which 1st family boat ????

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midsurrey

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hi all and hope you are enjoying the improving weather

firstly thank you for taking the time to read this and bare with me as i am new to the site and posting

i guess this question has been asked many times and i have seen a few posts covering it, but i thought i would let you know my situation to see what you all think.

i am looking to buy my first boat for myself, my wife and our three children (2,4 and 7) to use at weekends and holidays on the south coast. i have just completed my helmsman's, VHF, day skipper practical and theory and i am now looking to get some hours under my belt before i progress with my courses. i did my courses in the Solent and also a few chartered days so this seams the logical place to keep the boat if possible. i did my courses with a great company and tutor located on the Hamble river and would defiantly ask them for some own boat tuition to begin with.

i would like a twin engine outboard boat big enough to sleep the 5 of us. we would not be going to far but it would be nice to know the boat could handle choppier seas if needed, i don't want to scare the family off on the first trip. i was thinking about 33ft + and have a budget of about £40,000.00. additional funds can be found if needed but i would have to delay the purchase for a year, which is not a problem. i would be looking to keep the boat for a minimum of ten years before thinking about changing so it needs to last.

i have looked at a few boats but any advice on makes, models, features would be welcome also if you need to know anything else feel free to ask.

thanks sam
 
Welcome to the forum.

Corvette 32 rings every bell you could wish for. £40 k a bit light, but 5 berths and a proper bed for SWMBO, and two loos. For kids this boat has a heavy fence all the way around and loads of usable deck space If you want to see one PM me (kept on the top of the Hamble)

I note with interest your 'Defiant' support of the sea school you used, they can't have been that bad !
 
33ft is a bit big for an outboard powered boat. At that size you'll almost certainly be looking at diesels.

You can definitely get smaller outboard boats that sleep 5, because that is what I do. 2 adults, 3 children all in a Merry Fisher 645, which is only 21 feet!

I suspect that you are probably looking for a bit more comfort, so I think you are looking at some around 28 feet with an out drive. I'll let others with more knowledge of those comment on specific examples that could take 5.
 
Thanks for the advice I will check the link out. The sea school (Mendez marina) were brilliant, had a great time with them and the tutor Steve is very very good, couldn't recommend them enough
 
It really depends on what you expect from the boat. In all honesty it sounds like you're already making the common mistake of trying to find a boat that fits all potential situations. What we think we'll use a boat for and what we do actually use them for is quite often very different! 10 years is also a long time to own your first boat but not unheard of I suppose.

33ft with twin outboards is normally the reserve of American fast fishers - they're not that common here as we tend not to need to travel huge distances quickly. Petrol is also much more expensive in the UK. That said you might find something like a Jeanneau Cap Camarat 925 or Beneteau Barracuda 8 which would fit the bill close to your budget. The Antares and Merry Fisher range may also suit but twin outboards isn't common. I'm not sure how 5 people fit in a 645 - that's very cosy! Small boats wobble about as soon as someone walks around which I personally don't like.

The Corvette 320 suggested is a lovely boat but for your budget it will normally be fitted with a small single diesel engine on a shaft so cruising speed is low.

If you can list the reasons why you want twin outboards on such a big boat maybe we can help you further? Do you want a 25 knot cruise speed? The cheaper servicing but higher fuel costs of a petrol? Cheaper re-power options? Manoeuvrability of a twin setup? Reliability of twin engines is a common misconception unless you have twin fuel tanks that are separate - most issues are fuel related.

Berthing, storage and maintenance of boats is almost an exponential curve in terms of hull length vs cost so I'd research all of this beforehand.
 
superheat6k said:
Welcome to the forum.

Corvette 32 rings every bell you could wish for. £40 k a bit light, but 5 berths and a proper bed for SWMBO, and two loos. For kids this boat has a heavy fence all the way around and loads of usable deck space If you want to see one PM me (kept on the top of the Hamble)

I note with interest your 'Defiant' support of the sea school you used, they can't have been that bad !
Click to expand...

It's a wonder that any other boat was ever sold - Corvett 32s seem to be the perfect boat for everyone.
I'm not sure a bottom of the market 'old man syndrome' boat is going to be the best first boat. Much more suited to someone who has the time to make it right. There is something to be said for newer plastic fantastic boats that don't need a load of work to enjoy.

Back to the OP: you certainly can get a boat that suits you fit your budget but you may need to shop and negotiate hard. You won't find a twin outboard boat for that money/size though - unless you mean out drives???

