Guest Interview – Tony Fleming of Fleming Motor Yachts and ...flemingyachts.com/pdf/Guest...

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Guest Interview ndash Tony Fleming of Fleming Motor Yachts and his boatVenture

Tony en route North Pole 2005

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So Tony tell us a little something about your cruising to date and where you have been so far

I did some quite extensive cruising ndash mainly in Norway and other parts of Scandinavia - in an early Fleming 55 owned by the person who is now our agent in Australia But I

presume you are more interested in the cruising I have done in my own boats I had a GB42 in Singapore which I took to the Tioman Islands in the South China Sea off the east

coast of Malaysia That boat is under new ownership and now lives in Seattle

As far as Flemings are concerned I have owned two Both have been 65rsquos Venture was commissioned in January 2005 That first year we took the boat down to Ensenada and

shipped her to Vancouver on Dockwise That first year we did some limited cruising out of Vancouver around the Gulf Islands and as far north as Princess Louisa Inlet We then

brought the boat down the Pacific coast to Newport Beach

Loch Skavaig is a truly magical anchorage on the Isle of Skye 2007


In spring 2006 Venture went to La Paz I was not aboard as my sister died suddenly the day before we were due to leave The boat was shipped back up to Nanaimo early summer

2006 We then took the boat to Juneau and back to Delta Marine Services on Vancouver Island

Over the winter 200607 engines were swopped out for a pair of MAN engines This was because our dealer on the US east coast required more horsepower and we wanted to

try the MAN engines before installing them in production boats

Tony at North Pole 2005


During the summer of 2007 we cruised the Broughton Islands (on the Canadian mainland just north of Vancouver Island) and then down the Pacific coast to Newport Beach

During the fall 2007 Venture acted as an escort vessel for the first Fubar Rally to La Paz organised by Bruce Kessler

In March 2008 cruised the Sea of Cortez Then followed our major trip during remainder of year during which we took Venture to the US east Coast via Galapagos Islands Panama

Canal Grand Cayman Florida Keys Intra-coastal Hudson River Erie Canal Lake Ontario St Lawrence Seaway and River Prince Edward Island Nova Scotia New England and back

to Chesapeake where we arrived in September

Venture II was built and shipped to Southampton in the UK where she arrived July 2009 We took her down the English Channel and later across the North Sea to Hamburg then

down the Ijssel River in Holland and up the Rhine to Dusseldorf

Starting in April 2010 we took Venture II to Ireland Scotland Faroe Islands and circumnavigated Iceland before returning to Southampton for the boat show

In April 2011 the original Venture was shipped back to the Pacific Northwest from Florida and we cruised to Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) off the coast of British

Columbia

Venture in Haida Gwaii 2011


In spring 2012 I was aboard Venture II cruising from Sweden to Denmark and Stavanger in Norway In May of the same year we took the original Venture from Vancouver Island to

Glacier Bay Alaska

Venture at Hubbard Glacier 2013


May to August 2013 cruised to Prince William Sound In September 2013 Venture came down the coast to California I was not on board In December we did a short cruise to the

Channel Islands off the coast of Ventura Here we experienced Santa Ana winds of 60 knots

Venture at Death Trap Prince William Sound 2013


In spring 2014 Venture was shipped to Victoria In June we cruised the West Coast of Vancouver Island from south to north We visited the Broughton Islands then and back to

Delta Marine Services in Sidney

Between May to August 2015 we cruised to Dutch Harbor and back Around 5000 nm

In June 2016 we took Venture up the Columbia and Snake Rivers essentially from Vancouver Island and back

June 2017 We took made a second visit to Prince William Sound This took about 3 frac12 months and covered 3700 nm

I have also done a ton of traveling to many interesting places that had nothing to do with Venture or boats at all For example I have been to Antarctica three times the North Pole

once (on a nuclear powered Russian icebreaker) Greenland seen the touchy feely grey whales in Baja California I have been on the Siberian train from Beijing to St Petersburg

driven across the Sahara by truck and on and on it goes These particular jaunts are all covered in my videos

Tony in the Canadian High Arctic 2016


Clearly when we spoke you are English so please tell us Tony where do you hail from in the UK

I was born in the county of Suffolk on the east coast of the UK but as my father was in the RAF we moved around and by age 16 I had lived in 26 different houses all over

England and Scotland

Is there any truth to the rumour you worked as an official with the British Police

No there is no truth in this but I was a member of the Kenya Police Reserve when living in Mombasa in 1958

Tony Flemingrsquos police headshot1958


I understand you had a long relationship in the past working for an icon of a boating brand the famous Grand Banks

