narrow the field

[Darirl]

Hi all ,
Now let me start this by saying this is about a min of 12 months away as other priorities at the moment, but for some time the wife and I were looking at purchasing a 2nd hand boat ..
something along the lines of a sunseeker 37 or princess 35 --- while these are certainly older its limited by my budget which would be less then £70K ..
so the requirements are along the lines of the below - maybe a blend of boat & holiday home .

Capacity : 4 berth+ ( 2 adults and 2 small kids at the moment)
Area of use : Ireland/UK
Duration of liveaboard : max 2 weeks
Power : Diesel

after that I'm kind of open for anything - flybridge or sports cruiser - given Im looking at some older boat the range is massive and I cant see the wood for the trees so is there anything that would stand out in that budget bracket or indeed something that I should avoid like the plague or should I just reconsider and look for a camper van ( I do hope not )

happy to hear any thoughts which might help me narrow the search/research down a bit .
Thanks
Dar

 

[stelican]

Hi all ,
Now let me start this by saying this is about a min of 12 months away as other priorities at the moment, but for some time the wife and I were looking at purchasing a 2nd hand boat ..
something along the lines of a sunseeker 37 or princess 35 --- while these are certainly older its limited by my budget which would be less then £70K ..
so the requirements are along the lines of the below - maybe a blend of boat & holiday home .

Capacity : 4 berth+ ( 2 adults and 2 small kids at the moment)
Area of use : Ireland/UK
Duration of liveaboard : max 2 weeks
Power : Diesel

after that I'm kind of open for anything - flybridge or sports cruiser - given Im looking at some older boat the range is massive and I cant see the wood for the trees so is there anything that would stand out in that budget bracket or indeed something that I should avoid like the plague or should I just reconsider and look for a camper van ( I do hope not )

happy to hear any thoughts which might help me narrow the search/research down a bit .
Thanks
Dar

Going for a well known brand is very important
£70K you are looking at a 20 yr old boat or a 3 yr old M home

 

[Seastoke]

Depends how oid kids are a sports boat is better if very young , are you based in Ireland if so where . Are you aware of running costs as you cannot compere with a motor home .

 

[Darirl]

Depends how oid kids are a sports boat is better if very young , are you based in Ireland if so where . Are you aware of running costs as you cannot compere with a motor home .

Both 11 , area of use would be along the west coast from west cork to Galway .. but mostly likely Kerry for the summer and lift in winter to a yard in Clare .

Ah yes the dreaded unknown costs of fuel , mooring , maintenance,using the boat,not using the boat , looking at it not my first boat so aware of how costs can run away, but my previous have been speed and day boats.

While a camper might be cheaper I would think it’s less fun ( and less of a headache at times )
Dar

 

[Darirl]

Going for a well known brand is very important
£70K you are looking at a 20 yr old boat or a 3 yr old M home

Yes that’s the concern - when I search options there are so many it’s hard to decide what to persue or if I’m nuts for thinking of doing it — so buying any 20 year old machine is risky hence hoping to see any good suggestions as agree quality can last ..
Dar

 

[Dino]

Dar, unfortunately you are limited to buying a boat within the EU as Post-Brexit you will have to pay Vat and duty if buying from the UK. This adds approximately 33% to the price of a UK boat. There are limited options available in Ireland but you will definitely find something in Europe. There seems to be some boats coming in from France, Spain and Holland recently.
I cruise that area every second year and it’s fantastic. Was down for 2 weeks last July from the Shannon. Kilrush, Dingle or Cahirciveen would be good options for a base.
I would personally avoid outdrives but that’s just me. I would also try to aim for 37-40 foot.
My boat is 40 years old next year so don’t be put off by age if it’s very well maintained.

 

[Darirl]

Dar, unfortunately you are limited to buying a boat within the EU as Post-Brexit you will have to pay Vat and duty if buying from the UK. This adds approximately 33% to the price of a UK boat. There are limited options available in Ireland but you will definitely find something in Europe. There seems to be some boats coming in from France, Spain and Holland recently.
I cruise that area every second year and it’s fantastic. Was down for 2 weeks last July from the Shannon. Kilrush, Dingle or Cahirciveen would be good options for a base.
I would personally avoid outdrives but that’s just me. I would also try to aim for 37-40 foot.
My boat is 40 years old next year so don’t be put off by age if it’s very well maintained.

Yes that's going to be an issue I work between the Uk and Ire so might be able to sort something out around that but resigned to if UK boat paying for the Duty with the hope of higher spec and better maintenance records , where as EU boat might be somewhat less looked after ( generalization here folks ).

