2005 Fountain 35 Lightning
Listing ID | 3039490 |
Sale Price | $173,000 CAD [ Convert To USD ] |
Seller | Beaches Marine Brokerage |
Status | In Stock |
Condition | Used |
Category | Performance Boats |
Year | 2005 |
Make | Fountain |
Brand Research | More About Fountain |
Buyer Guides | Fountain Buyers Guides |
Research Aids | Fountain Tests & Reviews |
Model | 35 Lightning |
Located | Toronto, Ontario, CA |
Length | 35ft / 10.67 m |
Beam | 8ft 6in / 2.59 m |
Engines | 2 |
Engine Model | Merc 502 |
Engine Type | Inboard/outboard |
Engine HP | 16000 |
Engine Hours | 203 |
Fuel | Gas |
Weight | 8400 |
https://www.yachtworld.com/research/fountain-35-lightning-speed-boat-savvy/
Make no mistake. Reggie Fountain, CEO, founder and force behind
Fountain Powerboats in Washington, N.C., is a promoter. If he gets
your ear, he'll sing the praises of Fountain boats until you're a
believer.
Can you blame him? Fountain has the product to back his bluster.
The 35'-long, 8'6"-wide Lightning we tested off Captiva Island,
Fla., provided proof of that.
Performance
The boat rode on a two-step modified-V-pad bottom with four
strakes. The first step was approximately 14 feet forward of the
transom, and the second step roughly 3 1/2 feet aft of the
first.
Of course, the bottom alone didn't get the Lightning to its top
speed of 85 mph. The twin 470-hp, fuel-injected big-blocks
channeled their juice into Bravo One XR drives spinning Bravo One
15 1/4" x 30" four-blade propellers through a 1.5:1 reduction.
In midrange performance drills, the Lightning lived up to its name,
bolting from 30 mph to 50 mph in 4.8 seconds, from 40 mph to 60 mph
in 5 seconds and from 40 mph to 70 mph in 9.7 seconds. From a
standing start, the 8,400-pound boat reached 64 mph in 15 seconds
and 73 mph in 20 seconds. About the only lackluster aspect of the
boat's acceleration performance was the loss of visibility when
coming on plane ? due in no small part to the aggressive steps.
When it came to handling, our lead test driver could find nothing
to gripe about. Sweeping turns at 70 mph were smooth, especially
when our driver dragged the outside Mercury Racing 280-S K-plane
trim tab. In abrupt slalom turns at 40 mph and 50 mph, the
Lightning held its grip well and didn't slide or catch. Those
maneuvers were just slightly less crisp at 30 mph. The boat tracked
perfectly at all speeds and didn't veer off course during sudden or
gradual deceleration.
In quartering, following and head-on seas, the Lightning was
impressively smooth, cleaving through swells and wind chop.
Workmanship
Like its larger and smaller siblings, the 35' Lightning was
handlaid with vinylester resin and quad-directional fiberglass.
The luster of the boat's red gelcoat was better than average, and
the wave-free mold work was as good as it gets. Protecting the
smooth hull was a black extruded-plastic rubrail with a rubber
insert.
All hardware was powder-painted to match the gelcoat. Useful items
included a navigation light on the boat's nose, an anchor locker
and handrails on the deck, a cleat on each side of the precisely
installed windshield , and two more cleats all the way aft.
A center-mounted electric screw jack raised the engine hatch to a
high angle that gave our inspectors a great look at the
fuel-injected motors. The engines were installed with Mercury
Racing offshore mounts on L-angles through-bolted to the
stringers.
All wiring was neatly routed and supported by aluminum aircraft
cushion clamps. (Wiring between the engine compartment and the helm
was run through PVC tubes in the gunwales.) The entire installation
appeared well planned and "parallel." For example, a steering pump
was mounted on the side of each engine. The pumps for the trim tabs
and drives were mounted on the firewall.
Interior
In addition to facing lounges and a spacious V-berth, the cabin
boasted an enclosed head compartment and a galley with a
refrigerator, cabinetry and plenty of counter space.Other cabin
highlights included a suspended headliner, indirect lighting behind
valances, a hanging locker and a Clarion Marine stereo system. Like
the lounges and V-berth in the cabin, the twin bolsters and rear
bench in the Lightning's cockpit were French-stitched. Fountain
builds its own bolsters in-house, and those in Lightning were
supported by stainless-steel stands through-bolted to the nonskid
sole, which was covered by welted lay-in carpeting.
At the helm, gauges were arranged in a horseshoe with a Nordskog
Performance Products GPS speedometer front and center flanked by
twin tachometers. To the left of the steering wheel were the
chrome-plated throttles and shifters, above which were the rocker
switches for the drives and tabs.
Across the way to port, the co-pilot's position included a grab
handle and a huge glove box for stowage. Other stowage areas
included gunwale trays and space under the bottom cushion of the
rear bench.
Grab handles were mounted within easy reach of bench passengers.
Beyond the bench was a two-person sunpad and an integrated swim
platform.
But perhaps one of the best aspects of the Lightning's cockpit ?
and a rare amenity on an offshore boat ? was the windshield.
Typically, one would have to shout to hold a conversation when the
boat is running at speed. Not so in the 35' Lightning. The driver
and passengers sat well protected from the deafening wind that
accompanied 80-plus-mph speeds. Testers scrawled notes of praise in
their logs.
Overall
Fountain's new twin-step 35' Lightning is an eye-catching offshore
performer that's built to go fast and take a pounding ? all while
coddling its passengers in wind-free comfort.
Disclaimer
The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but
cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor
warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his
agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer
desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale,
price change, or withdrawal without notice.