Help choosing a boat

[Gordon7]

I am a beginner in that this will be my first boat purchase.

Budget of circa £40,000 for the purchase and am looking for a boat to cruise along the south coast, occasional overnight stay, entertain friends and family. Some of the key points for me:

Good inside and external space
Double cabin
Length 25 ft to 30 ft
Good to handle on the water
Reliable, lower maintenance cost ... but I understand maintenance costs are never 'low' with boats

I had thought about Doral (e.g. 250, Montecello), Regal (eg 2565) and Bayliner (eg 285) but someone said Bayliner maybe higher maintenance costs?

Grateful for any advice from boat owners who have experience / knowledge of this type of purchase.

My next challenge will be to find moorings (Poole, Dorset)

 

[Dorset Dan]

We were in the same position as you 2 years ago.

Looked at lots of boats and posted a similar request for advice here in the forum. Lots of sensible advice supplied and a few saying buy something a little older but a bit larger, with twin engines ideally.

Ultimately we decided that we would go with the newer boat which invariably leads you to the US sports cruiser market (the makes you list above being some of many we viewed). There are vast differences in quality and condition so go and see as many as you can.

We bought a Regal 2665 in the end which is 28ft incl. swim platform. Went as new as we could (2008MY) and it was up for £40k but we got a little off and a years reduced berthing fees, so were happy with the deal struck. It is a single engined mercruiser mag 350 which is petrol. Not a problem for us as we have fuel dock (we are at Cobbs Quay in Hamworthy) which supplies petrol and we don't tend to do really long trips - usually out of the harbour for a quick blast, often round to Swanage, spent a lot of time anchored at Studland, did the airshow for 2 days last year which was great and a couple of trips over to Weymouth for overnight stays. Diesel engine would be easier to resale though.

We have myself, my wife, a teenage daughter and a younger son. The cabin arrangement is fine for 1/2 nights but think more a small caravan rather than large motorhome!

We love our Regal and are already looking at bigger boats now that we have the bug, maybe something like F'line Targa 30/34 but then you are at £50k/£75k+ respectively.

Overall we wouldn't change the Regal 2665 we bought as a first boat, it is great fun and does everything that we want it to. It came well equipped and has been trouble free although servicing is not cheap - savings could be made by doing more yourself but I don't have the time to spare so accept this as a cost.

Sounds like you are local so you are welcome to pop down to Cobbs Quay for a quick nose around and I can run through our experiences, costs, etc, just drop me a PM.

 

[Sailorsam101]

A good Targa 33 can be had for under 40k..not much else as good for the money.

 

[KevB]

A good Targa 33 can be had for under 40k..not much else as good for the money.

I agree but aren't they around 37ft ?

 

[Sailorsam101]

Depends upon who you ask...if I am paying they are 33ft but length overall is 36.5ft.

Why are you limiting yourself on size?...they don't feel big to handle at all.

 

[ashtonmarineservices]

Hi

I would agree with the size. Its amazing how much more space you get for an extra few feet so here would be my list of things to look at:

1: Go and see as many boats as you can. As long as you say what you are doing most sellers/ brokers are fine.
2: If possible ask anyone you know with a sailing boat for a trip out on theirs as sailing boats are amazingly different in the way they handle.
3: Lookat boats that are or varied ages as an older boat in VGC can often be a lot cheaper than a newer boat that has not been well looked after.
4: Work out your marina costs for various sizes so if you see something that ticks all your boxes you at least know how much it will cost for the mooring/ pontoon
5: Look at the extra's ie even silly things like a good tender and engine can make a difference of 1.5K on a sale price if it not included and you need to buy one yourself
6: always get an independent survey done.
7: Never buy a boat without a sea trial as this shows up all sorts of things.
8: There are lots of boats out there so dont rush as there will always be another one for sale that you will like.
9: Most people who own boats love talking about their pride and joy and use this to your advantage and gain knowledge
10: Ask for copies of receipts for any work done. This will not only confirm what has been done, it also helps when you sell the boat.
11: We are strong believers in boat skills training and would always suggest speaking to your local RYA training centre. Not only do you get better skills but also it helps with some insurance companies ie you get cheaper boat insurance!

Good luck

Dave