Best (new) 40-50 foot express cruiser/yacht

[DreJ]

Hello.

New to the community and new to boating in general.

I'm looking to retire in Europe and buy a new yacht/express cruiser/flybridge around 40-50 foot. I'd appreciate some advice as a newbie to boating in terms of the best boats to look at.


I'm primarily looking towards inboards, although I'm open to any suggestions. I'll avoid saying a price limit just for argument's sake let's assume there is no limit, speaking strictly in terms of hypothetically what would be best.


Are there particular companies that are better than others? I've been to a few boat shows and particularly like sunseeker/regal/Prestige/Princess/Fairline/SeaRay etc. All of these seem to come with similar spec engines, all of the same features (joystick etc.) so as a newbie I don't really have a way of differenting which to go for. Choosing a specific brand is one of the most difficult choices for me, as there isn't one that jumps out any more than others. They all look great, all feature similar Volvo engines, have the same modern features etc. How do I choose a brand?

I have looked at both flybridges and express cruisers and am attracted to the idea of a flybridge but am unaware of the disadvantages in terms of the larger surface area. Any advice?


Ideally it would be able to sleep 4/5 people. I would say modern features and seating areas etc. but presumably that's a given with a new cruiser.


A nice sporty cruiser would be ideal, but not so much so it detracts from the social aspect. A hybrid would be nice.


Thanks for the help guys. Much appreciated!

If you could give me any advice on flybridge Vs standard express cruiser that would be great, as well as just valuable information for a beginner. Thanks!


Edit: I should add it will be kept in a saltwater marina.

[FAST FRED]

In no way is a new boat like a new car., Buy it and drive off into the sunset.

The equipment on boats varies as each has a specific job so owners prefer to select the equipment they prefer.

Usually a used boat will have suffered thru the outfitting perhaps 1/2 a year or more , so besides being at least 25% less expensive , gives you the best chance at simply jumping on board with your supplies and heading out.

READ lots , and make an ever changing list of what you think you desire to do with the boat..

Some boats are outfitted as M>M ,marina to marina, or dock queens as that is what the owners prefer.
Others set up for long range cruising and prefer to anchor out most of the time. Purchase the boat outfitted for your desirements.

A quick look will decide if the boat has a single shiny anchor or a complete set of anchors set up and ready to drop.

READ < READ < READ, and visit marinas , most boat folks are always willing to tell you about their boat.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by DreJ

Are there particular companies that are better than others? I've been to a few boat shows and particularly like sunseeker/regal/Prestige/Princess/Fairline/SeaRay etc.

They all look great, all feature similar Volvo engines, have the same modern features etc. How do I choose a brand?

I have looked at both flybridges and express cruisers and am attracted to the idea of a flybridge but am unaware of the disadvantages in terms of the larger surface area. Any advice?

Scratch Sea Ray off that list; they stopped building new boats in the style you're after.

I don't care for any of those other brands, but mostly because I'm not particularly drawn to euro styling. Don't otherwise know about quality issues... although I understand Sunseeker has a decent rep, Prestige/Azimut maybe not so much, Princess/Fairline/Sealine somewhere in the middle. That's just from internet reading, though...

I expect there might be some advantages to euro brand boats if you're living in Europe, and Volvo service is said to be better in the Europe than it is here.

I can speak to flybridge vs. express. We prefer a flybridge, partly because it adds to overall usable space, but mostly because visibility is much better from there. Think about the angle of your eyes to the water in front of you from an express boat, then think about what it would be from a flybridge. You can see what's in front of you much closer to the boat with the latter. And then you can also usually see more around you when you're relaxing on a bridge for Happy Hour, too.

There's a middle ground, and that's a raised pilothouse. Better than a saloon-level helm, not as good as a flybridge.

OTOH, a flybridge does add more surface area, and while you might be able to open various enclosure panels to reduce the effects of wind, especially cross-winds, you'll still have some "sail" area to contend with. The again, the boats you're looking at would likely have (or could have added) a bow thruster, maybe a stern thruster... and with an integrated joystick control you don't really have to know how to dock a boat anyway. Until all that breaks, of course.

Some boats have flybridge and lower helm, and sometimes the lower is at saloon-level and sometimes it's a raised PH. You should examine all three, on paper and in person to the extent possible.

-Chris

[ranger58sb]

Another word or three on flying bridges... given your Europe focus...

There are flying bridges (aka flybridges), and then more recently there are "Fly" bridges.

Ours is the former (see avatar) with hardtop in our case and with a full enclosure. Some have a bimini instead of a hardtop, also semi-useful. A garden room, so to speak. No rain, wind, etc.. and climate control isn't difficult since we can open or close various clear panels. More usable space on the boat, always.

More recently some of the makers, especially Euro-builders, have adopted a "Fly" approach, where there's an "upstairs" which usually -- or at least sometimes -- has a helm, but no covering, no side panels or enclosure... a perfect place to "Fry" in most sunny conditions. Not at all the same as a fully enclosed flying bridge, and usage will likely be much more weather dependent.

You may find the latter attractive and perhaps even useful; just thought maybe helpful to highlight the difference.

-Chris





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