Good Used Motor-Yacht for First Start around the Mediteranian / Italy / France / Spain

[Skipper Felice]

Hello Skippers
Next year I´ll start my own offshore sea adventure around the Mediteranian or Thyranian sea. I have over 3 years of charter and boating practice with around 1000 nm on sea.

Considering buying a used motoryacht for 2-6 people/guests I need some advice about a good, reliable and quality boat to look at:
Length: 45-55 ft (15-17 m) / 3 cabins (x2) + skipper cab. / quality comfort for 2-3 weeks cruises / propulsion 2x diesel shaft drive (NO Volvo IPS)
Invest: +/- 300k EUR

I would like to get some ideas or proposals from experienced owners and skippers. As an engineer and passionate motorboat skipper I have good technical skills for daily maintenance and basic nautic experience around Italy, France and Croatia.

 

[Hooligan]

Hello Skippers
Next year I´ll start my own offshore sea adventure around the Mediteranian or Thyranian sea. I have over 3 years of charter and boating practice with around 1000 nm on sea.

Considering buying a used motoryacht for 2-6 people/guests I need some advice about a good, reliable and quality boat to look at:
Length: 45-55 ft (15-17 m) / 3 cabins (x2) + skipper cab. / quality comfort for 2-3 weeks cruises / propulsion 2x diesel shaft drive (NO Volvo IPS)
Invest: +/- 300k EUR

I would like to get some ideas or proposals from experienced owners and skippers. As an engineer and passionate motorboat skipper I have good technical skills for daily maintenance and basic nautic experience around Italy, France and Croatia.

My guess is an early change of century Squadron 58 would be around this price and a great seaworthy boat that meets the above.

 

[prinex]

I see your Squadron and raise you the Azimut 55 - bonus italian design and center master cabin. Cat Engines also. The older models (the one with the 3 vertical portholes not the big fancy large one ) should be around that price. Turn of century SQ 58 have the chicken ladder to the fly which I really dislike. Both are excellent boats with pros and cons, SQ has a better fly, AZ the center cabin etc. and can be discussed ad infinitum.

Both will keep their value and can be resold if you change your mind or want a bigger boat !

 

[jfm]

100% agree. A 2003-2007 Squadron 58 might just be within that budget. A great boat, that meets the specification perfectly. Very low drag efficient hull, which makes for low fuel burn.

Otherwise, if you want a lower price point, a late (2001-2003) Squadron 55 with the D12 engines and the later flybridge design (sometimes called Squadron 55 "mark 3").

Azimut 55 of the same +/- 2003 period is also a very nice boat (I typed this before seeing Prinex's post above).

 

[jfm]

Turn of century SQ 58 have the chicken ladder to the fly which I really dislike.

Small correction: older Squadron 55s have the chicken ladder to the flybridge, not the 58s. All Squadron 58s have a proper staircase to the fly. All squadron 55 and 58 of this era also have internal stairs to the fly, which Azi 55 does not have. As you say, pros/cons can be debated ad infinitum!

 

[Skipper Felice]

Thanks a lot for your ideas. The Azimut 55 and the Squadron are on my shortlist. Good reliable brands and good quality.
What do you think about the brands from Spain: Astondoa 52 or Rodman MUSE 54?

 

[prinex]

Also Guy Coauch 185 / 195 etc are nice boats in my opinion - like this one https://www.inautia.com/it/barca/2000-guy-couach-185-fly-9253716/ has been for sale since 2 years now so maybe the owner can be "motivated"...

 

[jfm]

Thanks a lot for your ideas. The Azimut 55 and the Squadron are on my shortlist. Good reliable brands and good quality.
What do you think about the brands from Spain: Astondoa 52 or Rodman MUSE 54?

Personally I would not go for those 2 spanish boats. Not as good imho, and a much thinner market/harder to sell.

In contrast, Azimut built c250 of the 55 and Fairline built 211 of the Sq58 Classic, so there is a thick used market.

Personally - and this is all personal choice, I would not want to own one of those Guy Couach 18m boats. They fell like they belong in a different period of history.

 

[tomaz_slo]

Menorquin 160 or 180 ?

 

[red124]

Thanks a lot for your ideas. The Azimut 55 and the Squadron are on my shortlist. Good reliable brands and good quality.
What do you think about the brands from Spain: Astondoa 52 or Rodman MUSE 54?

Astondoas are great boats but resale somewhere else from Spain could prove to be challenging.
Perhaps an early Sunseeker Predator 55, it might be quite out of budget but I found it to be a wonderful boat during the 3 years I owned one. I also looked at the Carnage 50 and seemed also great (just not as great as the pred)

 

[Skipper Felice]

Thank you all for the ideas and the good points: Some are very well in line with my search.
For the Spanish boats I see the point with the market, but I think I will keep it on my list. Rodman and Astondoa are around Italy and the mediterranian.

