OK, So we went to SIBS to find a new Boat...

Nautorius

Nautorius

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...as a shared purchase with landlocked Pirate. Spent day one with him and liked three boats (Prestige 32 Fly, Antares 9.8 and Aquador 28 HT) Aim was to find a boat that 4 Adults and 4 children could cruise on and that could carry gear for other couple who would be turfed off into B & B or tent on Alternate nights.

So Due to go on Friday but the Pirate had some Raping and Pillaging to do so took SWMBO. She Immeadiately knocked all 3 on the Head. Antares 9.8 was too cramped and fisher like (it is a fisher!), Loved the Prestige 32 but felt that the downstairs with three doors and a galley just too cramped (it is only 32 ft) and the Aquador lost out cos it was too small...but such quality!

So then off to see Bavaria etc. We looked at lots of boats but nothing took SWMBOs eye. She still loves the Zaffiro 34, but with D6's she is now £15k out of Range. Was very dissapointed in the 35ft Cat (Fountaine Pajot...Me and the Pirate like it a lot!) did not find a suitable Sealine or Doral in price range and then ended up at the Bavaria Stand. At last we found a great boat...the new 33HT! Great accomodation, great cockpit, good heads, good galley, nice Hardtop and bang on fully speced for £155k. All seemed very promising. Loved it!

However for SWMBO it ticks all boxes but does not have the 'wow' factor. After this we headed for the Cranchis again and went on the 43HT! She now wants me to liquidate all assets, sell my kidnies and buy it! We loved it...but too early to blow £350k...(I actually checked if we could raise the cash...which would be at the expense of raising the children.)

So we Love the Bavaria 33 HT, but just are not excited about it. Recently I got rid of the Jag and bought a Passat Diesel Estate. It is a solid reliable car....and I can live with that. But a boat should be fun!!!

I am sure the Pirate will go for it but we are just not convinced.... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Dilema, dilema..

Cheers

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Considered the Prestige 34HT? Or perhaps Prestige 36 Flybridge, of which there might just be a chance of doing one for mid £150ks with very extra /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Sorry for sale pitch, only trying to help, honest!

Come and take a look, the whole range is just outside our office.

Ben
 
Paul, I know what you mean.

I wanted a 37ft boat with good accomodation, was focusing on the more renowned builders as I wanted "quality". Only, at price bracket I wanted to spend, could only get 8-10 year old Fairline Targa's 37 or 39. More recent models or makes (such as an Absolute - absolutely a lot of WOW factor !) was simply out of my league.

So I purchased a (second hand) 2007 Bavaria 35 Sport.
It offers good (but not top) quality for a very correct price, goes just like another boat (as far as I'm concerned), offers huge amounts of accomodation (compared to many others) and ticks all the boxes we were looking for.

However, I agree : the WOW factor is not there ... except in my wallet and that for me is more important at present than the WOW factor.

I'm happy I picked the Bavaria ! Price-quality wise, I'm convinced I did the right thing, leaving the emotions (partially) out of it.

I'm sure you will find a suitable solution to your dilemma as I did too. All the luck !

Cheers,
Alain
 
The Bavaria looks like the best value for money although SWMBO liked the SC38 i couldnt help pointing out that the Bav 37s was 107k cheaper than the sealine. Fell in love with the 35s last year and the 37s this year. One day maybe.
 
Does it have to be new? Would a very 'low mileage' model not open up slightly larger vessels that have already suffered a good dose of depreciation or does SWMBO have to have new?
 
No definately doesnt have to be new but we loved the Bav 35 last year and they seemed such good value i.e. 2 yr old s34s for same money. Size wise we dont want to go over about 37ft because we feel we can handle up to that size on our own.
 
I am not a fan of Bavaria
but I must admit so a few well equipped 35 in Sicily this Summer and was well impressed, the cockpit feels a bit tight tough plenty of seating
still its a nice looking boat, BTW I prefare the open version versus the hardtop
I also liked a lot the Jeanneau 34 Prestige, now I dont know the inside quality but outiside she does look good, and the cockpit with that c-shaped settee looks but most of all is spacious
I dont like the following from sight on these 2:
Bavaria 35
- cockpit is tight with 4/5 plus people
- railing s/steel is thin
- optional extended bathing platform (the one is Sicily had fabolous finished one which made all the difference)
Jeanneau 34 Prestige
- port holes shape and alloy finish look of poor quality
- fridge outside looks cheap
I think in between the two I would choose the Jeanneau and apart from these items it does feel quality
 
Hi Ben,

Looked at both. We love the Prestige 34 Hard Top....but again it feels like you have jamed in too much down below. We also would like aft cabin with Twins. Prestige 36 Fly nice, but will put is up in the mooring and Insurance bracket.

