>42 foot bluewater sailboat purchase choices

[Frankster1955]

They say if you aren't confused, you just havent read enough. This applies to politics, religion, history and choices in sail boats. Here are the factors in play for my purchase. I will probably be based out of Charleston.

My budget is 135,000. The two of us will live on this boat 9 months a year.

I am six foot six, need headroom and a big bed that sleeps two.

I have above average persistence, average mechanical ability, no electrical acumen. Superb common sense, except Im considering buying a hole in the water. Go configure.

I am 62 but a physical machine, energetic. My mitochondria have mitochondria.

I want a larger boat to take family on occasion, but mostly just two people two small dogs and because of my affliction to be prepared, my boy scout background, everything I might possibly need for emergency and comfort.

I plan mostly to sail in the tropics. My dream is to sail to Bermuda. Gunkhole Carribean. Major trip Hawaii and South Pacific, then back to SF and down the coast. I might go to Maine and Canada once or twice. Cross the Atlantic? Scary.

Full keels are slower, more stable and I don't plan to race, but have no preference in keels.

Sloops are faster and have fewer sails, but I have no preference.

A large engine room is better since I am big.

I want a strong hull design.

Two staterooms. One can be in the bow. They are lucky to be at sea with me.

I want to mount solar panels for electrical needs and not rely on alternator.

Pilothouse with good openings for flow through, or bimini or center cockpit?

Older bigger boat 50 foot vs newer smaller boat 42 foot.

Open to your ideas.

The usual suspects thus far:

Whitby 42. small. weatherhelm issues without bowsprit? Allegedly robust design.
Gulfstar Sailmaster 47 and 50 foot mid 1980s.
Morgan Out Island 48
Liberty 46
B Oceanis 473 Headroom?
Valiant 47 often expensive
CSY44 old. bulletproof allegedly. If pristine a good boat.

The unseen is what sinks you.
What am I not considering?
Your input appreciated.
Frank

[barnakiel]

Do boats have staterooms or rather cabins?


b.

[barnakiel]

A friend of ours sailed a Passport. That boat seemed quite spacious inside. We met him in the Indian Ocean, on our way back. He sailed to the US, finishing off his circumnavigation.


Sailboats built by Passport Yachts by year on Sailboatdata.com


Big, well built and comfortable boats. His was about 40+, maybe 42'.


b.

[markwesti]

The Westsail 42 came with a center cockpit , the 43 with a aft cockpit (43 has the same hull as the 42) . These boats came with all types of rigs , cutter , ketch , there have even been a few schooners . I have been on a few at Westsail rendezvous , down below they are quite caverness . The engine room is large , but there was a lot of stuff in there so it was not a walk in more of a crawl in . I think your budget is very good especially for a WS 42 , plenty left over for up grades . Here is one with a hard dodger/pilot house .
TWILIGHT - Westsail 42
http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=2257

[Steadman Uhlich]

Howdy Frank! Welcome aboard CF!

That was a good intro or Opening Post.

Your height will probably exclude many possible boats. Many of the boats built for coastal or distance cruising have about 6’3” of headroom (more or less).

But the CF members can steer you towards some boats that are suitable, and there are some tall CF members too.

I think it will help other CF members better help you if you give a brief description of your own sailing experience so far, or if you have sailed much or owned any sailboats. That is unclear in your Opening Post (OP).

Good luck on your boat hunt and enjoy the forum.

[s/v Moondancer]

My wife and I sail Tayana 55. CC, big engine room and lots of headroom. A proven Blue Water boat.

[svspirited]

Check out a Norseman 447. King size berth on the center cockpit version that you can sleep in any direction on, sort of low ceiling above the bed but you get used to it. I'm six foot and have plenty of standing room in every portion of the boat. There is plenty of headroom in the salon and galley. The engine room has loads of access, the only downside is access on the port side of the engine which has to be dealt with through access panels in the shower but the bulk of service points are on the starboard side so most of your maintenance points are easily accessible. There is also room for a 7 or 8kw generator on the starboard side and it is nice to have even though we don't use it much at the moment.

In the center cockpit the height of the boom may pose a bit of trouble for you. It clears my head by about 4 inches, you will likely have to duck a bit when tacking/gybing. The cockpit is also a bit small, this is no dock party boat, but it keeps all of the winches close at hand making it a very nice setup for short handed cruising. I can sail the boat pretty easily by myself with a little help from the autopilot. They also have a good bit of tankage, in our case 90 gallons for fuel and 120 gallons for water.

It is a cutter rigged sloop and the staysail is nice to have, in light winds it adds an extra half knot or so and in heavy winds it can be used much like a storm sail and stays nice and balanced rather than reefing in a big jib or genoa. If you are truly cruising then dealing with the snail's pace of tacking a genoa through the slot between the head stay and fore stay really isn't a big deal. With some practice and good timing it gets easier and a bit faster and if it really bugs you there is always the ability to switch out to a removable forestay and sail it like a sloop most of the time.

It's a Bob Perry design like the Valiant and Tayana and sails like a dream, fast for its weight. Solid as a rock. Bob really does a great job with layouts, utilization of space, and heavy weather friendly hulls. She is not wonderful in light winds, say 5 knots or less but she really turns on at 7.5 knots. Once you hit 10 knots and above she really shines. She is not exactly awesome maneuvering around a marina, but again if you are cruising and using moorings or anchoring most of the time this isn't much of an issue, just brush up on the use of spring lines when dealing with tight spaces.

