Cats brands with high-quality interiors?

[Peregrine1983]

Originally Posted by Thalas

I'm also surprised that many of these manufacturers don't even offer real wood (looks) or wood veneer sandwiched foam (looks/weight) for a markup at build time.

That would be great...

[Cotemar]

Originally Posted by Thalas

I'm also surprised that many of these manufacturers don't even offer real wood (looks) or wood veneer sandwiched foam (looks/weight) for a markup at build time.

Everyone loves the look of real wood, be it light or dark.

The issue is that its expensive and time consuming to build into a production catamaran with large internal areas.

Real wood has lasting maintenance issues that have to be cared for or they start to crack and stain. Moisture is a big culprit, causing most of the wood issues.

Our last boat had lots of real wood and wood veneers and we were very careful not to scratch dent or ding the wood, but after 7 years of even the best care we had stains and wear marks on the wood.
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[TonyBe]

Originally Posted by Four Coconuts

Some boats with A+ interior finishes are St. Francis 50, Antares 44 and any of the Privileges. A Privilege 445 will definitely be in that price range in the time you're talking about.

I would definitely agree about the Privilege 445, there are a couple for sale at the moment around $300k or the slightly bigger 465. The quality of interior materials used is definitely higher than on the large volume production cats. However, all of these are currently around 10 years old NOW, so if you're looking to buy years in the future that won't really help much.

How will the new generation of Privileges hold up 10 years down the line? I have no idea.

[UNCIVILIZED]

I'd concur on the custom cat thing, as there are quite a lot of them out there which are gorgeous, that are well within your price range. And the vast majority of them will sail far, far better than any production cats.

You can also pick up some used custom cats "cheap", cheap enough so that with your budget you could have their interiors totally redone, & still have money left over. I commonly see quality 40'-45' boats in the $125-$175k range like this. And honestly, they don't really need full makeovers, just a bit of TLC. Which, it's amazing how much you can change the look & feel of a boat with just a change in her interior color scheme, & some new cushion + curtain fabrics.
The change in the "feel" of a boat simply by changing the color of her cushions can be shockingly transformative. As can tweaks in her natural lighting, by adding hatches, or translucent hatch coverings (at anchor) to some of her hatches & windows. But... you can do either, or. That, or both.

Spend a bit of time on yacht world, & various custom catamaran designer's websites, & you'll get a little bit of a feel for this. And window shopping boats is helpful too.
On that theme, read & heed this thread http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f74/whats-the-best-boat-youve-ever-owned-163428.html#post2082019

And in addition to the wisdom & suggestions in the above thread, read as many boating magazines as you can. And not just sailing or multihull ones, but everything, especially including the sort with lots of glossy pics of boat interiors. Even powerboats/motor yachts.So that you see what the options for interior styles really are. Not just what the sailing bean counters think you’ll like.

One other thing is that with your budget, it may be possible to have a custom or semi-custom boat put together. Particularly if you have it built somewhere where labor is inexpensive. And there are a number of prominent custom multihull designers who are strong advocates of this, & who are quite experienced at guiding clients through this process.
It surely couldn’t hurt to look (investigate the possibilities).

And while you’re at it, visit every boat show you can manage to get to. Such as the big one coming up in Annapolis in October. It’s likely the biggest & best on the water one in the US. Plus there’s lots to see & do in that area in general, as well as it’s being a huge yachting hub.

[out42]

Got to have some sympathy with the production cat builders and their interiors. Mostly they are worried about weight, where wood doesn't score highly, and durability as outlined above. So although they are going to be beautifully finished (mostly) in terms of joints and surfaces, the trade-off tends to be in the look of quality, i.e. dark polished teak/mahogany, etc.
Might it be worth enquiring what sort of customisation of a production cat is possible in build? That might meet that Admiral's wish and still be affordable.

