Cruising yacht choice for med ?

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mont

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Your ideas please for a suitable make or model ......

Basics :
Budget : up to £100,000 (max)
Age : prefer under five years
Berths: Four ( 2 double ?) Decent master with another double is fine
Length: 10 up to 12m max (med berths can be expensive)
Performance : Cruising type is fine
Cruising area : Mediteranean

Very important :
Cockpit area : Must be very spacious & comfortable - we spend extended time onboard (outdoors usually because of heat and we like the views) and enjoy anchoring overnight.
Natural light : On our current boat ( 10m motor) we have been spoilt with the spacious cockpit area with door through to galley up and all round large windows providing a light saloon. Having viewed yachts at boat shows we dislike the (albeit very spacious) dark dismal down below saloon / galley arrangement as it would little used except in winter.
Air con / ventilation : We manage ok in med heat (40 deg +) now with biminis and breeze / sun management system. We prefer to heat adjust and natural air and are not over keen on air con. So plenty of hatches / windows to shade and then catch the breeze.

General :
Obviously the modest deck saloon yachts, deck wheelhouse or even motor sailors is the general direction of thought. We very much like the new Moody DS style, design, layout (but not the price !). Sirius also suggested but are £££'s as well.
Well regarded builder is preferred.

Many thanks and sensible suggestions welcomed.
 
You have neatly described any one of the Bav/Ben/Jean 40 footers! Try a couple out on bareboat charter first. You will obviously not get new for that budget but should be able to get a well equipped 5/6 year old one. Dare I say look at buying an ex charter boat as they are well equipped for the job and if they come from a good operator will be well maintained.
 
There was an interesting article on liveaboard life in PBO and one thing it said mirrored my own experience - think carefully about getting anything pristine / new because it will get knocked about in daily use. You want to be able to relax not worry.

Personally I would simply look at boats that were coiming back from the med because there is serious cost in equipping a boat from afresh, and that cost wont be reflected in second hand prices.

In my own experience I wouldnt go liveaboard except on a cat. Monos are OK for what I'm doing now which is why I've changed over but a cat gives you better space and a better ride particularly at anchor. You'll be doing a lot of anchoring.

So my recommendation would be something like a Prout cat thats already been there and doesnt need more than a quick refresh. You should be able to get one well under 100k which leaves more money for fun.
 
cats a good idea

a catamaran is certainly worth looking at , more space ,pace ... try to find a Tobago by Fontaine Pajot these are popular cats but are around for under your max. 35 ft x 18ft will fit in most places easily .
 
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speak to Willliams and Smithells or other brokers that have a significant Med presence. They do quite a lot of business in Greece and from their website, cover a variety of boat types/styles and many liveaboard / long term cruisers.

I agree with the comment about not buying a pristine newer boat but an older one that can take a few knocks, especially if you are reverse parking close to quays and amongst charter fleets.

From your description, a shallow wide flat hull shape will avoid the dark dismal down below but the deeper hulls go upwind in a chop far far betterm useful when the mistral or meltemi blow.

X-412 or similar may meet your needs
 
A Bav 38 I was on in Greece recently really impressed me. Layout and finish were perfect for the job you are looking for. Lots of space, big cockpit, sailed well. Companionway you can go down forwards.

At 100k I'd guess you might even find a good 40'
 
pal just returned from sailing his boss's X50 in the Med with horific stories (an 800k boat apparently) of internal fittings made of veneered MDF. For example the engine cover where the screws for the hinges just pulled out.
 
jason -and the arguenauts said:
pal just returned from sailing his boss's X50 in the Med with horific stories (an 800k boat apparently) of internal fittings made of veneered MDF. For example the engine cover where the screws for the hinges just pulled out.
Click to expand...

Please can you explain what you are trying to say in this post. I am not familiar with an X50.

Thanks.
 
mont said:
Your ideas please for a suitable make or model ......

Basics :
Budget : up to £100,000 (max)
Age : prefer under five years
Berths: Four ( 2 double ?) Decent master with another double is fine
Length: 10 up to 12m max (med berths can be expensive)
Performance : Cruising type is fine
Cruising area : Mediteranean
Click to expand...

We are currently cruising in the Mediterranean (6-8 months in the year) on a 22-year old Nauticat 35 (10.65m). A more recent version - maybe the Nauticat 351 - would be within your budget, and it would tick most of your boxes.

I agree with other posters about good value of 2nd hand boats coming back from the Med. Can't comment on the cat vs. mono argument since I have no direct experience of living aboard the former, but if mooring costs are an issue it would point to a mono.

