Re Quickie today only, The Doral Test.

[cliffdale]

Thanks guys and gal for all your help. The Phantoms,sealines, targas etc and Im looking at a Dorel!

I think the restrictions on the mooring kept me to looking at 33' or under. I would love a Targa 34 on the mooring but the boat yard who own it said its too long.

I think wifey is right, the saving we make on the swinging mooring will pay for an awful lot of the red stuff, (£200 / month).

The Doral was ok, but not heart grabbing. The open plan accommodation has its advantages but Im sure it will be a pain to put up and make the bed each evening, and get rid of it in the morning.

Bit of a lack of hanging space for shirts etc, but it had plenty of Drawers to cram socks and pants in.

I also thought the back cabin was a little pokey, but ok for my 6 year old.

The sea trial went as expected. Conditions were lumpy and blowing about a mid 4.

He didnt drive the boat through the steep chop head on but went at about 12 knots displacement to drive through the waves. In the lee of the cliffs, we opened her up and i was THRILLED!!!!! with the speed and performance.

The Doral guy said that it would be ok to plane the boat in winds of up to force 3, but would prefer to displace through waves anything above winds force 4.

The Doral had KAD300 on V drives/shafts. I think this arrangement is better than out drives. Let me know if you know different.

The boat was also heavier than the other 33' boats ive looked at so i would expect similar performance from the BMB 34 or the Jeanneau 34, both of which I have considered.

I didnt like the hylogen hobs and microwave ovens, definitely a no no for a swinging mooring. Im pricing in a generator to cover the electric demand. As long as Judiths hair drier works she doesnt care where the power comes from.

The BIG BIG question hanging over me, will i be able to sell it if I bought the Doral????. I bought my Moody because its a popular boat and tend to sell easily.

I have a massive response from the free adds in Boats and Outboards, Well worth advertising Piccolo on the site.
Piccolo is also in the November issue of Used Boats and Yachts.

Will she sell this time of year I wonder??

In conclusion, what am I going to do???. Doral have offered a px for Piccolo, also I have 3 viewers on Piccolo next week. If I sell Piccolo I will have a good look at the BMB and Jeanneau. Doral seem expensive compared with the other 2 boats and Im not sure if Ill get my money back.

Still dont know what to get, but one thing is definite, I loved the thrill of speed, Piccolo is seriously for sale and when i have money in hand Ill make a definite swap to power with some company/ someone.

Any more 33' boats I must consider??????

AAAAHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cliff

Ps, Im really so thankful for your advice many have given me helping me choose the right boat for my needs. Be patient, Power is coming soon!!!

CD

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Kevin]

Hi

It is a difficult decision to make!

just a thought have you looked at Formula boats? they are designed for hard offshore use, come in petrol and diesel, and have cruisers 27 - 47 feet and speeds up to 60mph. Amazing space for their size and my experience of them in the States is that over there they are looked upon as about the best production boats made, winning build quality awards almost every year against not only USA boats but the likes of Fairline, Sunseeker etc.

In your size range they have a 28 foot (v- bed needs to be put away) and a 31 which has bed up all the time, dinette area and back lounge area ( which also turns to double berth making for 6 berth) also have a 33 foot.

I had a new 28 foot cruiser with twin 350 magnum engines it had a beam of 9 foot 8 and cabin headroom of about 6 foot 6 and was a truely amazing offshore boat! Got caught off Miami in force 6's and 7 and not a squeek or groan from it( from me mind you plenty of squeeks and groans-those waves seemed big!) ,took it like nothing ive ever driven of around that size,

Im currently looking at 31 foot offshore racing formula, 4 berth cuddy, with twin merc. 500hp engines, a true offshore winning racer and good for about 85mph! I wouldnt buy any other make and Ive driven loads!

Once people have this make it is rare they go to anything else, they are that good! and no I dont work on commission!!! but think they may be worth a look.

www.formulaboats.com

They are rare over here (which you could see as a down side and may prove harder to sell although mine went quick. I also prefer not to follow the crowd) but there are a band of owners who seem loyal to them

Just thought may be of interest.

