32ft family cruiser co32 or B First 31.7?

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gregcope

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Hi All,

I am thinking about buying my first boat! I am about to do my YM and I am an ex-Dingy Instructor. I have an inexperienced spouse and young family. Budget is 30-40K.

Always been a fan of Co32's and appreciate they are fine sailing boats. However the co-joined heads are not popular, and beating off a leward shore is not the sailing we indent to do. A big Jenny is also allot to sheet in for the crew!

An alternative is a First 31.7 - early models are now roughly the same price as a good Co32 (ish). Separate heads, more volume, more recent, sugar scoop, smaller jenny. I know some have been raced, hard, but there were allot sold, and some elder ones may be less thrashed or not raced at all.

I know one is a "classic" whilst the other is AWB, but more recent, bigger sounds like a good head decision rather than a heart one. The F31.7 is more popular with my partner who does really care about ballast ratios, or AVS curves and like hot/cold water and rear cabins.

Thoughts?

Any First 31.7 owners want to comment?
 
gregcope said:
Hi All,

I am thinking about buying my first boat! I am about to do my YM and I am an ex-Dingy Instructor. I have an inexperienced spouse and young family. Budget is 30-40K.

Always been a fan of Co32's and appreciate they are fine sailing boats. However the co-joined heads are not popular, and beating off a leward shore is not the sailing we indent to do. A big Jenny is also allot to sheet in for the crew!

An alternative is a First 31.7 - early models are now roughly the same price as a good Co32 (ish). Separate heads, more volume, more recent, sugar scoop, smaller jenny. I know some have been raced, hard, but there were allot sold, and some elder ones may be less thrashed or not raced at all.

I know one is a "classic" whilst the other is AWB, but more recent, bigger sounds like a good head decision rather than a heart one. The F31.7 is more popular with my partner who does really care about ballast ratios, or AVS curves and like hot/cold water and rear cabins.

Thoughts?

Any First 31.7 owners want to comment?
Click to expand...

Your wife will prefer the Co 32, they are bullet proof & comfortable @ sea.
the 31.7 is based on the "Figaro" Hull & as such,is performance orientated with more Spartan accommodation even though it will have more room below decks
 
I think you answered your own question. The First sounds better orientated towards the sailing you will do. Will it hold it's value like a contessa? Not sure but it it is a relatively short term boat less of an issue, any boat that is not lookeed after will loose value. I love sailing My Pioneer but there is no hope of getting Mrs P out on it, something like the First may just get her on the water. You need (and I think already have) to take these things into consideration esspecially as a family boat.

Yoda
 
If you're not into racing then you should also consider the benny Oceanis it's more of a cruiser than the first which is the racing version with taller rig and deeper keel. There are plent other AWB around that length Have a look at Jeanneaus and Bavarias. IMHO Your spouse will much prefer a modern boat with more space and rear cabin. She won't care that a CO32 is bullet proof. Come to think of it I've never heard of a Jen/Ben or Bav being damaged by bullets
 
Those really are two extremes. The Contessa is an old fashioned narrow gutted sort of boat that is fashionable in the same way that a Morgan is. The world has moved on since then. The First is a light cruiser racer that sails well but will be a handful in a blow. Why not go for something a bit inbetween - like a Westerly say. And no, I dont have one myself.

If you want swmbo to sail with you, you need to make it both feel safe and civilised with decent facilities , no smell, and room to move.
 
As you have identified the two boats could not be more different. I would suggest you have a long and hard think about what sort of sailing you plan to do now, with how many on-board and what you may want to do in a few years time.

I own a CO32 and love the way it looks and sails. It suits the family sailing and racing that we do but it's not for everyone, space below is limited when in the marina but it's the perfect layout when at sea for longer periods.

Feel free to PM me is you have any specifice Co32 questions.
 
Bosun Higgs said:
Those really are two extremes. The Contessa is an old fashioned narrow gutted sort of boat that is fashionable in the same way that a Morgan is. The world has moved on since then. The First is a light cruiser racer that sails well but will be a handful in a blow.
Click to expand...

In a blow the Co32 would handle better but would also display submarine-like tendencies - it can get very wet.