[LoudMusic]

Originally Posted by Peregrine1983

I agree that the layouts don't appear as functional, or even as spacious on the smaller volume boats, however I've never seen one of the small builder boats in person. I was obsessed with the L450, but when we saw it my wife was really bummed by the interior. It was a boat show boat, but nicks and scuffs we're already showing on cabinetry etc. I think the sleek modern look is sometimes used as an excuse in a way for not doing higher level finishes... if that makes sense.

That said, every boat is a compromise and if I'm not willing to shell out 1m for a cat maybe we are just not going to get the interior of our dreams. Not the biggest deal. It's a high class problem...

I'm curious how much money could be recouped in an interior refit on a Lagoon. If you spent $50,000 on an updated salon, would you get any of that back at time of sale.

[iliohale]

As we are shopping for cats in the 45 to 50 ft range over the last 1 1/2 years we have been impressed with the furniture quality of the Nautitech Open 46. Bavaria makes all the furniture for the Nautitech in their German factory and the overall build quality of the furniture is very good. You can check out my video of the Open 46 here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4XJgavUhOs

fast forward to around minute 46 for my comments on the furniture.

Gary

[Taichungman]

Originally Posted by Peregrine1983

Wow. Thanks. The St Francis interior is gorgeous. We will look harder at some of these lower volume builders.

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check http://www.sailboatlistings.com/

There are two SF44 Mark II in the 200 to 300K range.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Much as with boats, there are tradeoffs in interiors along the lines of; you can have any 2 of the following: Tough, Light, or Cheap. As I can build a countertop one way out of veneers & foam that's 3x as tough as another build method, but it'll take more time, & cost more in components as well.

Plus, if owners of a boat know that some of the surfaces or cabinetry is semi-fragile, & that they chose such to keep the boat light & fast, then they'll be more gentle when working on them. Whereas a non-boater, or someone knowing little about a boat may treat a galley countertop like a solid wooden butcher's block or work bench, with predictable results, if it's lightly built. Where the owner/builders of the same boat would know to use a cutting board for any heavy chores on the countertops.

And there are other choices as well, especially in one-offs & customs. You can build the interior out of 2-6mm plywood, & lightweight composite laminates. As well as leaving off doors, & hanging curtains instead. And or, having fabric "doors" & locker doors with zippers, along with soft storage solutions commonly found on racing boats. All of which hold up quite well, when treated properly, & which save hundreds of pounds or more in a boat (or more). But... they're not designed for your average charter boat, or people who think their boat is a floating condo.

[YPSILANTI]

Without a doubt the Knysna. Home
One of the strongest, best built boats and by far the best interiors you will ever find. They will also customize a boats finish to your needs. I am not affiliated in any way to these Cats and own an opposition model. When I'm big, I will own one as well. St Francis also a well finished boat. Both are South African boats.

[Catmandu]

You might be able to find a Catana Caligo model. Very upscale interiors.

[Peregrine1983]

I love this Chris White design that was pointed out earlier... Not as spacious as a production boat, but finishes are nice and I love that interior helm... I could sell my stinky foulies.

http://www.42atlantic.com/

[jmschmidt]

Buy a late model FP, Lagoon or Leopard and spend $25-50 grand on touch and feel items and upgrades and you'll have what you want. If you are a DIYer all the better and cheaper.

[Peregrine1983]

Originally Posted by iliohale

As we are shopping for cats in the 45 to 50 ft range over the last 1 1/2 years we have been impressed with the furniture quality of the Nautitech Open 46. Bavaria makes all the furniture for the Nautitech in their German factory and the overall build quality of the furniture is very good. You can check out my video of the Open 46 here:

fast forward to around minute 46 for my comments on the furniture.

Gary

Good video and info Gary, thank you.

[Sailingveterinarian]

I have a Knysna 480. Great workmanship, wonderful layout, and sails very well.
Unfortunately, for you, difficult to find. The Knysna 500 is the newest boat. I have been looking for Knysna's for friends and clients. Just aren't very many, people keep them! Semi custom made. Not cookie cutter boats. Glad to have one. Be glad to help anyone looking for one.