As for new Vs Secondahand. SWMBO's want new. They want to pick all the girly stuff and have a new boat feel. The plan is too keep it 5 years so depreciation will even out....but as always will hurt.

What did impress me about the bav was that they had sorted out bigger stainless steel in all areas and addressed peoples concerns. She feels like a well thought out and sorted boat.

The Bavaria 37 is WOW for Value! If we had £25k more we would have it, but we do not need a 37! Knocks socks off the Montecarlo 37 for interior quality and design. If Anyone is looking at spending £185k on a Sports cruiser have a look at the new Bav 37HT.....it takes some beating.

SWMBO just looked again at the brochure. She then made the comment that it will do everything we wanted and then put down the brochure and picked up the Cranchi brochure. Total time with bav brochure under 3 mins. So far over 10 at the Cranchi. ....and she keeps saying 'I like this' and 'that looks great'. She knows we are not going to spend that much but it is obvious the Bav does not do it for her! The latest comment is ' If you like it, buy it.' a boat is a boat afterall....arghhhhhh we can not afford to be chopping it in in 12 months for another boat and taking a big depreciation hit.

It's a tough life isn't it! BTW, she just picked up the Prestige 32 Fly brochure and is cooing....shame it's a flybridge she says! Even the prestige seems to have more 'X' factor.

Looks like a sleepless night!

Cheers and anyone else look at the Bav and can give me their impression???

/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Not sure if things have changed since the 35 I looked at recently, but the main issue I had with the Bavaria was the internal woodwork and joinery, which was almost as if it was there for purely functional reasons - the sort of detailing and the finishes that you get on many other boats simply wasn't there.

Apart from that, hull looks a good shape, and everything was reasonably solid. Cushions in the cockpit were a bit firm for my taste.

Cranchi 34 is one of my favourites. Doesn't need D6's - it'll fly with D4-260's. On the Cranchi, I felt as if I was on something special. Same feeling as on the Sealines. It's the "luxury" feel, hard to put in to words, a combination of design, detail, and finish.

dv.
 
[ QUOTE ]
As for new Vs Secondahand. SWMBO's want new. They want to pick all the girly stuff and have a new boat feel.

The latest comment is ' If you like it, buy it.' a boat is a boat afterall

[/ QUOTE ]

These women want their cake and eat it, so you're either going to be a pair of twats for buying "a boat is a boat", and she'll never let you forget it, or you'll have to find another £50K each to buy something that wows her.

personally, I would go and find four or five nice second hand examples of the boats that wow her - you can probably see more than that in a few days around the Solent brokers??? and tell the two SWMBO's that it's their choice, not yours. Having seen what is the best they can have new, they will almost certainly change their minds.

Sounds like you could do worse than start at broker bens place - his boats all get washed and cleaned regularly, (unlike some apparently) - doesnt mean you have to buy from him.

I would have said that if you are buying a boat for you all to enjoy, then you all have to get excited about it, and if your SWMBO doesnt get excited........ you dont really want to go there!!
 
Cockpit on the 33 Bav is rubbish - stupid little crew seat next to the helm that only a midget would feel comfortable on. Rear space not as flexible as my old Bav 330. Interior seemed good, nice forward cabin and good mid cabin. Bog is small, but then I guess they all are. Should be a good hull and the hard top looks neat rather than plonked on.

Why not wait till the London shows and see what is new there ( /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif ) - a few things might suprise you.
 
Jez,

I agree the Co-pilot seating is not great, but good enough for 2/3 kids. I like the rear arrangement with seating for 6/7 and a smal sunpad or seating for 3/4 and a large sunpad! The storage area under the pad would be great for all our gear. I like the boat a lot, but I am not 'tingling' about it. SWMBO not convinced it is a 'Sexy Boat'...so I think we are back to square one!

Will go to Excel and Earls Court just in case, who knows there may be a new 34ft boat there with twin cabins, decent head and Targa style looks? Are you taking the W34???

Anyone else know if the mainstreamers are producing any 33-35ft Sportscruisers/flys that are around £150k with the deal done?

Used to be such a competitive area of the Market...now that is 42-47ft!

Cheers

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Sorry, but I am with Jez on this one. Co-pilot seating is of no practical use. No-one except the driver can see where they are going!!!!!!
 
Tell the SWMBO's to get real. £150k buys a heck of a lot of slightly secondhand boat and given the apparently soft state of the used market, you could pick up a bargain with far more wow factor than any new boat for the same money. All IMHO obviously /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Mike,

Me and the Pirate had a chat this morning.....secondhand is the only way to go in this market. As we discussed, we could have all the fabrics switched over the winter for £5k and save ourselves £30-35k!

We are going to change Tack.......thanks for all the great advice...you have again all proved invaluable. Only issue is I now have to get rid of the Aquador first! Another reduction is on the cards /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Cheers again all,

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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