Best Motor Cruiser for under 50k

Steveraeside

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Hi, looking for a motor cruiser for family fun. 50k budget. Would use mostly for day trips (4 kids and dog) and the occasional weekend alway (just the two of us). Had a share in a Targa 34 in the past and 11m was a nice size.

Not in any rush and would love to hear peoples personal views on what they would go for. Especially interested in the cost effectiveness of a 25 year old larger vessel verses spending more on a newer, smaller boat with outboard.
 
For your use - kids plus dog then a Corvette 32 can be found ~ £50 - 60k, but would be cosy for 6 aboard, unless they are small kids. The Corvette has a very child and dog friendly layout as the entire deck is enclosed, with plenty of adventure places on the raised poop and then raised again flybridge.
 
Hi, looking for a motor cruiser for family fun. 50k budget. Would use mostly for day trips (4 kids and dog) and the occasional weekend alway (just the two of us). Had a share in a Targa 34 in the past and 11m was a nice size.

Not in any rush and would love to hear peoples personal views on what they would go for. Especially interested in the cost effectiveness of a 25 year old larger vessel verses spending more on a newer, smaller boat with outboard.
Hi Steve back on the search I see .
 
I like it! I was thinking about Merry Fisher 755
This will be a far better boat for the family than a MF755. Build more solidly, cheaper to run, easy to maintain too. There may be some electrical upgrades required on the plotter/sonar side if you're fussy. But it looks amazing condition and owned by an old boy who probably loved it!!
 
Spend a day on the interweb discovering whats available, if its any good it will have already been sold and if its still available there is something wrong with it. :)
Even stuff with daft prices eventually sells.
Suggestions are fine but all you will get is what people think they would buy.
What you might have settled for or put up with on a previous boat is history.
Get in the car over a weekend and go and look and anything and everything that catches your eye.
You might just find that something you once would not have even considered, might just be the boat this time round. ?
As you progress up the boat ladder comfort, space and stability tends to trump transitory things such as knots and Look -at-me -bling.
 
I’ve seen some princess 35’s for around that recently.

There used to be a bit of gap price wise between the Corniche 31 and the P35 (with the same engines) which closed during Covid, mainly by some very optimistic Corniche asking prices.
The P35 will be slower than the Corniche, at least according to the claimed top speeds of Corniche owners, but the P35 is much more spacious and comfortable boat and easier to walk round the side decks.
The P35 also boasts a lot more space around the engines.
The Corniche 31 also tends to stick its nose in the air underway reducing forward visibilty from the saloon helm to virtually nil .
This is why you always find Corniche skippers on the fly no matter how awful the wind or rain.
All Corniches BY LAW must have heavy set of davits with monster inflatable and outboard hangin off the back.
Add outdrives and its amazing how they go anywhere. :)
On the other hand they are solid well built boats that will get you there and back in conditions that might challenge more modern boats.
 
An early Fairline Turbo 36 or Sedan 36 might have been an option pre Covid but a decent one is up around 70k now.
The Fairline Targa 33 from the late 80’s, early 90’s is an option if you can find a well minded one.
 
There used to be a bit of gap price wise between the Corniche 31 and the P35 (with the same engines) which closed during Covid, mainly by some very optimistic Corniche asking prices.
The P35 will be slower than the Corniche, at least according to the claimed top speeds of Corniche owners, but the P35 is much more spacious and comfortable boat and easier to walk round the side decks.
The P35 also boasts a lot more space around the engines.
The Corniche 31 also tends to stick its nose in the air underway reducing forward visibilty from the saloon helm to virtually nil .
This is why you always find Corniche skippers on the fly no matter how awful the wind or rain.
All Corniches BY LAW must have heavy set of davits with monster inflatable and outboard hangin off the back.
Add outdrives and its amazing how they go anywhere. :)
On the other hand they are solid well built boats that will get you there and back in conditions that might challenge more modern boats.
Perhaps a rarer boat in this sector might be the lovely princess 315 or 330. Always admired both. Very hard to find for sale here though. Was one recently for £48k. Lovely thing.
 
Perhaps a rarer boat in this sector might be the lovely princess 315 or 330. Always admired both. Very hard to find for sale here though. Was one recently for £48k. Lovely thing.
We have had a couple of P330 on our mooring brilliant as a boat for any no mates couple , but only Hobbits will enjoy the 2nd cabin.
The 315 not a success and very few sold.
To small for a flybridge but must have been quick with a pair of 200 Hp engines.
Went to see a P315 when it was about 15 years old, one owner, no hours on the clocks and still had the protective plastic over all the interior upholstery.
It was in a non tidal marina.
 
We have had a couple of P330 on our mooring brilliant as a boat for any no mates couple , but only Hobbits will enjoy the 2nd cabin.
The 315 not a success and very few sold.
To small for a flybridge but must have been quick with a pair of 200 Hp engines.
Went to see a P315 when it was about 15 years old, one owner, no hours on the clocks and still had the protective plastic over all the interior upholstery.
It was in a non tidal marina.
So its gotta be a P35 then?
 
£50k doesn’t buy much these days. If you liked the T34 I was going to suggest a T29, but prices seem to have gone up considerably. Maybe a Sealine S28 if you can find one in budget.
For £50k? Not sure they exist in any decent condition. I love them since we berthed next to one at our last marina, lovely machine, the one next to us sold at £99k and it was a 2006 model…
 
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