The Prout Debate

[Joben]

Hi All
My girlfriend and I are currently trying to buy a cat to circumnavigate for the next few years. Our buget is around 80,000 sterling, for this price we need to be "in the water", ie fully kitted up and ready to go. I originally thought this was a massive buget (I have little experience), but as always, you start looking just outside it and things look so much better. Wherever we look, we end up back at the prout 37 Elite or the 39 Escale due to there spacious layout and comparitively low prices. I have no issues sacrificing speed as we are not in a hurry but what I continuously see are comments on the low bridgedeck and solid deck instead of netting.

I have ready several posts and it seems to me that people who own prouts love them and have no problem with the bridgedeck, while people who don't own prouts tend to see it as a serious downfall.

I know many prouts have survived circumnavigations and I would love to hear from Prout owners, or suggestions on alternatives in our price range. We have all but ruled out Fountaine Pajot models because we simply don't like the internal layout of the smaller models.

Thanks

[Dulcesuenos]

We looked at prouts (an Escale, and Event) and did not go with them for a few reasons. Every window and hatch and piece of deck hardware needed to be resealed on at least 4 different boats. This led to rotted backing panels behind interior liners, mold, and lots of smell and very high moisture readings around every hole that had been made in the deck. We read the issues that one particular escale had that is widely publicized and hoped it was an isolated incident. It was not. The interior main bulkhead tabbing below the mast area was torn free on the port side, the larger area had been completely reglassed internally at some point. There were 10" verticle fractures forward the outer chain plates on each side. The owner was having some unemployed home repair man grind out bondo in and repaint the fractures, we also caught him filling the ripped open tabbing voids with white household silicone and pulling the vinyl headliner trim down enough and siliconing that over it. This was the escale but all 4 had serious leak issues. We also didnt like how noisey it was inside at anchor the water lspping inside the tunnel between the hulls on the escale was loud like a drum in the aft cabins due to sharp edges.right.above the waterThe event it was the nacelle.forward was noisey. Im a light sleeper so it was a huge no for me. My 2c for what its worth but these are the reasons we wrote prouts off our list.

[Joben]

Thanks for that. Can i ask what you ended up buying?

[Dulcesuenos]

We wanted a Privilige, Prout,38 or 39, Pdq , lagoon or Leopard, Due to lack of priviliges that didnt need a total refit in a realistic price range. I dont get someone asking a premium on a 20 year old boat that needs 50k + in refitting. I am pretty sure we will go after a Leopard 38.

[Boatguy30]

I looked at them closely, cruised across the pacific with a English family that had a Prout Manta also. horrible boat, IMO.

for 80,000 quid, sailaway, you're better off getting a monohull. Have a look at an Oyster 39 if you can find one.

[Southern Star]

In your price range, the monohull suggestion is not a bad one. A good survey is, of course, required on any used boat purchase and you may be able to find a Prout that has had all deck hardware removed, any core damage repaired and then had the hardware properly re-bedded. Some other boats to consider (if you can find one):

Solaris Sunstar 36 (an Erik Lerouge design that is very much a smaller version of the Manta).
Solaris Sunstream 40 (extended aft from a design by JR (Rod) MacAlpine-Downie), better bridgdeck clearance and performance than a Prout.
Catalac 10 and 12 m. Dated design but solid glass with better bridgedeck clearance than a Prout.
PDQ 36 (well built with decent performance, alhtough I am not sure that I would want to circumnavigate in one).

Brad

[Boatguy30]

Was a prout manta 38 no lerouge design.


All those sub 40 lerouge and most other production designs will have very little payload.

[boatman61]

There's a lot of Gemini's for sale.. 2004-2007... in your price range if your prepared to buy in the States/Carib..
here's a couple of others I found in Europe... there's a Dean on the Algarve but..
However I would seriously look at a boat hunting holiday on a cheapie holiday package to Florida/Carib...
Prouts are not that suited to the tropics..
1992 Dean 365 Oceanliner Sail New and Used Boats for Sale -

1998 Nimble 36 Sail New and Used Boats for Sale - www.yachtworld.co.uk

This ones in Thailand...
2013 Island Spirit 38 Sail New and Used Boats for Sale -

[Joben]

Thanks to everyone. We really don't want a mono unless it's totally unavoidable, all the usual reasons for this. The advantage is that we are not in a great hurry and can definitely travel to view. The hunt goes on...

[Cavalier MK2]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

Was a prout manta 38 no lerouge design.


All those sub 40 lerouge and most other production designs will have very little payload.

? a Manta isn't a Prout old bean.

The thing to look for is a boat that has been maintained, mono or multi. Most older boats do need those fittings rebedded, it is called maintenance and if it isn't done any boat will get problems.

[smj]

Originally Posted by Cavalier MK2

? a Manta isn't a Prout old bean. The thing to look for is a boat that has been maintained, mono or multi. Most older boats do need those fittings rebedded, it is called maintenance and if it isn't done any boat will get problems.

There is the Manta and then there is the Prout Manta, two very different boats.

[Southern Star]

Yes, I was referring to the Manta, not the Prout Manta (eg. the original 38, then 40 and 42). There are certainly a lot of Gemini cats available in that price range and although some have been used for ocean crossings, they really were not designed or built for such use.

Jobem, I'm glad to hear that you are not in a rush - it will increase your odds of finding a boat that has been well-maintained, is suitable for your purposes and is available within your budget. They are out there.

[Cavalier MK2]

My apologies to Jeff, I forgot Prout also used the name. I agree that not being in a hurry is the best way to buy. There are owners who love their boats and want to see them go to a good home and those that were "ridden hard and put away wet".

[Dulcesuenos]

Most of the problems with the boats we have looked at are more from neglect / lack of Maintenance than being used hard. Its a shame too. Whats more amazing is the prices some of these people ask for a boat that needs standing and running rigging, sails, electronics, new mattresses, new cushions, engine work, and glasswork, refridgeration, plumbing, bottom paint, every window and hatch and porthole resealed, and they probably wonder why it sits on yacht world for years.

[Boatguy30]

That Nimble 36 Boatman posted looked quite nice, but very lean on payload I'd guess.