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Fleming 55

The published record on this model and what owners report, with the questions worth asking while a boat is still a listing. This page covers the model. Every boat still needs its own homework.

A blue-water-capable semi-displacement trawler that Loops comfortably; the era-dependent engine package (early CAT 3208 vs later Cummins) drives nearly every buying decision.

The Fleming 55 has been built on essentially the same hull since 1986 with continuous year-by-year refinement, so hull number matters more than model year. The single biggest buying variable is the engine era: early boats carry Caterpillar 3208 V8s (naturally-aspirated, T, or TA) and later boats carry Cummins diesels (recent production twin Cummins QSC 8.3 500hp). Air draft to the radar arch is favorable for the Loop, but the mast/antennas are the controlling height and most Loopers relied on a hinged mast. Fuel burn is consistently reported near a gallon per nautical mile at 10 knots.

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How to read the tags on this page. CLAIMstated by one source, not yet confirmed QUESTIONopen, and settled by looking at the boat itself CONTEXTbackground on how this model is built or used Sources are linked where published.

Overview

CONTEXT
Hull number matters more than model year The Fleming 55 has been built on essentially the same hull since 1986 with constant year-by-year changes, so two boats of similar age can differ materially in systems and engine package. Match the specific hull to the correct engine era before drawing any conclusion from age alone. src: PassageMaker; Trawler Forum; Burr Yacht Sales
Your move: Ask the broker for the hull number and build year, then confirm which engine package and systems generation that hull actually shipped with.

Air draft

CLAIM
Arch height is low but the mast/antennas control clearance Builder spec lists air draft to the top of the radar arch at about 16 feet, which is favorable, but that figure excludes the mast and antennas. Real air draft as configured is considerably higher, and Loop-completing owners typically relied on a custom hinged mast that folds back to reduce height. src: Fleming spec sheet; Burr Yacht Sales
QUESTION
Does this boat have a working mast-lowering setup? Owners who Looped these boats used hinged masts (sometimes supported with an inflatable fender) to drop below low fixed bridges. Whether a given hull has that hardware, and how low it actually goes, varies boat to boat. src: Burr Yacht Sales; Fleming owner Loop account
Your move: Measure the actual as-configured air draft with everything lowered, and confirm the mast hinge/lowering arrangement exists and works before an offer.

Range and fuel

CLAIM
About one gallon per nautical mile at 10 knots Multiple sources report the twin Cummins 500 boats burn roughly 10 gph (a gallon per nautical mile) at a 10-knot cruise, with a manufacturer-cited ~1000 nm reach on full tanks. Fuel capacity is about 1000 US gallons across four tanks. An instrumented Cummins-boat test showed burn figures around 5.3 / 7.9 / 10.6 gph across the lower speed range. src: Burr Yacht Sales; Passagemaker owner interview; BoatTEST

Systems

CONTEXT
Confirm four-tank fuel management Fuel is carried in four tanks totaling roughly 1000 gallons. Multi-tank arrangements require attention to transfer, balance, and which tanks feed which engine. src: Fleming Yachts; Passagemaker; Burr Yacht Sales
Your move: Ask for the fuel transfer/manifold diagram and confirm all tanks, gauges, and transfer pumps are functional during sea trial.

Engines

The engines research is part of the full profile inside the product. It covers factory options, tested performance and the engine-specific questions in our members' dossiers, and it travels with every dossier and survey brief built on this model.

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Spotted something wrong or have first-hand knowledge of this model? Email support@caniloop.net. Corrections are how a profile earns its Facts, and we credit them however you choose. This profile reflects sources opened and verified by a person. It's buyer homework, and it makes no judgment on any particular hull.