Captain's Report

Mission of the Absolute 45 Fly

Absolute positions its 45 Fly as a “small megayacht,” thus defining her mission. What this means is that the boat must have downright impressive accommodations and amenities for her size. To that end, she has a full-beam en suite master stateroom, ample seating in the salon, and copious seating on the flying bridge. What’s more, she is powered by twin Volvo Penta IPS drives with a joystick, something that most megayachts don’t have.

Distinguishing Features

Major Standard Features

Performance and Handling

We have not had the opportunity to test the 45 Fly ourselves, and unfortunately the only performance information published is from Absolute’s website. According to the website, the 45 Fly will cruise at 27 knots (31 mph) burning 116 liters/hour (30.6 gallons/hour). This yields an efficiency of 1.0 miles per gallon. With a 343-gallon fuel tank, the 45 Fly has a 313 statute mile range, or 272 nautical miles with a 10% reserve.

Consumer Caveat.

The performance numbers published by Absolute were not accompanied by any information on the testing regime, load, rpm, nor were any other speed figures given.

Hull Design to Optimize Volvo Penta-IPS Technology

Absolute has been designing their boats for IPS drives since Volvo first introduced the technology. The advantages of the IPS drives over conventional inboard straight-shaft propulsion is well known, and BoatTEST.com tests on other boats have confirmed this. Likewise, joystick control for docking is also well-proven. With these two technological advancements, the Absolute 45 Fly has state-of-the-art propulsion.

Features Inspection

One quick inspection of the 45 Fly will reveal its primary purpose: to entertain on the water in style, luxury and most importantly, comfort. The Italian styling and high-quality materials are simply Absolute’s method of delivering comfort and convenience to its customers.

Flying Bridge

Passengers wishing to enjoy the experience of piloting the 45 Fly with the captain will find the bridge deck extremely accommodating. While the helm seat is wide, it is not wide enough for two people; however, there is an expansive sun lounge immediately to port of the helm.

Entertaining.

Behind the helm is a well-appointed wet bar, and a large U-shaped settee surrounding a solid teak table. By our count, at least 8 people can be seated around the table. If the boat is being used as a VIP platform even more can be seated on the flying bridge. While we often look at boats in this class for entertaining, we should forget that boats are often primarily used for family outings and cruising. With such a large seating area on the 45 Fly, even a large extended family should be able to be accommodated.

Grilling Anyone?

By putting a grill, sink and refrigerator across from the table the chef can easily have a BBQ lunch for guests while at anchor. Compartments under the seats are available for storing place mats, napkins, glasses, china and flatware that will be used exclusively on the bridge. When not being used for grilling, the fiberglass top can be put down, making a convenient place for an ice bucket and a chilled bottle of Pinot Grigio.

Main Deck

The cockpit

is two easy steps up from the large swim platform. There is a comfortable transom bench seat in the cockpit. Like the swim platform, the cockpit deck is teak and this can only make a good first impression on guests.

Inside

, there is an aft galley which leads the way to a comfortable salon with a dinette to starboard and a sofa to port. One of the most impressive features of the 45 Fly is the amount of windows, and the salon is where this feature is best exemplified. With few obstructions, there is nearly 360 degrees of outside visibility. The wood work is all Caneletto walnut which is carried on to the cabins below. This dark wood with its fine, “Canaletto-like” stained grain, adds a rich, yachty look to this otherwise very modern powerboat.

Accommodations

The two primary staterooms are accessed through a companionway to the right of the helm. Because the boat is powered by IPS pod drives the engines are placed farther aft than they would be in a standard inboard-powered boat, leaving more room below for living spaces. And, because the galley and dinette are above on the main deck, all of the interior space below -- from the engine room bulkhead forward to the chain locker, except for a small passageway -- is occupied by the master and VIP staterooms and their private heads. In this way Absolute has been able to maximize the two staterooms below, and we think thereby does a fair job of creating that “small megayacht” concept. Certainly the owner and the VIP guests are pampered with space and amenities.

The master stateroom

is full-beam and includes all of the typical comforts usually found in a far larger boat. This includes a large bed, walk-in closet, a comfortable, built-in sofa to port, two small night stands and an elegant headboard. Six, huge windows permit fantastic views and pour in lots of natural light from both sides of the boat. There are also two round opening portlights to bring fresh air into he cabin. This is a little detail that only becomes important when one wants some fresh air or the sounds of the water lapping the hull outside to come in. Not all boats in class have them.

