fixed rectangular table from another boat like a Phantom 38. This means you can eat downstairs if too hot or cold on deck, or that kids can play down below, and rest their elbows without destroying furniture. Ask to see the table on a Phantom anyway. Then, let the idea sink in.

If there's a saloon over carpet, lift it to find lazarette. Inside it should be dry at the bottom. A holding tank (a plus) if any will be hiding half the volume of this lazarette. There shouldn't be a horrid pong, a bit seems standard, and the lazarette should be clean and dry. The macerator (switch on dash) can be checked whilst this lazarette is open

In the galley, there should be covers for the sink and hob, unless they've been dropped, in which case the Avonite ones snap in half. Standard on later models is non-matching plastic covers. There's no drainage hole (or too small) in the little clever storage place for these covers at the side, so have a look down there. Note that only silly small plates can fit in the plate storage: there's nothing you can do about this.

There’s storage under the companionways stairs, but many never find the little hatch under lowest stair, nor the laundry bins under the next two stairs up. The stairs need a strong pull under second to lowest stair, as the gluey self adhesive foam for the carpet holds it firmly down.

Cracked or tarnished stuck-on mirrors in cabins are a right pain to replace. Get them to do this - the salesman will think it’s dead easy, whereas you have to find mirror shop, get a big car, find mirror shop and so on.

The light switch surrounds are typical Fairline "black-chromed" and not marine quality. They wouldn’t last for more than a couple of seasons on a caravan. Check that they aren’t going rusty - getting spares takes ages.

Forward Cabin: Bedside lamps should be on short arms for later models: early models had long flexible arms which nod down and burn bed sheets if left on.

Mattresses: An option (not on the standard options list) is sprung mattresses, highly desirable, far better than foam.

Doors: These can clatter each other around the main cabin entrance area: a standard over winter problem is if afloat they clatter against each other and scrap off the varnish, requiring a strip along the doors to hide the scrape. Check the fit, lock and bend of the doors.

Ensuite showers and day head: These should be nice and smart. Best is with blue, The units are electric, and a holding tank is optional, not standard.

Shower cubicle is Perspex and should spin nicely, not be too clunky. These can jam, or fall off, so check them properly. The fault is with the design: the material used is unnecessarily heavy for a shower, especially in the forward part of a boat which heaves at sea.

Teak shower trays sometime bend but can be sanded down. For goodness sake don't lift them as it takes ages to get them back down. Or of course, lift them and leave the salesman to struggle while you move on.

There's no grey water tank; water from showers exhaust to outside via a pump under forward end of saloon, not a job for quickie inspection though. You can hear waste water trigger the pump.

The porthole hatch inners, especially in the showers with damp air, can tarnish with rust just around the lower edges, and looks nasty. But it won’t fail for years.

Badly fitted or leaking WC’s are shown by blackening teak around the bases.

The rusty screws on loo seat are because they aren’t stainless, easily replaced.

Electric WC switches should buzz very happily, the same noise in each, and working fine even though it can wake up anyone at night. Screaming means there's something in there.

The metal venetian blinds in the WC’s are not marinised, so unprotected metal parts may tarnish over a winter.

Rear cabins: Check again if mattresses are foam or sprung. Sprung cost an extra £1000ish all round from Fairline, worth having. Ask how much the upgrade if possible, or expect less comfy nights.

Curtains are best in dark material, if not check for mildew.

The bed surrounds, which go around each bed, can fall off; only self tappers hold them on. Not a huge job to fix. Test them by wobbling the surrounds. Don't sit on these hard as they’ll come off even if new.

Engine room: Quite a squeeze and needs the port side cockpit cushion raised to open the engine hatch. You’re looking for a clean room of course, but many boats didn’t achieve this. The conventional shafts are lubricated with seawater. This drains down to an area of the bilge which doesn’t easily drain aft. After market pumps can be fitted, and the problem was resolved on later boats.

There’s plenty of space to fit proper sound deadening on the cockpit hatch.

Outside: The cleats could be sited better on the T48; just outboard the cleats the ropes rub the GRP. A non-standard stainless steel rubbing strip for the ropes shows a loved boat.

