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pangaea6 · 28-09-2005, 18:05

I'm thinking of living-aboard/cruising with wife and 4 kids (under 10). Would like to do the east coast,Caribbean/and cross the Atlantic to Med. Any Rec. on which cats I should be looking at and how old of a boat can I get away with? I've been reading lots of message boards so now I'm looking to get feedback. I think cats would offer a little more room and safety and ease of sailing compared to monohull and cheaper in the gas dept. I've never sailed so all the advice is welcomed. Looking for something under $400k at most but could go $500.

Strygaldwir · 28-09-2005, 19:28

An older Privilege 48 is an excellant blue water boat. They were one of the cats of choice for the Carribean charter market. You could certainly get one for your price range. The are very ocean capable and really spacious. But, they are LARGE I meet a couple that had kids that were sailing one, but their oldest was 16 and from the looks of it help a LOT.

Good luck

Keith

PapaCocha · 29-09-2005, 05:01

Since your kids are so young and you don't have a lot of experience I would recommend a cat that you and your wife can easily handle but large enough so you can load up and still have a good vessel.
IMHO 40 to 42 with keels would be about right.

My fav is obviously the Lagoon 410...I own one.
Look also at Mantas (made in St Pete)
Morrings 4200
Lagoon 42 TPI (old moorings fleet)
Island Spirit 40 (although be careful some of them are lemons)

Stay away from Fountaine Pajot....

If you buy a boat coming out of a charter fleet figure spending around 30k on a refit for long range cruising.
Most charter boat are in excellent condition having been well maintained...just a lot of hours on the diesels....

pangaea6 · 29-09-2005, 06:01

Thanks so far for the info. When you fella's are talking about older boats, how far back would you go on a used one, give or take a year for different manufacturors?

exposure · 29-09-2005, 07:42

In your price range you have many, many options, and many ways to get what you don't want. The first thing you need to do is get some experience so you can realize what is and isn't important to you. With so many options you are going to be dizzy with decisions. Probably the most important consideration is... can you single hand the boat. With kids that age one of you will almost always be busy dealing with a kid issue while the other is dealing with the boat. While bigger is better for space, you will need to be sure that you have the means to handle the boat by yourself. In a larger boat that may mean power winches and other high maintenance gear. One thing to also consider is that large sails mean high forces on gear. With high forces on the sheets there is a large chance for injuries when tired or if something fails. This becomes especially important with little ones around. I personally would limit myself to under 50' for sure, and would probably stick to the 45' range. At your kids ages sharing a berth is probably a good thing. There are creative ways to do this. You do not need a separate cabin for each child. Three cains or four max.

If it were me, I would be looking at a Manta or a St Francis in your price range. I am sure there are several other good choices as well. If you have time, take a trip to the Anapolis boat show ASAP. In addition to the new boats, the catamaran center always has a large selection of used cats on display. It is a short walk or ferry launch ride between the two.

exposure · 29-09-2005, 07:47

On the age issue... Focus more on quality and maintenance than age. In your price range you will lamost certainly be looking at new to 10 years old max. In this age as long as it's had reasonable maintenance and is not an ex-charter boat you will be buying a "modern" design.

pangaea6 · 29-09-2005, 08:30

Thanks. I 'll try to make the Annapolis show or the Lauderdale show later on. I was looking at the layout of the Catana 43,45,52 and like the family layout w/seperate beds but in the same cabin. Do you know if other boats have this layout?I'll ty to stay in the mid-40's range in length.

exposure · 29-09-2005, 08:52

You are out of my price range and so I have not spent much time looking at the Catanas or other similar designs too closely. You might call the Annapolis Catamaran Center.

http://www.catamarans.com/annapoliscatamarancenter/

They do the used cat show. I was dealing with Tommy Smith when I bought our boat. He certainly knows all of the boats and was very knowledgable about Catanas. They had two or three at the show a couple of years ago. Like most brokers they can be a little high pressure, but be sure to take your time and ask lots of questions. They will be helpful.

Another issue to consider is insurance. Make sure you talk to an insurance broker before you get too serious. You may find that you can't get coverage on such a big boat due to lack of experience. I am not sure what the criteria is.

Mike "Woody" Woodward

captjohn360 · 29-09-2005, 09:51

heypapa what you got against fountain pajot?....jt

PapaCocha · 29-09-2005, 10:19

I find FP to be built "cheap"... also the hull designs on most of the range are ancient and not very efficient
I have sailed so far from the current line:

Athena38: lively sail,cramped quarters...one entire bulkhead interior panel fell off in very moderate conditions.

Belize43: worst sail ever...could not point worth sh..t..major leeway. had problems with shifting in gear, boat 3 months old...

Bahia 46: so so sail, one davit broke off with the weight of a 10ft dinghy....most components of boat felt "cheap"

pangaea6 · 29-09-2005, 11:14

Exposure, really enjoyed your homepage. Nice pics of the coast. Your kids seem about the age of my 2 oldest girls. How do yours like cruising and how long do you guys go out for?

PapaCocha · 29-09-2005, 15:48

Pangaea,

First let me say the Catana is probably not a wise choice in your situation ....
But they are great boats...
if you want to find out more call Don Buckles at navigator yacht sales...great guy.

Navigator

pangaea6 · 29-09-2005, 15:53

Why wouldn't Catana be good at this point? They seem pretty expensive but I liked the family layout so I was just using that as an example. Of course I don't much yet about any of these boats but at least I feel good about narrowing it down to a Cat.

PapaCocha · 29-09-2005, 19:23

Well Pangaea you stated that you have never sailed...
Catanas are amongst the most powerful, technical, production cats... not exactly the kind of boat that I would recommend as a first boat.

pangaea6 · 29-09-2005, 21:15

You're right, I have never sailed. And that explanation helps a lot to narrow down my list. Not to mention again that Catanas seem expensive so I'm glad it doesn't work for me

Thanks and keep the comments rolling in

I also meant narrowing the boat choice down to a catamaran instead of a mono-hull, not Catana, sorry if that was confusing.