Buying a catamaran

liverpoold

liverpoold

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Hi All,
I could do with some advice about buying a catamaran. I am very much a begginning sailor, booked in to do RYA DAy skipper (theory and practical). Planning to buy a Cat (have mooring), initally to stay on weekends and eventually to liveaboard and cruise about (UK and Europe).
I have a three year old daughter (single Mum).
There are two boats I am thinking about for similar prices (about 15K) one is a heavenly twins (26ft) good condition, twin diesal engines, survey from 03. THe other is an Oceanic 30, Marine ply, also pretty good condition, twin diesal engines. Planning to get a survey done before purchase.
Any thoughts/Advice?
Thanks!
Selina
 
I would go for the Heavenly Twins. They have a good layout, particularly for a young child, and are well built. I would not touch a wooden boat because the maintenance is very time consuming. You will find the Heavenly Twins will be relatively easy to sell should you want/need to. You will be lucky to find anyone to buy the Oceanic 30 off you. You should forget about any wooden boat. IMHO. Paul
 
Do Oceanic 30's have a bad reputation or is it just because it is wooden? Think it is epoxied and/or has a fibreglass coat (looks like fibreglass) does that make any difference?
Selina
 
Wharram cats are cheap, but again you might not find it easy to sell and the ones up to 31 feet in length are not that wide in the hulls and definitely not child friendly with all the climbing in and out of hatches. Mine is a Pahi 31 and it is good leg excercise, but my brother-in-law fell down the hatch in rough weather off Cornwall a few years ago, so I would not
recomend it for a young child.

Ulf
 
Not much room "inside" on a wharram - important with a 3year old in tow if weather not great/too hot and also difficult to keep child entertained if in cabin and can't see out. You'll need to think how you're going to stop 3 year old from falling in if you're busy sailing - best to take someone else along as well, or do daysailing in a smaller boat where you can see all of the boat all of the time(like a drascombe), and leave the longer voyages for when she's a bit older. That said, some of the smaller wharrams are very cheap - see here - http://www.multihulls.uk.com/ - so you could minimise your fianncial risk whilst working out whether a cat's for you.
 
Thanks, yes all important considerations. PLanning at first to have her moored and only sail if daughter is with her dad for w/e until I know what I'm doing and she is confident on the boat (maybe next summer?).
Selina
 
I recently brought a Prout - had looked at Oceanic's and Wharrams over the years... I think the re-sale market for both is limited. Might be difficult to get your money back. The cramped living space in the Wharram with no central living area is limiting long term and Oceanics were popular cruising boats 30 years ago.
Heavenly Twins are still being made and are good boats and should re-sell easily. Prouts, Catalac are also good reliable well built boats.
Michael
 
If I were you, I'd buy one of these http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/view/F108382/
plus a tent. Then you can take the boat all over Europe, rather than being tied to one port, have lots of Swallows and Amazons type adventures with your daughter so that she doesn't get bored, have a ready market to re-sell the boat if you want to trade-up later and have £9k change in the bank. But if you must have a floating caravan, well... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
And for my 1000th post words of wisdom are!

Think other folk have answered your questions. The HT is very good for a youngster, is well built, is unlikely to need much maintenance on the hull etc. and is likely to sell easily. If you can buy a HT for less than £15K then there is no decision....just buy it (subject to survey). You do not want to consider under any circumstances any wooden boat unless you are a master joiner, or similar. A young child on most liveaboard boat is a handfull. A HT is as good as you will get for your purposes. Let us know what you do. Paul
 
Re: And for my 1000th post words of wisdom are!

Thanks everyone, starting to think maybe neither of them...
How about a Catalac, if I can find one in my price range?
Selina
 
id tend towards the oceanic.
theres an exellent example in multihullworld.com tho a bit out of your range. they normally have large engines and with wide cockpit make a good sea boat.
heavenly twins. i had a 1972 boat, twin diesels but it doesnt sail too well even lightly loaded.
wood is ok if professional epoxy coated.
my preference.
im buying a 50ft red cedar epoxy cat. their much stronger than plastic
graham
 
Good to see a vote for the Oceanic! My friend looked at it yesterday, all wood seems fine, good engines, sails etc Just the inside looks like a greasy spoon cafe!
Well at least its only cosmetic!
Will have to go and have a look myself now!
Selina
 
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