Help me spend $350 K on a boat

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Sandibar

I love facts on internet!

How would you know?

[Polux]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

If I had to buy a boat and had $350k to spend, I'd buy this:

http://www.multihullsolutions.com.au...m-44c-Maia.pdf


Plenty of space, extreme shoal draught, excellent sailing performance, and easy to handle.

The boat description on the add:

"Maia is an ideal mid-sized racer/cruising catamaran for
buyers wanting to compete in racing regattas while still
enjoying a host of comforts and features for weekend
escapes or tackling exhilarating ocean crossings."
http://www.multihullsolutions.com.au...m-44c-Maia.pdf

From the original post it don't look likes the OP is interested in racing and a cruiser-racer is far away from the description he makes of the boat he wants: "42 - 48 ft sturdy, well built cruiser"

It seems to me a nice boat even if with looks and finish a bit on the rustic side, with a very nice price even if they say the price does not include taxes.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by Lizzy Belle

You say that like it's a bad thing

Originally Posted by Lizzy Belle

This is why I am considering golf instead of sailing: the never ending bickering.
Mono is better! No, cats! This anchor! No, that anchor!

Pfffft.

How, pray tell, does all that help the OP or anyone reading here?

I was a member of a country club for many years.... My monthly bill would make most boat owners instantly drop dead from shock...

Originally Posted by StuM

Now that IS wierd! Is some mod playing a joke?

When I responded (Post #5) this was in the monohull section and for some reason it's been moved to the multihull section.

Would some mod care to explain how/why this happened.

Yes Stu... I moved it... Hence the hint I gave when thanking you for pointing out that it was in the wrong place...

[Polux]

Originally Posted by StuM

Now that IS wierd! Is some mod playing a joke?

When I responded (Post #5) this was in the monohull section and for some reason it's been moved to the multihull section.

Would some mod care to explain how/why this happened.

Yes I would very much like to hear that explanation but it seems that no mods are following this thread.

In fact the OP in the description of the boat says :" We want a 42 - 48 ft sturdy, well built cruiser that we can outfit to be sailed by a couple in their fifties.... Center cockpit? Pilot house? We favor cutter rigged sloops but some people are telling us to consider a big catamaran."

And that is very clear that the favored boat is a Cutter rigged sloop, a monohull, but that he is also open to suggestions regarding a cat.

Since this was originally posted on the monohull forum there is no reason at all to be moved to the multihull forum, unless by request of the original poster.

This "confusion" shows well the lack of utility of having segregated forums regarding sailboats, as if one that is interested on a monohull would not be interested also on a multihull or vice versa.

In this case, due to that very artificial division of sailboats for diverse forums and due the interest of the OP in monohulls and eventually on multihulls what would make sense is that thread to be on the General sailing forum.

Since no OP had seen StuM request for an explanation I will call the attention of moderators by the appropriated means to have an answer on this.

Edit, on the last post HappyMdRsailor, a moderator, says he had moved it but did not explain why?

So can you tell us why?

[Sandibar]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

How would you know?

'cause I read it on the net - duh!

The mono vs. cat thing is getting a bit old and is the theme on quite a few active threads at the moment. This one descended really quickly. The OP seems to have disappeared too.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by Polux

Yes I would very much like to hear that explanation but it seems that no mods are following this thread.


Since no OP had seen StuM request for an explanation I will call the attention of moderators by the appropriated means to have an answer on this.

Edit, on the last post HappyMdRsailor, a moderator, says he had moved it but did not explain why?

So can you tell us why?
[/COLOR][/COLOR]

Just to confuse you and Stu....

My mistake.... SORRY!

[Lizzy Belle]

It's a good thing I'm sober or the monohull > multihull > monohull forum would have me seriously confused (too)

[DRbyrd]

Don't make a $350,000 mistake consult an expert. This will be the best cruising money you can spend. If you're not familiar with them, Google them. Best of luck

Pam Wall
John Neal
John Kretchscmer

[OS2Dude]

My wife and I just found our current boat after looking for 3 years. When we met I had a 23' Oday. It taught us a lot about what we wanted and needed in a boat as a couple.

We looked on-line at boats, looked at several for sale locally, went out with friends on theirs and found more things we wanted/needed.

