Thinking of a Bahia 46 for world crusing?

[dirkdig]

We are considering a 2002 onwards Fountaine pajot Bahia 46 to cruise around the world.Does any one have any comments or any owners who can comment with real experience of this boat or any you might reconmend similar?

[2Hulls]

I have charter experience on this boat and have been on several other charters where friends chartered this boat after I crossed it off my list.

It is fast, nimble, and fun to sail - for a very good reason: it's lightly built, IMHO. I have seen deck cleats move under load - the surrounding fiberglass flexing.

To get into the cockpit from deck you have to climb in. The panel material above the nav table where you might mount instruments is some sort of cardboard. (Maybe this was a charter boat characteristic.) Standing up from the nav station seat it's too easy to crack your head on a metal vertical handhold (used to hold on to when decending the port side steps into the hull). The overboard head discharge is ABOVE THE WATERLINE! The bimini is mounted too low over the helm seat.

Check the resale prices. There's a good reason, IMHO, why they are relatively low.

Your mileage may vary.

Dave

[libellula]

I have been doing an extensive review of catamarans for similar purposes. I have shorten my list to two boats. The PDQ Antares and the Broadblue.
I had the occasion to sail a Broadblue 385 and a 42 (now a 415) back from the Annapolis boat show (down the Chesapeake, out along the coast to Oregon Inlet then back along the sound). The first trip began the Thursday after the boat show- winds 30 gusting to 35 from the NW and I was in the 385 with the North American distributor Richard Hodges. The boat performed marvelously and I remember hitting 14.6 knots at one point ( we probably averaged 10 knots!). The short choppy waves of the Chesapeake coupled with high winds did not stop us from making coffee in the drip coffee maker and nothing had to be stowed. The boat was a real lady.
The next week Richard ,his wife and my wife and me brought the 42 back. Light winds but even when the winds picked up from 30 degrees to 15 knots we were able to wrangle 70% of the apparent wind into speed made good over the ground (we had the big genoa up).
I have not tried the PDQ yet but I would feel very comfortable recommending the Broadblue for your intended purpose.

[ireaney]

There are suddenly a lot of BB 385's for sale in the Uk some barely a year old. When you look around them they look beautifully finished off, the joinery looks great and all very nicely finished, but I have heard a few stories that they are not wearing that well.
A friend of mine chartered a BB42 in Turkey and was horrified at how it had worn, fittings coming off etc, we all know that charter boats get a battering but his thoughts were that a heard of elephants must chartered this every week since new.
I am sure that the hulls are very solid as were all the old Prouts and the 415 again looked very nice but needed quite a lot of tweaking to get her right IMO.

[libellula]

Good to know
There is no better test for a boat than a year or two in charter
However, these boats are not built for charter and thus have some oversized sail plans that if you do not know what you are doing could stress any boat. I would like to hear more first hand observations since I am strongly considering this boat

[2Hulls]

ibellula - although I have not sailed a BB, I have admired them at the show for several years. Seem strongly built. Not sure about the aft rig version, though.

Do you routinely go through Oregon Inlet? I guess as long as it's somebody else's boat...........

Dave

[libellula]

Well I live here. Oregon Inlet is not all that bad if you respect the two conditions that can get you
-stay off the shoals
-do not buck opposing tides and wind

I routinely go through Oregon Inlet all be it most frquently in a small power boat (21 foot Parker with cutty cabin) but I did my offshore research through Oregon Inlet and I transited the Inlet everyday (with a few exception due to weather) in a 38 foot personel transport refitted for oceanographic research
Just do not buck the tides and wind
It was a tight fit under the bridge in the 42 but it was somebody elses boat:-)

[mikereed100]

But what about the Bahia?

[2Hulls]

Mike - I addressed the Bahia in my first response.

Dave

[libellula]

I can only tell you about the cats I have sailed on
I have not sailed the Bahia

[Jeannius]

A friend of mine chartered a BB42 in Turkey and was horrified at how it had worn, fittings coming off etc, we all know that charter boats get a battering but his thoughts were that a heard of elephants must chartered this every week since new.

I think the earlier Broadblue interiors were not up to the quality of the more recent ones. Broadblue brought all the joinery production in house a couple of years ago ( not sure exactly when) but there was definitely a step up in terms of quality.

I first went on a Broadblue a year after buying my Privilege, maybe 2003, and was not impressed. Looking round a 415 last month I was very impressed by the quality of the interior.

[libellula]

Thanks for that clarification
I was very dissapointed that the Privilege that was in Annapolis left two days before the show. I really want to see that boat as well. My initial research has the Privilege as one of the top three candidates for our voyage.

[2Hulls]

Based on what Jeannius says, the Broadblues I've been on must have been later ones. I thought the interior work was excellent and the overall boat very appealing. (Except for that aft rig option, maybe. I don't understand its benefit.)

libellula - there should be plenty of Privileges around to look at. They are clearly world voyagers, IMHO. They have a price to match. My only complaint with them is that they tend to be heavy with weight spread out a bit too far towards the ends. If I'm not mistaken, I think they also have the engines under the aft bunks. But it's all a compromise and in the end they should be near the top of anyone's list. JMHO

Sorry to take this thread further off topic.

Dave

[libellula]

This is not too far off topic
Dirkdig asked for recommendations on other boats
The aft rig on the 38 I think was intended to balance the rig more for ocean winds reducing the main and providing a better divide j for the two headsails
The 38 also comes with a forward rig option and the 42 is forward
The engines in the 38 are under the bunks but the 415 have outside access

I think this thread has given dirkdig some alternatives but they are probably all more costly than the Bahia- is that so?

[2Hulls]

Originally Posted by libellula

I think this thread has given dirkdig some alternatives but they are probably all more costly than the Bahia- is that so?

I would say "yes".

My recommendation to dirkdig is to determine his budget, then locate all the boats (via yachtworld.com) with resale costs at that limit no matter their size or manufacturer. The market is usually pretty good at helping to define value between available models. Not perfect, just pretty good. Again, JMHO.

Dave