Boat advice again

benjenbav

benjenbav

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Moving further along in my search for the next boat I seem to have had a bit of a change of plan. Previously, the favourite was a Phantom 38/40. However, Mrs benjenbav would prefer something a little less crash-bang over the waves and with more interior volume.

Following a lot of discussion on here about bigger Aqua-Stars I have started looking at the Aqua-Star Oceanranger 38 and find I am quite attracted.

I would be grateful for any comments from anyone with experience of these.
 
Mrs bjb might not like the poky saloon and draughty uncovered aft deck. No flybridge either. However the large aft cabin might be attractive and, of course, the seakeeping is excellent
I hate to mention the T word but a Trader would give you a softer ride and voluminous accomodation that Mrs bjb might approve of but at the expense of speed and fuel consumption. Grand Banks are similar in style but with a better hull but more expensive
 
Happy to report that after being out on a Phantom 38 over the weekend in some uncomfortable seas they are not all that 'crash bang'. Several times I braced for a hard landing and it simply didn't arrive. Ok, had to slow down a bit, but only to about 16 knts at worst.
 
That's good to know. I tend to be either planing at 20+ knots or right down to 12 with nothing very comfortable in between, particularly for those who aren't driving.
 
Interesting comments re Traders. I have a Trader 50 and set off for our 2 weeks holiday at the beginning of July with wife, 6 month old son and friends on board. Nasty, nasty weather...never below a F5 for 2 weeks Planned to go to France but pushed west up the English coast instead with hope springing eternal and triumphing over experience. I have over 20 years on yachts but the weather patterns was a new experience for me. Stuck in Poole for 3 days ( next to a Sunseeker 108 who wouldn't go out !!! )_but got to Salcombe and then came back. Trader behaved marvellously throughout in atrocious upwind, uphill conditions, and then back downwind, downsea in some big following seas. We rounded The Bill twice inshore, and went inside St Albans twice. Off Start Point an AquaStar or lookalike was having a tough passage and submarining regularly..so he came into the flatter water in our wake. We made maybe 12kts boatspeed but the SD hull gave us a very good ride both up and down wind. My son slept through everything ...the worst seas were coming out of the Solent into the North Channel into a F7...and rounding St Albans Head inner passage where it was very rough water virtually up to the cliffs. She handled both situations extremely well.The only beauty contest she wins is from Fishing Boat skippers who remark what a good sea boat she is. And I have no commercial or otherwise connection with Tarquin. Still married too after that although have had to bribe SWMBO with a week in Cyprus in September.
 
Good to hear the other side, TheBishop. Got any pics of the epic journey?
 
SWMBO probably has to use against me in any future divorce proceedings for cruelty! I was out this weekend and made a note in my log that on 29 July we ate outside on the aft deck for the first time this summer. Salcombe was heavily down on visiting boats, as was Weymouth. Every port we were in was full of boats waiting to cross the Channel. Very few attempted it. A Dutch yacht in Poole went out twice to try for the CI's and was beaten back both times; a big Beneteau ( 50? ) yacht left Gosport for La Corunna and fetched up in Weymouth. August may well be good though....am attempting Solent to Weymouth at the weekend...could it be scorchio by then???
 
How about a Sealine and going a bit bigger?
If you like an aft cabin have a look at the T46.
Or say a T47, T51 or T52.
Just sold our T51 - great boat - lots of boat for your money and good sea keeping - we've been out in some real nasty stuff and the boat came thro' with flying colours - more than could be said for the crew!!

Jez could comment here as well - judging from his post above he has now been across to Swanage/Poole on both a Phantom 38 and a Sealine T51 - how about a comparason Jez?
 
Well it'll definitely be scorchio where I'm off to in a couple of weeks. Well deserved 3 weeks on my boat in Majorca! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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