I joined American Marine in June 1962 firstly in HK until 1969 when moved to Singapore I left Grand Banks in January 1985 and started Fleming Yachts in October of the same

year

What made you decided to leave Grand Banks and start Fleming Yachts

This is a complicated story which is fully covered in my memoirs However the underlying reason was that I as the only person with a technical background in the management

team wanted to move the Grand Banks designs forward but ran into a brick wall of resistance This led to friction and frustration on both sides However there is more to it than

that and you need to read the memoirs

What was the hardest thing about getting Fleming Yachts up and running

Working on my own in a totally unfamiliar environment where I knew nobody and where initially only one person in the yard spoke English There were many obstacles to be

overcome which included a drastic change in the exchange rate and introduction of the luxury tax These tested my patience and tenacity to the limit

Plug construction first boat 1985


Are you still actively involved in the business today

I have no ownership or management involvement When I retired in 2008 I had the opportunity to start using my own boat rather than building them for other people This in

turn allowed me to enjoy cruising as well as indulge my hobbies of photography and writing

How many employees does Fleming Yachts have

Fleming Yachts subcontracts the actual construction of the yachts to the yard in Taiwan with whom we have worked since the beginning We have only ever built in that one yard

and they build exclusively for Fleming Boat sales are handled through carefully selected dealers with whom we have worked and co-operated from many years Fleming Yachts

itself handles design engineering and marketing so we have a total of seven people on the payroll The yard of course has many more

Tung Hwa yard in Taiwan 2012


Why did you choose a Fleming 65 for you adventure

When building a new design the builder is very much indebted to the courageous customers who step forward to order a boat that only exists on paper This inevitably means

that compromises need to be made to meet the legitimate wishes of those pioneering customers These compromises are not necessarily what the builder would like to

incorporate into the new boat but they are a necessary part of the process In the case of the Fleming 65 for the first time in the history of the company we did not have to get

paid for the first boat in order to pay for the expensive tooling I decided to hold the first boat back so we could build and decorate it exactly as we wished so we could try out

new ideas and carry out extensive testing One thing led to another and this became my boat and to this day continues to be a test bed for new ideas and equipment

Venture pot holders in use


What has been your cruising highlight so far

People frequently ask me this question and I never know how to respond I have been to many places and they are all interesting in their own way It is not simply the cruise itself

but the people you meet and the multifaceted things you find out as a result of being on that cruise So I guess the ldquohighlightrdquo is what you learn along the way

Venture at Kicker Rock Galapagos 2008


What training or skillset would you consider a ldquomust haverdquo prior to buying a boat

I donrsquot think itrsquos necessary to have any particular training or skillset prior to buying a boat

A boat can be anything from a coracle to a megayacht and can be sail or power If you know nothing about boats but just want to go boating and learn as you go then it is

essential that you take the advice of someone reliable and knowledgeable who does know When it comes to more sophisticated vessels - and after you have some experience - it

is still a good idea to check if the vessel you have in mind complies with such recognized standards as ABYC NMMA CE Ocean Certification etc

What upgrade do you most wish you could make to your boat

Actually there arenrsquot any because they have basically all been made over the past 12 years

In your past life what did you do or have you always been involved with motor boats

Not really At one point I had a folding kayak and I took sailing lessons - I did not live on the water and boats were never a passion in the early days to be honest

Tony travelling by truck with a group of friends en-route to Africa 1959


Tony if there is one thing folks on the water do that irritates you while underway what would that be

I guess it would be people who show lack of consideration for others Stupid behaviour loud music and lack of wake awareness

Onto irritating things have you ever run out of something while at sea that has caused problems

It may sound pompous to say so but I canrsquot recall ever running out of anything significant

What is the shortest trip you have made

You mean like forgetting to unplug the shore cord Actually we have never done this and the shortest trips have usually just been sea trials which donrsquot really qualify as ldquotripsrdquorsquo

What is the longest passage you have made

The longest passage would be Galapagos to Panama I believe that was about 900 nautical miles which took about 4 frac12 days

What have been the tallest seas and strongest winds you have encountered

I find it hard to quantify the height of the seas I would guess they would be about ten feet but they were straight up and down and right on the nose so it was very

uncomfortable This was off the coast of Iceland They continued for about 16 hours before we reached shelter For the fishing boats out there it was just another day at the office

The strongest wind we ever encountered was 60 mph in the Channel Islands off the coast of Ventura California

How many crew typically are on board when you head out to sea

It varies but typically it is four

Tony Mt Kenya 1969


I have to ask who does your videos as they are simply sensational

I do all the videos myself I say that I do everything from acquisition to exhibition With the tools we have available to us today it is not difficult It just takes a lot of time which is

fine because it is my hobby and allows me to re-live the experience plus I get to expand my knowledge when doing the research on line when writing the narration

