Go Big or Go Home?

[jimmy_the_builder]

A Phantom 48 ticks a lot of boxes...

So, hear me out on this gang -

I can either get in the water in a years time (after all exams hunting and buying etc with £175,000 worth of boat), or wait an additional 18 / 24 months and spend £300,000. Like many paople I have money tied up...Most people say "Go and buy a boat and get on the water NOW"...and worry about changing up after a wee while. I know there's fees attached too.

What are your thoughts? I don't really want to wait too long (I'm bloody 53 as it is ). I can get a perfectly decent boat for £175,000 to £200,000 (see how I upped the amount already).

Cheers guys. I Look forward to hearing the distillated mumblings

Have you actually been on a Phantom 48 yet? I like the styling of them - but the so-called master cabin is very compromised, the double bed is only about 4ft wide, it is basically a big single. Fun, briefly, but just not practical for longer stays.

 

[Hooligan]

I would find the extra now! Trading up boats is slow and bears the brokers substantial commission. They are easier to buy than sell. "Starting Small" is a popular view, but one that a short while later most regret.

A big boat is just a easy to crew as a small one - often simpler.

I completely agree with this. i went from a rib to a S58 which is a great Med boat for many of the reasons mentioned before. personally we like to be on anchor rather than the marina so we overnight on anchor a lot. that does change the dynamics quite a bit. For example you should make absolutely sure that you upgrade your anchor and chain. Personally i would never go with anything other than a flybridge. The time you spend inside is minuscule. That means that bedrooms are more important than the dining area inside and as others have said a kitchen and storage is also important, after all eating and drinking is probably what one spends most time doing (including preparation). If you intend to spend more time on the boat and weeks on end then again size matters after a while. As your kids grow up you will need somewhere to escape the noise and late nights! We started in the Balearics which is i think a great place to start. Menorca is the best value but the hardest to get to versus Mallorca and also worth working out whether the saving is real as you may find yourself burning over to Mallorca a good portion of time. We are now in Southern Italy which i cannot speak more highly of. A little further to get to - 3 hour flight and 1 hour drive - but for me that’s fine. It is cheaper, you never pay VAT, the food is simply the best in the world and it is far far less crowded than the Balearics. But as has been said it comes down to what your circumstances are. I would add one thing. Wherever you are make sure you find someone you can totally trust to look after your boat 24/7. Whatever this costs it will represent a huge saving in the long run. No one is likely to care as much about your boat than you and if you can find someone who will care half as much then that is key. Good luck and welcome to a bottomless hole that makes no financial sense but will restore your faith in humankind and allow you and the family to get away from the digital world and step back into times we never thought we would see again - cards, talk, no TV, no phones.

 

[Bouba]

no TV,

No TV?

 

[Hooligan]

No TV?

And def no burgers ??

 

[GravyStain]

Have you actually been on a Phantom 48 yet? I like the styling of them - but the so-called master cabin is very compromised, the double bed is only about 4ft wide, it is basically a big single. Fun, briefly, but just not practical for longer stays.

Hmmm... Didn't realise that. That changes things a tad. I'm not the smallest bloke at 6' 3" and whilst I'm not exactly svelt, I'm not fat either, but 4ft won't cut it for me I don't think!

I've watched just about every Vlogger out there (Aquaholic/Virtual broker/MBY/BoatTEST etc) and they often don't show the dimensions of things (boatTEST aside, sometimes they do).

Thanks for the heads up - that's dissapointing.

 

[jrudge]

I looked at phantom 48 and bought a squadron 58. It is small. The 3rd cabin is bunks and the kitchen ( from memory ) had little storage.
All boats are a compromise !

 

[GravyStain]

I completely agree with this. i went from a rib to a S58 which is a great Med boat for many of the reasons mentioned before. personally we like to be on anchor rather than the marina so we overnight on anchor a lot. that does change the dynamics quite a bit. For example you should make absolutely sure that you upgrade your anchor and chain. Personally i would never go with anything other than a flybridge. The time you spend inside is minuscule. That means that bedrooms are more important than the dining area inside and as others have said a kitchen and storage is also important, after all eating and drinking is probably what one spends most time doing (including preparation). If you intend to spend more time on the boat and weeks on end then again size matters after a while. As your kids grow up you will need somewhere to escape the noise and late nights! We started in the Balearics which is i think a great place to start. Menorca is the best value but the hardest to get to versus Mallorca and also worth working out whether the saving is real as you may find yourself burning over to Mallorca a good portion of time. We are now in Southern Italy which i cannot speak more highly of. A little further to get to - 3 hour flight and 1 hour drive - but for me that’s fine. It is cheaper, you never pay VAT, the food is simply the best in the world and it is far far less crowded than the Balearics. But as has been said it comes down to what your circumstances are. I would add one thing. Wherever you are make sure you find someone you can totally trust to look after your boat 24/7. Whatever this costs it will represent a huge saving in the long run. No one is likely to care as much about your boat than you and if you can find someone who will care half as much then that is key. Good luck and welcome to a bottomless hole that makes no financial sense but will restore your faith in humankind and allow you and the family to get away from the digital world and step back into times we never thought we would see again - cards, talk, no TV, no phones.

