Blue Water

[Big Fish]

Looking for a good solid passage making blue water boat. Probably a bit of a compromise between a big heavy slowish boat that is an excellent sea keeper and something that has a reasonable turn of speed in say a force 3-4. Budget about 90k, any suggestions welcome. Thought about a Hans Christian 38 but very old ones for sale at that price

 

[Twister_Ken]

ChrisE's Rival?

http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/1977/Rival-38A-2656816/United-Kingdom#.U1magMbOeJc

 

[Neil_Y]

Too many to choose from, many of the jeaneau or earlier Bavaria's fit the description, as well as sigma, Sweden, and even a few racier models. I'd set my sights on the Nich 38 Rival 38 and had done some ocean passages in a Sweden 38 before I bought a Bav 390. The Bav was a better boat in a number of ways to all that I'd sailed before.

 

[KellysEye]

>Nich 38 Rival 38

Agree plus Bowman and Vancouver.

 

[mainsail1]

Warrior 40. Wonderful boat and not slow in winds above 8 knots. I have owned one for 17 years from new and still counting.

 

[dancrane]

Budget £90,000 you said? Here's something from left-field, for £85,000...definitely a fast trade-wind passage-maker, definitely a true blue-water boat. You'd never look back: http://yachts.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=249058

 

[Ashman]

Victory 40 - we've just crossed the Atlantic to Brazil in ours.

 

[jwilson]

Budget £90,000 you said? Here's something from left-field, for £85,000...definitely a fast trade-wind passage-maker, definitely a true blue-water boat. You'd never look back: http://yachts.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=249058

At least one of those Quasar 50s had major structural problems. Left one port on a 600 mile passage in 42 ft heavy monohull at the same time as an almost brand new Quasar, which predictably disappeared ahead into the distance. Arrived at destination after a mainly offwind passage surprised it was not already there. It limped in a day later with front saloon windows smashed, water below, huge repair estimate. Got taken ashore for repair and hull damage found. No storm, just trade wind sailing in a bit of swell. Owner and builders lawyers spent some time in court afterwards. It did appear this was a rogue boat, others probably OK, but even a beautifully built one still has very vulnerable windows forward.

The traditional choice is a Vancouver, old big Nicholson, etc. plus lots of others. But at £90K your Vancouver would likely be only 34 ft, and pretty slow. Seaworthy, yes, but size alone aids seaworthiness, as well as making for faster passage times. Before anyone falls about laughing, I'd suggest a bigger Bavaria - such as an old Axel Monhaupt Lagoon 42 would be a better choice for most trade-wind type passages, and vastly more comfortable to live aboard.

My off-field suggestion with £90K would be to look for a retired from racing S&S Swan or similar early IOR design, maybe even a Frers Dufour 39 or Grand Soleil. Would be well under your budget and you could re-engine, refit the interior systems, and get one set of new or newish heavy-weather sails. Leave the hull exterior a bit tired, shiny just attracts thieves and other miscreants. But you would have to accept deep draught. Much depends on where you want to go.

 

[dancrane]

At least one of those Quasar 50s had structural problems. Left one port on a 600 mile passage in 42 ft heavy monohull at the same time as an almost brand new Quasar, which predictably disappeared ahead into the distance. Arrived at destination after a mainly offwind passage surprised it was not already there. It limped in a day later with front saloon windows smashed, water below...Owner and builders lawyers spent some time in court afterwards. It did appear this was a rogue boat, others probably OK...

I don't think Prout have built a Quasar for over 20 years, and I never heard of this vulnerability before despite reading masses about these models. If the boat in question was brand new, I daresay the weakness was a one-off. In all honestly, I've heard of some other Prout build-quality issues, but nothing so grave as to to scare a buyer off.

The other boats suggested here are very fine, proven, attractive designs. Much better looking than any big plastic catamaran could ever be. BUT...if I was about to sink the better part of six figures into a tropical home-from-home, which must cross oceans to get there, I'd look at the layout, performance and reputed seakeeping of the sub-40ft monohulls and the 49ft cat, and as I said, I believe I'd see double and never look back. That may account for the significant proportion of catamarans already cruising round the world.

Plus, whether you're at home in a muddy creek or in the shallows of the Bahamas, the big cat floats in only 3ft of water!

I found a video for the boat in the advert above. If I thought I could afford a Quasar in the near future, I wouldn't encourage anyone to show interest...

...but if the serious question is raised, what blue-water boat will £90,000 buy, I reckon the OP would be pitiably blinkered not to think twice about monohulls, so to speak.

 

[KellysEye]

We saw over 1,500 boats in the Caribbean and excluding charter cats there were only two cruising cats, one American and one Brit, all the rest were monohulls. There must be a reason for that.

 

[TQA]

The OP needs to define what he means by blue water.

A tradewind circumnavigation through the canals is one thing.

Going down into the southern ocean or a winter west/east transatlantic is another.

Almost any 25 ft+ production boat will manage the former but I would be highly selective about choosing a boat for the later, maybe something in steel like a Joshua..

 

[TQA]

We saw over 1,500 boats in the Caribbean and excluding charter cats there were only two cruising cats, one American and one Brit, all the rest were monohulls. There must be a reason for that.

Wow that must have been a few years ago. Nowadays there are LOTS of cruising cats around, everything from Stingo on his 38 ft Maxim to Morgan on Nirvana at 64 ft. I don't know what the % would be in the southern bays in Grenada over summer but 25% + is a reasonable guess.

 

[dancrane]

The OP needs to define what he means by blue water.

I am vaguely reminded of an interesting, lively thread started last year by some joker calling himself 'Piemuncher'...

...whose thread fed on everyone's interest in other's points of view. 30 posts into the thread, I mentioned that Piemuncher was curiously quiet. He has never been heard of again.

Hopefully not the same story here.