Buying a 32 ft cruiser - Advice please!

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scopas

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Hi
We are buying our first cruiser to sail with our 2 young sons. We chartered a 32ft Dufour Classic for a week last year and got on really well with it. Our budget is around 40-50k and I wanted to double check the collective brains on this board!
Basic requirements are that date of original build needs to be less thatn 10 years old - Wifey is CONVINCED that a newer cheaper built boat is better than a 20 yr old osmosis bucket.
Also it must have a "swimmin platform". My requirements are that it must sail reasonably well. So we have kind of settled on the Dufour 32 Classic but I want to know about the reputation of the brand.
Is it considered a good quality budget option - are there any obvious pitfalls (like the leaky rudders on earlier dufours).
Is the brand considered "budget" and is there the same snob factor that seems to put people off Bavs?
Anyhow - I guess I'm looking for some reassurance that we are looking at a good option..

Thanks - any thoughts welcome (until we pay the deposit when I only will hear good things!)

Thanks

Scopas
 
Re: Buying a 32 ft cruiser - SNOB OFF!

If you must be socially acceptable (what is this Forum coming to?) then buy a Bav anyway and fly a blue ensign.
Inviting passing fishermen for drinks helps too.
 
Hi,
we chartered anew Dufour 34 this year and were disappointed in the general standard of fitout, and some quirky design. Sailing it was a different matter. It flew. Also looked good fromthe outside, deffo a good choice for racing. This compared to our slowish Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 35. On those terms, I would rate the Jeanneau slightly better all round.
Howewver, we also went round the other boats in the charter fleet and found the previous model Dufour a better proposition altogether, which was a bit odd really.

I dont think you will have any real problems with the Dufour, same as all the other mass market boats. They are built to standard-ish modern designs by contracted in naval architects. The hull decks are similar (except Jen, which is low pressure injection moulded deck), and the CAD/CAM used to manufacture the furniture kits are similar as well.

We went to SIBS three times in a week. Once to look at the Used boat shows at Swanwick/Deacons etc, once to look round all our target new boats, and finally on the last Sunday, we placed our order at 4pm. We had done quite a lot of groundwork before then, and had defined our:
Musts
Coulds
Shoulds.

The important thing to remember is that you will not get all the boat you want in ANY package. We have the perfect caravan, but I would be very much happier if it moved in light airs, or could point higher. However, the lift keel on our boat lets us go creek crawling - so you will have mutually exclusive wants. Only by owning the boat will you develop a better feel for what you REALLY want, after a couple of seasons of varied use club racing, annual holidays etc

I see from your previous posts that you have been looking for a while - hurry up, your life is passing at too fast a rate to dally.
 
Re: Buying a 32 ft cruiser - SNOB OFF!

Aah, chuggin/Malaprop, I see your usual tainted reply gave no help at all to this newish Forumite. How refreshing. If you have nothing to say after all those years of being the perfect Sailor, why bother at all?
 
Hi
cant comment on the wisedom of choosing a dufour but I feel you may be missing out on somevery desirable yachts by branding boats of a mature age as "osmosis buckets" .Clearly this is not true of the majority of older craft out there or the market would plumet like a stone for older boats . Im sure the Dufours have lots of good points but even brand new boats can have problems so in IMHO its maybe better to look for a well maintained boat rather than discount boats simply because they are more than ten years old . Good luck with your search .
 
Just so there's no confusion, the newer 34 is a very different animal from the 32 classic. The older classics were much more cruisy, with higher volume hulls and proportionaly smaller rigs.
I've never sailed a 32, but have spent time on the 36 classic, which I thought was a tidy cruising boat, nothing special sailing wise but very comfortable and reassuring in a "yachtsman's gale".
 
An awful lot depends upon what you want to use the boat for. My guess is that you will be very fortunate to get your SWMBO to sail regularly in this country. Great if you can - but don't bank on it. Your sons will want a performance boat so they can go Bav baiting. It keeps my kids wanting to sail with me!

There are lots of newer cruiser/racers with open sterns that can double as a swimming platform. Just so I am not accused of self marketing, one of my favorite boats is the 29 foot Grand Surpise, by Archambault. One of the best selling French boats in that size. I think they are now imported in to this country. Great boats.
 
I have what you refer to as a "20 yr old osmosis bucket"
its a Dufour 35. circa 1974.

However it is probably one of the best sub forty footers around for a 30 odd year old.

To be really honest I have looked at lotsa boats - well we all do dont we?
& the modern Dufours along with the Bav/Jens do not turn me on, but they are extremly good value for mony.

Back to my Dufour - its built like the proverbial Brick-S-house and even with its crappy sails has a hull speed of just over 7 knots, which aint sluggish IMHO
It is extremly comfortable & sails beautifully, even if a bit off the wind on close hauled, but that should be sorted with new sails. the interior is a bit dated compared to a modern layout but is extremly suited to sailing, if you get my drift. the double bunk at the bow is very convienient & I do have a nice big engin for Med cruising, & it should be a consideration IMO if you intend coming this way.

Oh by the by I did have a 30' Mody 1976 which was also in good nick.
see here for pics of both boats
they both needed some TLC & a lot of work went into them, obviously its horses for courses But to answer your question I do think that Dufour has a little something extra, over the other massed produced Yachts.

poter
 
[ QUOTE ]
that seems to put people off Bavs?


