Liveaboard Cruising

[Big Fish]

I am sure this has been asked before but looking for some advice on a good compromise between safely sail anywhere/live aboard/reasonable performance all for total of £100,000 max.
Some boats in my thinking are Brewer 44, Hylas 44, Rustler 36, H. Rassy 352. Any ideas alternatives gratefully received, thank you

Hi all,
Yes looking at my post it was a bit off the wall, some have mentioned this . You may well have saved me loads of cash but I still do not know what Boats to look at. In order of importance I would like
Good Seakeeping ability
Hot weather suitable, plan is May/June go to Med via Biscay, June to September Med. October/ Nov sail to Canaries, possibly ARC to West Indies or maybe a break in Canaries so no cold water sailing apart from start
Good performance, but not as important as Seakeeping.
Reasonable accommodation, two on board full time with max 2 or 3 occasional visitors. Mix of Anchoring with a few marina stops so power considerations. Any suggestions gratefully received, thank you
Read more at http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?445750-Liveaboard-Cruising/page2#MtwjJBfdPU6sFa0Q.99

 

[Sybarite]

I am sure this has been asked before but looking for some advice on a good compromise between safely sail anywhere/live aboard/reasonable performance all for total of £100,000 max.
Some boats in my thinking are Brewer 44, Hylas 44, Rustler 36, H. Rassy 352. Any ideas alternatives gratefully received, thank you

Amel Santorin (46')

http://www.annoncesbateau.com/voilier/occasion-annonce-696082.html

 

[Mr Cassandra]

I am sure this has been asked before but looking for some advice on a good compromise between safely sail anywhere/live aboard/reasonable performance all for total of £100,000 max.
Some boats in my thinking are Brewer 44, Hylas 44, Rustler 36, H. Rassy 352. Any ideas alternatives gratefully received, thank you

None of the above.

 

[Hadenough]

Where are you going? Hot, cockpit. Cold, wheelhouse. Both, compromise or buy good warm oilies.

 

[Big Fish]

Thanks for that, very helpful rtboss1

 

[Tranona]

I am sure this has been asked before but looking for some advice on a good compromise between safely sail anywhere/live aboard/reasonable performance all for total of £100,000 max.
Some boats in my thinking are Brewer 44, Hylas 44, Rustler 36, H. Rassy 352. Any ideas alternatives gratefully received, thank you

All of those boats might be suitable along with many others not on your (rather strange) list. For example not sure how a Hylas 44 and an HR 352 come to be on the same list (and the former will eat you out of house and home if you are buying at sub £100k!)

It is almost impossible to give an answer to your question as you will get almost as many different answers as people giving them, usually based on either their own choice or what they might choose if they were in a position to buy. Just look at the wide range of boats that people actually do buy. Just as an example if you look at the entry list of the ARC you would not see any of those boats on it. Admittedly most have bigger budgets than you, but those older style boats are no longer the first choice for most people.

If you are limited to £100k then boats from the smaller end in the 35-40' range are a better bet as you stand a chance of buying one at a price that enable you to get it prepared within your budget. Recognise that most of these boats will be over 25 years old and by their nature are likely to have lead a very active life so be prepared to spend 30% or so of your budget on getting it up to scratch.

 

[ribrage]

I am sure this has been asked before but looking for some advice on a good compromise between safely sail anywhere/live aboard/reasonable performance all for total of £100,000 max.
Some boats in my thinking are Brewer 44, Hylas 44, Rustler 36, H. Rassy 352. Any ideas alternatives gratefully received, thank you

That's a Very diverse selection and without knowing where you plan to travel almost impossible to choose , plus everyone on here loves their own boats and have a distorted view point in favour of what they own so you will never get a completely unbiased opinion.

personally one thing I wouldn't compromise on is a deck saloon but that's my choice and limits the boats Id buy to a very select few.

 

[vyv_cox]

personally one thing I wouldn't compromise on is a deck saloon but that's my choice and limits the boats Id buy to a very select few.

But on the other hand a deck saloon tends to be very warm if cruising in hot places. The first thing many owners of boats with big windows do in the Med is fit permanent external blinds.

As said, the OP question is impossible to answer without knowing where he intends to cruise, what sort of cruising, etc.

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Thanks for that, very helpful rtboss1

Sorry .however the range of boats that you supplied is so varied that its obvious that you should not buy any boat, until you know what you need .
I've saved you a fortune be happy .

 

[duncan99210]

Rather than fixing on a particular make or model at this stage in the game, I'd be thinking of where my my cruising ground is going to be. Northern European waters, then perhaps deck saloons/wheelhouses make sense but these boats get very hot when you head further south. Boats with centre cockpits are difficult (not impossible, just difficult) to shade if you're heading south as well, whereas aft cockpit boats are easy to shade. You will need shade in the cockpit if you head south as unshaded temperatures can be very high indeed, as well as the problems of sun burn.

You'll also need to think about items such as electricity generation and storage unless you have enough money to spend a lot of time in marinas. That'll mean looking at where you can mount solar panels or fit a built in generator. Water tankage is another factor to consider. And so the list goes on.

There is no one size fits all but as Tranona said, our experience suggests allowing a large lump sum to sort things out for long term cruising. Therefore, when we budgeted for our boat, we had about £70k available, spent £55k on purchasing th boat and another £10k on sorting things out.

A final point. We bought a six berth boat because we thought we'd need that much accommodation for visitors (especially grandkids). In the event, we found that we needed one cabin as a shed to house all the day to day stuff that you will accumulate.

