Looking for recommendations on family cruising 40 footer

[Jwgredeux]

So this is my first post, though I have been lurking without registering for a while. My wife and I are looking at buying a boat for our family to weekend cruise on with extended trips in summer, holidays and when life allows.

With of budget of 120k on the top end we have narrowed our search down to three cabin (we have three kids) two head 40 or so foot monohulls. So far Beneteau 411s seem to fit our needs, Jeanneau sun odyssey, and a few Catalinas. We have sailed on a friends larger Beneteau and the split helm (with two steering wheels) seems to really creat a larger area in the cockpit.

So we are looking for recommendations from the pros on which layout may be best for us, things to consider as first timers (though we have owned and still own fresh water power boats), and general tips. Things to consider, there are 5 of us, I’m 6’3” and we will be primarily based out of the Pensacola gulf coast area.

[JPA Cate]

AT 6 ' 3", you're tall enough that just lying on the bunk you think will be yours, plus walking through the salon will tell you if you can cope with the models in which you're interested. Probably easiest to go visit the boats, and see. If one of your kids will likely grow taller than you, bear that in mind, too, you may need more height than you think.



Ann

[Adelie]

Unless you were going to liveaboard and/or do passages I wouldn’t go for 3 cabins.

The big need is for each kid to have their own berth that they don’t share and that isn’t converted into something else ever.
Pilot berths would be good: best motion but a little out in the open. A curtain would help with privacy.
Quarter berths would also be good: better privacy and good motion.

Underway you are going to want a good berth for a parent too, good for a parent would be any of the above or a settee (for-aft berth) that is seating for the table.

A dinette (transverse benches) would not be very good, too much effort to convert daily.

At anchor parents would be in the v-berth.


https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/pearson-40

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/cal-40

[Fbfisher]

Kids grow, and more cabins equals more places to sleep, for them and their friends. We looked at the 411 and bought a two cabin Beneteau 423. At times I really wish we had the third cabin for our two daughters and their friends when they were kids. Now that they are grown, I wish we had 3 or 4 cabins for their families - though all of them at once is a very rare occasion. The two cabin is a great platform for us as a couple and our rare guests. The other advantage of the two cabin in the size you’re looking at is the huge storage compartment for the dinghy and other stuff you’ll accumulate (this is where the 3rd cabin would be). With the 3 cabin version your dinghy is stored on deck, in davits off your stern, or...?

[LittleWing77]

Do you know how to sail at all? Or have you only sailed a few times on your friends' boats?

LittleWing77

[mglonnro]

Originally Posted by Jwgredeux

So this is my first post, though I have been lurking without registering for a while. My wife and I are looking at buying a boat for our family to weekend cruise on with extended trips in summer, holidays and when life allows.

Great!

As Ann said, your height is a crucial parameter, so that's something you have to try/figure out for each of your candidates.

My own feelings (with 2 adults + 4 children):

- No need for a second head (at all). It would be nice to have a separate shower and toilet, but it's reasonably ok with everything in one place.

- We have three cabins with the children sharing beds. They are now between 5-11 years old, but the older they get, the more they appreciate some privacy. I think just putting some small removable bed dividers between the mattresses would be sufficient to create some sense of separation. Underway it gets a bit more difficult but since we (the adults) have slept outside in the cockpit, the kids have been able to sleep one person/cabin and in the saloon. It's not optimal from a weight distribution perspective, but it prevents them from sliding down on each other in the cabins.

- Two steering wheels is great. No main sheet in the middle of the cockpit is great as well, for getting more open space.

Good luck

[Jwgredeux]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

Do you know how to sail at all? Or have you only sailed a few times on your friends' boats?

LittleWing77

At all? Yes. I have a little lake cat that we play around on and have been reading for years about buying a bigger boat and cruising etc. obviously we have a lot to learn and are planning on taking a class at the Emerald Coast school.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Jwgredeux

With of budget of 120k on the top end we have narrowed our search down to three cabin (we have three kids) two head 40 or so foot monohulls. So far Beneteau 411s seem to fit our needs, Jeanneau sun odyssey, and a few Catalinas. We have sailed on a friends larger Beneteau and the split helm (with two steering wheels) seems to really creat a larger area in the cockpit.
.

Those all are good choices and pretty much any 2000-2010 Bene/Jenne/Catalina/Hunter/Sun Odyssey 40'+ are going to do you well. So get the one you like the layout best and don't make yourself insane.

[MMarwood]

Check out this one.
https://www.boatdealers.ca/boats-for...anoque-ontario
I saw it last week and it is very good for LRC cruising. Electronics are state of the art and plenty of fuel to go to the Azores and beyond .. at a slow speed of course. Has had very little use, and priced in C$.

[Tillerjockey]

My kids loved their pilot berths. They were in the main cabin on each side of the settees. They could still see each other and chat until they fell asleep. My wife and I were in the V berth.

One older boat that I looked at that had 3 cabins was the O'day 39.

Once they become teenagers they're not going to want to sail with mom and dad unless they can bring friends along.

Get whatever boat you want. The kids will adapt.

[sasirles]

I agree with fbFisher. In addition fbFisher's comments, I must mention what happens to the boat layout when going from a two cabin to a three cabin layout. The Beneteau 423 two cabin galley is a great layout, particularly when underway. The three cabin layout requires stretching out the galley along the starboard side of the main cabin, essentially eliminating the starboard settee. You will regret the three cabin decision for many years after your children have moved on.

[sailorbobdeb]

We are very close to Pensacola and there are LOTS of Beneteaus and quite a few Catalinas in the area. Contact a local broker and visit different ones listed for sale to see what looks like it will be a fit for your family. BTW, we were very concerned with having enough sleeping area for our daughter and a guest. Now she and her husband sleep aboard maybe 4 nights per year. Kids grow up and get busy. The extra cabin is great for storing folding bikes, provisions for long cruises, etc. But very seldom used for sleeping.

[Phyrcooler]

Some good advice here as usual. Speaking from my experience - go for a three cabin if that is what you need. We determined a while back that it was what best suited ours. They are harder to find - and frequently, they have served as charter boats. That said, I often wonder why more people don’t order them. As I’ve often stated... a third stateroom makes an easy access, walk-in storage area. A 2-cabin, with a top access lazarette is really a difficult to access storage pit!.

The only downsides with a 3 cabin is you need to pay attention to the rest of the layout. The impacts are dependent on how big a boat you are looking at. Here in SoCal, trying to keep it under 40’ (slip size) was important. You can find boats as small as a Beneteau Oceanis 37 or 38 with 3 staterooms, opposing settee/folding leaf dining table and “L” shaped galley. (those were some of our primary checkboxes). However, the head is usually smaller, and “wet” style. (Wasn’t a big issue for us). On the larger boats >40’ frequently this may not be an issue. The other consideration is whether you’ll mostly be at dock at night, or at anchor. If there are more than 4 aboard at anchor, you start to appreciate a second head... and as important... a second holding tank!

[Jwgredeux]

One particular feature we really like is the split/dual helm is a very attractive feature. Looking on a few websites, I'm trying to figure out if there is a way to search specifically for that feature?

[mglonnro]

Originally Posted by Jwgredeux

One particular feature we really like is the split/dual helm is a very attractive feature. Looking on a few websites, I'm trying to figure out if there is a way to search specifically for that feature?

I think you just have to look at the pictures and build yourself a list of brands/models that have ...