32ft family cruiser co32 or B First 31.7?

doug748 said:
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. -)
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Oh sorry - will try to be more provocative and cantankerous in the future :D

Oops just seen you are a Co32 owner - bloody marvellous boats - don't know why everyone doesn't have one :)

How did I do :p;) :):):)
 
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Greg

As the others have said... and as you already well know, very different boats. The more modern boat will be much easier to clean, to maintain and to handle around marinas I'm sure. I have had the same pull in two directions whilst looking for boats.

Remember to check that that what you find does indeed have hot water.. some have a small raw (sea) water only cooled engine which does not get hot enough to give hot water. And draining shower cubicles with pumps (Although showers are not often used if you're hopping marina to marina).

Whatever you get.. a good engine is needed - you'll be motoring more than you think with a family .. and needing to get to places on time.

I enjoyed a previous boat - the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 29.2 A very similar layout to the 31.7 and going for something slightly shorter will save on mooring fees, maintenance fees, be easier to berth.. and allow to save more money for the next boat up!

Keep looking!

BTW - Are you the Greg Cope I knew from Littlehampton? Martin J.
 
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.

As with other comments - if you have an inexperienced family there is a real possibility that you can scare them off with a gung ho boat.

For years I was happy sailing a spartan 24 ft gaffer. Immense fun, excellent 'bang for buck'. Then wife came along. She really enjoys sailing but... she gets cold (I never do) she get ill (I never do). She enjoyed sailing the gaffer - but on a warm offshore windy day - ie cracking sail little sea. Now kids queer the pitch more... the old gaffer was out alas.

Looked at various things - being in N.Wales with beaches galore I decided a bilge keel boat was a good bet for kids - you just park on the beach & enjoy. So I picked a Colvic Countess. I'd have picked the Moody 34 but they were just out of my budget. The first colvic was ruined in a yard fire before I'd even sailed her (next boat burned - ours was damaged just enough). I then bought a pilothouse version of the countess. How caravanny can you get! Yes it's a fat old tub but we have spent NUMEROUS weekend aboard since purchased. The first year I only had the sails up once, we motored around harbours and didn't go far at all.... but confidence was built & above all the kids (2 & 4) and the missus never caught a fright. This year we actually sailed a few times, & saw seals & everyone it STILL super keen.

Having been through it I'd strongly recommend a more family friendly boat (unless your are a very adventurous lot). Countess 33 was a great buy, if you have the cash look for a ready to sail Moody 34 - I think they will continue to hold their value very well. If you have lots of suitable local beaches do consider a BK yacht, but unless you delight in sandcastles save the hassle, get a better performing version of the same yacht & stick to the single keel.

The countess was especially good as it has 2 heads - one in the aft cabin and one next to the forepeack. If you plan to cruise with friends or family (my mum comes with us very often) the extra privacy is immensely appreciated.

Even if you discount the two I have suggested as heavy old tubs (fair comment) take your family round one to have a look - you will get a totally different view of what sailing can be like.Or check out multihulls as well o'course.

I NEVER want to see a row of deflated faces when I say "shall we go to the boat this weekend". So far, I get nagged to GO sailing. There's a lot of blokes brought their family to sailing who never get that (not after the first time anyway).

Finally, give your family the final say... you can NEVER be nagged at for the choice of yacht then!!!!

The best of luck to you all

Cheers SmileyG
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MoodySabre said:
Oops just seen you are a Co32 owner - bloody marvellous boats - don't know why everyone doesn't have one :)

How did I do :p;) :):):)
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Much better..

"A Co32 does sail well but is not a modern family boat (my son and family had one until very recently). "

.....but your earlier post betrays an actual knowledge of one of the boats, black mark there. ;)

Seriously, I think you are right. If one member of the team is uncertain then a C32 is not the boat for family use. I feel the absolute max for most would be Mum Dad and two very little ones anyway.
 
Guapa said:
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.
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Couldn't agree more. Things have moved on since the Contessa was designed. Just like your car now has a heater and reliability, modern boats are dryer, faster and more comfortable.
 
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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people do have some funny ideas about sailing performance. The PY handicap system is based on boats actual sailing results in races - it's not a theoretical calculation but on the water performance. Not everyone wants to go racing but the PY race handicaps are useful information when comparing cruising boats. The PY of a Contessa 32 is 992 and that of a Moody 31 fin is 996 - virtually identical. That of a Bav 34 is 932 or 6% faster. The Contessa may have been fast in its day but the Contessa is pretty average by modern standards
 
It is not really sensible to compare older and newer boats by length - the older style boats such as the CO32 are smaller in almost every way than a more modern boat like the First 31.

I sail a Centurion32 which is the same as the CO32 in almost every respect, and I sail with a young family (ages 4 & 7). IMHO it is not really an ideal boat for the circumstances. In particular we find the accommodation just too cramped for the young children - although that will probably get better as they get older and need less space (strange but true :) ).

