Liveaboard Family of 4 - Catamaran Choice?

[rabbi]

Originally Posted by catsketcher

You certainly don't need cabins for each kid - they will be happy if you jump in the water with them and let them bring their sandy shorts inside without shouting. Consider how kids relate to the sea before you get a shiny palace they cannot bring smelly shells and old wooden finds inside to show you. How will they do art and craft in the pristine interior? How will you have a good trip?

Get a boat kids can be kids on and the trip will be great.

We did a 1year trip with our kids aged 4 & 5 on a Lagoon 410, 4 cabin / 2 head layout. We always had spare cabins as they loved to sleep in one cabin so they could talk to each other while falling asleep.

At anchor the kids could be kids and do whatever they wanted, there was just one strict rule: No salt inside. Whatever gets on the boat (humans, shells, beach findings, toys) gets a fresh water shower before entering the saloon / cabin to remove salt & sand. Outside salt is OK.

The boat was still in pristine condition after that trip, with the exception of plenty color pen marks all around.

Now they are 9 & 10 and they still prefer to share a cabin. That will likely change in a year or two as they become strange teenagers.

[capn blood]

So let me throw a monkey wrench in. How about a family of 6? 4 girls ages 10-14 at time of departure.

They share beds pretty easily now and I had planned on continuing that.

Early discussions seem to point to wife having to have something approaching an "owners cabin/stateroom"....and shower.

Seems to push me toward a Lagoon 500...4 cabin. Or Lagoon 450...owners version, and the girls will just have to puppy pile on the convertible saloon seats/table when another family comes to visit...I'm guessing a fairly rare occurrence.

Lagoon 500 4 cabin
Lagoon 450 owners
Leopard 46 owners

At a $400-$500K budget, this seems an almost embarrassingly first world problem.

The comment about "kids boat" really hits home. Well put. Don't want to spend time fussing at kids about the boat when a big purpose of the adventure, for me anyway, would be to de-stress and reconnect with the girls.

Sorry...upon second viewing, my post looks hijackish.

[fuentes]

45 ft., 2000, 4 cabins, 4 bathrooms, Leopard on "for sale by owner" for $225,000. There are some quite nice cruising catamarans that come up for sale from time to time. Cruisers that had the same dream you have now, did it, and are now moving on. This brings the cost down and perhaps more affordable for some? Just have your financing in place so that you can have a chance at purchasing. The good deals do not last long. Purchasing your boat is a large part of the "experience", and will have a large part as to how things go,and what you are able to do later.