Another mobo question please

Robin

Robin

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What does the panel consider the best of older, as in affordable, used shaft drive mobos around 35-45ft I'm looking at Princesses (385, 41, 45) Fairlines ( Turbo 36s) and Brooms ( variations on 37s) want something for long term cruising, so comfy in harbour for long periods at times between outings, yet capable of actually going somewhere when asked in most normal south coast weather. Flat out speed not a priority, but easy to handle by two wrinklies is. Budget under 80,000 squids and looking at turn key not project.

Once again TIA for the anticipated flood of wisdom.
 
oldgit said:
At that money got to be the T36 for volume and pace ?, wide choice,dozens on the freesites and brokers listings at the moment.
http://www.newsnow.co.uk/classifieds/boats-for-sale/fairline-turbo-36-for-sale-uk.html

A 1987 up at Medway Bridge Marina just reduced to £50K.
Think the general opinion is avoid the very small engine versions but the next two engines up are OK.
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The ones I fancy on paper have 306hp volvos, but may be sold anyway before we get to them. My question really was related to are they good boats, good at sea in a chop or not, easy handling, with or without a bow thruster, that kind of thing. Engines easy to access for service, do they roll in a cross sea, yada yada yada. Ones with Copperbot might help keep annual maintenance costs down too. One of the 'Essex ones is actually in southern France, only the broker is in Essex. I'm mentally eliminating older Brooms with HT engines as being risky investments. Still not excluding saily boats either as several goodies with new or recent engines are about still.
 
Old sailors tend to favour the Nimbus 320 coupe. At 32 feet slightly shorter than your spec. but a well built capable semi d seaworthy boat with good accommodation for 2. Saloon plus 2 cabins so four for a weekend. Cruises about 17 k.
As a Scandinavian more suited to English Channel than Mediterranean climes.
 
If you are restricting yourself to buying in the UK then as OG says, T36 probably takes it for space vs value vs seakeeping. Everything from the UK builders at that age is going to have the same horrid drab interior so no point really pointing that out. They are of an age though where finding a turn key boat is going to be the challenge - Id try to source the latest T36/38 you can, late ones will push your budget but they will be worth it. There are a number of Late (post 1990) Turbo 36 boats on yachtworld for between £60-70k and even one Genuine Turbo 38 (the two 1990 boats listed as 38s arent, they are 36s).

Failing that, a Trader 41 or 41+2 is a good long term cruising boat. Again all of the above applies and the age means finding a truly turn key boat will be tough. Here http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/1990/Trader-41+2-2994917/United-Kingdom#.WQtnxBPyuUk is a nice looking one just over your budget but apparently had a'detailed refit' in 2016 (in my experience this means they cleaned it, polished it, updated some nav bits and if you are lucky did the upholstery). Still, asking £90k and I think you'd likely get it for your budget.

Of the princess range, the 435 satisfies a lot of people. Again you are back to the oh so grim 1970s interior complete with brown tiles in the galley. You get a lower dinette in these instead of the optional 3rd cabin which might give you some more lounging space. this one http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/1990/Princess-435-2571461/United-Kingdom#.WQtkbhMrKUk looks well cared for, has updated fabrics and in budget. it also has the dinette rather than 3rd cabin.

If you want something that looks like it was built sometime after the ark then you should also consider sealine. For pace/space you cannot beat a 390/410/F43. For your budget you are looking late 390/early 410 but still good boats. Much more modern to look at (if you like that) and the saloon is huge, with an equally huge lower dinette opposite the galley. Excellent FB and social aft cockpit. Snag here is none in the UK in budget, but perhaps one to hunt for.

In terms of 'no projects' might also be worth looking at the Jeanneau Prestige 36. Smaller end of your size requirement so no where near as voluminous as the others. However, this means a much nicer interior, newer engines etc and you'd be looking at 2002/2004 boats rather than 1987/1991 boats. Only you can descide if its roomy enough but they are good boats, handle a sea as well as any planing boats as they are on shafts and had the option of some nice big engines. Again you may have to go abroad for the best choice. of the ones available this one http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/2003/Jeanneau-Prestige-36-2922234/France#.WQtmVBMrKUk looks in fine fettle plus has the upgraded TAMD63P engine option - excellent engines with a good reputation and 370HP are a good fit with the P36. Easy trip back from La Rochelle over a weekend. Plus a 2003 boat, so a whole decade plus newer than the alternatives.

If it were me, for long term cruising id go for the Trader
 
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tom52 said:
Old sailors tend to favour the Nimbus 320 coupe. At 32 feet slightly shorter than your spec. but a well built capable semi d seaworthy boat with good accommodation for 2. Saloon plus 2 cabins so four for a weekend. Cruises about 17 k.
As a Scandinavian more suited to English Channel than Mediterranean climes.
Click to expand...

Doesn't tick the long term live aboard box however, need some space for lots of stuff. Sorry, my fault because I wasn't specific enough .
 
