NAUTICALweb - Guy Couach

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Text and photographs by Antonio Bignami

GUY COUACH - 170 FLY

The French Yard Guy Couach maintained the same design characteristics and outline of the 170 Fly but considerably improved the boat's stability and maneuverability under way, her interiors and habitability (especially in the cabins) as well as her standard fittings. We tested the new Guy Couach 170 Fly outside Cannes harbor on a day with moderate sea and a strong southwesterly wind. Notwithstanding the rough meteorological conditions, the boat was very stable and responsive, safe and maneuverable.

Her interiors include excellent layout solutions: forward there are two bathrooms; the guest cabin to port includes one single bed and a double bed on the same level. This cabin is the ideal space for 3 or 4 animated children. Valid solutions include the internal stairway to the flying bridge, the three access doors to the side decks, the double settees in the salon and the forward crew quarters. As far as standard fittings are concerned, please refer to the technical data below. Fittings include air conditioning, bow-thruster, generating set and several nature-preserving systems that are not listed in the technical section, such as the disposal of sewage waters. Finally, there are the construction technologies, the ten-year warranty against osmosis, the very interesting quality/price ratio (the boat is delivered fully fitted) and the low fuel consumption at cruising speed, which means greater range in terms of miles and hours of navigation.

TECHNICAL DATA

Designer: Guy Couach
Yard: Guy Couach France, Rue De L'Yser, 33470 Gujan-Mestras (France); tel. +33-5-56223550; fax +33-5-56660820
French taxes: 20.6%
LOA: 57'5"
Beam: 15'3"
Depth: 10'6"
Draft from lower tip of propellers: 3'7"

Light displacement: 17.7 tons; Full boat displacement: 21.6 tons
Maximum passengers capacity: 15
Berths: 7+1 in 4 cabins
Power: 2x600 HP inboard TD MTU 6R 183 TE93
Total installed power: 1,200 hp
Total engines and reduction gears weight: 5,519 lbs.
Light displacement/installed power ratio: 15
Type of transmission: in-line shaft
Maximum declared speed at 2,500 rpm's: 31 knots
Cruising speed at 2,100 rpm's: 28 knots
Declared fuel consumption at cruising speed: 47.5 gallons/hr
Range at cruising speed: approx. 545 miles
Fuel capacity: 924 gallons
Water capacity: 264.2 gallons
Price with standard equipment and test boat power: FF 4,700,000 plus 20.6 % tax
Notes: foreigners may lease the Guy Couach 170 Fly and not pay the French 20.6% tax. Optional power: 2x490 hp GM, 2x600 hp Volvo Penta, 2x660 hp MTU.

CONSTRUCTION CHARACTERISTICS

Hull: deep V-hull
Hull construction material: composite hand-stratified sandwich of fiberglass, resins and balsa; ten-year warranty against osmosis
Deck materials and characteristics: deck assembled and later stratified together with the hull to form a single very resistant block
Bow area: forward pulpit, stem fitting with anchor and anchor chain, three operating stations windlass, 2 mooring bitts and fairleads, 2 fender holders on pulpit, 2 hatches (crew quarters access through forward hatch), sunning area and cushioning, 2 grabrails on deck, 2 access doors to starboard on side decks, 1 for the galley and the other one for the helm station, 1 access door to port, 2 mooring bitts amidships
Cockpit arrangements and fittings: teak deck with ladder connecting the flying bridge, aft settee with locker, 2 mooring bitts and 2 fairleads with mooring winch, access hatch to the aft platform, shower with hot/cold water mixer, 220V dockside electric connection, multi-function hydro-electric gangway

Characteristics of the aft platform: teak deck with recessed swimming ladder
Superstructures and windows materials: deck fittings in anodized aluminum and teak, windows in tempered glass
Characteristics of the flying bridge: roll bar, one access ladder from the cockpit and one access stairway from the salon, aluminum pulpit. The upper helm station is fitted with steering wheel, engine controls, instruments and engine indicators, magnetic compass, log indicator, echo sounder, GPS, rudder angle indicator, automatic pilot, flap controls. In addition, the flying bridge includes anchor windlass, electric searchlight, pilot's seat and co-pilot's settee for three passengers with incorporated bar, L-shaped dinette with table and sunning cushioning aft.