The blue hull discolouring problem is only really noticeable at the rear, where blue faces sunwards. If you are okay about this bit, rest is likely ok, damage permitting.

Windows wipers and especially windows washers are very easy to stand on and get broken.

Sunpads can look old. It's not expensive material, easy to dry-clean or replace.

In the cockpit icebox, check the cooler is getting cold, should be able to nearly freeze things, early ones were useless.

Best barbecue option is retrofitted with a washable tray. The sexier black-glass De Dietrich is less reliable as it needs to be wetted to be cleaned: if you have this, use a minimum of water when cleaning.

Likewise, the best passarelles are retrofitted, as Fairline options are ££ and worse backup.

Sealing of the side windows can be checked with a hosepipe played on the outside.

The rear quarters look good – but early boats had a shiny slippery surface to step up to on the way forward, not remedied for a few years with a slip-proof oval. Applying some simple tape will save a fall into the sea.

The seatrial: If the broker has taken down all the bimini for a sea trial, it will look better and sound very quiet. If the rear camper cover is still up when you arrive for a pre-booked appointment, the broker isn’t doing his job.

There should be nothing much to worry at sea. Pilot should be able to get the boat in out smartly, an easy handling boat. Standard spec needs a bow-thruster.

Early T48’s had “race” controls with separate throttle and gearbox, but most are fitted with standard Morse.

Standard med running is to keep bimini up all the time. Standard UK running is to put it on a southbound truck as soon as possible.

Check anchor up/down. Water over decks can spoil the relay which is up front, not in engine room. The exposed foot switches can fail too.

An open boat with no dedicated dashboard cover means check all instruments work very carefully, of course, including the standard autopilot/GPS plotter and the optional radar.

Ask if the chart plotter chip (if exists) is included, otherwise it’s 100-200 quid and bad feelings.

Correct engine water temp when warmed boat is around 83degreesC, definitely less than 90 degrees.

Performance: Later engines powered the T48 to over 35 knots, never the 40 knots the rakish good looks deserve. Even the smallest Cat engines should crack 32 knots or more on flat water, but with a lot of diesel/water/ barnacles, over 27 knots tops is okay. Note that 28 knots consumes twice the diesel than 22 knots, but what the heck at sea trial anyway. Flooring the throttles will evoke a big grin, enough to worry anyone standing on the swim platform.

Price: In early 2003, 1997 models changed hands for somewhere around £200k including VAT for a boat with air and a genny, but the smaller caterpillar engines. At the same time, no T48 is worth more than £300k, even including VAT.

Depreciation: For a second-hand boat this will be low: new t52s limit how expensive a T48 can ever be, but a stack of models all the way down the Targa range will bolster the prices. Good backup and (most important) a berth somewhere in the med as part of the deal (you have to pay, but he finds the space), unless you have this sorted. It's standard to expect 10k off asking, even if it’s totally totally fabulous.

Mike F adds.....

1. The burr veneered panels on the dashboard of older T48's peel off, particularly in the Med sun, and look unsightly so if you buy a boat with undamaged veneer panels, make sure you cover the helm station when not in use. Replacement of these panels is problematic as I've been told they are no longer available from Fairline.

2. I would like to reinforce Matt's point about the passarelle. Every T48 we looked at had a failed passarelle and the problem always seemed to be electric. The Whittall passarelle fitted to our boat also flexes considerably, not surprising when you look at how it's constructed. Oh yes and the flap door has broken. I expect big bills on this item.

3. I understand that some of the Cat 4216 engines fitted to many early T48's suffered from valve problems, the symptoms for which are poor performance and excessive smoke. Both cylinder heads on my boat have been replaced recently by Cat FOC even though the engines are out of warranty. Fair play to Cat (can't see Volvo doing the same) but I'm not sure for how long Cat will maintain this position so anyone contemplating purchasing a T48 with Cat 4216 engines should check whether these repairs have been carried out and if not, get a Cat agent to check the engines out

4. Whilst one of the T48's major plus points is the fact that it has 3 cabins, anyone of more generous proportions will find the doors to the aft cabins very narrow. In fact they are the narrowest doors I've ever seen on a boat. So if you are contemplating installing your mother-in-law in one of the aft cabins for a weekend, you better try her for size first.

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