What do I really need on a new 42 foot yacht?

[cooper]

Friends !..

[Boracay]

Seriously though, most new boats will need a shakedown period that sounds like it is longer than you have available.

A late model well equiped boat should be best.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Boracay

new boats will need a shakedown period .

And on an old boat don't shake em'!

[Ex-Calif]

Ann - I'm with Boracay - late model returning boat. Or one already in the region.

[dana-tenacity]

The original question was "what is essential?"

A hull or two that keeps the water out. A mast that points up. A keel that points down if on one hull. Rudder.
But let's assume those items come with whatever you buy. After that a compass, a sextant and a leadline can get you around the world.
Everything else is an extra.
Eight months is a pretty short cruise. You don't want to waste a day of it adding "stuff" you probably don't need.
I would take the advice given here and buy an ex-cruiser, it will almost certainly have more "stuff "than you need. Then leave. If it fails to function toss it. You don't have time to hang around waiting for parts.
If after 8 months you decide you like the lifestyle and would like to go on a longer outing you will have developed a fair idea of what "stuff" is important to you.
PS you don't need a cabin heater for Australian East coast and Pacific.

[zavier38]

I bought a new Jeanneau 4 years ago and sailed it when it was fresh out of its box from UK to Med.

Drawback of new boat is that there were the inevitable snags, which take time to sort, it left me wondering whether I might have done better to have bought a bought with a year or two's use under its belt, or give it a bloody good shakedown before venturing to far from the dealer's after sales yard.

Depreciation (as I've recently found to my horror!) is pretty substantial on new production boats.

Dufour make very good loking boats. Have you also looked at a Feeling 44? Seemed a really solid, similar boat to the Dufour, perhaps a little bit stiffer, and hold their re-sale value relatively well.

[skipperaris]

Pumps and buckets.

You have a lot of advice here but surprisingly nobody has mentioned pumps.
The first requirement is a good bilge pump or two with reliable automation.(I have this)
In fact I would go as far as adding a bilge pump to be driven by your engine when needed (an item in my long term todo list - needs a pulley on the mainshaft, a mounting plate, some means of engaging when needed, a new throughhull and a pipe threaded through)

Another pump - which I have - is an electric fuel pump in the fuel line to make priming my engine a little less painful.(I have found myself needing it and blessing it)

I don't think I need explain two buckets.

These are things you may never need but if you do need them they are worth their weight in gold.

[Pblais]

I don't think I need explain two buckets.

That's one to sit on and the other for the ice to keep the beer cold. Or sit on the ground and keep twice as much beer cold.

[skipperaris]

Originally Posted by Pblais

That's one to sit on and the other for the ice to keep the beer cold. Or sit on the ground and keep twice as much beer cold.

I like your humourous explanation but it is not what I meant.
I had an enthusiastic young lady on board a couple of different times and they just 'lost' their grip on the bucket line. Amazing how fast a bucket will sink...

To give them credit they dived fully clothed after the bucket and retrieved it each time.

[marno]

These guys have done quite a bit of cruising (http://www.bethandevans.com/articles.htm) and they have some articles on what NOT to take, although it all comes down to the people on board. I try to avoid to many systems, other wise you spend your whole time fixing and tweaking them.

[Phil C]

anne
I have the 425 in perth, beaut boat, go for the new one. we are putting on a few gadgets as the west coast is quite barren over here
good luck
phil

[wn6789]

Anne, I am not sure whether you have committed already. But you may find it of interest that I seriously looked at a Dufour 425, it certainly looks a good boat and good value. I just want to share with you what put me off, not directly related though. I read blogs about other boat yards and read some horrible stories of owners in the US that were not looked after at all by the european builders, then taking them to court.

I really fancied a grand soleil, both Dufour and grand soleil being owned by the same company. Then I tried to look into the financials of both companies, without any success. Because I also looked at a Jeanneau, part of the Benneteau group, stock exhange listed, i decided that as I was spending this sort of money, i wanted to buy safe, and went ahead with Jeanneau.

This is a different perspective, but maybe of interest to you. In Europe there are many good boat builders, for example X-Yachts looks great, so do others, but you know, some of them employ 30 to 50 people, how do you know that your $300,000 or more investment will be safe??

good luck, but as I said, i did like the Dufour 425 too.

Regards