Quote:
Originally Posted by Avaun
Hi
So I have narrowed it down to the Jeaunneau 44DS Dafour 410 and Hunter 40DS the other one is the Hanse 455 I am trying to keep under the $320,000 price range for re sale value and easy sailing what do you think ?
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That's quite a list. Lucky you!
Going to be hard to find people who have experience with all those boats. Personally I have sailed a
Jeanneau 42DS (PHRF RLC 102),
Dufour 375 (93), Hunter 41 DS (96), and Hanse 40 (57). All of these boats are charter/club boats which means they get a lot of use/abuse so my observations have to be tempered with that in mind. Also, they are smaller than what you are considering so I can't comment on
rigging, space, accomodations,etc., on the larger models and there are
rigging options available for any boat which might change my opinions were I to have experienced them.
That said, in my opinion, the Hanse is the better boat in terms of performance and build quality. It also has a self-tacking jib which would make
single or double handing easier if one chose to utilize it.
The Jeanneau is a very nice boat and the only complaint I have on the one I've sailed is that the jib
sheets run aft to a winch next to the
wheel which makes it easier to single hand but it's a tight fit for a crew
member trying to
work next to the helmsman. Other boats are set up this way as well but it feels particularly tight on the Jeanneau.
The
Dufour is also a really nice boat but little things down below seem to break or "go missing" alot; screws, brackets, fittings, knobs, etc.
The Hunter is a big, comfortable boat and lots of charterers love it for that reason but I personally don't care for the overhead traveler/mainsheet setup on Hunters. Also, the
coolant overflow bottle is really hard to access if necessary.
All things being equal, I would choose the Hanse but I don't have a large family or need the amenities you obviously require but it does have the nicest
head and full
shower of all those on this list. It also outperforms all the others. It's really fast for a cruising boat.
Nobody likes to think about problems one encounters while sailing but based upon my experience with well used boats, I suggest you give consideration to how easy or difficult trouble shooting is for basic
repairs like the
engine overheating and
plumbing or
electrical problems. Just my 2 cents.
Like I said before, lucky you. We should all have such tough decisions to make.