Sticky Fingers
Well-Known Member
Well, we had a fab day at SIBS yesterday, weather was gorgeous to boot. Met up with forumite Elessar who plied us with wine (Mrs Scala) and diet coke (me), while we talked about our sail to power journey, and we planned our day out with him next week, really looking forward to that.
Also spent a bit of time looking at some boats. There were several takeaways from that exercise, some might be very obvious, and one or two of them rather surprising...
Obvious, maybe
Surprising, maybe
Need to build a new shortlist...!
Also spent a bit of time looking at some boats. There were several takeaways from that exercise, some might be very obvious, and one or two of them rather surprising...
Obvious, maybe
- We won't get what we want in a sub-40'-er. Some smaller boats we saw were brilliantly well packaged (eg Sealine C330, Parker 110 Monaco) and / or beautifully made (eg all Marex) but still don't feel big enough, so we have now discarded all ideas of buying anything under 40' at any price.
- Princess design and build quality is way ahead of anything else we saw, and so it should be perhaps. We spent quite a bit of time on two models (no access issues at this end of the market), the V40 and the 45 Fly. Exceptional, in my view. Really lovely (and unaffordable new).
- Boats with enclosed saloons and patio doors are very versatile, ideal for our year round usage, and for the UK climate.
- Open sportscruisers (non hardtop) will not meet our practicality requirements.
Surprising, maybe
- At the 'affordable' end of the market, Bavaria's interiors are way nicer than Jeanneau or especially Beneteau, and perhaps unexpectedly, the new Sealines. Bavaria has definitely upped its game.
- Mrs Scala was very taken indeed with the layout and flexibility of the Princess 45 flybridge. Now that I didn't expect. Be interesting to see how she takes to a flybridge after our day on the water with Mark.
Need to build a new shortlist...!
