Choice ?

[alanvdh]

Hello All,
I am expecting a lump sum (substantial to me!) of money. I've never been able to save but now I will be in a position to finally buy my boat.
My question is for a circumnavigation, wife and I and one son.
I've always been keen on the Bebeteau First 38 and 42 but these boats are now 30 years old. How much longer will they last?
Stretching my budget I could look at a Beneteau 36.7 from 2002
What is your take on this?
Cheers,
Al

[rgscpat]

Perhaps some people will be reluctant to give you advice until they know something of your sailing history. People here might also be able to give you better advice if they know a little bit about why you and your family wish to circumnavigate. Is your son old enough and experienced enough to help with sailing? How much experience do you have with boat maintenance and repairs? How long do you want the circumnavigation to take? Will you need income during the circumnavigation or do your plans already include a budget for voyage expenses?

[tom1263]

Originally Posted by alanvdh

Stretching my budget I could look at a Beneteau 36.7 from 2002
What is your take on this?

alanvdh, there are a lot of other boats, partially equipped for a circumnavigation. Or you want only a Beneteau?

[JazzyO]

I agree with tom1263 that there are a lot of other boats out there. I also wonder about the consideration of stretching the budget to a newer boat. You don't mention anything about equipment. Make no mistake - when equipping your boat for a circumnavigation you will need to spend a LOT of money. Watermaker, windgen, windvane, EPIRB, raft, dinghy, NAVTEX, upgraded plotter if needed, SSB, modifications such as larger tanks etc, the list is near endless (or rather: it can be, each of these items are a personal choice). Go and do a proper spreadsheet on what you need and what it will cost.

It may be a better option to buy a yacht that has already done a circumnavigation, but that depends on the state that it is in. It may be tired and in need of repairs. My own boat looked perfect and got a very good survey result but I still replaced all the rod rigging, the sails, the electronics, sea cocks, batteries and many other things. So be aware of the additional cost to get your boat ready.

But in any case, if I were you, I would do a lot more research on suitable boats and go and look at them in person. If you get back to the Beneteaus then at least you know WHY you chose them.

I'm not sure if the 36.7 always has 3 double berths, but if it does, it would not be my choice of boat for a circumnavigation. There seems to be hardly any stowage room. Fuel capacity is also very low at 20 gallons.


Onno

[tom1263]

My Choice Choey Lee 44

[Neo]

Originally Posted by tom1263

My Choice Choey Lee 44

Wow! That is now my new favorite boat. I've been looking through yachtworld on and off for weeks trying to find a boat to lust after. I think I found it.

[tom1263]

There a another one as Sloop, but i don't know if she's available.

a nice boat....

[JazzyO]

Originally Posted by tom1263

My Choice Choey Lee 44

Lot of boat for the money! Very pretty too. As for the sloop-rigged one - wooden mast and boom? Not so much.


Onno

[tom1263]

......

[tom1263]

Are wooden masts not the best solution, when they in good condition, why not?

But there are also other boats similar like this on, for exaple Frers, any other Choey Lee 41 Offshore, Gulfstar, Islander Peterson uvm....

Frers Cibils Ketch


Here is a review of an Choey Lee 44

[Kevin84]

What IS your budget for a boat? There are a lot of different options out there and knowing what you can afford would help with suggestions.

[tom1263]

Im not the TO, he looks at a Beneteau 36, but I think there are other boats, but it's always a personal choice....

In my Opinion a good budget it's between 40.000 and 70.000$ with 25.000$ in the background for refit. In this range are a lot of good and nice boats for a circumnavigation. Some are very cheap and nice boats like this Bowman 46, ok with a lot of work....

Edit: Pearson 424 49.000$ in good condition

[JazzyO]

Originally Posted by tom1263

Are wooden masts not the best solution, when they in good condition, why not?

The amount of work they need to maintain them in good order, for one thing. They are also heavier, can have hidden faults, and in my personal opinion look just daft on a modern ship, particularly a sloop.


Onno

[lifeofreilly57]

The Bene 36.7 and other first series were built as racer cruisers, great for their intended purpose but I'm not sure it would be my first choice for a cruiser.
I recently transported a newer first series boat for a friend of mine (I've crewed/sailed several others of varying size), it sailed well, had good manners under sail and power but seems a little light and had minimal storage and tankage for a cruising boat. At the very least you might want to consider an oceanis series if your set on going with a Bene.
My older racer/cruiser built by another maker (which is just a slight tic slower) was much more comfortable at sea and had better cockpit ergonomics for long haul sailing than the Bene First but even that one is being sold since we bought a dedicated cruiser.
We need the stowage and at sea manners of a purpose built performance cruiser.

[Cheechako]

Buying a boat that someone else has put tons of money in with new cruising gear etc is a very smart decision. Their loss your gain. Often thier investment brings minimal extra $ on resale, but wil sell quicker.