I enjoyed sailing one, but if you want to take (and keep taking) the wife sailing I would not buy one. Cold, cramped and damp does not really appeal to the fairer sex.

Also, due to their reputation you tend to pay a 'premium badge' price.

Just my £0.02
 
Georgio said:
Perhaps it depends on the wife, or her expectations....?
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We sail as a family, and that's the way I like it.
I know of far too many men who sail alone. It may actually suit some, but I prefer to keep the family 'on board'.

Georgio said:
If you don't want to get wet, forget sailing
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It may just be me, but I don't get this 'sailing HAS to be uncomfortable' attitude. Once upon a time maybe, but now I like to sail in comfort with minimal effort.
 
Guapa said:
It may just be me, but I don't get this 'sailing HAS to be uncomfortable' attitude..
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I agree, I don't get it either. Sprayhood and dodgers and you have pretty dry cockpit.

While low freeboard does make yachts of this era wet when beating to windward in a blow it does also mean less windage when mooring or at anchor and a much smaller jump down when coming alongside a pontoon.

Wouldn't it be booring if we all liked the same sort of boat eh?
 
gregcope said:
Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Your post reads like you have already made up your mind (as others have observed).
You are probably right, buy the boat that they/she wants. Do your bit, try your best. Keep some money up your sleeve towards the next one though, your wife may throw in the towel after a couple of trips...
......then you can buy the boat you want.
 
A Co32 does sail well but is not a modern family boat (my son and family had one until very recently). He thinks my Moody 31 is a much better boat for family use. Sails well and has lots more accommodation including aft heads and standing headroom. Right in your price range. A late Westerly was also a good suggestion.
 
30-40 k will buy a lot of modernish 30-32 foot awb family cruisers...

Most of which would IMHO be a better bet than a CO32 or First 31 for a family new to yachting...
 
MoodySabre said:
A Co32 does sail well but is not a modern family boat (my son and family had one until very recently). He thinks my Moody 31 is a much better boat for family use. Sails well and has lots more accommodation including aft heads and standing headroom. Right in your price range. A late Westerly was also a good suggestion.
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I don't know who you think you are Mr Moodysabre.
Coming on here, giving a balanced opinion which is neither blatantly potty or outright provocative, why you have not even ascribed a totally false point of view to prevoius posters. I dunno. 7000 post as well. -)
 
Some at our club once told me "the most miserable you can be at sea is to be at sea with you wife when she isn't happy!" When I told my wife this she just smiled and I knew this was sage advice.

Therefore, FWIW go and look at asmmany different boats that you can. Take loads of notes and as many pictures. This may help you form an informed short list and then you can start to get serious!

We have a Beneteau 323 and love it to bits, we also love the older boats about and have a real sweet spot for an S&S 36 that is moored close to us.

Time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted.

Enjoy your search and I hope you get a yacht that you both like for the right reasons.

If it helps I know someone on the Solent who has a Beneteau 311 which is well spec'ed for sale and may take an offer.
 
Agree with most of the earlier sentiments. Your two alternastives are diametrically opposed and neither ideal for the purpose. There is a vast choice of boats in between in that size and price range that would be much more suitable - either more recent older style boats such as Westerlys, Moodys, Sadlers or AWBs such as Bennies, Bavs and Jennys as well as the less common counterparts. These boats all sold in big volumes when they were new because they met the needs of families, and perform the same role in the used boat market. As always in used boats, equipment and condition is generally more important than a specific design or make.
 
I'm a bit biased as I have a First 310 - the predecessor of the 31.7 and with the same Figaro hull.
For what most of us want the AWB is fine. Most of us wont be going round the Fastnet where the C32 may well be the better sea-boat, but for most of the time a decent sailing boat for mainly coastal trips and the odd Channel/North Sea crossing is fine; especially if it has good accommodation and all the facilities that you can get in to 31-32'.
Couple that with the fact that you can sail a fast boat slowly if needed but you cant make a slow boat fast; with a more performance orientated boat you have more control over how it sails - and its therefore "safer" if the weather pipes up; then the First 31.7 beats the C32 for most of us.

Oh and by the way this is a Figaro in a bit of wind..........http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_ExqQ80T5g

OK its a Figaro 2 but you get the point and its not tipping.......well most of the time:D:D:D:D:D
 
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