Suggestions for cruising cat for around $250,000

[James Miyake]

There are many threads regarding the ultimate catamaran, or the latest and greatest cat. However what would you suggest for a budget constraint of about $250,000, including refit costs.

The ideal would be a seaworthy, comfortable vessel for extended cruising. Crew would be myself and my wife with occasionally joined by a couple of additional family members of friends. Starting in the Caribbean initially then hopefully extending to crossing the pond or a puddle jump.

How would you approach the cheaper than ultimate cat?

[SeaKing]

Look and see what is out there for 200K and have a 50K refit budget. After you see what is out there start studying and asking questions. Don't make a hurried decision. How soon are you planning to make the splurge? Where are you located JM

YachtWorld.com Boats and Yachts for Sale

We have a friend that has one of these, very capable boat. But it is not for me due to headroom considerations. My point is there are many different boats no one is right for everyone. Make a list of things you like when you see boats and things you don't like and look for those as you shop the cats.

one more....and big 27' Beam
YachtWorld.com Boats and Yachts for Sale

[Intentional Drifter]

Here's a great boat with many fine features, a proven excellent cruiser, in your price range:

YachtWorld.com Boats and Yachts for Sale

For cruising logs of a family out there, doing that, on one, see:
Hacking Family Home

ID

[Entlie]

Bear in mind that boat prices can be extremely negotiable, and if you are just beginning your search in early summer, an actual purchase date later in the year can be more of a buyer's market.

Entlie
Sailing Catamaran Sunspot Baby

[James Miyake]

Hi Seaking,
thanks for your reply.

Originally Posted by SeaKing

Look and see what is out there for 200K and have a 50K refit budget. After you see what is out there start studying and asking questions. Don't make a hurried decision. How soon are you planning to make the splurge? Where are you located JM

50k... really? That is somewhat higher than I expected. What major type of work would you expect to be needed in that amount?

Originally Posted by SeaKing

How soon are you planning to make the splurge? Where are you located JM

Wife can retire with full medical benifits in a bit over 4 years, so that is the date for the planned breakout.

[SeaKing]

no reason on the 50 gives you room to move up a little. Our Voyage is a newer version of the Mayotte I linked you to. That would be a comfortable boat. You probably could get that boat for less than the asking and have a little for minor refit. You didn't say you location. are you East coast U.S

[James Miyake]

Originally Posted by Intentional Drifter

Here's a great boat with many fine features, a proven excellent cruiser, in your price range:

YachtWorld.com Boats and Yachts for Sale
ID

Thanks ID, I hadn't heard of these before.

[James Miyake]

Originally Posted by SeaKing

no reason on the 50 gives you room to move up a little. Our Voyage is a newer version of the Mayotte I linked you to. That would be a comfortable boat. You probably could get that boat for less than the asking and have a little for minor refit. You didn't say you location. are you East coast U.S

That is a beautiful boat! It has watermaker and solar panels already. Very nice. 17yrs old however.

Jim

[smm]

Originally Posted by James Miyake

How would you approach the cheaper than ultimate cat?

I'd suggest shopping in various downwind parts of the world, places easy to sail to and hard to sail from: Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Panama, etc. It costs $20K - 30K to have a boat sailed or shipped from one of those places to the east coast of the US or Europe.

Buying a boat from someone who has started cruising and then decided to quit rather than sail home is advantageous in that someone at least thought about making the boat into a functional blue-water cruiser. A 20-year old boat that has sailed across the Pacific is probably a much better deal than the same boat used for day sailing on the East Coast.

You'll need to study up on potential boats so you can make a quick decision to fly down to see a boat or not. But with a little work you ought to be able to come up with a short list of boats that are liable to be worth a few thousand bucks to go see if they come up for sail for less than $X. Be sure to include custom designs and interesting designers in your study as these take longer to sell and may come with a substantial discount if the owners are in a hurry.

-Scott

[SeaKing]

Originally Posted by James Miyake

That is a beautiful boat! It has watermaker and solar panels already. Very nice. 17yrs old however.

Jim

a new Voyage 500 is probably 800k. our 47 has the same layout as the 500. If the hull is solid, and a lot of stuff has probably been replaced already, That is alot of boat for the money. The 27' beam makes it wider than your average two lane highway.

[44'cruisingcat]

James, with that budget, and 5 years, (part time) you could build exactly what you want.

