How to choose a boat , what to look for

Portofino said:
Indeed we had a 28 day stint. For Med use I don’t think any accommodation compromises show up as it’s an outside life.
...
Take Va - vertical acceleration for example, just one characteristic.
It’s slamming the point MapishM made ( I think ? ) re it’s the people / crew that give up first in a big chop , I mean going fast in a chop not slowing .Or indeed slowing dropping of the plane and being roller coasted up and down uncomfortably.
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Whoa, 28 days? You're having a laugh.
Try spending onboard anywhere from 6 to 8 months each year, as I've been doing since 2009, and you'll tell me how do you like the "either outside or akin to inside a submarine" lifestyle.

Ref. the other point I made, you're the only person on planet earth who knows what you're talking about - assuming you do, which I'm not sure of.
I will not even bother arguing that I never made such point, 'cause by now we all know it would be pointless.
 
petem said:
Anyhow, if I wanted a boat with a more capable hull I'd buy a Midnight Express.
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I think ME are quite over-rated. They are quite good boats and have sweet modern lines and high edge looks which Americans like, but in the tough stuff a Grady White will perform better.
Meaning they are not the top dog some people say they are... All IMO.
For example a Yellowfin, SeaVee, SeaHunter etc will perform better in rough seas.
Obviously in this equation I am going with the most popular 39 or 43 models, and leaving the 60 and 52 models out.

ME are a bit like Sunseeker a lot of talk but not much walk in its history, even though they put the Crown in the name, kinda like Magnum.
The difference here is that Sunseeker never actually won anything of substance in offshore like Magnum did....
 
Portofino said:
You have my sympathy.
If you are spending that amount of time way from home by the sea surly you will be better off with something like this + a day boat
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For some reason I assumed that the bimbo played a role in your pic selection, as Bouba did.
But considering your reply to him, lets focus on your property suggestion.
I'm sure some folks would agree with it, but not me, and I can explain you why.

Below is another view of the spot you are suggesting, where I circled in red the exact balcony shown in your pic.
SZSAdAlr_o.jpg

Now, even if it looks like a favela from the aerial view, I'm well aware that it's actually a lovely and picturesque village.
But do you have an idea of how it looks like, in this very moment? Shibuya Crossing during rush hours is a quiet place in comparison.
Not to mention the sea, plagued by taxi boats rushing to bring tourists to the Faraglioni of Capri as fast as they can, to come back and pick some others.
Many of these are Itamas BTW, but not because they are safer or more comfortable - those poor tourists puke their guts out as with any other boat, obviously!
They are a favorite among locals just because they think that they come across as sexy and attractive to tourists, nothing else.

But I digress.
Back to the point, in contrast with the above, here's one of the spots that by now I call home, and where I like to spend my time.
Personal preference of course, but in light of this do you still think I'd be better off in your balcony above?
From where, incidentally, you can neither see the sunset nor the sunrise - how sad is that?
yeUob4RS_o.jpg
 
@ MapishM - Not that particular property , the concept if “ 6-8 months “ away from home .
Thanks for seemingly hanging on every word .I am flattered.

You are right , I agree with you there a lot of Itama and others to be fair used by the professionals .
Its I bit more than skin deep ( no pun intended ) we are back to the opening Vid 7 reasons etc ^^^ .
Not difficult to package up those 7 reasons into something aesthetically pleasing .You are right there again .

I do hope the punters taken a shore enjoy there lunch out and the ride out and back equally.
Inc the Italcraft 51 in the foreground.

99B867E0-AC96-4AC6-9091-7429113E0848.jpeg
Not a million miles away from the “ Favela “you pointed out . ;)
A lot of GW 7 ^^^ hulls .
 
Given a choice (and believe me, the wife does not give me that choice) I would live on a boat and only come ashore to ride my Harley….. anyhow that’s just a fantasy…but in reality I do have a great life ?
 
Portofino said:
@ MapishM - Not that particular property , the concept if “ 6-8 months “ away from home .
Thanks for seemingly hanging on every word .I am flattered.