If you didnrsquot own a Fleming what boat would you own

Frankly I doubt that I would own another boat This is not because I think that Fleming is the only worthwhile boat out there but I rather stumbled into boat ownership as

described above and if that had not happened I somehow doubt I would be doing what I am doing

What are the key features of a Fleming that you believe sets it apart

When I set out to build a boat with my name on it (not my idea by the way) I wanted to build the best cruising boat I knew how This meant that it had to be stoutly constructed

easy to board and disembark be a good sea-boat etc etc and it had to look like a proper boat From the feedback we have had over the years - plus my own practical experience -

I believe we have succeeded in building what must be close to the lsquoUltimate Cruising Yachtrsquo Also I know the incredible effort that goes into each and every decision I doubt that

anybody out there invests as much effort as we do into every aspect of the design and build We also offer a design which offers flexibility of performance ndash meaning you can get

the range of a displacement boat at displacement speed but can run fast when necessary

Would you describe yourself as more of a hunter or more gather

This is a tricky question I have never previously considered I am certainly not a hunter in the sense of going out and killing something but I am also not one to stay in one

environment to gather I am more of a seeker I am always looking for a new experience and believe in taking advantage of every opportunity that comes my way Does that make

me a hunter or a gatherer

Why did you name your vessel Venture

The boat is called simply ldquoVenturerdquo It is certainly not a unique name but I just woke up one morning with the certainty that this was the most right name It is appropriate

because for us as boat builders it was a new venture And the dictionary definition of the word means to undertake something or go on a journey that involves a degree of risk It

is also important to keep the name simple for calling on the radio

What other names did you consider

None

What is the one lesson every boater should learn

Never allow yourself to be ruled by cast iron schedule Do not leave port under hazardous conditions just because you or someone on board needs to be at a certain place at a

predetermined time It is always better to be at home wishing you were on your boat than on your boat wishing you were at home

What is your favourite anchorage and why

I really canrsquot think of one particular favourite anchorage The most spectacular was Castle Bay on the Alaska Peninsula on the way to Dutch Harbor

Venture in Castle Bay


Biggest surprises with your cost of ownership

Just how much it is I had a hard time crossing over from boat builder to boat owner In the first case I was a simple working stiff in the second I was assumed to be someone

with more money than sense and treated accordingly

What is your favorite activity while aboard

Simply being on board away from the restrictions of being on land

What is your favorite Marina and why

Itrsquos not really a conventional marina but I think I enjoy being at Pierrersquos at Echo Bay which is a Mom and Pop seasonal marinaresort in the Broughton Islands just north of

Vancouver Island It is a fun place with interesting cruising boats They have a pig roast every weekend during the season It is only accessible by boat or float plane

Pierres at Echo Bay 2017


Pierres at Echo Bay sign 2017


What is your favourite quote and why

ldquoThere is a tide in the affairs of men

Which taken at the flood leads on to fortune

Omitted all the voyage of their life

Is bound in shallows and in miseries

On such a full sea we are now afloat

And we must take the current when it serves

Or lose our venturesrdquo

The reason this is my favourite quote is simply because I have always tried to grab any opportunity that came my way and I thought Shakespeare expressed that rather well It is

why my memoirs are titled ldquoRiding the Tiderdquo I never want to be sitting in my rocking chair in my dotage regretting missed opportunities that had come my way

Whatrsquos the funniest thing that has ever happened to you while at sea

I have thought hard about this and had difficulty trying to think of anything I guess it was probably watching someone trying to make bread manually when cruising in Norway

on a Fleming 55 You never saw such a mess and the final result was like a brick

Whatrsquos the biggest mistake you have ever made on the water

Not being able to remember which side of a cardinal mark to go In Singapore I went the wrong side and finished up hard aground in my GB42 We donrsquot have Cardinal marks in

the US but there are a few in Canada I now know that a North Cardinal means ldquostay North of merdquo

What is your most hated boat job

Dealing with a blocked toilet Fortunately this hasnrsquot happened with the Headhunter toilets we have on Venture

Tell us a little something about Venture

It is really hard to tell you a ldquolittlerdquo something as there is so much to tell Briefly she is hull 1 of the 65 series She was awarded ldquoBoat of the Yearrdquo in her class in Cannes (France) in

2006 She has served as a test bed for a very long list of ideas and equipment This list includes - but is not limited to engines generators steering controls thrusters electrical

system winches shaft drives She has cruised in sea water fresh water ice and tropical conditions She now has 60000 nm under her keel She has been up rivers through many

locks and out in the open ocean ndash both the Pacific and the Atlantic

Boat of the Year award 2006 Cannes with my daughter Nicky


What is the one thing you are most afraid of

Fire on board

Whatrsquos your favourite photo ever taken while at sea and why

This is an impossible question to answer I do not have one particular favourite ndash there have been so many over the years and video is really my preference anyway

