Which Boat

richardbayle

richardbayle

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 Aug 2006
Messages
446
Location
French Antilles
www.richardbayle.com
Dilemma.

I want to buy a new boat. Currently I have a Bennie 323 and am looking to upgrade and until I fell in love with a Southerly 42 RST; which by the bye my wife says I can't afford, the choice was:
Bennie Oceanis 43, Hanse 430 or a Dufour 40.5 (I loved the wine cave!!)
I intend to live on her from March 2011 and enjoy life. That nice Mr Rassey says 60ft is the ideal length for a married couple to live and share, but cost, and mooring fees are putting me off and I would like a new boat. Warranties etc.
Any one got any ideas as to where I should be headed or indeed add to my choice? Or should I sell the house, the wife and the dog and buy the Southerly?
 
Currently sailing and based in French Med, just north of Beziers and the plan is to take whatever she is and ask ourselves the question do we turn right or left. Right would be the Med and left off to the Atlantic so I guess an all rounder
 
richardbayle said:
Currently sailing and based in French Med, just north of Beziers and the plan is to take whatever she is and ask ourselves the question do we turn right or left. Right would be the Med and left off to the Atlantic so I guess an all rounder
Click to expand...

I've been full-time cruising now for 10 years. It seems that most of us cruisers have boats between 36 and 45 feet. Maintenance cost escalate rapidly above this ....and makes marinas prohibitively expensive. These boats are also relatively easy to handle without the sails being too heavy to hoist, or requiring power winches and furlers. Ground tackle is also reasonable.

I much prefer staying in anchorages rather than moorings or marinas. It saves cruising funds as well as beig quieter and more comfortable. Unfortunately anchorages are getting more and more difficult to find, and in the UK rather expensive. Southern California have virtually elliminated anchorages, especially for those that stay more than a week or so.

As for type of boat: I have a fast cruising catamaran .... but these are very expensive, and I wouldn't recommend them for colder climates as they are difficult to keep warm due to the bridge deck. Personally I would go for a heavier displacement monohull like a Tayana, Choy Lee, Malo .... but these can again be expensive. The cheaper boats like Benneteaus give lots of space for the £ but suffer from ruggedness and perhaps longevity.

Whatever boat you decide on, make sure it has the capacity to take all your cruising stores, extra water and fuel, and that the stowage is somewhere reasonable ..... you won't want to be going under you berth for cans of food every day. Also you should bear in mind that some modern boats lack a deep and large capacity bilges. A proper bilge will prevent water from damaging the furniture and stores.

I like sugar scoops .... they are great for a swim patform ...... but if you have wind-vane steering (essential in my mind) you might not be able to mount one easily.

Engine : make sure that it is not turbo-charged and you that can get spares in your cruising area.

Fuel tanks: these should have inspection plates so that you can make sure that they are clean. Many tanks get coated inside with dirt and growth after a year or two .... just waiting for a good pounding in a seaway to come loose and block your filters.

I could go on ..... but I'd be writing a book.
 
richardbayle said:
Currently sailing and based in French Med, just north of Beziers and the plan is to take whatever she is and ask ourselves the question do we turn right or left. Right would be the Med and left off to the Atlantic so I guess an all rounder
Click to expand...


Something a bit wrong with your geography. According to my map you have to go south from Beziers to get to the sea (unless you are going north through the Canal du Midi to Bourdeaux) - so if you turn right when you get to the Med coast you eventually end up in the Atlantic - left you cross the Med.

Anyway, ignoring that problem, you need to be much more clear about where you are going to cruise. Whilst it is possible for one boat to be a sort of compromise there are significant differences in the requirements for leisurely cruising in the Med compared with tackling long distance ocean passages. If you have not worked this out yet, then you need to do more research or gain more experience before you start forming your views about what might be the best boat for you.
 
richardbayle said:
Dilemma.

I want to buy a new boat. Currently I have a Bennie 323 and am looking to upgrade and until I fell in love with a Southerly 42 RST; which by the bye my wife says I can't afford, the choice was:
Bennie Oceanis 43, Hanse 430 or a Dufour 40.5 (I loved the wine cave!!)
I intend to live on her from March 2011 and enjoy life. That nice Mr Rassey says 60ft is the ideal length for a married couple to live and share, but cost, and mooring fees are putting me off and I would like a new boat. Warranties etc.
Any one got any ideas as to where I should be headed or indeed add to my choice? Or should I sell the house, the wife and the dog and buy the Southerly?
Click to expand...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keep the dog, it'll wag it's tail and be pleased to see you no matter what you've been up to.....

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top