S58 is a lovely boat, bags of space for everything!

 

[GravyStain]

Soooo,

if i distillate what you guys are recommending, it would seem logically that I would prefer to go slightly older than I would like in order to retain the size of boat that will suit the needs of my family. Here's some examples...

Fairline Squadron 55 Owner´s yacht in Refit Used Boat for Sale 2001 | TheYachtMarket
Fairline Squadron 55 Used Boat for Sale 2002 | TheYachtMarket
2005 Rodman 56 Power New and Used Boats for Sale - www.yachtworld.co.uk
2001 Princess 56 Power New and Used Boats for Sale - www.yachtworld.co.uk
2000 Sunseeker Manhattan 56 Power New and Used Boats for Sale -

Hmmm... i LOVE trawling through boat sale websites

make sense to you guys?... I can have one of the above (roughly), or go 5/7 years younger but 10 feet shorter?

Love to hear your thoughts.

BTW, I very much appreciate all the replies and the assistance.

Hurricane - your marina does look amazing for the price!

 

[Portofino]

Take a look @ San Lorenzo 57 .
Here is an example, but there are many more .
Once over 10 years its all about condition and that partly relates back to the basic build , design , detailing , and quality of components fitted .
Check out the master suit on this

Sanlorenzo 57

 

[Hurricane]

I think this thread is about Going Big.
I do think that the S58 is an excellent size for the Med but, of course, comes with a larger price.

That said, I don't completely agree with Jimmy.
I had the privilege of helping deliver this year, a Phantom 48 from Mallorca to Sant Carles.
The delivery trip took about a week in which half that time was spent living on the Phantom 48.
There were three of us on board and I was given the forward VIP cabin which I found very comfortable.
It isn't fair to compare it to a Squadron 58 or even some of the earlier models.
The Phantom 48 IS smaller but, then again, it IS more affordable.
The mid cabin is nothing like the size of my palatial Princess 67's mid cabin but I didn't find is as small as Jimmy makes out.
We really aren't comparing like for like here.
The Phantom 48 is a very comfortable boat.
We all know that as the boat gets bigger, the costs rise as well.
You have to remember that the Phantom 48 easily fits onto a 15m berth.
A Squadron 58 would need a bigger berth thus increasing the costs of ownership.
I strongly suggest that the OP goes and has a look at the Phantom as well as the other offerings.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Soooo,

if i distillate what you guys are recommending, it would seem logically that I would prefer to go slightly older than I would like in order to retain the size of boat that will suit the needs of my family. Here's some examples...

Fairline Squadron 55 Owner´s yacht in Refit Used Boat for Sale 2001 | TheYachtMarket
Fairline Squadron 55 Used Boat for Sale 2002 | TheYachtMarket
2005 Rodman 56 Power New and Used Boats for Sale - www.yachtworld.co.uk
2001 Princess 56 Power New and Used Boats for Sale - www.yachtworld.co.uk
2000 Sunseeker Manhattan 56 Power New and Used Boats for Sale -

Hmmm... i LOVE trawling through boat sale websites

make sense to you guys?... I can have one of the above (roughly), or go 5/7 years younger but 10 feet shorter?

Love to hear your thoughts.

BTW, I very much appreciate all the replies and the assistance.

Hurricane - your marina does look amazing for the price!

I'd definitely go larger.

/manmaths on
If your budget was say 15k a year for the berth then by moving to San Carles at say £5k you could spend the "savings" on servicing a 120k marine mortgage....
/manmaths off

 

[GravyStain]

I'd definitely go larger.

/manmaths on
If your budget was say 15k a year for the berth then by moving to San Carles at say £5k you could spend the "savings" on servicing a 120k marine mortgage....
/manmaths off

Hahaha - i love manmaths. I do it all the time. Unfortunately I had never intended to get a 15k berth in palma / SoF/ Puerto Banus etc... Too much dosh, plus all those places charge you a tenner for a G and T too!
Hurricane - how much did you say a 20M berth at yuor place was? 6k Euros?
I've looked on the forum for the site but can't see any prices...