There is no doubt that the CO32 sails very well - especially in heavy conditions - but with a young family you are highly unlikely to be out in anything like those conditions; and the downside is that the CO32 is more tippy in lighter winds that can unnecessarily unsettle the kids.

Also I would say that the CO32 is over priced for what it is - while undoubted a very good boat there are others that are as good or better for less money. A combination of their legendary status and the active one-class racing means they fetch a premium that their condition rarely justifies.

IMHO as a first family boat for the inexperienced I would go for something more middle-of-the-road - Westerly, Moody and so on
 
If none of you is too tall or large then I suggest a Jeanneau Sun-Dream 28 worth looking at, you can get one for £20-25k. Amazing room for the size, has 2 separate doubles, separate aft heads, sails well and is easily handled but is very light. Looks better than the fat at the back more modern 30-odd footers, they are from around 1990...
 
In reply to the raw water engines don't do hot water.My Volvo 2003 raw water cooled engine gives oodles of hot water via the normal calorifier.Volvo do a kit to do the hot water thing as do other manufacturers.All in a Moody 31(see Moody Sabres post)
 
Thanks all.

Sensible seems to be go big/newer. Heart and a few Co32 fans say go for the looker.

I will get swmbo to read this and see what she says.

Martin_J said:
BTW - Are you the Greg Cope I knew from Littlehampton? Martin J.
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Yep that's me.

What are you sailing now?
 
Well you have lots of suggested alternatives.

I haven't sailed a First 31.7 but have sailed a Contessa 32. Answering your question I would go for the Beneteau out of the two that you asked about.

In reality with young children your are unlikely to be sailing in rough weather. More likely you want a boat that will sail well in ligher airs, especially if you are used to dinghies. Moreover everyone will appreciate the space and creature comforts on the more modern boat. Surely this is more important in bringing your family along with your dream than the ability to round the horn.

The Beneteau will be able to handle all the weather you are likely to encounter, albeit not as comfortably as the CO32. Other than the ability to handle extreme weather I am struggling to think of any advantage the CO32 has over the beneteau
 
matt1 said:
The Beneteau will be able to handle all the weather you are likely to encounter, albeit not as comfortably as the CO32. Other than the ability to handle extreme weather I am struggling to think of any advantage the CO32 has over the beneteau
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Well the Co32 looks pretty, and is probably around the bottom of the depreciation curve, and I have always lusted after them....

That being said I think you have summed it well, thanks.
 
sailorman said:
they are quite small volume for the length
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Peter Poland wrote about the Dehler 34 recently in PBO, and chose it as his favourite of that size and era boat, mostly cos he said it was more spacious inside than the rest, to quote him "it looks a treat, sails superbly, has a trim and spacious modern interior and is well engineered".
I was on one briefly at the weekend that was pulling into the marina before I departed, nice boat, I wouldn't have thought it was especially small, can the CO32 be much bigger!!! How much volume do you really expect or need at this length boat!
 
Many of the responses above have emphasised sailing and bad weather performance, both of which are important, of course. However, in your situation there are other issues, just as important. One is foresail size and winches. You are likely to be the principal helm, leaving your wife and children to carry out many of the other activities. An older sail configuration might have a 150% genoa, which can be extremely difficult to wind in when sailing is at its best. You might consider a boat that carries more of its sail area in the main, and perhaps even a self-tacking jib.
 
ditchcrawler said:
In reply to the raw water engines don't do hot water.My Volvo 2003 raw water cooled engine gives oodles of hot water via the normal calorifier.Volvo do a kit to do the hot water thing as do other manufacturers.All in a Moody 31(see Moody Sabres post)
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It's not the most effective way of doing things. I had a Moody 336 with exactly the same engine and despite everything being in tip top condition, the best it could ever manage was tepid after 3 hours running. Yet a pal with a Moody 31 had exactly the same experience as you. Volvo do do a kit but they equally tell you if you ask them that using a calorifier with one of their raw water cooled engines is not a good idea and doesnt really work.

When you investigate the circulation of the water its easy to see why. The thermostat opens up a small flow of water through the cylinder head and into the calorifier - the major part of the flow bypasses this and goes straight through into the exhaust. The Volvo kit reduces this flow but cant cut it back sufficiently to force lots through the calorifier for fear of damaging the exhaust as the engine warms up.

Sadler used to use a pump in the calorifier circuit to help.
 
I think you are all missing something fairly vital, your wife is a woman, therefore she will have a mind of her own, and if she falls in love with a particular boat, thats the only one she will be happy in :)
If she loves the boat, and it was her choice then she will put up with being wet and cramped, and she will also be able to visually assess whether she and the children can cope with the conditions of a particular boat, when she views it.

(I love my little Contessa 26 and happily spend hours with waves coming over me, crouching over as I cook and wash up, no running hot water)
Chrissie
 
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