INTERIORS

Layout and characteristics: forward Owner stateroom includes a double bed, 2 hanging lockers, settee and two bathrooms, one with shower stall and one with sink and toilet. To starboard there is one guest stateroom with twin beds, hanging locker and full bathroom. To port there is another guest stateroom with one single bed and a double bed on the same level, hanging locker and full bathroom. Crew quarters are forward with one bed, locker and marine toilet, access is through the forward hatch. Access to the salon is from the cockpit through a sliding glass door; the salon is on two levels and includes an L-shaped settee to port with opposite table and bar. Forward of the stairway, to port, there is an L-shaped settee with table, the separated galley and the full helm station with pilot and co-pilot seats are to starboard. Upholstery and lining on request

Main helm station: pilot and co-pilot seats, teak and aluminum hydraulic wheel power steering, engine and reversing gear hydraulic controls, full instruments and engine indicators, bow- thruster control (in upper helm station as well), flaps control and rudder angle indicator, magnetic compass, log, echo-sounder, duplex VHF, automatic pilot, 24-mile radar, GPS plotter
Chart table: to port of the helm station
Galley: separated galley with several cabinets, drawers and bins, two sinks with hot/cold water mixer, 58-gallon refrigerator and 13-gallon freezer, range with either 4 burners or 4 electric hobs, oven may be electric, microwave or gas, extractor, dish-washer.

FITTINGS

Standard fittings: bow-thruster, flaps, air conditioning plant, water heater, hi-fi stereo, CD player and TV set with VCR in the salon, ice-maker in the salon, fire-fighting system in the engine room, 8 kW insulated generating set.

IMPRESSIONS

SEA AND WEATHER CONDITIONS DURING BOAT TESTING
Wind: 10-12 knot southwesterly and increasing
Sea: moderate with head waves

PERFORMANCE
Time needed to reach planing speed: 6 seconds
Minimum planing speed at 1,600 rpm's: 18.2 knots
Maximum speed at 2,500 rpm's: 29.8 knots with 1,200 hp

EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE

Seakeeping ability, turning and behavior on waves: at first we test the trim and the maneuverability of Guy Couach 170 Fly, we did not touch the steering wheel, position of the wheel was at 0. Initially we just used the flaps, then the reversing gear. Direction control (with flaps) and docking maneuverability (with reversed gear) were excellent. Thanks to the sea conditions we could appreciate the boat's behavior on waves
Wheel and flap response: excellent
Visibility in the different weather conditions: excellent from the flying bridge and from the main helm station in the salon
Docking maneuverability: excellent.

EVALUATION OF COMFORT AND FUNCTIONALITY

Deck: deck is fully fitted and very well made
Flying bridge: comfortable and elegant; double access is highly appreciated
Interiors: top-quality finishing and excellent layout
Passengers' comfort: excellent
Helm stations: perfect positioning and comfortable
Chart table: comfortable
Galley: excellent layout and fully fitted
Bathrooms: fully fitted and very spacious
Engine room: very good access and with ample space
Electrical switchboard and plants: fully fitted and very well positioned.

Copyright (C) 1995-2008 Nautica Editrice S.r.l.. Via Tevere, 44 - 00198 Roma (Italy) - Phone +39 06 8413060 - Fax +39 06 8543653
PI 00904971009 - Registration no. 620 19/12/1995 and no. 302 7/07/2003 in the Court of Rome's Press Register.
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without publisher's written permission.
Design: Paolo Ciraci. Other sites: nautica | scubaweb | pescaweb | pagine azzurre | euroweather | eurometeo mobile | meteomed | olympic
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Copyright (C) 1995-2008 Nautica Editrice S.r.l.. Via Tevere, 44 - 00198 Roma (Italy) - Phone +39 06 8413060 - Fax +39 06 8543653 PI 00904971009 - Registration no. 620 19/12/1995 and no. 302 7/07/2003 in the Court of Rome's Press Register. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without publisher's written permission. Design: Paolo Ciraci. Other sites: nautica \| scubaweb \| pescaweb \| pagine azzurre \| euroweather \| eurometeo mobile \| meteomed \| olympic		Homepage Site search Our advertisers Contacts