Just back from Dingle yesterday and both Dingle (summer) and Kilrush (winter) would be our bases .

so any recommendations in that price range and agree inboard and 40ft would be nice

 

[sharpness]

Few suggestions, though not 100% sure of prices on these if they are based within the EU.

Princess 35, Princess 385, Princess 41, Princess 414, Princess 412

Fairline Corniche 31, Fairline targa 33, Fairline Corsica, Fairline 36 Turbo, Fairline 36 Sedan, Fairline 40

Birchwood President 37, TS 37, Birchwood TS 37 Supersport

Broom 37 Continental and 37 Crown, Broom 10/70

Moonraker 36 (this will be easily within budget).

Sealine 328, Sealine 350, Sealine 37

Powles 38, Powles 41

Freeman 41 (rare boat to the market, not many were made).

As mentioned by Dino, although all of the above suggestions will be getting on in years, if they've been maintained and cared for, they will have many years of use left in them.

Most of the above can be seen on :

Boats for sale Europe, used boats, new boat sales, free photo ads - Apollo Duck

 

[QBhoy]

I’d be after a 385 over a 35 at that money. 35 arguably prettier, but a mile away for space, spec, power and more ability in the water too, I’d think. A 35 at anything close to 70k would be a terrible financial option too, these days…lovely as they are. You’d get the best possible example of a 385 for 70k for sure. In fact…I’d sell you it ?

 

[QBhoy]

In all honesty…if you don’t need the boat to have the ability that a 35 or 385 have for almost any conditions the U.K. can ever throw at you (who really does or goes out in anything that would truly come close to testing a boat like a 385)…and at that budget and your requirements…I don’t think I could see much further than a sealine sc29 or a top spec s34. Certainly not as capable a boat…but a great boats that hold money, modern and cheaper to run. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing a sc29 for a few years now. What a boat they are for the U.K. fast, efficient, modern even now and haven’t dropped a penny in value for at least 5 years now. Just as long as those D3 engines are kept a close eye on with timing belts and similar.

 

[Darirl]

Thanks all ,
@sharpness thank you for the list

will start with that list and discount some as we go - it will be the miss world of mid range 2nd hand boats ..

Already this have proven useful as there are several on that list I have never seen before .

if you have em keep them coming

 

[Aardee]

At this end of the market I wouldn't (and didn't) get hung up on a particular brand/ model. Draw up a list of what you want from a boat, look at everything that fits the brief and buy based on condition.

 

[MarkP1]

I've had a Sealine S37 for 4 years and love it. I think it fulfils all your requirements. It is on outdrives but I've not found this a problem. There are many pros and cons and it's really not clear cut as to which is preferable.
The older engines don't have all the electronics which most engineers regard as a good thing as they can be difficult to sort out once they start throwing up error codes.
Whatever you decide to get , enjoy it. It is a lovely hobby especially in these difficult times.

 

[Dino]

Darirl,
It’s worth checking out yachtworld and Apolloduck for France and Spain.
A few options here
1993 Princess Princess 410 Cruiser for sale - YachtWorld
1992 Princess 368 Fly Cruiser for sale - YachtWorld
Or you might manage something like this
Jeanneau Prestige 36 for sale France, Jeanneau boats for sale, Jeanneau used boat sales, Jeanneau Motor Boats For Sale 2002 PRESTIGE 36 - Apollo Duck

 

[Tranona]

Problem with buying a med boat (apart from the negative effects of too much sun on them over the years) at this price level is that the cost of getting the boat to where you want to use it is a significant factor. When making price comparisons the only thing that matters is the total cost of getting it to where you want to use it in the condition you desire. Part of that cost may be tax or maybe transport or remedial work etc, but in a sense it is irrelevant.

 

[Darirl]

Problem with buying a med boat (apart from the negative effects of too much sun on them over the years) at this price level is that the cost of getting the boat to where you want to use it is a significant factor. When making price comparisons the only thing that matters is the total cost of getting it to where you want to use it in the condition you desire. Part of that cost may be tax or maybe transport or remedial work etc, but in a sense it is irrelevant.

I was told by a few folks get boat to France and NOT ship from Spain but again not sure how accurate that is - and yes I fully agree that the price is the the total price .. no point in having a boat here we cant use or one in Spain I cant get too .

One of the reasons I set a 12 month timeline on this is the size will dictate the shipping price , the condition will dictate the remediation costs and the location the bloody tax

 

[DavidJ]

I’ve owned a Sealine S37 for 20 years from new. Absolutely cracking boat and with the non electronic KAD43’s totally reliable. I’ve not felt the need to change.
Sealine have always been good at creating good large interior space and as a consequence it was a favoured charter boat in the Med.
There will be some high mileage ex charter boats now in private hands around, maybe in your price range. With a good survey could be the way to go.

eg although this one has the electronic KAD44’s