However I've looked about and these seem ballpark decent:-
Port Fòrum 16m Rental
Mooring for Rent / year in Pto Dptvo Marina Miramar, 15x5,3m, 6.500 € | iNautia.com
Mooring for Rent / year in P.D. Marina Internacional, 18x5,5m, 4.200 € | iNautia.com

 

[GravyStain]

Take a look @ San Lorenzo 57 .
Here is an example, but there are many more .
Once over 10 years its all about condition and that partly relates back to the basic build , design , detailing , and quality of components fitted .
Check out the master suit on this

Sanlorenzo 57

Too slow for me Porto! Nowt wrong with an aft cabin boat though, some of the Pearls are nice (to my untrained eye (I'm prepared to be flamed))

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Great thread, really wish we weren’t stuck in the UK. But no chance of heading Medwards any time soon.

FWIW there are still things I miss about boating in the UK particularly not being able to go to my boat on a whim and not being able to spend time tinkering with it. The maximum number of nights I've ever spent on my boat in the Med in one calendar year is 42 and I generally average around 35 which is far less than I was doing in the UK. And whilst I'm not that handy, I do miss not working on the boat myself. As I said previously, I'm not on my boat long enough to spend time tinkering with it. Not only does that mean I have to pay somebody else to do those jobs but there's always the nagging doubt they arent done properly

So keeping your boat in the Med is definitely not better in every way than keeping your boat in the UK

 

[TonyR123]

Dont think I can add anything to Hooligan post, spot on. Flybridge, bedroom space, trust someone to look after your boat, etc. We tend to go out for the day, stay in the marina and sleep onboard. I currently have 50ft flybridge but looking to change in next few years to 65ft+ flybridge. My boat is still in Mallorca and will probably remain there just for the ease of flying to Mallorca. I spend around €50k pa for everything (fuel, maintenance, mooring, insurance). I did buy my mooring (well it is a lease until 2031) and they are still going for the same price, so technically I could knock off €23k pa from the mooring if I sold for the same price I bought it for, just means the next one is more expensive though

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I would find the extra now! Trading up boats is slow and bears the brokers substantial commission. They are easier to buy than sell. "Starting Small" is a popular view, but one that a short while later most regret.

A big boat is just a easy to crew as a small one - often simpler.

Agree with that in principle only to say that the relationship between size and running costs is not linear. I reckon it probably costs about twice as much to keep a 60 footer in the Med as a 40 footer and that is particularly the case if the budget is the same because then its a case of comparing an older 60 footer against a newer 40 footer

 

[TonyR123]

Not only does that mean I have to pay somebody else to do those jobs but there's always the nagging doubt they arent done properly

I 100% trust the guys who look after my boat which makes boating alot more enjoyable. So from that point of view I am happy. They also help out at short notice so saves me getting parts, etc.

 

[Hurricane]

Hahaha - i love manmaths. I do it all the time. Unfortunately I had never intended to get a 15k berth in palma / SoF/ Puerto Banus etc... Too much dosh, plus all those places charge you a tenner for a G and T too!
Hurricane - how much did you say a 20M berth at yuor place was? 6k Euros?
I've looked on the forum for the site but can't see any prices...

However I've looked about and these seem ballpark decent:-
Port Fòrum 16m Rental
Mooring for Rent / year in Pto Dptvo Marina Miramar, 15x5,3m, 6.500 € | iNautia.com
Mooring for Rent / year in P.D. Marina Internacional, 18x5,5m, 4.200 € | iNautia.com

Prices won't be on our forum.
You have to look around but there are posters on this forum and SCMCHAT who know the current deals.
You can get great deals - I know of a 20m Med style berth in which the berth holder is paying 350 euros per month. inc electricity and water etc.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

we have been in different regions; 3y SOF, 3y Croatia / Montenegro, 1y Italy (Amalfi),
and now starting the 4th year in Sardegna, first we visited the north-east, since 3y our home berth is in Cagliari
this is a super interesting place, because the marina is in the center of the big old town, and a nice cruising region.
The airport is at 10min car drive, Ryanair flights to Belgium twice a week, all winter
another attractive feature here are berth prices !

Bart just out of interest, what is the coastline like in the immediate vicinity of Cagliari? Are there good anchorages within say 10nm of the city or do you have to go further? I know the coastline around Teulada is pretty spectacular but that must be at least an hour's cruise from Cagliari or am I wrong?

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I 100% trust the guys who look after my boat which makes boating alot more enjoyable. So from that point of view I am happy. They also help out at short notice so saves me getting parts, etc.

That is absolutely the first thing I look for when choosing a new location for my boat and it often takes a season or two of hassle and disappointment until you find the right people you can trust. I do have good people looking after my boat in SoF but like everything in SoF they're expensive but as I said, for me its a price worth paying to maximise the enjoyment of my limited time on the boat