[Tropic Cat]

I'd be somewhat hesitant to recommend any 50 ft boat with the information provided, let alone a cruising catamaran. Instead, I'd recommend starting a bit smaller and acumulating sailing hours, and sailing experience, as well as understanding the maintenance and upkeep involved with boat ownership.

I suggest this with the best of intentions:

1.) You buy a boat for your current sailing needs, not for sailing intentions several years down the road. Circumstances might change, the vessel does not.

2.) The bigger the boat, the more there is to fix, upgrade, improve. Then, multiply this by 2 hulls and you get the idea. Some idea of refit costs have already been mentioned. If you were to lose a diesel engine, these estimated costs will be optimistic at best.

3.) monthly ownership costs such as insurance and dockage for a vessel of this size might surprise you. Just a thought , but it might make sense to make a few phones calls.

If you've been a longtime sailor and boat owner, I humbly apologize in advance. As I said, I type this with consideration of available information.

Rick in Florida

[James Miyake]

Hi Rick,
I just read "The Cruising Life" and they also recommend not buy the boat until you are ready to move in.

This must be weighed against several very nice PMs from people wanting to sell me their boat!

And another person recommends buying a newer boat an putting in in charter so you get a tax write off, and the boat is ready when I go.

Much to mull over.

Jim

[Tropic Cat]

I chuckled when I read your post. You my friend are what's known as "a live one". I anticipate many more PMs.

Seriously though, chartering will certainly offset some of the ownership costs as you're trading the best years of the boat's life in exchange. I'll tell you that I ran those numbers and couldn't make it work with out a large down payment on the boat as brand new charterable cats are a lot more than $250K. The other downside, is when it comes out of charter, you'll be facing some serious yard bills to get the boat up to snuff.

Rick in Florida

[jaydh]

Hi James,

(advance apologies if you have experience in what's mentioned below already)

As a suggestion (noted above) do check out Australia. They have a great cat market and, from my personal experience, more of a selection.

I bought and then sold a cat five or six years later with Catamaran and Trimaran Sales - new and used - Multihull Yacht Sales Australia I've been nothing other then a client of Phil Day, the owner, and Jim Stubbings, salesman extrodinare, and can not say enough good things about these two fine gents. Cameron, another salesman, was always available and extremely accommodating when Jim and Phil were out and about.

It's easier then you think if you're living in the States (where I'm guessing you are). Simply shop online and see if anything fits the bill when it comes time to make the move. Jump a flight (right now about 1,000usd give/take one way out of LAX), go look around (rent a mini-van and play tourist at the same time sleeping in it) and buy if you find something you like.

You would need to square away your visa first, but one can get up to a year multiple entry without much hassle if your not a convict, unhealthy or broke.

And, maybe best of all, you're in a prime location to begin playing. The east coast of Oz is a blast with NZ, New Cal, Vanuatu, Solomons, PNG, SE Asia and Micronesia at your doorstep.

Right now 250,000usd will get you just shy of 300,000aud.

One thing I've learned is to fore-go all the bells and whisltes until YOU decide you need/want them....especially in used boats. Depends on the deal and situation, of course, but so much 'stuff' is not needed as one would think just getting into the game.

Also, Australia has an outstanding yachting industry and everything you could want is there....often at a better cost then the USA.

If I may, I would suggest considering a slightly smaller boat that is better built and newer then a larger one that is older and maybe a teeny bit 'rough' around the edges. For just a couple 35-40some feet is alot of room to hide from one another.

I'm not up on the USA market as I once was, but many of the used cats I looked at in '99 that were launched in the early nineties cost more then a new Euro production cat...or close to it. Market just changed I guess and more was available towards 2000.

If you come across ex-charter boats, as a generalization, do beware. I saw one that had sunk twice in the Caribbean (and all locally knew it) yet potential buyers were not being notified of it. Another (in Oz) was flipped during a race and the salesman (not the link mentioned above!) did not mention it (learned this from a local standing on the dock, by chance only).

Charter boats can and do take a structural beating from silly mistakes that are not noticable up front.....not to put you off charter boats, just check 'em as best you can. (maybe not a bad idea to loiter around a berth a day or two before your sales meeting to casually chat up other yachties to see if somethings a-miss....everyone seems to know everyone elses boats and business)

Best of luck and regardless of what you end up with there's no better lifestyle on earth!! Go for it!

- J