As others said, you will know the boat when you board her. My wife had found a boat on-line that from the pictures looked like just what we wanted, but when we got there it just did not 'Sing' to us. Later I was looking at a few the broker had added and went aboard an old, beat-up boat we nick-named 'Cat-Fight'. (The interior looked like someone took a couple of bobcats and threw them in the cabin for a death match.) I really liked that boat, even though it was a make we had not considered. We did not buy 'Cat-Fight', but did buy another of the same make and model that was in better shape.

Find a Sailing Club near by. Get to know the skippers, crew with them on a few different boats. Ask questions.

Good Luck with your search.

Chris & Jennifer
s/v 'Pretty Girl'

[Scout 30]

I have 20+ years of cat experience. What I don't like about them is exactly what most people love about them; they're too stable. It's boring.

[duefocena]

Originally Posted by captlloyd

Well I certainly don't understand this post????

No, we "sipped Martians" off the Big Island of Hawaii once and dined on Venutians. Delicious.....Oh... You don't think he meant Martini's do you?
Sheesh.....

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by morven55

The point, which you obviously missed, is that all the conflicting advice and opinion can/will cause confusion. Unless of course you have some reliable means of discerning the difference. Do you?
Perhaps you should either "move on" or offer some practical advice to someone asking that sort of question rather than making assumptions as to the intent of other peoples opinions...

Unfortunately, Scout 30 makes a good point about the posts re: I have no money and want to sail around the world. I take it as a troll or someone missing a bit of brain matter. I live in a homeless tent city and want to buy a Rolls Royce. About the same thing. Maybe just dreamers?

I can't see people feeding an obviously ill-fated endeavor. If it was not water related OK but the sea is not forgiving.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by HappyMdRSailor

Just to confuse you and Stu....

My mistake.... SORRY!

Yes, nice guys that apologize when mistaken is confusing on this forum

[ShackAttack]

OP HERE:

Sincere thanks to all who have replied, both serious and sarcastic! I am getting so much useful info from your thoughts and from reading up on the various links you've provided. I didn't mean to come off as a snobby sailing Princess or a clueless newbie either.

We both have significant sailing experience having crewed on Other Peoples Boats in the Florida coastal waters, Bahamas, Caribbean and some chartering. I've also crewed on a few boats off the Atlantic coasts of Europe and through the Med and into the Adriatic. My favorite boat so far was a fantastic 45 Alubat Ovni which handled the stormy waters of the Bay of Biscay with absolute ease. But seriously expensive and rare to find in the US. Garcia and Allures are beautiful. But I am not sure how easy it would be to find repairs for aluminum boats on this side of the pond.

Again, other than our personal day sailers (Laser, Sunfish, Flying Scot), almost all our cruising experience has been on OPB's. It is a big shift to consider which direction to go when buying and outfitting our own cruiser.

Priorities so far:

Given our initial cruising grounds - shallow draft, CB swing or lifting keel

Given our ages - Reasonable sail area, stable underway, electric winches and windlass, lines to cockpit, easy to traverse deck and sides, probably CC and cutter rigged. We do love the feel of a balanced boat under sail at a good heeling angle but are actually considering a Cat for the 80/20 dock/ocean ratio we've both found to be true. Though I didn't intend for my post to get moved to the Multi page - it did give some interesting feedback.

Given our comfort druthers - Three cabin, two heads, redundant power sources (solar, wind but prob not generator), great refrig and freezer, modern electx. Manual heads or possibly compost.

Given our conservative risk tolerance and relative inexperience in maintaining a boat - something in the 5 - 10 yr old category with excellent owner maintenance history, proven durable construction, and possibly a known factory which is still in business, easy to obtain service and parts. One suggestion was to buy an older model and have the factory do the restoration. We live near Island Packet so that seems a possibility.

So yes we've begun to develop our priorities and to be sure there is no perfect answer but I do gain insight and confidence listening to your collective wisdom and experience. Thank you!

As to the Multi-vs-Mono Hull question I have never sailed a Cat. But in response to many who suggested it - we are going to charter a Cat in the Bahamas for a family spring break trip. It's somewhere to start.

Thanks to all. I am value your insights and am reading everything you've posted.

[Sailing55]

Originally Posted by Lizzy Belle

Warning:



Haha, yes, Zezo, +1 for remembering
The last couple of days, she seems to enjoy visiting a Lagoon a few slips over. Maybe she's trying to tell me something?

LOL! Never tell your cat that there is a new cat in the marina! Is that a cat in the cat??

[By the way, the topic, I believe, is cats]