Wauquiez Amphitrite 43 ?

[Warby12]

It's getting closer! Soon be a forum member with a boat!
We have moved on from a possible cheoy lee 35 as being a bit small for live aboard and are looking closely at a Wauquiez Amphitrite 43. I don't know how to pronounce it yet information seems very scarce. Does anyone know anything about these boats.
Cheers Stephen

[DoubleWhisky]

Originally Posted by Warby12

It's getting closer! Soon be a forum member with a boat!
We have moved on from a possible cheoy lee 35 as being a bit small for live aboard and are looking closely at a Wauquiez Amphitrite 43. I don't know how to pronounce it yet information seems very scarce. Does anyone know anything about these boats.
Cheers Stephen

Hi,
never sailed one but met several in Med. Built from about 1975, but it took some time for them to catch on the market and most were built in eighties (probably about 100 from overall production of about 140, if I do remember well). May be a yard can put You in contact with owners association. It is always good source for info.
The owners I met were happy with the boat, and Waquiez was at this time well known for producing sound boats. If You can get hands on well mantained one it should be good buy, I think.
Cheers!

[Warby12]

Thanks double whiskey! They a little whacky looking but huge cockpit and very heavy construction. I found an owner website but it was in French, I will keep searching

[CAELESTIS]

Welcome. It is pronounced, "Vo-key-yeah". Considered the French Swan as that was Henri Wauquiez's goal.

There is an owners group on yahoo. Click on "history" and scroll to your boat. Wauquiez | Les Bateaux Lumières

[DoubleWhisky]

Originally Posted by Warby12

I found an owner website but it was in French, I will keep searching

Just try to e-mail them in English.
And I do believe the yard will be helpful - met their people at the boat shows and they are really nice guys.

I was invited to visit one of Amphitrites I've met in Katapola on Amorgos. I found the interior well executed and well suited to longer trips with up to four on board. as there were four proper seaberths, rather not usual thing for today. And exterior look was may be a little surprising, but quite proportional for me, especially when under sail.

[Boatguy30]

Owned one for about 4 years. They are excellent sea boats despite the huge cockpit. You're in a bit of a cave in the main saloon below decks, but aft cabin especially on newer ones makes up for it.

They made a 45 MS which I think is the same hull but cutter rig (mizzen mostly useless anyway) that has a deck saloon. I would really check one if those out if you can find it.

138 were built. I owned hull #126. The oyster 39 is very similar.

[malbert73]

Look up Fatty Goodlander's articles in Cruising World or online. You may find an email for him as he is circumnavigating again on a 43. He likely had good insight on the boat as a sea boat as he's in the South Pacific after crossing from Panama Canal.

[DoubleWhisky]

Web site worth to visit.

MS 45 had a very similar, but not the same hull. They were built in different moulds, and MS 45 are slightly longer and minimally broader.

Otherwise very similar boats.

[DoubleWhisky]

I think the boat to the same design of Holman & Pye was built in USA as Palmer Johnson 43 CR, but I'm not sure about this.

[Warby12]

Hey thank you all so much! It is an intriguing boat, had a second look at one yesterday and will put an offer in tomorrow. The exterior is unusual but on second look it actually looked quite striking in a stylish way. Great to hear it is a good sea boat. I will look up all of this clues to information

Fingers crossed we can grab it!

[leftbrainstuff]

You can follow Fatty Goodlander on Facebook. Plenty of shots of his Waiquiez. He can answer any questions you have on this vessel.

We looked at one in Miami in 2012 but the owner had trashed the boat. That crouch down walk thru to the aft stateroom and the bizarre deck / stateroom lazzarette made the sleeping accomodations useless for us.

They were near the top of our list but we ended up picking up a beautifully maintained, fully equipped Liberty 458 which proved a much better option for us. Good luck.

[Boatguy30]

I did some work on the one in Miami, it had been damaged in Katrina and trucked to Ft Lauderdale for repairs.

Is the boat your looking at in OZ have an AC unit installed in the seat in the aft cabin? Named MArie Elana or something? I was on that boat in Tonga in 2006.

Or it could maybe be my boat which I believe crossed the Pacific in 2011 with a French Canadian family.

I remember telling fatty how great a boat it was. He thought it was a bit extravagant for his tastes, but I guess Carolyn thought different!

[Boatguy30]

Must be the 1975 model. Whew boat prices have come down in OZ! I sold my Wauquiez Pretorien in Brisbane in 2006 for the asking price on that A43.

Maria Elena Dias on the market a few years ago I think in Brisbane for around 250K. 85 seems like a VERY good value for your market.

good luck!

[Warby12]

Yes the prices are falling here and about time!! Mining boom is over it's back to reality
I agree about the lazerette in the back cabin already considering some careful surgery if we get it. This one has no air on in the rear, could well be the one your thinking of boat guy as this particular broker picks up a lot of French boats it seems.

[Warby12]

Hey boatguy, if this is the boat you repaired, how bad was the damage ? I'd be a dill not to ask ? This boat is pretty tired but structural damage would be good to know about