3-Cabin Options for Family of 4

[tankersteve]

Tookish,

I have been a fan of the Stevens (and Hylas) 47 for a long time! Great lines (S&S?) and looks like a thoroughbred. I like the interior layout too.

I guess in the past I hadn't seen them in my price range. They always seemed a good bit over 200k. The other thing I am concerned about - I want a pretty good boat to go pretty quickly - not a boat needing a 4-6 month refit. Do you think I can get a Stevens in that good condition for under 200k?

Tankersteve

[vtsailguy]

There is another option, one that I took with THREE boys.

Pilot berths.

http://sailingwithkids.net/2013/03/2...with-children/

I eventually realized that kids need a space, but not, perhaps, a WHOLE cabin each!

So I settled on a Tartan 41 that has four pilot berths. Two of these are nice ones for two older children art, perfect for your girls I think.

You can get one completely outfitted for under $100k.

[tankersteve]

VTSailguy,

Thanks for the post - those Tartans have beautiful lines!

I am looking for something a bit newer. As my oldest girl will be a teenager, I think a cabin may be warranted, especially when her moody little EMO personality arrives, as I am guessing it will.

If we left today, I would strongly consider your idea, but I have about 4 more years left in the Army before we pull the trigger on this.

Tankersteve

[lifeofreilly57]

Oiy! I just went through the same process, my wife and I have been looking for a liveaboard for 3 years. Why, you may ask? I've been sailing for 35 years in all makes and models of boats, most of them production boats, all of them on a limited budget. Between my need for a solid, seaworthy vessel with a turn of speed and my wife's definite picture of what she wants in a boat it get's complicated, I'm not saying we're both bit oppiniated but it just might be a possibility....
Really? It's the same issue your dealing with, you know your families needs better than anyone. There are plenty of fine production boats out there which will do the job, it just depends on what YOU want from it. The Catalina your looking at is a fine piece, many of the others mentioned are also, although I would shy away from the Bene First series, it's a racer cruiser and although a fine piece it's meant for a different purpose, the Oceanis line would probably work better for long term cruising.
we started out looking in the 40'-45' range for the same reasons you sighted, ease of handling, maintenance, etc, etc. The price of gear jumps dramaticall from a 30' boat to a 40' boat, then tends to rise proportinately from there so if it's a decision between a 42 and a 45 your not going to see a significant difference in cost of gear and maintenance.
We have two boys, 2-1/2 and 4-1/2 and will be stepping off on approximately 4 years, give or take a few months and see the need for a 3 cabin layout so they won't drive each other crazy and in turn drive us looney. We ended up with a 47' center cockpit with a three cabin layout which works perfectly for us. I like the hull (Pedrick design) and deck layout, she likes the salon and galley as well as the cabin arrangement, she was also sold on the seaworthiness of the yacht, all for a price well within our budget.
It wasn't what we thought would float our boat at the outset (I currently own a racer/cruiser that I love and will miss, she crewed on a dedicated race only boat for 14 years) but checked all the boxes we created during our search. It's a very personal decision which needs to meet YOUR needs, so take all the advice and absorb them with a grain of salt, buy what fits you and your family, then enjoy.
There's no "perfect" boat, only the one that's perfect for you.
Luckily since so many yachts have been built from fiberglass since the 1960's there are a ton of extremely capable yachts out there to choose from, don't be afraid to look outside the box, if only to see whats there, if you find something different, great, if it only works to solidify your current thoughts, even better.
Remember, this will be your home for a period of time, choose wisely.

[vtsailguy]

Originally Posted by tankersteve

VTSailguy,

Thanks for the post - those Tartans have beautiful lines!

I am looking for something a bit newer. As my oldest girl will be a teenager, I think a cabin may be warranted, especially when her moody little EMO personality arrives, as I am guessing it will.

If we left today, I would strongly consider your idea, but I have about 4 more years left in the Army before we pull the trigger on this.

Tankersteve

Hmmm... a bit older and the cabin might be warranted...