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JK n Smitty · 16-09-2014, 19:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by BZT54

Ben, “…the brand itself matters little”??? Where did you grow up, Russia? I can’t wait to tell my neighbor that my Honda is just as good as his Mercedes because brand doesn’t matter. Look at all the money you wasted! Riiiiiiight.

I was the purchaser for Rybovich Boats. Ask the owners of a Rybo why they chose it over a Bertram, Hatteras, etc . It's called quality. The fact is Hunters, Cats, Benes and a number of other production boats suffer from what I call the Gumby Syndrome. They all flex and oil can, why, because their interior liners are what strengthens their less than adequate hull lay-ups. Have you ever walked through a yard and seen some of these boats on jack stands? I like dimples on babies, not on a boat I intend to take to sea. OP, don’t be conned. Brand DOES matter.

If you are looking for a coastal cruiser or something to go to the islands the choices are abundant particularly with your budget. Hunters and Cats fit right in. Go Blue Water and you are talking about a different animal.

Although it may seem that some of us are bashing Hunters and Cats we are basically bashing the premise that this is the only option open to you. The Hunter and Cat owners as you can see love their boats and rightfully so. Some of them made the right choice for the type of sailing they do, others well…. they just want you to color within the lines of your original post because they know they could have done better.

Going outside the lines with your search will prove to be a most interesting experience. You may just stumble upon a gem.

BZT

Can you provide any facts that support that oil canning or hull flexing has caused structural failures on production boats?

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bensolomon · 16-09-2014, 19:24

BZT,

Your posts are insulting, and demeaning, and therefore serve no real purpose. Now, regarding your analogy of Honda vs. Mercedes and considering the function of both, the safety of both, and the comfort of both: both will get you to and from work, both will transport your family to and fro, and both will keep you safe in an accident. The honda has a much better reliability score, and has much fewer repairs in comparison and therefore the enjoyment and use of the Honda will be greater. The Mercedes drives like a truck; uncomfortable ride.

To close the loop, I grew up in America, on the gulf coast of Florida not far from where you live, got my doctorate level education in Philadelphia, and cruise the Chesapeake as my home waters, and circumnavigate the BVI yearly all with my family of 5 and two dogs. We sail our hunter legend 37.5 all over, and she's great!

Ben

Ben Solomon
S/V Dawn 1989 37.5 hunter legend

Kenomac · 16-09-2014, 19:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by sails7plj

I had a Hunter and it was a fine boat

I had a Hunter and it was NOT a fine boat.

The customer service department at Hunter Marine was nonexistent.... Horrible in fact. It was however, a nice dockside condo and day sailer. Friends of ours in the Med are spending a year traveling Southern Spain and Sardinia on their Hunter 38 and seem to be doing fine with no complaints, seems like a nice boat for their intended purpose.

Catalina makes a nice looking boat and so do the European manufacturers. Open up your choices and look beyond Hunter and Catalina at the next boat show.

Island Time O25 · 16-09-2014, 19:28

The OP didn't mention the age of the boats in question. But here are my 2c for what it's worth. If $50K is the total budget I'd go with an older but better quality boat (if I had to chose from only Hunter or Catalina I'd definitely chose Catalina if for anything better resale value) for say $20-30K and put the rest of my budget into the refit.

Any used boat over 10 years old would require a good amount of refit so if you're on a tight budget you have to start at the lower end of the price spectrum to stick to $50K total. There are a lot of sleeper boats out there which don't have the name recognition of a production boat such as Benetau or Catalina nor the quality of Sabre or some such. O'Day, Pearson, Mariner (NH, not the Taiwan version), Seidelman, Niagara, etc come to mind. All are great sailors, very well built and if decently maintained and refitted will do better than fine in any coastal or near offshore setting. Some, with proper refit, may even make great offshore sailors.

JTSmith · 16-09-2014, 19:50

It seems that the longer this thread continues, the less a few of you (and you know who you are) seem even remotely interested in the parameters of the original question. So, recapping - I have no freaking desire to round the bloody horn or do a transpac. I want a coastal cruiser that will get me to the Bahama's and maybe the BVI, And, since it will also be my home, it needs to be roomy and comfortable below - I'm well over six feet tall and I will not spend a month, much less the next five years in a 5'8" v berth. Oh, and the budget is $50k, remember? So, there will be no boat show.

I'm headed to Tampa on Thursday to look at a dozen or so boats. Some are Hunters and Catalinas, but there are Pearsons, Ericsons and Morgans (bet you guys hate Morgans, too) in the mix as well. I'll let you know what I fall in love with. Unless it's a Hunter or Catalina, cause I really can't take hearing you call my new lover a pig.

Thanks to all for the lively discussion, I'll let you know what I've decided next week.

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RTB · 16-09-2014, 20:07

JT, happy hunting!

Not sure if you know about this - Just google "boat inspection trip tips". I think you are a member over there too. It might help eliminate some boats without paying to have a survey done.

Ralph

JTSmith · 16-09-2014, 20:12

Ralph. Already got it. Thanks! Though, I'm going with Smackdaddy's advice and leave the multimeter and moisture sensor to the surveyor. Been on enough boats in my life to spot the big problems with a flashlight and camera, I think.

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Island Time O25 · 16-09-2014, 20:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTSmith

I'm headed to Tampa on Thursday to look at a dozen or so boats.

Check this one out in Punta Gorda. The guy has been lowering his price for awhile and now he sounds like he'll lower it even further. I think he over did it in the refit dep't as his other ads used to say he spent $80K on the refit. If there are no major issues this boat is definitely a steal at anything under $40K.

Punta Gorda Yacht Brokers (Punta Gorda, FL)

JTSmith · 16-09-2014, 20:16

BTW, I'm really excited about this trip. Be fun to actually kick some keels. Looking at boat porn on Yachtworld has lost its appeal.

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**Jim Cate** · 16-09-2014, 20:22

Quote:

Looking at boat porn on Yachtworld has lost its appeal.

True indeed, for all cats look grey in the dark, and all boats look good on the internet. Reality may be different!

Good hunting, Mate!

Jim

avb3 · 16-09-2014, 20:25

Who are you dealing with, if you are, in the Tampa Bay area? I know a real good rigger there, as well as a boat yard I can recommend where mine is stored. My rigger also has a couple of surveyors he can recommend.

Be real interested in how you make out.

JTSmith · 16-09-2014, 20:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by avb3

Who are you dealing with, if you are, in the Tampa Bay area? I know a real good rigger there, as well as a boat yard I can recommend where mine is stored. My rigger also has a couple of surveyors he can recommend.

Be real interested in how you make out.

I'm working with a buyer's broker from Massey in Palmetto. Love to know your rigger's name and I definitely need a good surveyor. Can you PM that to me?

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