Whitelighter said:
If you are restricting yourself to buying in the UK then as OG says, T36 probably takes it for space vs value vs seakeeping. Everything from the UK builders at that age is going to have the same horrid drab interior so no point really pointing that out. They are of an age though where finding a turn key boat is going to be the challenge - Id try to source the latest T36/38 you can, late ones will push your budget but they will be worth it. There are a number of Late (post 1990) Turbo 36 boats on yachtworld for between £60-70k and even one Genuine Turbo 38 (the two 1990 boats listed as 38s arent, they are 36s).

Failing that, a Trader 41 or 41+2 is a good long term cruising boat. Again all of the above applies and the age means finding a truly turn key boat will be tough. Here http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/1990/Trader-41+2-2994917/United-Kingdom#.WQtnxBPyuUk is a nice looking one just over your budget but apparently had a'detailed refit' in 2016 (in my experience this means they cleaned it, polished it, updated some nav bits and if you are lucky did the upholstery). Still, asking £90k and I think you'd likely get it for your budget.

Of the princess range, the 435 satisfies a lot of people. Again you are back to the oh so grim 1970s interior complete with brown tiles in the galley. You get a lower dinette in these instead of the optional 3rd cabin which might give you some more lounging space. this one http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/1990/Princess-435-2571461/United-Kingdom#.WQtkbhMrKUk looks well cared for, has updated fabrics and in budget. it also has the dinette rather than 3rd cabin.

If you want something that looks like it was built sometime after the ark then you should also consider sealine. For pace/space you cannot beat a 390/410/F43. For your budget you are looking late 390/early 410 but still good boats. Much more modern to look at (if you like that) and the saloon is huge, with an equally huge lower dinette opposite the galley. Excellent FB and social aft cockpit. Snag here is none in the UK in budget, but perhaps one to hunt for.

In terms of 'no projects' might also be worth looking at the Jeanneau Prestige 36. Smaller end of your size requirement so no where near as voluminous as the others. However, this means a much nicer interior, newer engines etc and you'd be looking at 2002/2004 boats rather than 1987/1991 boats. Only you can descide if its roomy enough but they are good boats, handle a sea as well as any planing boats as they are on shafts and had the option of some nice big engines. Again you may have to go abroad for the best choice. of the ones available this one http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/2003/Jeanneau-Prestige-36-2922234/France#.WQtmVBMrKUk looks in fine fettle plus has the upgraded TAMD63P engine option - excellent engines with a good reputation and 370HP are a good fit with the P36. Easy trip back from La Rochelle over a weekend. Plus a 2003 boat, so a whole decade plus newer than the alternatives.

If it were me, for long term cruising id go for the Trader
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That P435was on my radar already as was one Jeanneau that is now sold. We will not be in position to go Euroshopping having just returned from the USA, and with only a rental car as transport and limited funds.. We like a P385 we have seen in the UK too, albeit a long ways north and up a river, don't know how they handle mind. .
 
Robin said:
Doesn't tick the long term live aboard box however, need some space for lots of stuff. Sorry, my fault because I wasn't specific enough .
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Aah ! Liveaboard probably not.
If you used the guest cabin for storage extended summer long cruises could work.
 
I loved my Turbo 36 and for long term stays aboard the aft cabin is hard to beat from privacy and comfort.

The 1988 ones had the 306 TAMD61As and will do around 25 - 28 knots, but at that speed you can see the fuel gauges dropping. My 1986 one had the excellent TAMD60Cs, and would cruise all day at 16-18 knots and top out clean bum at 23 knots. If you come across Ocean Belle for sale then when I sold her in 2015 she was virtually defect free. I suspect she may come on the market as the chap who bought her was his first purchase and I am not sure he has used her much. Worth looking in the Eastbourne area, as he took her to Sovereign Harbour. I had done all the nasty / expensive jobs on OB, e,g. cutlass bearings and new PSS seals, heat exchangers, and gearbox oil coolers, new Eberspacher. Servicing the engines can be a challenge especially if you are tall.

The reason we sold her was the high aft deck, which made mooring quite difficult and you have to get good at lassoing cleats, and we found the deck space was not that sociable a layout. Also at fast cruise you couldn't see pot markers within 100m of the boat from the lower helm due to the bow rise, so on a fast passage I was always up on the fly as 'billy no mates'.

She was excellent in a heavy sea except when on the quarter when she would roll a bit, unless you can match the boats speed to the wave speed and have her surfing for several minutes at a time - now that was real fun.

1.5 MPG at fast cruise 16 knots and ~ 2.5 - 3 MPG at slow cruise ~ 8 knots.

My move was down in size to the Corvette, a boat that I will be keeping to grow old in ! Smaller cabin but so what, a doddle to park, great for the dogs and kids and excellent vision in any weather.

Good luck in your search.
 
I would also be considering both the Nimbus 370 (otherwise marketed as the trawler 37) and similar to the Sealine 390/410 the big sister; sealine 450. There was one for sale in Poole that sold around Christmas and was on the market for around £75k. Both of these boats I see as being a more modern boat than the obvious P435 and T36 although I think the T36 is a real modern classic.

Best of luck with the search.
 