Head Room?

Importantly for a 45’ (13.7 m) is the fact that there is full standing head room all around much of the bed, not just at the foot. This feat has been achieved by dropping the deck below the stringers literally onto the floor of the boat. And that’s ok, because it creates a functional and classy stateroom.

En Suite Head.

The master head is forward and features a large, unusual oval wash basin on top of the counter which maximizes space below for storage. Forward there is a separate shower stall with it own seat and opening portlight. We like the large grate that will catch shower water and take into the gray water sump.

VIP Stateroom

The primary guest stateroom is located in the bow and features a large-sized island bed, a private head, and the largest and most numerous hullside windows we have ever seen in this size boat in the forward cabin. Any guests lucky enough to be a passenger on the Absolute 45 Fly will be talking about the views for years. We are reminded once again of Absolute’s mission statement of being a “small megayacht”. We can’t think of a guest cabin in any boat under 150’ (46 m) that has six windows in a guest stateroom. While there are no opening portlights in this cabin, there is an opening forward hatch over the head of the bed which will bring in plenty of fresh air.

The Third Cabin

One of the surprising features of the 45 Fly is the “crew” cabin. This “stateroom” is accessible through a private, water-tight entrance on the aft platform and has its own windows looking aft. While quite small, this cabin is no slouch. It has its own, wash basin, hanging locker, and cubbies. It also has the same quality Canaletto walnut wood and hardware as the rest of the boat.

Crew or Who?

So this means that either a crew member is going to sleep in comfort, or, if no crew is aboard, an additional guest can stay here and still have privacy and a dedicated head. Once again, we are reminded of the “small megayacht” concept that Absolute professes to have in this yacht, and once again there is an element of truth to it. We can’t think of many boats this size that have crew quarters of any size.

A Lazarette?

We heartily endorse this crew quarters/guest stateroom concept which obviously takes the space of what would otherwise be a lazarette in which to store fenders, water toys, bikes, golf clubs and other gear. Owners who don’t plan to have a mate to wash down the boat and check the oil, or who don’t have a son or grandson who would be thrilled to have his own private cabin, may want to clear out the cushions and make this space a lazarette.

Three Sunning Venues

Construction

As with the rest of Absolute’s lineup, the 45 Fly is constructed using a solid fiberglass hull and incorporates Absolute’s Integrated Structural System (ISS). The ISS is the series of bulkheads, stringers and various stiffeners that make up the boat’s structure. Absolute designs the ISS in conjunction with the boat’s stylists in order to maximize the usable interior volume and also to maintain easy access to major mechanical items for repair or replacement.

The ISS structures are then fiberglassed to the hull before it is removed from the mold, and is then subsequently bonded to the interior liners and deck. The deck is fastened to the hull using stainless steel fasteners as well as having a chemical bond.The large surface area which the grid covers allow Absolute's engineers to lower the height of the stringers (thus offering more headroom), while at the same time increasing the stifness and integrity of the structure as a result of the large surface which the grid encompasses.

The ISS Advantage.

These days many boats are designed to be constructed in this fashion – where virtually all internal components are bonded to the hull or deck or to each other in order to form an “egg crate-type” structure for hull strength. The advantage of this construction method is that it allows mass to be taken out of the hull laminate in order to save weight. Usually the result is a structure that is far stronger than conventional hulls with lots of fiberglass and resin mass in the laminate. The distinction here is that by calling the construction discipline “ISS”, Absolute has come up with a name for it.

Price

The price of the Absolute 45 Fly landed in the U.S. on the East Coast is $1,171,300. This MSRP includes many things such as a 13kW Kohler generator, MarineAir Tropical A/C 46,000 BTU, and all shipping and import duties among other things. Consumers must realize that boats in this class are very much customized and built to order, so prices vary depending on the build. We’re way beyond talking about an S-Class Benz sedan here. There is no Henry Ford type production line at Absolute; the boats are built one at a time – by hand.

Observations

The Absolute 45 Fly offers a lot of yacht for the size and for the money. In our opinion, it is still small enough to be easily handled by its owners, which saves a lot of money on operating expenses. With Volvo Penta’s IPS drive technology, docking and maneuvering should be a breeze. And this is all packaged with two staterooms (plus one), spacious entertaining areas, and Italian styling. For anyone in the market for a good looking, cleverly designed cruiser, the Absolute 45 Fly should be on the list.

Standard and Optional Features