We searched quite a few boats before settling on the Norseman, the Valiant 47 is just so rare finding one for sale is difficult and when you do they are not bargains. There are some reasonably priced Norsemans out there if you are willing to do a bit of work and if you can find one with the teak decks removed even better. The pristine ones come at a premium. Good luck with your search.

[Frankster1955]

Thank you. I will consider all you have written.

[Frankster1955]

I have experience in catamarans, Prindles, this is back in the day. I sail with my friend on a lake in a homebuilt 20 footer. I have no sea experience, just a dream to do the great adventure.

[Frankster1955]

Please dollar cost average your upkeep and repairs for the last 5 years. How much are you spending a year? Sail cost alone that vast have to be enormous.

[Frankster1955]

Handsome boat. Super nice interior.Dollar cost average your upkeep and repairs. How much is your average per year?

[TheOffice]

Hylas 44. Great aft cabin 2 heads sails great!

[Ericson38]

Originally Posted by svspirited

Check out a Norseman 447. King size berth on the center cockpit version that you can sleep in any direction on, sort of low ceiling above the bed but you get used to it. I'm six foot and have plenty of standing room in every portion of the boat. There is plenty of headroom in the salon and galley. The engine room has loads of access, the only downside is access on the port side of the engine which has to be dealt with through access panels in the shower but the bulk of service points are on the starboard side so most of your maintenance points are easily accessible. There is also room for a 7 or 8kw generator on the starboard side and it is nice to have even though we don't use it much at the moment.

In the center cockpit the height of the boom may pose a bit of trouble for you. It clears my head by about 4 inches, you will likely have to duck a bit when tacking/gybing. The cockpit is also a bit small, this is no dock party boat, but it keeps all of the winches close at hand making it a very nice setup for short handed cruising. I can sail the boat pretty easily by myself with a little help from the autopilot. They also have a good bit of tankage, in our case 90 gallons for fuel and 120 gallons for water.

It is a cutter rigged sloop and the staysail is nice to have, in light winds it adds an extra half knot or so and in heavy winds it can be used much like a storm sail and stays nice and balanced rather than reefing in a big jib or genoa. If you are truly cruising then dealing with the snail's pace of tacking a genoa through the slot between the head stay and fore stay really isn't a big deal. With some practice and good timing it gets easier and a bit faster and if it really bugs you there is always the ability to switch out to a removable forestay and sail it like a sloop most of the time.

It's a Bob Perry design like the Valiant and Tayana and sails like a dream, fast for its weight. Solid as a rock. Bob really does a great job with layouts, utilization of space, and heavy weather friendly hulls. She is not wonderful in light winds, say 5 knots or less but she really turns on at 7.5 knots. Once you hit 10 knots and above she really shines. She is not exactly awesome maneuvering around a marina, but again if you are cruising and using moorings or anchoring most of the time this isn't much of an issue, just brush up on the use of spring lines when dealing with tight spaces.

We searched quite a few boats before settling on the Norseman, the Valiant 47 is just so rare finding one for sale is difficult and when you do they are not bargains. There are some reasonably priced Norsemans out there if you are willing to do a bit of work and if you can find one with the teak decks removed even better. The pristine ones come at a premium. Good luck with your search.

I second this....

We have a Taswell 49 (also Ta Shing build) but wanted a Norseman 447, could not find one on the east coast. Buyer says he is 6.5 ft tall though.

[svspirited]

Originally Posted by Ericson38

I second this....

We have a Taswell 49 (also Ta Shing build) but wanted a Norseman 447, could not find one on the east coast. Buyer says he is 6.5 ft tall though.

I know, but I think in most of the areas you spend time standing inside a boat there is just enough head room with a close haircut. At 6'6" you're going to have to do a lot of ducking in the cabin of any boat I have seen in that size range except maybe some of the newer Oysters but I can't imagine any are in that sort of price range.

[svspirited]

Originally Posted by Frankster1955

Handsome boat. Super nice interior.Dollar cost average your upkeep and repairs. How much is your average per year?

The boat is still relatively new to me so I can't give an average over time but I can give a general breakdown of what I have had to deal with since purchase. A new main sail set me back a shade under $3,000. It will be about that for a new genoa and staysail when the time comes which is probably at the end of this season. They should last in theory 8-10 years, maybe less if we put more miles under the keel.

Standing rigging is still in good condition though it will need to be changed in a few years, that will likely cost in the $8,000-$10,000 range given how heavy the rigging is on this boat, serious blue water costs serious dollars. Chain plates are in excellent shape so will last another cycle of standing rigging.

The engine was totally rebuilt and has only 800 hours on it, about 600 at the time I purchased her so maintenance there has been basic, new impeller, oil changes, filters, etc. About $300 for all of that which is pretty much an annual charge, maybe twice per year if the engine is run more than 500 hours per year.

Running rigging is in fair shape but she will need new sheets at the end of the season, figure a few hundred for sheets and depending on the condition of the shackles maybe another few hundred there.

Max prop will need to be serviced, this is a once every 10 or 15 years sort of thing and will likely cost around $1,500. Cutlass bearing also needs to be replaced, another $500 or $600 there.

It all adds up and it is part of the cost of buying an older boat which in the size and price range you are thinking about you will be limited to so keep the refit and maintenance costs in mind and try and find a boat that has already had a good bit of work done to it.