 

[Jock89]

I am sure this has been asked before but looking for some advice on a good compromise between safely sail anywhere/live aboard/reasonable performance all for total of £100,000 max.
Some boats in my thinking are Brewer 44, Hylas 44, Rustler 36, H. Rassy 352. Any ideas alternatives gratefully received, thank you

Nicholson 38's are in the best-of-both-worlds, you should check them out.
Excellent sea-keeping & all the Nicholson range have ocean-going capabilities.
Definitely the best value for your money these days considering what they can do.!

 

[TQA]

Nicholson 38's are in the best-of-both-worlds, you should check them out.
Excellent sea-keeping & all the Nicholson range have ocean-going capabilities.
Definitely the best value for your money these days considering what they can do.!

Are you selling a Nick 38 by any chance?

 

[duncan99210]

Another couple of thoughts if you're heading for warmer places. Teak decks get very hot underfoot in the sun compared to white GRP so you might want to avoid them, let alone have the fun of replacing or recaulking them.
Some folks have also suggested that dark coloured hulls absorb the heat more than white hulls do, thus making coloured hulls something to avoid.

 

[Big Fish]

Sorry .however the range of boats that you supplied is so varied that its obvious that you should not buy any boat, until you know what you need .
I've saved you a fortune be happy .

Hi,
Yes looking at my post it was a bit off the wall. You may well have saved me loads of cash but I still do not know what Boats to look at. ? In order of importance I would like
Good Seakeeping ability
Hot weather suitable, plan is May/June go to Med via Biscay, June to September Med. October/ Nov sail to Canaries, possibly ARC to West Indies or maybe a break in Canaries so no cold water sailing apart from start
Good performance, but not as important as Seakeeping.
Reasonable accommodation, two on board full time with max 2 or 3 occasional visitors. Mix of Anchoring with a few marina stops so power considerations. Any suggestions gratefully received, thank you

 

[Tranona]

Hi,
Yes looking at my post it was a bit off the wall. You may well have saved me loads of cash but I still do not know what Boats to look at. ? In order of importance I would like
Good Seakeeping ability
Hot weather suitable, plan is May/June go to Med via Biscay, June to September Med. October/ Nov sail to Canaries, possibly ARC to West Indies or maybe a break in Canaries so no cold water sailing apart from start
Good performance, but not as important as Seakeeping.
Reasonable accommodation, two on board full time with max 2 or 3 occasional visitors. Mix of Anchoring with a few marina stops so power considerations. Any suggestions gratefully received, thank you

If it were me, then none of the boats in your original list would be on mine. Just have a look at what other people use - then buy a boat you like. One might say that if you are not clear now about the boat you would like, then perhaps you are not in a good position to choose.

The reality is that just about any modern cruiser in the 35-40' size range will do the job, but as already mentioned aft cockpit designs are arguably better in hot climates and particularly in the Med where stern to berthing is the norm - you spend far more time living tied up back to a quay than you do sailing! However, some people prefer centre cockpit boats, particularly the Westerlys, Moodys and Bavaria Oceans of the 1980s and 90s. these are very popular and available in your budget.

The key to success of the project is not necessarily the specific boat, but preparation and the crew. So getting a boat you have confidence in and equipping it well is a good start. So look to spend around £70k on the boat and another £20-30k getting it right and learning about it.

You might find looking at the boats for sale at John Rodriguez Yachts useful as not only does he specialise in boats for this market but he has "done it" himself.

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Hi,
Yes looking at my post it was a bit off the wall. You may well have saved me loads of cash but I still do not know what Boats to look at. In order of importance I would like
Good Seakeeping ability
Hot weather suitable, plan is May/June go to Med via Biscay, June to September Med. October/ Nov sail to Canaries, possibly ARC to West Indies or maybe a break in Canaries so no cold water sailing apart from start
Good performance, but not as important as Seakeeping.
Reasonable accommodation, two on board full time with max 2 or 3 occasional visitors. Mix of Anchoring with a few marina stops so power considerations. Any suggestions gratefully received, thank you

I know of a very good condition Bavaria 38 ocean with a new teak deck fitted this autumn. Fantastic condition huge aft cabin good head /shower,I think its 2003-4 . around £65-69,000. not mine but I would like to own.

 

[BoyBlue49]

For your planned accommodation requirements and sailing areas plus the request for sea keeping abilities,( by which I think you mean comfort in a blow ) 35' to 38' will disappoint you, something 40' plus would be more comfortable.
The Bavaria 42 springs to mind, a good performance, economical engine, and reasonable accommodation, 2 heads, 6 berth. As said before, white decks are preferable in sunny climes as is a bimini obligatory.
Insurance surveys on older boats ( 15 years + ) will bring added costs of re rigging, replacement sails and equipment.

 

[RupertW]

I know of a very good condition Bavaria 38 ocean with a new teak deck fitted this autumn. Fantastic condition huge aft cabin good head /shower,I think its 2003-4 . around £65-69,000. not mine but I would like to own.

Sounds like it would fit a lot of the requirements except for a teak deck with is torture for bare feet in the heat.

 

[Jock89]

Are you selling a Nick 38 by any chance?

Certainly not mate. Not unless I had a major Lotto win anyway.!
I just happen to think that these yachts are under-appreciated.

 

[1bobt]

Sounds like it would fit a lot of the requirements except for a teak deck with is torture for bare feet in the heat.

Its strange but I have teak deck on my boat and don't notice the torture to my bare feet.