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)