Warrior 40 or a Rival 38

[purplerobbie]

Warrior 40 or a Rival 38

Which is the better boat for liveaboard cruising.
Atlantic circuit and a bit in the med.
For a couple.

Not for me i dont have the money but a friend was asking and these two boats came up in conversation
Cheers
Rob

 

[Tranona]

As often the case with this type of question - there is no answer. Not quite apples and oranges but more granny smiths and cox orange pippins!

Both will do the job and have done. Neither is "better" than the other. One of the main differences is that the Warrior has more space, particularly deck space and may be better in the Med - also probably goes backwards better!

Personally the Warrior would suit me better as I would go for the space. Not many of either come on the market and they will likely vary enormously in spec and condition - although there is what appears to be a bargain Warrior for sale in Spain at only£50k - billed as a distress sale! Sign of the times?

Good luck to your friend

 

[alant]

Suggest a warrior 40.

I regularly sail a Sigma 38 & whilst an excellent boat, would prefer a W 40 for what you intend.

 

[jonic]

AS others have said neither is really better than the other. Rival probably has more finesse and cache but W40 lots of space and capeable. Both suited to doing the job and I would suggest to your friend just see which one "feels" right to live on.

 

[Foxy]

as was suggested to me, buy the one you would be most proud to sail into an anchorage...

 

[ChrisE]

As a Rival 38 owner, for the passage you suggest I'd go for a Warrior if it is room and speed you want.

OTOH, if you want a stylish vessel Rival 38 any day.

 

[nmeyrick]

Having lived aboard my Rival 38 for the last 6 months I'll certainly second Chris_E that they are a very stylish boat, as well as being well built.

I have to agree that the Rival may not be the obvious choice for a solely Med based trip, but if as you suggest your friends are also considering an Atlantic circuit I can think of few boats I would rather have under me for an ocean crossing.

Certainly the Rival is not the most beamy or spacious of boats, but I can honestly say I've never felt short of space - including cruising five up, and even with eight people aroung the saloon table for a Burns night supper. Ok, that last one was a little bit of a squash, and the whiskey certainly helped...

Anyway the point I'm trying to make is that what matters when living on a boat is usable space, not just volume. I've been on larger boats where all you gain is more floor area, giving you further to fall when the boat heels. One of the selling points of the Rival for me was the sheer volume of stowage space in well designed lockers, which goes a long way towards making living aboard comfortable.

I know nothing about the Warrior and wouldn't want to talk it down, but I certainly will say don't be too quick to write off the Rival.

I'd be more than happy to answer questions about Rivals, also may be worth speaking to the crew of Kika who are cruising with a young family on a Rival 38.

Good luck

 

[Stevie_T]

As a Warrior 38 owner. Ours has completed a circumnavigation and is still in excellent condition. The thing that swung it for us was the size, but more importantly the layout down below, not just a larger version of a 36 as some 40 footers can be.
However, I have sailed Rivals though unfortunately never had the chance in the 38 but it was on my list of possibles when we were looking and certainly is one of the most capable and respected cruising yachts.
Both are capable, but you need to research and view both to make your own decision based on your preferences.
If you want any info on the warrior (the 38 is virtually the same as the 40) you may PM me.