Hard choice:2006 Targa 34 vs 2006 Prestige 34s vs 2009 Prestige 38s vs 2012 Leader 10

[wawando]

Hello,
I had some of the most intense two months to decide what boat to buy. I am entering 50s all family of 5 into boating (my wife just did her boating license).

It all just started 4 months ago when we bought our first boat, a 6m rib with 130hp... Choosing the next one was herculean...

So here is the path we did... it was intensive and super interesting although tiring...:
It started as a BUT and the buts are the problem... "6m rib has no protection so we need (want) a bigger boat"...
Great, lets go to a sub 8m outboard boat - Beneteau Flyer 8m with 350 hp outboard for 90k - and so i went visit to the Barcelona boat show with two friends...
...but because "it is too small inside, can't event sit at the table" went up to Cap Camarat 9.0 wa with same engine at 108k....
....but "it looks like a fisherman boat daddy!!!" so we passed to Leader 9
...but because "this is not enough for the five" went to Leader 10
... but "this is too big" so back to Leader 8.
... but then "nah too small" so back to Leader 10.
... but for 130k why not a Prestige 38s as we can store dingy and is only more 15k.
... but then "in fact this is not a real solution... A 2m dingy is too small to do any trip so why such a big boat that eats more 50% fuel with no real benefit and it makes us look like millionares that we arent".
... but "there are very nice and cheaper 34s and Targa 38" (thks for the fabulous review Nick) and they cost less 40k... the 34s was impecable and had a hydraulic for the tender and it even came with a 280m tender! but too old and without hard top. An important note on the too old: "we will keep the boat for 3 years so the equivalent now would be a 2003 boat and are not even looking at boats from 2003, so when we want to sell it will be a pain in the ass..."
... at the end we settled for Leader 10 2012 with dual d4 260 hp.

I am sharing this choosing rational as it was very time consuming and might help. I will post all boats features advantages and disadvantages including videos of engines working and some pictures we took on the process that took us to boat fairs and to know the south of France.

This forum and all online video reports, specially the ones from Nick where really a great help, so i would like to give my contribute.

See you!

 

[Portofino]

Congratulations with the final purchase ......look forwards to hearing the rational .
Where are you going to keep it ?
It’s always interesting listening to the thought processes behind a boat decision.:encouragement:

 

[Bouba]

Well done, Wawando! You used logic and came to a sensible conclusion all the while knowing that this is only for the next three years. It is actually how you are supposed to buy a boat. You will definitely have family fun on the water with her

 

[wawando]

The options, the good and the bad:
We (me and my wife - "the real captain" ) visited all these boats that we thought about buying:
1 Prestige 38s (2008), 1 Sessa Marine c35 (2011), 3 Jeanneau Leader 10 (2010-2012), 2 Jeanneau Leader 9 (2009-2010), 1 Targa 34 (2006), 1 Targa 52 (2004), 1 Sunseeker 54 (?), 1 Jeanneau Leader 8 (2010), 1 Prestige 34s(2006), 1 Beneteau Flyer 8 (new), 1 Cap Camarat 9.0 WA (new), 1 Cap Camarat 10.5 (new), 1 QuickSilver 825 Open (new)
Why so many Jeanneau? Well, we are seeing boats of 2009-2012 and in those year, Jeanneau was really ahead in terms of "modern" interior design and specially lights and hardtops. This for our budget, of course!
The boat will be used in Portugal in the south and west coast (we live in Cascais, a village near Lisbon). It is very sunny and we can boat almost all year. The air is super clean due to the nw summer wind so at the end of the day there is always a soft breeze.
We will cruise at 20 knots and stay for up to 4 days on board. We plan to travel to south of spain with electric scooters and a SUP. For water activities like ski, water toys and wakeboard, a 3k used waverunner will do the trick.

We quickly decided that we needed a two bedroom boat. So it helped to narrow the choices. It had to be diesel too.
The ones we really thought we would buy and why are these:

Prestige 38s: we visited a 2008 but where almost buying a 2009 for 145k eur with dual Cummings 320hp with 680 hours.
+ super interior
+ hardtop
+ dual tables on the deck
+ deck grill (electric but no generator)
+ super silent 6 cylinder cummings engines when compared to the noisy D4... really big difference with open cover or closed (not insulation it is the engines that are quieter)
+ tender garage
- tender garage too small: a big boat can not go to the beach. in the south of Portugal beaches are TOP so we ALWAYS go to the beach. 10 persons going to the beach on a 2m tender... hum... In the summer i have a house in a small village that has a river near but it is shallow. The rib was ok, but a bigger boat with stern drives (or shafts) has to be parked far away... it is a 2 mile trip, so on a 2m tender with max 4hp?... hum... Need a bigger tender for sure or even a waverunner...
- heavier than other options (7500kg vs 6000kg) and more powerful engines, 75-80 lph vs 50 lph
- mercruiser support not as good as Volvo Penta
- no generator
- no auto pilot nor radar

Prestige 34s: almost buying a 2006 for 85k eur with dual d4 260 hp with 520 hours.
+ super well maintained boat
+ "cheap"
+ hydraulic platform and 280m fiber glass tender
+ two proper cabins
- no hardtop for "everyday's afternoon breeze"
- a little smaller than Leader 10, specially the aft cabin and middle optional berths
- too old when we want to sell it

Sessa c35 2011 160k, dual d4 260
+ full options including ac and generator
- we really did not like the interior design that looked "cheap"
- too expensive

Targa 34 this was triggered by Nick (Aqua Holic) review
+ "Racing" design
- Too old design
- The one we visited was too word-out
- No hardtop

Jeanneau Leader 10: we visited two 2010 (125k) and opted for a 130k eur 2012 with dual D4 260 hp with 490 hours.
+ nice interior
+ hardtop
+ large table on the deck
+ relatively recent (2012)
+ all options: fridges, joystick, radar, auto pilot, etc.
- no generator (will we miss it? maybe for the Nespresso machine...)
- no tender nor tender garage (looking for davits solution... and decide what tender should we buy)

We ended up buying the Leader 10. There is not many information online... i will try contribute on that...
In the next days I will post videos of all the engines working... a little nerd thing
See you!

 

[wawando]

Thank you for the feedback. Lets see if the choice was the correct one...

Videos of the engines starting and working - i had never seen and didn't know how they started nor the noise they did nor how to tell good looking from bad-looking so i did videos. All starting from cold:

Volvo Penta dual D4 260 hp on Prestige 34s 2006: https://youtu.be/HoMXb88w8E4
Volvo Penta dual D4 260 hp on Sessa Marine c35 2011: https://youtu.be/qr7W5_INHuU
Cummings dual QSD 4.2 6 cyl 320 hp 2008 on Prestige 38s 2008: https://youtu.be/VeWF_CGU8y0
Volvo Penta D4 260 HP (evc D) on Jeanneau Leader 10 2012: https://youtu.be/uXHVpoav6B4
Volvo Penta D4 260 HP (evc C) on Jeanneau Leader 10 2010: https://youtu.be/uRx0_nLW0F8