Cooper Seabird 37 vs Cooper 416

[michaelmrc]

am looking at a couple of boats here both in excellent condition and decent pricing i would like some opinions or experiences that anyone may have had with either. ie reliability how do they sail how are they to liveaboard etc...
thanks

[Welschrisby]

I don't know the Cooper Seabird but I own a Cooper 416 and I can tell you that, as a live aboard she is very comfortable. Having two separate cabins is a real advantage even for a couple and if you have guests it is essential. She sails really well also. She is not particularly fast but she can handle anything you can. The main advantage to owning the smaller boat is the ease of handling. 42 ft is a large boat particularly in crowded marinas and even more so if you are single handing. The 416 has plenty of freeboard but it's a big jump down to the dock. However, soaking in her spacious bathtub afterwards can make up for most discomforts!

[michaelmrc]

i ended up with a compromise. purchased a cooper 353 pilothouse. huge amounts of space sails pretty good too. great liveaboard feel.

[Welschrisby]

Originally Posted by michaelmrc

am looking at a couple of boats here both in excellent condition and decent pricing i would like some opinions or experiences that anyone may have had with either. ie reliability how do they sail how are they to liveaboard etc...
thanks

JUst be certain you don't buy a 37 with a Volvo saildrive. I don't have first hand experience but they have a terrible reputation. Best of luck finding a Cooper. The 416 is a spacious live aboard(it even has a bath tub!) I was very impressed by the performance of my 416. She sails like a cruiser/racer with comfort added!.

[michaelmrc]

i was lucky with my coooer 353 it came with a bramd new beta marine 30hp engine and new technodrive saildrive. been extremely happy with this vessel. sails well tona of room amd excellent liveaboard