Tony Zodiac Greenland 2016


What would you never leave behind when heading out to sea

I guess I would have to say ldquosufficient fuelrdquo I really donrsquot have any special good luck charm or other device

Tony tell us something about yourself that nobody knows

I am really a very transparent person What you see is pretty well what you get so I canrsquot think of anything If I could I would probably keep it to myself

Tonys first project in 1954 ndash In 1954 Tony was an apprentice at De Havillands and rebuilt this BMW with a new body The car still exists today It is in Germany in concourscondition


If you were to give one piece of advice to someone thinking of cruising the world what would it be

Make sure you understand that the ocean needs to be treated with respect and is not to be treated lightly

If you were advising someone as to the best area of the world to go cruising where would it be and why

This is hard to do because everybody has different desires and priorities For example I like to go to remote places that are hard to reach any way other than by boat or float

plane ndash and you canrsquot live in a float plane Also I would rather be too cold than too hot because the former is easier to deal with Other people prefer a warm climate surrounded

by bustling life and being able to step off the boat and visit restaurants I would just say that I see little point in visiting places where there is conflict and you run the risk of

being robbed or worse There are so many wonderful places to visit which are free from human hazards and you are only left with the natural ones That is why I like the Pacific

Northwest

Lituya Bay 2013


And finally where to next

People are always asking me this - usually when I have just stepped off the boat after being away for three months On those occasions I simply have no idea I still donrsquot as I

write this There are places I would like to visit such as Greenland but they are just so far away from where the boat is now ndash and when you have cruised there you still have to

get back

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Tony Lifetime Achievement award 2016


Thank you very much for your time will be watching this yearrsquos progress closely

To read more about Fleming Yachts please click HERE (httpwwwflemingyachtscom)

To watch some incredible videos on Ventures travels please click HERE (httpwwwyoutubecomchannelUCGKyS8Tfwc9AwEos6VSWgIg)

To visit Tony Flemingrsquos personal website please click HERE (httpwwwmywanderingstarcom)

To watch Tony Flemingrsquos personal boating and non-boating videos please click HERE (httpwwwvimeocomtonyfleming)

To read more about Tonyrsquos incredible life story why not buy a copy of his book which can be found HERE (http wwwamazoncomRiding-Tide-Engineering-Thirst-

Adventuredp1518822533 )

Good luck with your travels

Venture II in northern Iceland 2010


Over the winter 200607 engines were swopped out for a pair of MAN engines This was because our dealer on the US east coast required more horsepower and we wanted to

try the MAN engines before installing them in production boats

Tony at North Pole 2005


During the summer of 2007 we cruised the Broughton Islands (on the Canadian mainland just north of Vancouver Island) and then down the Pacific coast to Newport Beach

During the fall 2007 Venture acted as an escort vessel for the first Fubar Rally to La Paz organised by Bruce Kessler

In March 2008 cruised the Sea of Cortez Then followed our major trip during remainder of year during which we took Venture to the US east Coast via Galapagos Islands Panama

Canal Grand Cayman Florida Keys Intra-coastal Hudson River Erie Canal Lake Ontario St Lawrence Seaway and River Prince Edward Island Nova Scotia New England and back

to Chesapeake where we arrived in September

Venture II was built and shipped to Southampton in the UK where she arrived July 2009 We took her down the English Channel and later across the North Sea to Hamburg then

down the Ijssel River in Holland and up the Rhine to Dusseldorf

Starting in April 2010 we took Venture II to Ireland Scotland Faroe Islands and circumnavigated Iceland before returning to Southampton for the boat show

In April 2011 the original Venture was shipped back to the Pacific Northwest from Florida and we cruised to Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) off the coast of British

Columbia

Venture in Haida Gwaii 2011


In spring 2012 I was aboard Venture II cruising from Sweden to Denmark and Stavanger in Norway In May of the same year we took the original Venture from Vancouver Island to

Glacier Bay Alaska


























year

























































Tony Mt Kenya 1969























None














































Fire on board


















Northwest

Lituya Bay 2013





get back







































year

























































Tony Mt Kenya 1969























None














































Fire on board


















Northwest

Lituya Bay 2013





get back





































































Tony Mt Kenya 1969























None














































Fire on board


















Northwest

Lituya Bay 2013





get back























































Fire on board


















Northwest

Lituya Bay 2013





get back























Northwest

Lituya Bay 2013





get back














Guest Interview – Tony Fleming of Fleming Motor Yachts and ...flemingyachts.com/pdf/Guest...

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Transcript of Guest Interview – Tony Fleming of Fleming Motor Yachts and ...flemingyachts.com/pdf/Guest...