[/ QUOTE ]

that'll be the 2500 they sell a year then??? /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

Delighted with ours, and always keep my views to myself re the BenJenBav bashers who roam these forums /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
Re the BAVs...got (newish) one and love it. Not saying I wouldn't have loved somethig else and I confess to having limited experience but I did used to hear comments like the internal fitments aren't hand made so they have to use mastic...well hell, neither is the kitchen in my house - they used mastic there to and hey, I v'e managed!

It's more down to what suits your needs. If I was doing regular channel crossings I probably wouldn't have gone for a Bavvie, but if you're after comfort/living space more than performance I wouldn't rule it iut, You get a lot of boat for your buck - true too that it's all relative.. When you come to sell you'll be in competition with lots of other Bavvies so you'll sell for less too, but if you're budget is limited now it is an option.
 
I would say that a budget of 40-50k is hardly limited, I would say it's the generous side of ample and by shopping around you should be able to get pretty much any boat of that size. I don't expect to pay that much on our sail away liveaboard in a few years!

Well maintained older boats are well worth looking at. Expect to have to replace engine, standing rigging and sails and it'll be a nice surprise if you don't need to!

All boats are a compromise so focus on Need, Want and Nice lists then have an enjoyable winter looking at boats!
 
possible Benny 323 for purchase - only 18 months old. PM me for details.
 
40-50K is a very decent budget - we bought our previous boat (Etap 38i) for 50K.

If you buy used boats expect to have to do some work - over time.
Previous boat was a 5 year project, but nothing that precluded sailing.

Current boat's also a bit of a project - very few things that need doing, but lot's I want done. in the mean time, we enjoy the sailing.
 
Well not much specific advice so far,,, so I will try to give some!!

We own a 1999 Bavaria 31. We were looking for exactly the same things that you are now looking for when we bought our Bavaria.

The Dufour was very high on my list, with what I felt was the best build quality of the boats we looked at. So a nice modern easily sailed boat.

Other boats that you should look at include the Bavaria 32, 34 (1999 or 2000) Benetau 311, Jeunauee 32 (There are two versions from around 1998-2002) Hanse 311 or 312.

So, why did I choose the Bavaria 31.....

We wanted a wheel steered boat that was easy to sail short handed, I wanted the mainsheet in the cockpit, (Much better than on the coachroof) I wanted a CE cat A boat, I wanted a high AVS, I wanted a quick boat. I wanted a well screwed togther easy to maintain reliable one owner boat.

Bav 31 was all of these with a AVS of 137 degree.

Bene 311, Jeune 32, Dufour 32 are all Cat B boats, with much lowere AVS. All above have Wheel as option. (But easy to find used)

Pre 2001 Bavarias are Lloyds( German ) cat a supervised built as well.

If I was doing it again for your budget I would now look very hard at a 3 cabin Bav 34 (1999 or 2000) which should be pretty close to budget. They are well screwed together for a produciton boat, have proven very reliable, are easily tuned, and with a deep keel and Fully battened main sail quite well as well.

Dufuor needs the deep keel, If you can find one with a wheel then thats bit more money.

Bene 311 is a nice boat to sail, very lite with a quite small forecabin. A lift keel is available, might be worth looking at. Found it a easy boat to sail, quite quick.

Jeune 32; more spacious than my Bav 31, but I felt that the interior build was a bit on the light side, and the heads is not a one piece molded job, so Iwas abit worried about leaks, etal. Again Cat B


Hanse; Havnt sailed them, but they look nice, and are a Cat A boat as well.

I would give two pieces of advice;
1) sail more boats on charter, this will be good to help identify what you like and dont like in a boat; I sailed dozens of boats before we bought.
2) Look again at some older boats; If you are sailing in sheltered waters then a light boat like ALL of those above is fine, but if you are in the West Country, then a slightly older heavier boat can be a real blessing. I looked at a real nice Westerly Storm 33, SWMBO wouldnt have it because it wasnt modern enough! Sadler 34 would be good, others will have more suggestions I expect.

In the mean time, look again at all of the above, dont listen to the Bav bashers, the pre 2000/2001 boats are good solid production boats, and the ones after werent bad either!

Phew.. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Good stuff Doug ....except my 2002 boat is also Cat A /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Bav 32 just about to sell HERE
 
Did they still get the Lloyds Cat A cert in 2002?,, thats different from the CE Cat A . Llloyds is for build quality, CE for stability/seaworthiness.

A hugely underated boat imho, probably because they sold so many! When Horizon started their opperation in the BVI's the first boat they had was a Bav 34, and they delivered her across the pond under sail..... With no problems.

YOu can get a nice private 2 cabin now for about 50K, lots of boat for the money that!
 
That 32 looks good, I bet its one that Opal had on brokerage!!
Great value at 45K!

Would be a good starter boat, doesnt need much to go sailing! Well worth lookn at id say!
 
Yep. Says Cat A for 8 persons. Handled the cr*p weather down in South Brittany earlier this year with absolutely no problems.... GENUINE 6's and 7's with big Atlantic swells.... But why should there be problems? That's why I don't understand the bashers but as far as I am concerned that really is their loss /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
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