I will now look after the following list with builds around +/- 2005, shaft propulsion:
Azimut 50 / 55, Astondoa 52/54, Rodman Muse 54, Fairline SQ, Sunseeker Manhatten 52 or evea a Sunseeker

 

[red124]

Thank you all for the ideas and the good points: Some are very well in line with my search.
For the Spanish boats I see the point with the market, but I think I will keep it on my list. Rodman and Astondoa are around Italy and the mediterranian.

I will now look after the following list with builds around +/- 2005, shaft propulsion:
Azimut 50 / 55, Astondoa 52/54, Rodman Muse 54, Fairline SQ, Sunseeker Manhatten 52 or evea a Sunseeker

I own a lovely 2006 built Astondoa 72, it might not be as well known as the Brit’s or Italian choices but I can tell you it’s a solid option.
There is a lovely 2007 Astondoa 52 for sale currently located in Alicante, I feel like it lacks the teak on fly bridge but it’s a one owner boat.

 

[Skipper Felice]

I own a lovely 2006 built Astondoa 72, it might not be as well known as the Brit’s or Italian choices but I can tell you it’s a solid option.
There is a lovely 2007 Astondoa 52 for sale currently located in Alicante, I feel like it lacks the teak on fly bridge but it’s a one owner boat.

I did not have the occasion to visit an Astondoa, but I Know they are building good, reliable technology. Not the latest in style - but for me they make practical layouts with the nescessary features.
Perhaps you mention this boat:
Astondoa 54 for sale I will have a look at it, thank you for your opinion.

 

[John100156]

Princess 50 is a nice boat.... worth a look

Always good to go big but with a 45-50 you can usually get into a berth easily when visiting most mariners in Spain. A little more restrictive/expensive when you get up into the 60s+.

 

[Skipper Felice]

Always good to go big but with a 45-50 you can usually get into a berth easily when visiting most mariners in Spain. A little more restrictive/expensive when you get up into the 60s+.

Thank you for your info - Princess is on my watch list.

At the moment I am somewhere between 50ft and 60ft: 50ft has some practical advantages - less fuel, better marina access around the med., less costs - and a bigger boat much more comfort and space.
As our crew/owner we are two - but we would like to have with us 2-4 guests/friends/family for vacation cruises. I think that 60ft is very good for 6 people, but also a 50ft boat has advantages.

What do all the experienced captains think around here ?

 

[jfm]

Once you're out at sea and get a few waves, bigger is always better. 60 is better than 50, and 70-80-90 is better still.
I don't see any meaningful difference in the task of booking marinas for 60 vs 50 foot, and anyway you will never know. Obviously there are cost differences.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Thank you for your info - Princess is on my watch list.

At the moment I am somewhere between 50ft and 60ft: 50ft has some practical advantages - less fuel, better marina access around the med., less costs - and a bigger boat much more comfort and space.
As our crew/owner we are two - but we would like to have with us 2-4 guests/friends/family for vacation cruises. I think that 60ft is very good for 6 people, but also a 50ft boat has advantages.

What do all the experienced captains think around here ?

If your guests are adult couples, and you value them equally, then the size and arrangement of your guest cabins becomes important. Many 50’ boats have bunks for the third cabin, whereas I’d suggest that you want 2x twins or a twin and a double of similar size. The Sq58 mentioned above would be a good option in that regard, also the later Sq50. Contrast these with the Princess 50 flybridge or Sunseeker Manhatttan 50 which have bunks in the third cabin.

 

[Hurricane]

I don't see any meaningful difference in the task of booking marinas for 60 vs 50 foot, and anyway you will never know.

Actually, I disagree. On our part of the Med, marinas have Nominal berth sizes. In our marina, the Nominal sizes relevant to this discussion are 15m and 20m. Our marina allows 10% over the nominal size so 16.5m which is 54.13 feet. Anything bigger has to use 20m berth which is a big jump in cost. In that case, the Squaddies mentioned above would be too big.
Just my threepenny worth.
There is a nice Sealine T51 for sale in our marina, well within the budget - already on a 15m berth.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

That’s for permanent berths, but is that also true for a short stay / overnight or two?

 

[jfm]

Actually, I disagree. On our part of the Med, marinas have Nominal berth sizes. In our marina, the Nominal sizes relevant to this discussion are 15m and 20m. Our marina allows 10% over the nominal size so 16.5m which is 54.13 feet. Anything bigger has to use 20m berth which is a big jump in cost. In that case, the Squaddies mentioned above would be too big.

I'm not sure what you're disagreeing. I clearly said there's a cost increase for a bigger boat, and you've just said the same.