Damsel in distress

[Admiral Fitzroy]

I’ll offer; bill Dixon designed Moody 34. Excellent aft cabin. Forepeak is spacious. Sails much better than I thought it would when we bought her, especially with good sails. Grew up racing so don’t like slouch and the moody is beautifully balanced and reassuring.

Also in connected news, our 6mo old baby sleeps very well in his little life travel cot;

Arc 2 Lightweight Travel Cot | LittleLife

It’s a pop top tent style, and fits wonderfully on the forepeak bunk on said moody 34. Velcro feet so it doesn’t slide about and the laddie can be zipped in overnight so he remains incarcerated and safe. It would probably fit nicely on saloon berths too, but harder to keep the saloon dark to aid sleeping.

Brilliant, thank you!

 

[Admiral Fitzroy]

I think you are looking the moon on a stick. You want it to look good, inside and out, sail well, be comfortable, short enough to keep overheads down. If any designer/builder had found that magic recipe then they'd have hit the jackpot and every other builder would have pretty much copied them. All boats are a compromise. Husband and child will likely use it more if you prioritise their comforts. Can you compromise on your aesthetics to get something you will use more. Have you actually tried sailing as a family on a tubby slow yacht? I had quite a few prejudices about them based on what I read, but when you try it with the people you are talking about rather than a racing team suddenly their popularity makes a lot of sense.

It’s a good point. And as for moon on a stick - aren’t we all?! As you say - it’s where the happy compromise lies where decisions are made.

 

[Admiral Fitzroy]

Great answer! Definitely classic lines - and better than my stock answer, "A Wayfarer"! To the OP: Welcome aboard the forum.

That was my husband and my first boat together, so it would have been a good shout!
Thank you for the welcome.

 

[eddystone]

I would not take small kids sailing in ANY yacht. Leave em at home with the grandparents. That is what they are for

Maybe grandparents are off sailing - that's what retirement is for, not looking after grandchildren

 

[eddystone]

Whatever you get make sure you keep back a fair chunk of your approx £30K for refit.
Re 90's Bavarias, I have just sailed to St Kilda and back on a 2002 Bavaria 44 which seemed solid enough and sailed well enough.

 

[Poignard]

A boat that heaves-to quietly would be advantageous when nappies have to be changed..

Might help prevent the nappy changer heaving-up.

 

[Concerto]

The answer to all "What boat should I buy" questions is:

A TWISTER!

Wrong! The Twister has not been mentioned in this thread, whereas the Fulmar has been mentioned by many. Being a bit biased, I have to recommend the Fulmar as it meets all the OP's requirements and budget.

Have a tour of Concerto in this video.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

It was only a matter of time before that video got posted again. The op wants classic lines not an average white boat!

 

[penfold]

Ahem; the OP specified low maintenance. Lovely as that is to look at it has varnish and structural things made of wood.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Ahem; the OP specified low maintenance. Lovely as that is to look at it has varnish and structural things made of wood.

It has varnish but you have been fooled by a crafty paint job. She is all grp.
But yes I’ve just spent a week varnishing. Won’t need to do it again for a while.

 

[Poignard]

Ahem; the OP specified low maintenance. Lovely as that is to look at it has varnish and structural things made of wood.

The later Twisters were all GRP.

 

[Daydream believer]

A Twister is just an overgrown Stella with a carvell hull. If it sails anything like a Stella it will be an excellent sea boat. It will handle beautifully, but very wet, sail on its ear, be small inside & totally unsuitable for a modern day couple with a young child.
Yes, I did hanker after one years ago, but decided that really, 30 ft was a much better step up.
It is not an extra 2 ft on the end that you get. It is 2 ft in the middle & that is where all the space is that the OP will need. The OP might want something classic, but some AWBs can look quite good & at the end of the day function will be important

 

[Tranona]

It is perhaps worth mentioning that all the Twister supporters on here are old blokes - as are I would guess the majority of Twister owners.

If these boats really were the perfect answer one would expect there to be thousands of them in use rather than the less than 200 built. Equally you might expect those that remain in use to be very sought after and sell for high prices rather than the actual bargain basement prices asked!

Get real old blokes, they are totally unsuitable for modern day family coastal cruising compared with more modern boats designed with that type of use in mind.

 

[Wansworth]

Who wants hot running water and a cockpit shower……

 

[Tranona]

Who wants hot running water and a cockpit shower……

I would guess most people - at least those who buy new(er) boats because anything over 30' or so has such things as standard.

 

[Poignard]

It is perhaps worth mentioning that all the Twister supporters on here are old blokes - as are I would guess the majority of Twister owners.

If these boats really were the perfect answer one would expect there to be thousands of them in use rather than the less than 200 built. Equally you might expect those that remain in use to be very sought after and sell for high prices rather than the actual bargain basement prices asked!

Get real old blokes, they are totally unsuitable for modern day family coastal cruising compared with more modern boats designed with that type of use in mind.

I admit to being old now but I was only 57 when I bought my Twister.

Over the years since that happy day, I have sailed in many other types of yachts but none, except for a Rustler, has made me think of changing to anything else.

Admiral Fitzroy, the OP, has a baby to care for and, like a good mother, she will want to be confident that she and her baby are as safe as can be whatver the weather.

What could be more reassuring than being in a yacht in which even the frail and elderly feel safe?

Incidentally, I once had a surprise visit from a man whose father had owned my Twister. His father had been a senior RAF officer, stationed on Anglesey at the time, and my visitor recalled regular passages across the Irish Sea, in all weathers, with his parents, he and his wife, and a baby in a carrycot.

 

[Poignard]

Who wants hot running water and a cockpit shower……

'
The frail and elderly perhaps . . . . .

 

[Wansworth]

I admit to being old now but I was only 57 when I bought my Twister.

Over the years since that happy day, I have sailed in many other types of yachts but none, except for a Rustler, has made me think of changing to anything else.

Admiral Fitzroy, the OP, has a baby to care for and, like a good mother, she will want to be confident that she and her baby are as safe as can be whatver the weather.

What could be more reassuring than being in a yacht in which even the frail and elderly feel safe?

Incidentally, I once had a surprise visit from a man whose father had owned my Twister. His father had been a senior RAF officer, stationed on Anglesey at the time, and my visitor recalled regular passages across the Irish Sea, in all weathers, with his parents, he and his wife, and a baby in a carrycot.

Not a very wide boat so something to grab hold of,perfect boat I would say

 

[Wansworth]

'
The frail and elderly perhaps . . . . .

It was a retorical question

 

[Buck Turgidson]

It is perhaps worth mentioning that all the Twister supporters on here are old blokes - as are I would guess the majority of Twister owners.

If these boats really were the perfect answer one would expect there to be thousands of them in use rather than the less than 200 built. Equally you might expect those that remain in use to be very sought after and sell for high prices rather than the actual bargain basement prices asked!

Get real old blokes, they are totally unsuitable for modern day family coastal cruising compared with more modern boats designed with that type of use in mind

I was in my 40s when I bought her.
More than 200 built not less.
“Bargain basement “ for a 50year old boat? Have you seen the asking price for well kept Twisters? Not the few that have been on the market for years due to their condition.
The OP specifically mentioned the CO32 and is considering shorter. For a couple with an infant a twister would be fine and plenty have had hot water systems installed.