Kevin

 

[ari]

How much is the Doral?

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

V drives and shafts is certainly unusual on a boat this size and is a definite plus point in my book but, if it was my money, I would be looking at a more mainstream manufacturer because, generally speaking, it will take longer to resell a less well known boat than one from an established supplier.
I would not p/x the Moody as, being in a cash position, you will be able to drive a much harder bargain with Doral or anyone else, especially since there seems to be plenty of interest in the Moody


<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[cliffdale]

I haven't been given the final figure yet, he's working out a price including the optional extras. But the basic boat works out to be around £150k with about 15 to 20 k of extras. Ill post you when I have something definite.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[ari]

Hmmm.... I can't see a couple of year old Doral being worth anything like £150K if you wanted/needed to sell it in a bit. £150K, even £120-£130K is giving you used options like Fairline 34 Targas. The Doral might be suited to your taste, which is fair enough, but no one is going to pay anything like Fairline money for one used, maybe not a problem to you if you want to keep it for 10 years, but it would concern me.

Oh and I'd sell the Moody seperately and put yourself in a cash position to negotiate hard. Moodys are normally easy to sell as far as I'm aware, perhaps much easier than a Doral you've paid full list for cos you part exchanged your old boat...

Ari.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[terryw]

I have my Doral 330 on order, and should be delivered in December.
My sea trial was in a Force 7 with 8-10 foot high waves off Torquay, and it was planning with no problem when going with the tide.
This will be my third Doral, and I have yet to loose anything by upgrading, and hope to do the same in a few years when the 40 footer arrives.
Although Doral is not a household name in the UK at the moment I think it is making good inroads, based on looks, performance, and quality of build, and approx 40 of various sizes were ordered at SBS this year.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Wiggo]

Re: swinging mooring

May be just me, but I wouldn't be happy with a swinging mooring and a brand new 33 footer. No shore power, so no way to run a dehumidifier over winter, no engine bay heat. No pontoon, so no way to keep the thing clean, no water to wash her off with, buggering about with the tender and a load of food/stores/people/kit every outing...

Personally, I'd go smaller/cheaper/older to decide what you like/don't like/must have in a power boat for a year or two, and then go get a proper mooring (and I know, you save a shed load of cash on the river, but it's peanuts, really Think £150 each time you need to crane out for a proper clean off, the joys of rowing out in the depths of winter and ahowling gale to check the batteries etc). Just my two penneth...

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.fairlinetarga29.info>Buy my boat!</A>

 

[ari]

"This will be my third Doral, and I have yet to loose anything by upgrading, and hope to do the same in a few years when the 40 footer arrives."

You probably won't provided you are trading in for a new Doral at full list price each time, but the bigger you go, the harder it'll be to sell rather than trade (more competition from more established makes like Sealine and Fairline).

I'm not knocking the boat at all, but from a resale point of view it could be a challenge.

How much is a 40ft Doral anyway?

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[terryw]

The 45ft has just been released, and I am told the 40ft is on the drawing board, so hopefully it will be available in a couple of years time.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Kevin]

It might just be me, but unless your determined to have a brand new boat why spend the full amount to buy new? as soon as its got grubby and a few hours on it itll be like all the second hand ones anyway! I might just be tight fisted but id never buy a new car either for the same reason, let someelse take the initial 'out of the show room' depreciation. once a year old I would have a guess the Doral would only be worth £90,000 not a book valuation but I think what somebody would actually pay. Id put myself in the shoes of someone looking at used boats and ask with the huge choice available in that price range why would they purchase the Doral, when people will always seem to go for Sealine, fairline etc etc ( is that the sound of sheep I hear... insert smiley face)

Might be stating the obvious but in the USA ( I know Dorals are built in Canad but about 75% are sold into the USA) they are not selling anything 'luxury' like boats, big cars etc and the boat manufacturers are stuck with stock, and I know of dealers over here getting huge discounts if they order new boats, so I definitly wouldnt pay anywhere near full price for the boat. On the deal your talking about I would expect if the list is £150,000 ( which, with no offense to Doral, seems way way over its value) you should nearly be able to get the £20,000 worth of extras in for that price.

