Hello Cruisers Forum!
Here is some background for this post:
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...37#post2491237
I will copy relevant
parts here:
My name is Drew and I am from South
Florida. As the title suggests, my fiance and I are looking for our first sailboat to
live-aboard and
cruise when we have free time. We have been inspired by a number of sailing blogs like Delos and La Vagabonde and have decided to take the plunge.
We are powerboaters and have owned a number of boats, including a 21' Chaparral bowrider, a 24' Chaparral cuddy
cabin, and now a 30'
Sea Ray Sundancer with twins that we are in the process of rebuilding due to partially rotted stringers.
As a young couple with no real financial responsibilities, zero debt, etc. we are pondering the possibility of
buying a sailboat as our floating home with a mortgage that we would easily be able to pay off within 5-10 years by working full time (for now).
That said, we still want to sail and will take frequent weekend and short trips to the Keys and Tortugas out of
Miami. We would also like to use our
vacation time to
cruise the
Bahamas, especially Andros, the
Exumas, and the Abacos as we are divers/free divers and love to observe the immense beauty of
coral reefs. Thus, we want a
seaworthy boat, not simply a floating home. Eventually we will want to cruise the
Caribbean and maybe even
head to the
South Pacific via the tradewind
route once we have years of experience.
So far we have looked at some new a
Hunter 410 DS, a
Hunter 420 CC, a
Beneteau 411, and a
Beneteau 423. We also looked at some new Jeanneaus and were unimpressed by the paneling and flimsy build. The older boats seem to be much higher quality. Of these boats, the 423 seems perfect. I understand this is one of Beneteau's best designs ever? My
research says she
sails quickly and is relatively
seaworthy for a production boat. We loved the layout and spaciousness, combined with the streamlined design as opposed to the Hunters which felt very
cheap and more like floating palaces. Any comments on these boat choices? We also love the Beneteau 44 CC with its tub, huge aft cabin, bulkhead
wheel, hard
dodger, and secure
center cockpit. We have about 150k to spend over 10 years. We have paid cash for all of our other boats, but this is a substantial
purchase and we are looking at it like a condo
purchase, rather than a boat.
Personally, I don't mind a higher quality
used boat, but
financing seems to be an issue for boats older than 1997. I also prefer the newer boats due to no
wood used for the stringers. I know the grids are possibly not as strong, but as someone who is currently rebuilding a boat, I don't want another huge
project. I am very handy and can fix almost anything, but I want something new and without the possibility of rotted decks, stringers, etc. So years I am looking at are roughly '97-'07.
At this point in my search (about 6 months), I am most interested in the Beneteau 42/44 CC and 423/473. Of all the "awb" production boats, I feel Beneteau makes the best boat and is also the easiest to find. The 42 and 44 cc we have not seen in person, but would like to (we are currently in the wpb area of FL). The
center cockpit with bulkhead
wheel, keel stepped
mast, and fewer windows scream seaworthy to me. The aft
deck would also be a nice spot for dive
gear, workouts, etc.
The 473 also seems like a great boat. First, it must be FAST with 44' of waterline. It is also spacious and we'd get an extra cabin (3), yet keep the master stateroom and sea
galley. This boat has the greatest tankage of all four which is a plus. It is the newest, fastest, biggest, but most expensive.
Ideally, I'd want a
cutter rig to have both a 90%
jib and 140%
Genoa. Cats seem too expensive though the admiral would like one. I really want a fast, modern
monohull with spade
rudder and a fin keel. I do not want a full keeled slug.
Any input is much appreciated! We are in the WPB area and new to sailing. These boats seem to be the best for our needs but additional suggestions are welcomed.
Thanks,
Drew