If you were buying a cruiser...

[Tranona]

I like it but couldn't find a price mentioned anywhere in the write up - did I miss it? Looked elsewhere and not cheap at £287k for 35'. I think its one where people will bitch about the Bav/Ben/Jen offerings but when it come to parting with their money will buy the Bav/Ben/Jen equivalent at circa £110k!

Think you will find that is just the starting figure for a "basic" boat, which explains why they build only a handful each year. However, they seem to have found a sustainable niche as they have been building essentially the same concept for many years.

 

[Neil_Y]

Looking at the Sirius, some nice details/design ideas, I like the workshop area and the canting wheel, but would have liked to see a swim ladder off the back and a drained storage locker for garbage or petrol cans and spare gas.

 

[maby]

That's one pig ugly boat.

Don't agree - I really like the interior and certainly could live with the exterior - apart from the cockpit which, I guess, would be too small.

 

[maby]

Think you will find that is just the starting figure for a "basic" boat, which explains why they build only a handful each year. However, they seem to have found a sustainable niche as they have been building essentially the same concept for many years.

It is a lot of money for the size - if I were spending that sort of figure, I would go for one of the mass produced AWBs and another fifteen foot or so.

 

[alant]

Here's a boat that cruisers do buy - ours:

That keel helps her sail quite fast for her size - it's good for Channel cruising in limited holiday time. And if you want a keel that shape then bolting it on is the only feasible way to do it. Moulding it as part of the hull is not an option.

Sure, if I was going to weather ocean storms or bounce off tropical reefs, I would prefer a different kind of boat with a different kind of keel - you're quite right when you say that everything's a compromise. But it's a compromise driven by the type and usage of the boat, not by build cost.

Pete

Was it that expensive, you had to call it 'Money' (arian)?

 

[Bobc]

It is a lot of money for the size - if I were spending that sort of figure, I would go for one of the mass produced AWBs and another fifteen foot or so.

Like one of these? I know which I'd choose

 

[maby]

Like one of these? I know which I'd choose

definitely one of those for me.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

32-37’ recent (ish) or up to date??
A fairly open ended brief.

I guess a lot comes down to budget and then what type of sailing you wish to do and where.
For general cruising in the Med’ on a modest budget, you could do a lot worse than looking at the last 15+years of Jeaneau 37’

If you were looking to buy an ocean going yacht , you may find that some of its design may not be suitable for caravanning around the Med’. If you wish to do both then you may want to compromise.
Some thoroughbred racer/cruisers like the J109 may not suit the circumnavigator who seeks great sea-keeping, storage and living accommodation qualities from a boat.

However, there are some great boats built in the last 20years.
I guess that one company I’d seriously start looking at for quality are the Halberg Rassys, although to liveaboard and circumnavigate I think I’d try to go longer than 37’. My particular favourites are the Rustlers. The 36’ would suit for most needs but not perfect for mooring stern-to in the Med’ and the 42’ would probably keep me happy for life and I’d compromise when I had to.

The sugar scoop stern boats do seem to come into their own for Med’ type sailing, where a quick swim off the back and mooring stern-to is far easier. Ken’s Arcona would certainly be on my list of boats to consider but so too would the Malo.

I do have doubts about buying a boat that has a prop vulnerable to catching rubbish. Many of the fin boats don’t have a skeg to both protect the prop and rudder and to give better control especially if the rig gets out of balance.

I’ve no experience of some of the French alloy hulled boats. Some of the experts at sailing them really like them and with a drop keel they can get Ocean sailing and creek crawling from the same craft.

If you want to spend a little more cash and be bespoke, you could also consider one of the more modern shapes and have it fitted out to your own style of timber and seating choice.

I’m stuck with budget being a strong factor. So I went for value for money…. old, stable, spacious, well fitted out, relatively slow and cheap ………yet will potentially take us most places in worse than average conditions in safety, other than creek crawling.
I don’t think many of the modern styled boats would either fit my needs or budget and I probably wont lose much on overall saleable value in the next 10yrs.

S.

 

[bitbaltic]

Was it that expensive, you had to call it 'Money' (arian)?

Pretty sure she's called 'Ariam'.

 

[Sybarite]

I like it but couldn't find a price mentioned anywhere in the write up - did I miss it? Looked elsewhere and not cheap at £287k for 35'. I think its one where people will bitch about the Bav/Ben/Jen offerings but when it come to parting with their money will buy the Bav/Ben/Jen equivalent at circa £110k!

Bénéteau are offering the canting wheel as an option. http://www.beneteau.fr/Actualites/V...velle-barre-a-roue-disponible-sur-le-First-30

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

That is quite brilliant.

and three rudders !!!

belt and braces and cummerbund as well.

They really are a superb yet heavily compromised sailing caravan.

The frustration and dislike of steering from the cockpit in deck saloon sailboats by many a sailor is just emmense.

What a view for'ard!

Why do they not offer a raised seating area in the cockpit so the view is less compromised?

S.

 

[wully1]

If I was to be buying a new 30 ish footer for general cruising I think I'd be having a serious look at the RM 1050....

 

[BuzzFan]

upgraded jen?

I have a 2005 Jen, last of the wooden floor range.

I spent £2000 on capping all the doors with real teak, new saloon table and other cabinet work, all blended to the original Jen satin finish. It looks the business now, so I saved £100k over a Southerly, ended up with what I wanted in the first place.

I also despair of the furniture in the last 6 or so years, I wish I wasn't saying that, because it sounds like I am being overprotective of my purchase choice.

great idea, any before & after photos

 

[Sailfree]

Full Circle,

What varnish did you use to match the jeanneau "matt?" finish.

 

[FullCircle]

Full Circle,

What varnish did you use to match the jeanneau "matt?" finish.

Well, first off, when I had it done, the boat was already 4 years old, and the interior was lighter than when purchased. The table was made from marine ply and then veneered in the yard workshop. We used 2.4mm instead of the original Jeanneau 1.2mm veneer, matched by Shadbolts in North London.
The original mouldings were removed from the table and steamed to shape the new table, and a new piece replicated and let in, to the same design of scarf joint that Jeanneau used. The doors were all routed to let in the 25mm edge sections, the edge mouldings for the saloon shelves were made.
Then the frenchh polisher came in and stained/bleached the newly made parts to match the rest of the cabin. The match is perfect.
Then he took all the parts away and these were sprayed with an industrial satin lacquer to match the Jeanneau production process. Again, the match is perfect.

So, in a long winded way, I am saying that no varnish was used.

The table was made with better access to the lift keel mechanism, and a 3 bottle wine stowage, and folds in 2 places, and now has removable fiddles in the centre section.
At the same time, I had the galley cooker space widened and modified to take the Nelson Spinflo (in place of the poxy Eno cooker), a sliding cover with cutting board let in over the cooker that folds away when not in use.
Modified the galley cupboard to take a slideout wastebin.
Modified the hanging locker backpanel to give 2 large extra stuffing stowages.
Added a fill in piece as the saloon settee did not make into t double. (it does now)
Added an infill on the port side to lengthen the single berth.
Also they made a bespoke wine goblet stowage.
Added a centre stowage to the forecabin, and added an access door and stowage for the windlass electrics.
Added cutouts in the aft cabin side walls to make another 4 stowages (big enough for the lifejackets and all the kids toys)

The polishing/spraying came to £360.
The whole cost of that little lot was a shade over £2000.
Brilliant value for money.

Photos to follow....