Just my thoughts.

Kevin

 

[kimhollamby]

Vee drives

Advantage Not outdrives so lower maintenance and generally more robust. On an unattended swinging mooring that would be an especial benefit and provide some peace of mind.

Disadvantages Poorer performance for sure compared to outdrives and, to a lesser extent, might also not be quite as efficient as conventional shaft, depending on final shaft angle.

In terms of maintenance always having a good look to see where the sterngland is...if you can see it at all. By definition the shaft tucks under the machinery and some vee drive installations can be quite awkward to get at. On the other hand the engines are generally further aft and often accessed from large cockpit hatches, whcih can work in their favour (provided hatches don't drop water all over them).

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[cliffdale]

Re: swinging mooring

I have other issues to consider about the swinging mooring. If I give it up, I wont be able to get it back, or at leasts for about 7 years, (waiting list).

I plan to winterise the boat from mid October to march ashore.

On Piccolo I fitted 2* 30 watt solar chargers to keep the batteries topped up to help over come the power problem. The new boat, I have cost in a generator to use, initially expensive but I hope it will pay for its self in 2 years if I avoid the marina.

Cost of my mooring for the year will be £1200 and this includes winter ashore. Our marina wants £3700 pa and thats staying afloat all year. The saving I can make pays for a reasonable proportion of the boat spread over the next 7 years. It will also pay me to keep the swinging mooring and weekend away visiting other marinas in the area.


For a long time Ive thought about going older /smaller and pay for convenienceof a marina but I've decided to put the savings into a newer boat.

If I really like power boating I think in timeI will move to the marina if not, Ive got the option of going back to the rag and stick jobbie.


<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Wiggo]

Re: swinging mooring

150k is a big chunk of change to chuck at something to 'see if you like it', though, no? If SWMBO decides it's all horrid, £150k of 2-3 year old british boat will still sell on for about what you paid, but not at all sure about how much of that you'll see back on a new Doral, as others have said.

On the practicality side, most buyers here would want at least one separate cabin, and more likely two in a boat that size, not a curtain to partition off one end, so methinks it may be slow to move on. We have to make up the forward berth each night, but at least we can roll everything up and stuff it in the aft cabin... All IMHO, of course. Been on TerryW's Doral, and it's a very nice boat, but with a family, it wouldn't be one we would consider.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.fairlinetarga29.info>Buy my boat!</A>

 

[cliffdale]

Re: swinging mooring

Other boats i've looked at, BMB 32, Jeanneau prestige 34 and Sealine 34. I may just be allowed to squeeze them on the mooring without much fuss from the boat yard. The Targa 34 is too big, nearly 37'.

Disadvantages, they are stern drives and about 1000kg lighter also cant px if I dont sell the Moody. Ive asked for about 15k of extras on the Doral and as yet, ive not been given a quote.
Big advantage, the other boats are cheaper about 15k and also plenty of them on the second hand market.



<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[wakeup]

Having looked closey at all the boats you have mentioned, I would go for the BMB for layout, design and looks, the build quality seems about the same on the Doral, BMM and the Jeanneau, but the BMB would be my first choice, Jeanneau second (althoug I would put the Jeanuean 1st in rough weather haing driven both the BMB and Jeanneau in very rough conditions, the Jeanneau just had the edge on the BMB) and Doral last. The Doral is a very acquired taste interms of styling, even for those acustomed to US desinged boats, I think you'd take a bath on the deprecaition with the Doral. Buy European!!!!!

Just my 2c

<hr width=100% size=1>.....can't be arsed.....