You are right , I agree with you there a lot of Itama and others to be fair used by the professionals .
Its I bit more than skin deep ( no pun intended ) we are back to the opening Vid 7 reasons etc ^^^ .
Not difficult to package up those 7 reasons into something aesthetically pleasing .You are right there again .

I do hope the punters taken a shore enjoy there lunch out and the ride out and back equally.
Inc the Italcraft 51 in the foreground.

View attachment 140947
Not a million miles away from the “ Favela “you pointed out . ;)
A lot of GW 7 ^^^ hulls .
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Nice pic! I love the Itama look and I don't doubt they are fantastic performers in a reasonable seaway. But, in such conditions, doesn't everyone end up huddled in the cockpit as being below decks isn't fun and there's no way I'd volunteer to wander about on an unguarded foredeck in much above a clock-calm?

I guess the various comments above all go to show that different folk are looking for different things in their boats; whether they want to have a day or two on board and then back to the amenities of their onshore apartment or spend months at a time afloat ... or whatever else they enjoy.
 
benjenbav said:
there's no way I'd volunteer to wander about on an unguarded foredeck in much above a clock-calm
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Believe me, you'd better be VERY careful also in clock-calm conditions.
Folks thrown overboard by even smallish navigation wakes while dealing with the anchor are not unheard of, on boats whose foredeck is not only unguarded, but also with no handhold whatsoever.
Mate that with the proverbial abrupt snatch roll of deep vee hulls when stationary, and you've got a match made in heaven, so to speak... :oops:
 
The unguarded fore-deck once you get used to it is not as bad as people might think, just because it is flash it really makes life simple with attention.
A guarded non flash fore deck spiraling down (as most flybridge yachts are) is just as dangerous, even if full of railing.
Yes you might not fall down in the water, but falling in the water many times is better then falling on some peace of metal....
We have to remember that the foredeck is a dangerous plays for moving around unless you have a deep walkaround deck like some big boys have.
You can see some Haulover videos for full center consoles to see what even a protected fore-deck can do to you....

Porto you are hitting a wall in your rhetoric, even though I agree with it. The end user of the boater which buys the 15 meter boat has changed since a decade or the last fifteen years.
Used boats some years ago where really cheap, and fuel prices have double up.
But ask Marinas in the Med and most of the 12/13 meter boats plus (90%) used to go away for a minimum of two weeks, say up till 2009.
Now that does not happen much and you are lucky if you get 20% which leave for a week cruise.
Hence why newer boats tend to have less hours.

Yes if you do not want to cruise then you better off with a small house (as an investment) and a small 7/8 meter rib just to see you sunset and sunrise as an example and escape the crowd.
But that in the end is not as cool as owning the latest flybridge yacht..... It is all about the WoW factor from buying the railing less Itama to the flybridge boat full of pop-up TVs astern galley and so on.

So nowadays people buy a 15 meter plus only to go round the corner. There life there money.... you can agree with this as much as you disagree
In my teens we went Malta to Toarmina and back, total of 250 nm with a Sunseeker 20 Mustang for a couple days finding 2 meter waves in the process, and all enjoying the adventure.
Who could care less....
But also in that time eighties and nineties we used to get loads of Italians coming all the way down from Naples with small (today) seven/eight meter boats to Malta.
From Rome and back that is 1000 nautical miles.
Some with ten meters used to come all the way from Genova.... It was all about the adventure, now it is all about the glass houses, and the sales numbers are a proof to all this.

Looking for a sea kindly hull is the exception not the rule today...
 
I am still waiting for the knock on effect of the impounding of so many of the world’s superyachts....that’s the top end of the market squeezed. With inflation and a looming recession that is the bottom of the market squeezed. Interesting times ahead me thinks...
 
benjenbav said:
Nice pic! I love the Itama look and I don't doubt they are fantastic performers in a reasonable seaway. But, in such conditions, doesn't everyone end up huddled in the cockpit as being below decks isn't fun and there's no way I'd volunteer to wander about on an unguarded foredeck in much above a clock-calm?