The Nauticat 35 is certainly light and airy in the saloon, with a good number of hatches, and the combination of a simple bimini and windscoops works well. The outside cockpit is reasonably spacious (particularly the newer 351).
 
Tranona said:
Please can you explain what you are trying to say in this post. I am not familiar with an X50.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Gardenshed recommended an X yachts (Danish builder) X412 - see above. I had always thought of X yachts as a pretty upmarket well made cruiser racer (like First but built better), and when I last changed boat had considered one myself. But as I mentioned a pal had recently had a bad experience on a biggish new one. Didnt seem to me that the level of construction he described would cope well with long term use in the Med.

Since the pal concerned was a retired engineering manager, his opinion has some weight for me and is more than just tittle tattle.
 
ITH said:
We are currently cruising in the Mediterranean (6-8 months in the year) on a 22-year old Nauticat 35 (10.65m). A more recent version - maybe the Nauticat 351 - would be within your budget, and it would tick most of your boxes.

I agree with other posters about good value of 2nd hand boats coming back from the Med. Can't comment on the cat vs. mono argument since I have no direct experience of living aboard the former, but if mooring costs are an issue it would point to a mono.

The Nauticat 35 is certainly light and airy in the saloon, with a good number of hatches, and the combination of a simple bimini and windscoops works well. The outside cockpit is reasonably spacious (particularly the newer 351).
Click to expand...

Mooring a cat during the summer months can be a problem in the congested marinas. Extra costs for double hull for lifting out and winter storage some other considerations. Sailing up wind during a meltemi I am told is also "interesting".
For this budget, if you could locate a privately owned Olympic Sea 42 (emphasize the word privately) you will be doing well. These boats were based on the Janneau Sun Legende (Admiral Cup winner)designed by Doug Petersen and built in the 90s in Greece to a very high standard. They are very well built, fiited out and really suited for Med. Most of the skippers working for flotilla companies praise them very highly.
 
jason -and the arguenauts said:
Gardenshed recommended an X yachts (Danish builder) X412 - see above. I had always thought of X yachts as a pretty upmarket well made cruiser racer (like First but built better),.
Click to expand...

Was a little surprised that an X412 was suggested. Not only is the cheapest one on the market £120k but one less than 5 years old is £150k - 50% more than OPs budget. Not designed as a Med boat either - and expensive if it is made of MDF.

Does not mean such boats cannot be used in the Med, but as I said in my first response it is one of the mass produced boats that will meet the spec, with the added advantage that they can be bought easily out there. The only compromise is the "deck saloon" that is where one can look out while seated in the saloon. Can't think of any modern boat that will do that within the budget, although there are many older boats that will. However, most will be at the top or above the size range.
 
I was gonna suggest a 2000 or so SO 40 DS as well.... spot on for his description other than the age.... but really good ones can be had for circa 90k in the UK..... couple down in the plymouth area for sale at that priceish....

Very good sailing boat... better sailor for some reason than the regular SO 40....

On my list as possible 40 foot cruiser...

The OP needs to open his age up a bit... I would suggest less than a decade old... and go for condition..

A bit older and a hundred k could get a decent Starlight 35... or maybe a Vancouver 34p...

Less than 5 years old and you are talking production boats.... and probably not more than around 36-38 feet.....
 
Mont,

I have a Beneteau Oceanis 351 down in Toulon. My biggest bugbear is that at 10.7m X 3.8m it always falls into the next berthing size i.e 12m X 4.5m. I end up paying considerably more for a mooring space without the benefit of a large boat. So the size to go for is either 10m X 3.5m
or 12m X 4.5m but not in between!
Mind you the boat is stored in a yard and I havn,t managed to find a permanent space in a marina yet and we have been there over 2 years.
 
Leonidas said:
Mooring a cat during the summer months can be a problem in the congested marinas. Extra costs for double hull for lifting out and winter storage some other considerations. Sailing up wind during a meltemi I am told is also "interesting".
For this budget, if you could locate a privately owned Olympic Sea 42 (emphasize the word privately) you will be doing well. These boats were based on the Janneau Sun Legende (Admiral Cup winner)designed by Doug Petersen and built in the 90s in Greece to a very high standard. They are very well built, fiited out and really suited for Med. Most of the skippers working for flotilla companies praise them very highly.
Click to expand...
Urm.... a Nauticat is a monohull........ confusing name I know.... but there you have it...
 
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