Advice on size

[lustyd]

Whilst Jeanneau make some nice boats, and you can get a lot of LOA for not much money on the older boats …… there are countless other brands of boats which could also be considered to get a better fit to needs if necessary. Limiting to one brand is, well, limiting!

We focus on Jeanneau because they're the ones we've found that we like. It's not brand loyalty, just that for us they make better boats than the competition.

 

[Dockhead]

Re the maintenance costs, Some specifics to think about vs theories:

Engine - they both take oil, impellers, filters etc, probably not much difference between them, so not much of a consideration, but fuel consumption may be highly relevant if the HP of the engine is significantly different. Do they both have the same shaft diameter? Relevant to prop replacements etc.

Rigging, are they both the same size of standing rigging, or is the '49 a step up in diameter? Or rod vs 7x19 etc. Are they both double spreader / triple? I have seen rigger prices based on the number of spreaders (for tuning and adjustments etc)

Running rigging - both the same diameter or a step up? Obviously, bigger boat probably means more string, but is the cost per string the next price point because its 14mm not 12mm?

Both of the above, if they are the same diameters etc, its a toss up, if they are a step up - that's the next bracket in costs of replacement terms.

Marinas - others have commented.

Moorings - in addition to the 12m limit, they often have a weight limit - 10t or 12t. Are one or both under/over that common cut off?

Sail plan - what's the difference in area? Most sail valet costs I've found are weight based - more sail = more cost.

Boat lift - typically weight limited, but can be length limited. longer boat might restrict where you can get a lift out.


"too much boat if I buy the 49" - reefing - manual , single line , furling main etc? Power winches? bow thruster? Hard to compare, a push button 49 might be easier to short hand than a manual 40.

my 2p (but what a situation to be making a decision on!)

M

Very good comments. Worth more than 2p in my opinion.

17 years ago I was in the market for a new to me yacht after some decades sailing on my father 38' Pearson in America.

I had been chartering 45' boats in the Aegean and Adriatic and thought that would be a good size for me, maybe just a bit larger. I tried to buy a 49'-er which however failed the survey.

I ended up with a Moody 54 which I thought was too big, but was such a great boat in so many ways that I held my nose and decided I would live with that somehow.

I very quickly forgot that I ever thought she was too big, and now 17 years later I still have her. If I were in the market to buy a different boat, in fact, I would go a little bigger still -- maybe 60'.

What concerns costs, the above is a very good analysis. Systems and their maintenance, repair and replacement will be very similar regardless of the size of the boat.

Biggest difference is the cost of SAILS. This cost goes up way out of proportion to size, in fact even out of proportion to sail area, because the cloth has to be heavier, the longer the spans in the sail. If you've ever talked to the crew of a professionally crewed superyacht you will probably know that the owners forbid the crew from using the sails when the owners are not on board -- because the cost per mile far exceeds the cost of motoring.

Fuel cost will go up as a linear function of displacement.

Berthing is usually by the metre, but some Euro countries charge by area (length x beam).

A boat as big as 49' will be too big for many moorings, but will be accommodated in 95% of all marinas.

Other advantages to a little more size -- carry a larger anchor and heavier chain, anchor in deeper water. Better motion. Faster passage times (waterline length). Less sensitive to loading. More storage space. More tankage.