Three Boats - Opinions?

[LA Sailer]

Well let me start by saying Hi, my names Liran.
So here it is, I live in LA and am looking for a boat that will fit about 6 plus my dog!
I will be spending most of my time sailing to Catalina and Mexico.
So as my sig says I'm currently looking at three boats
1. 1998 hunter 43 (10K less than other two) looks new!!!!!
2. 2000 Jeanneau 40
3. 2001 Beneteau 41

Now all three boats have been well taken care of.

I have researched on all three but would love some sailors’ info and feeling on all three.

Thanks for the help

[Ex-Calif]

Everyone has opinions and everyone loves the boat they have. Offering an opinion is bound to pee off the guy that has the boat I don't like.

So...

I have sailed a couple of Hunters and find them performance lacking compared to the other two. It also has a higher freeboard.

I have been impressed with the Beneteaus that I have been on. I raced on a first 40.7

I Have heard good things about Jeanneau.

Based on your list and "coastal crusing" to Mexico I would be looking at the Beneteau. It's also the newer boat on the list.

[Portobello]

I race on a Beneteau 40.7 and love the boat - the ergonomics are great for racing. I'd have one tomorrow if I could afford it. Great to windward and all round nice performance. Look closely at the structural integrity around the forward bulkhead - I know the owner of the one I race on had some work done to strengthen that area for ocean sailing. Also - make sure the steering feels free - expensive and difficult replacing bushes which swelled on this one making the steering very tight.

[speedoo]

I own a 1984 Beneteau that's a bit smaller and I am very impressed with the quality, design, engineering and finish. But I have read here that the newer Beneteaus are not as well built as those from the 80's. I have also heard that Jeanneaus are great boats. Beneteau now owns Jeanneau, I believe and they have a US headquarters in South Carolina that provides excellent customer support.

I would not get too excited about the 10K price advantage for the Hunter, because Hunter generally does not have the same reputation as Beneteau, Jeanneau and Catalina for that matter. But Hunter builds very good boats for what you have in mind, there is little doubt about that.

But the most important considerations IMO are 1) which boat you like the best and 2) which is in the best condition and is likely to pass a survey with flying colors. You might be able to find a surveyor who is willing to actually help you select the boat, as well as survey the one you decide to buy.

And remember, it's a buyer's market so you should be able to negotiate a good price.

Also, here's another Hunter 43 in San Diego, asking $145k:

1995 Hunter 43 Legend Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

I think it has two staterooms (vs. three) which might not be to your liking.

You have not said anything about your experience and previous boat ownership... that might make a difference in the advice being offered.

[Cheechako]

Yea the early Beneteaus from the 80's were built like tanks, great boats.

[svDragonfly]

My husband, 2 daughters and I sail a Beneteau in SF Bay - a '99 411 - and absolutely love it. Ours was setup for live-aboard cruising by the previous owners and we're adding things to it for our own plans, but fundamentally it's a perfect platform for all of that extra stuff.

That's probably the main point - the platform and which draws you to it the most. Each of the 3 boats you're considering has its good qualities. We've also extensively sailed a 2003 Hunter and found many things about it we liked too. Not knowing the Jenneaus, though, we'd choose a Beneteau over the Hunter, though. But that's just us.

You might consider the add-ons that each of the three boats has on it already - any cruising gear such as solar, wind, navigation equipment, etc.? Bimini/dodger already installed? Added tankage for water/fuel? Watermaker? Communications add-ons?

Good luck with your choice - it could be worse!

Jen
Dragonfly

[Bash]

...back in 1998, and after looking at a Juneau 40, Hunter 410, and Catalina 42 we decided to charter the Juneau, which at that moment was our leading candidate, and sail it for a weekend to see whether it was the boat we wanted to buy. While there was nothing really wrong with the boat, it didn't cause us to fall in love with it, and we ended up purchasing something else.

The moral here isn't that you should buy something other than a Juneau 40, but rather that the best way to make your decision is to sail the boat and see if its personality matches yours.

One heads up is that the 1998 Hunters were notorious for lousy refrigeration systems. If yours still has the original Grunert system, you might want to figure that the ten grand you're saving is really only $8,000, because you'll want to replace the refer before you head south.

[LA Sailer]

So first of thanks everyone for the quick replays.
I have sailed of my uncles 45.2 Jeanneau SO several times but have never owned a sailboat myself.
As for electronics the Hunter has the best followed by the Jeanneau and the Beneteau. However, the Jeanneau doesn’t have a bimini and I am not thrilled with the layout downstairs! The Hunter also has the better layout!

That said, my goal in buying priorities are good handling, safety, ease of use (my parents can sail it on their own)!