You're very welcome to have a look around my T36 on the Medway if that helps (very much not for sale though)

Not a huge amount of storage space, but that helps with the sheer volume inside and, of course, you have the substantial front cabin for storage space if not being used for accommodation.
Engine access is widely regarded as being a bit challenging, but in all honesty, belts and filters are easy to get at. Heat exchangers - not so much but depending on which side you want to get to and I'd imagine that all boats must have their own particular access problems when putting such large engines in a comparatively small space.
Biggest frustration is checking the coolant level on the port engine. For something which needs to be done so regularly, you shouldn't need to lift the heavy settee to get to in my opinion! Some owners split the seating, or the engine hatch to make it easier. I have a system which involves propping it up on a small block of wood meaning the access panel is then easy to slide out (easier to see in person than to explain!)

Side decks are high, which could be a problem for some. But, if you're not carrying a dingy then you can easily scrabble up from the swim platform giving you two access levels.
Although the high sides are a pain at times, for me personally, this is compensated for by the the 3 step access to the flybridge.

Aft deck is a little exposed, there is a local boat that has all manner of canvas fitted to protect those outside areas. Not something I'd personally want, I have a passionate dislike of canvas. A bimini on the flybridge will give shelter from the sun if needed, and if too windy/cold to sit on the aft deck, we just go inside! But, obviously, everyone has different preferences.

Can't really answer your other questions, I'm too new to boating. But, I bought it based on hours of research about seakeeping and close quarter handling, couldn't find a single bad word written about them. Certainly rolls a bit in a beam sea, but what doesn't? the only other large boat I've handled in a person in a heavy sea was a swift trawler 42 and mine was no worse than that for rolling and I found that close quarter handling a lot easier in my T36.

Although I find the size of the boat intimidating (coming from a soap dish with outdrive,) I haven't had any actual issues with mooring in various marinas/taking it through locks etc. Also the instructor I did a couple of hours training with was very impressed by how compliant she was at close quarters so it can't be too bad.

Mine has the 306's, not sure I'd really want to go much smaller than that based on my vast 16 months of experience!!
I'm sure the 255's are fine, the 235's must be getting close to the limit and the 165's must be completely undergunned.
There was a boat with 2X 300hp cummins for sale, but I believe that sold recently and a handful of boats with the much despised BMW engines although these seem to be scarce.

With the choice of boats out there, and the way they've dropped in price over the last couple of years, I'm just not sure there's be much point going for smaller engine options.
Mine has been incredibly economical on the river, a lot is obviously due to the 6 knot limit and although we do a lot of the club cruises at displacement speed, I'm also not shy about running her on the plane whenever the opportunity is there.

Hope that helps!
 
Robin, I can't add anything re T36 apart from the fact that a friend once had one and he found it the most comfortable boat on which to lounge, he said the seats were the right shape and size. He sold it for a larger Fairline and always regretted doing so as the U shaped seats did not accommodate his lounging in anywhere near as much comfort.

Have you now returned to the U.K.?
 
longjohnsilver said:
Robin, I can't add anything re T36 apart from the fact that a friend once had one and he found it the most comfortable boat on which to lounge, he said the seats were the right shape and size. He sold it for a larger Fairline and always regretted doing so as the U shaped seats did not accommodate his lounging in anywhere near as much comfort.

Have you now returned to the U.K.?
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Not yet back but working hard on it! we sold everything going west and doing the same eastbound will not raise the same capital, so we are looking at combining living and leisure albeit in cooler waters with more expensive fuel.:disgust: You boat would do very nicely, but I suspect not at a price we could afford! So beggars cannot be too choosey hence our tentative possibles list above.
 
Northshore Ranger 36 if you can find a good one and can live with the Ford Sabre engines. Powerful boat, good hull, aft cabin and will do 20 knots into a force 6. There was one on Apollo Duck for an incredible £26000 but I've no idea about the condition.
 
Whitelighter said:
P385 is a bit of a dog in my opinion but each to their own.
With boats like the 435 and the trader around unless it was so cheap you couldn't avoid it (like half price cheap) I'd go elsewhere.
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I'm sure Ross Savage will love you for making that comment, have you ever been to sea in one? I have , the bennet hull was better than some of the earlier hulls Princess used by a more famous designer, there very good In a head sea and don't fall on there chines like some other British designed power boats,
 
volvopaul said:
I'm sure Ross Savage will love you for making that comment, have you ever been to sea in one? I have , the bennet hull was better than some of the earlier hulls Princess used by a more famous designer, there very good In a head sea and don't fall on there chines like some other British designed power boats,
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I do think it's sweet you defend any boat one of your customers own.
Yes I have been out on one, but also I have eyes. Just my opinion, which everyone is more than welcome to ignor
 
Whitelighter said:
I do think it's sweet you defend any boat one of your customers own.
Yes I have been out on one, but also I have eyes. Just my opinion, which everyone is more than welcome to ignor
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Ross savage isn't a client he's on here , I've never met him however I've done a few miles on a 385.
Shall I start on Italian boats? Osmosis after 4 years is a good stating subject
 
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