Anyway, 30ft plus try to get twin diesels if you can. You'll use it more and resale will be easier but you spend more buying it so there is a balance to be had. With 3 kids comfortable accommodation will be me, so something with two permanent berths and a saloon would be preferable to the v berth set up.

I think you'd get a 2000/01 Bavaria BMB 300 sport for your budget. TwinKAD32s are a proven engine and while no rocket ship is good enough. Alternatively earlier Sealibes from the mid 90d offer a lot of boat for the money but for a first boat newer is better.

Here is a BMB 300 sport asking £48k from 2002. £40k may be a drop too far but offering doesn't hurt if you like it. I'd certainly think £42/3k should be doable http://www.theyachtmarket.com/boats_for_sale/1142599/?searchid=11705238&page=1
 
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The Merry Fisher 855 is a lovely boat around 30ft, loads of safe space for the kids, and available with twin outboards, although you will struggle finding one within your budget of 40k.

We have a MF645 with single outboard and have no problems sleeping 2 adults and 2 grandchildren of 7 & 5. Squeezing an extra 2 year old in would not create any hardship.
 
The 855 has a hull length of 26ft, so whilst you can measure it at close to 30ft LOA with bathing platform options and a small bow sprit it's nowhere near a 30ft boat in terms of accommodation. It's just about trailerable though which is sometimes a consideration - having to pay lifting costs and winter storage on the hard is an extra burden.
 
I had exactly the same situation as you last summer and went for a Fairline Targa 33.

You can get a good one for about 40k...twin diesels...room for six in comfort and not too thirsty if you keep the speed down.

If you want a look around one just PM me...I'm in Southampton.

For the looks, performance and what you get for your money you will be hard pushed to find better.
 
The Targa 33 is a lovely boat but given it will probably be close to 20 years old they're a bit dated now. At that age you also have to consider osmosis as a serious issue which demands a thorough survey.

There are probably 20 different boats all suitable with twin-diesels to be had for £40k however the OP has stated an interest in outboards...
 
Ten years??

Every boat I've had was going to be the one that I would keep for ever.......and they were all sold within 5 years!
Not because they were bad, but what we wanted and our intended use changed.

There have been many lessons learnt over the years.....a major being buy to sell, ie seek out something that is popular and will hopefully be relatively easy to sell when the time comes.
 
Stats007 said:
The Targa 33 is a lovely boat but given it will probably be close to 20 years old they're a bit dated now. At that age you also have to consider osmosis as a serious issue which demands a thorough survey.

There are probably 20 different boats all suitable with twin-diesels to be had for £40k however the OP has stated an interest in outboards...
Click to expand...

Is there such a thing as a 33+ ft cruiser on outboards to be had for any money let alone £40k

I'll probably be booed for this but at that price range you may get more for your buck looking at some of the American brands. I was in exactly the same position just over a year ago, 3 kids and wife, and found a good serviceable Formula 34 PC with KAD42's in for under £30k all in. I spent a bit more doing soft furnishings and some remedial work and now have a perfectly serviceable boat of good build quality and although not as "desirable" as some of the European builds, I find this strange. Only difference I can really tell is European builds are heavier on the teak, real or fake.
For what it's worth here she is:

Untitled_1.jpg


20150808_144339.jpg
 
I wonder if the op meant outdrive, when he said outboard.

£40k would get you a corniche, could be on shafts for simplicity. How about a turbo 36? If he wants smaller and newer, maybe something like a Sealine S28, although with 5 on board that's going to be cramped. He is going to learn that boat buying is a compromise unless funds are unlimited. Older and bigger, or newer and smaller. What's best?
 
These are all 30ft give or take:

Jeanneau Cap Camarat 925
Boston Whaler 285 Conquest
Beneteau Barracuda 9


Finding one in budget is another story entirely though.

I agree a diesel-engined boat makes much more sense at this size - and probably the only option for £40k.
 
Most of the boats of this size for this money had the open cabin layout. We have kids as well so wanted three separate cabins...you will find that almost all USA made boats are open cabins.

And yes the Targa is getting on but I don't think you will find better for sub 40k in this country...with the cabins...I know as I looked a lot.
 
Sailorsam101 said:
Most of the boats of this size for this money had the open cabin layout. We have kids as well so wanted three separate cabins...you will find that almost all USA made boats are open cabins.

And yes the Targa is getting on but I don't think you will find better for sub 40k in this country...with the cabins...I know as I looked a lot.
Click to expand...

Where as that is true, personally I find cabins on a sub 36 footer makes the boat feel poky. Sliding curtains to create divisions when sleeping afford some element of privacy, but being able to open the boat up to get a light and airy feel, then open is the way to go imho.
 
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