I guess the various comments above all go to show that different folk are looking for different things in their boats; whether they want to have a day or two on board and then back to the amenities of their onshore apartment or spend months at a time afloat ... or whatever else they enjoy.
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The cockpit pits and rear sun pads are huge to absorb everyone motoring.
When running no one goes forwards .
Guard rails yes at first pass to newbies agree a bit daunting As William says it’s a bit of a none event . There are loads of boats sans guard rails .
You just await entry in the marina to fender up at 4 knots ;)

There is another advantage…..Med biased and also getting off at new to you jetties , just jump or walk off depending on the height diff .I am not selling it btw just saying it as is .I know of no one who’s fallen off in the Italian muscle boat community.
Buy yes appreciate folks initially anxiety .


As far a running the cockpits are very accommodating , you do need to sit forwards to get out of the breeze , but in Med with circa 30*C upwards temps a nice breeze is appreciated.We have ( hold my hand up Greta ) just up anchored and done a wide 30 mile arc back just to get a breeze and from my pov burn some stale fuel and give em some beans checking all the numbers etc .
Just for the hell of it .


They are niche and opens don’t fit U.K. weather .
 
…They are niche and opens don’t fit U.K. weather .

benjenbav said:
Never a truer word!

It would be a very dull world if we all liked the same things.
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True.
But its the same as an F//Line 33 or a Fairline Targa, Princess V and Sunseeker before hardtop started becoming all the rage in around 2000 for Sunseeker and after 2004/5 for the other two....
 
Portofino said:
The cockpit pits and rear sun pads are huge to absorb everyone motoring.
When running no one goes forwards .
Guard rails yes at first pass to newbies agree a bit daunting As William says it’s a bit of a none event . There are loads of boats sans guard rails .
You just await entry in the marina to fender up at 4 knots ;)

There is another advantage…..Med biased and also getting off at new to you jetties , just jump or walk off depending on the height diff .I am not selling it btw just saying it as is .I know of no one who’s fallen off in the Italian muscle boat community.
Buy yes appreciate folks initially anxiety .


As far a running the cockpits are very accommodating , you do need to sit forwards to get out of the breeze , but in Med with circa 30*C upwards temps a nice breeze is appreciated.We have ( hold my hand up Greta ) just up anchored and done a wide 30 mile arc back just to get a breeze and from my pov burn some stale fuel and give em some beans checking all the numbers etc .
Just for the hell of it .


They are niche and opens don’t fit U.K. weather .
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Porto,
I am fascinated by boats going through Haulover Inlet.
Do you have access to video of an Itama transiting?
 
benjenbav said:
Never a truer word!

It would be a very dull world if we all liked the same things.
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Very true, we use the front sun pads all the time, even when motoring @ upto 25 knots, wouldn’t dream of using them without guard rails, dropping anchor would also be dangerous, for a boat that’s used for its outside space the front is wasted without rails.
 
Porto has previously posted photos of the front of his boat full of women...so it is possible
 
stelican said:
Porto,
I am fascinated by boats going through Haulover Inlet.
Do you have access to video of an Itama transiting?
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Here’s a deep V boat …..actually in my old marina .
Worth the full watch as note the interior build , some one ^^^ above queried “ stringers coming apart “ They fast deep V s are built for it , but do less “ leaping “.
As i said the difference between a 18 degree and 22 deadrise is huge on the water in terms of Va .
From 6.3 onwards if short of time .
No guard rails .The none guarded tend to be 1/3 rd boats ie split into 1/3rds with the ER in the middle 1/3 d , so the bow area is less than 1/2 , or put another way the cockpits / rear area are disproportionately bigger than say a Sunseeker of eq L .

I mean take a Pred 72 or Prinny 70 something eq L of this Magnum or Itama 75 .
If you like hull design - enjoy .I think they made a hand full Mag 70 s something like 4 ish ? Itama 75 are in the mid twenties and counting .

But as Ben said along the lines of different strokes for different folks .
 
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