Help me spend money!

[wizard1_us]

Am I missing something here concerning the semantic of "production boat"? I thought the IP was a production boat....Please correct me if I am wrong.

[rosatte]

U bet a island packet over a catalina or other production boats but who can afford them u make due with what u can afford. .any production boat can be a blue water cruiser just have to outfit em properly.....not everyone wants a full keeled skeg hung rudder but thats y they make different boats

[wizard1_us]

Well, like I said, the IP is a "production boat" meaning it is mass produced not custom one off etc. So I guess I didn't understand the differentiation between the IP and the Bene' They are both production boats. They are expensive because they load them up with first class amenities (gear and equipment) In my opinion, they don't sail that well, as I remember their lineage all the way back to the Irwin 10/4 a 25' that you couldn't get the weather helm out of. The early IP's were in a kit form where you could finish it out yourself, some good, some bad, and it was a 26'. To each their own as far as boats go, There are plenty of blue water cruisers out there that are production boats. You have to outfit them for the cruising that you are going to do. If that means beefing it up then so be it. It's your money, spend it the way you wish.

[sainted]

Consider a Stevens or Hylas 47, basically the same boat. Three staterooms, two heads, great galley, nice saloon, center cockpit, great offshore performance, beefy construction. Yes, I have one.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by wizard1_us

Am I missing something here concerning the semantic of "production boat"? I thought the IP was a production boat....Please correct me if I am wrong.

I believe the semantic may be production/ mass production vs. one offs?

[Lennie]

I just went through the process of searching for a good cruising boat. One that would be a good live aboard and could cross oceans if properly equipped and sailed in the proper season and not out looking for trouble. And just as important, not in need of a lot of work as most 30 year old boats are. My last boat a 1981 Pearson was a good solid boat that was built as a coastal cruiser but many have found their way across oceans and some around the world. There must be many solid coastal cruisers built 10 to 15 years ago that can fill the need that my Pearson and many others built in the 70’s and 80’s did.
Our search started with lots of 1980's vintage boats as they were in our price range and a lot of them built tough like the Pearson's of that era.
We fell in and out of love with several boats, the Caliber 47 was first but when we looked at one it was just too big, a little to plastic looking and was a budget buster. Then we looked at the Caliber 40, nice boat but like the 47 just a little too plain vanilla. No real emotional response either way, great boat but not the one. Next was a Tayana 42. On paper it looked great, big heavy and very salty looking. We found a local one to look at nice boat but too dark and cave like inside for my wife. We looked at a Morgan/Catalina 45 CC and it was great on the inside, huge too huge and the lines just didn't appeal to me. We found a Morgan 44 that was very nice and it was a contender but sold before I could do any serious research on the model. A Hylas 44CC caught our eye and if it had been in better condition it could have been our next boat. The problem with most is that they needed a refit after 30+ years of use. After refitting our Pearson I knew how much time and money that would take. I'm getting close to cutting the dock lines and cruising not working for years to get another boat ready.
My wife and I really liked the look of a Nauticat 43. Lots of space and big raised salon area with lots of light. We considered it for a bit but again another project boat and more of a motorsailer.
While at a local boat show we saw a Jeanneau 43 Deck Salon. My wife loved it. I have to say I thought it was a sexy boat but didn’t fit my view of a proper cruising boat. My first thought was the windows are too big. Then I thought back to the Nauticat, a well-respected blue water capable boat with big windows. So why were the large windows acceptable on the Nauticat and not the Jeanneau? I know there are differences in build quality but the Jeanneau is 30 years newer and from what I could gather a well put together boat. After a bit of research, I found that the 43DS had been successfully cruised by many with several crossing oceans and for what it’s worth it’s rated class A offshore. Access to the water and fuel tanks is great, no pan blocking access to the hull. Good storage, plenty of water, engine is easy to get to and hey it's a 2003 model so all the systems are fairly new.
The Jeanneau is far from perfect but every boat has its tradeoffs. In the end the Jeanneau fit my budget and gave me in my opinion a beautiful efficient sailboat that has already made the upwind bash from San Diego to Portland and a quick sail up to the San Juan’s and back. Next we plan to go back to the San Juan’s for a season then south to Mexico. From there no plans yet but the boat won’t be the limiting factor.
Sorry for the long rambling post.
Lennie

[a64pilot]

Sort of having gone thru this myself, but with a smaller boat, I'd suggest either spending considerably more on a big boat, or expect to spend the purchase price re-fitting a 50+ ft boat that you paid 150K for.
Going to be tough finding one of the bigger IP's for that price for example, and I would be suspect of such a deal, maybe you could live with a smaller boat?

Sorry, I confused threads, your saying 42 to 55, that is quite a spread, and I think closer to the 42' mark it's doable withing that budget.

[Kevin W]

You may wish to consider a Hudson force 50 (loa 60 feet). I have lived aboard and cruised in one for the past 5 years. Generally a great boat with tons of space and storage. pay more attention to the neccesities, such as water, water maker, power plant, overall condition of boat, generator etc.
In your budget range you should not have too much trouble finding an older well maintained boat.

[rmorrow1970]

Anyone here have an Amel 53 besides the SV Delos? I have perused their site, and since began looking at that boat and model. It seems ideal in many respects, true it seems i would have to spend a bit more for initial purchase (200-250K), but that is possible as well for me....thank you all for the input thus far......

[skipgundlach]

Check out "Zero to Cruising" for their migration from Cat to Mono...

[tuffr2]

SV Delos - now that is the life.

Sent from my SM-G360V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[lilolme55]

Have you considered a catamaran ?? For the space you are asking for a cat would give you that in spades and rather than having to look at a 50' mono you would have more usable space in a 42' cat. I know you then get into the whole argument about one hull or two but there are plenty of people cruising the world in 38' - 45' cats and doing it very comfortably. Just a thought.

[Paul J. Nolan]

Good evening.

You would like an air conditioned sailboat with an office? Perhaps I could also interest you in a widescreen TV with surround sound? A personal two-lane bowling alley?

We are Two-Hulled Seagoing Condominiums, Inc. and we aim to please.

Paul

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by wizard1_us

Am I missing something here concerning the semantic of "production boat"? I thought the IP was a production boat....Please correct me if I am wrong.

I believe that some varied connotations have been placed on the term "Production Boat", but I would agree that an Island Packet is a production boat.
I've always thought of production boats as those constructed in multiple numbers and the opposite, one of a kind vessels, as custom boats.

I don't think you're "missing anything". It's not a sign of quality whether a boat is custom made or one of many.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Lennie

I just went through the process of searching for a good cruising boat. One that would be a good live aboard and could cross oceans if properly equipped and sailed in the proper season and not out looking for trouble. And just as important, not in need of a lot of work as most 30 year old boats are. My last boat a 1981 Pearson was a good solid boat that was built as a coastal cruiser but many have found their way across oceans and some around the world. There must be many solid coastal cruisers built 10 to 15 years ago that can fill the need that my Pearson and many others built in the 70’s and 80’s did.
Our search started with lots of 1980's vintage boats as they were in our price range and a lot of them built tough like the Pearson's of that era.
We fell in and out of love with several boats, the Caliber 47 was first but when we looked at one it was just too big, a little to plastic looking and was a budget buster. Then we looked at the Caliber 40, nice boat but like the 47 just a little too plain vanilla. No real emotional response either way, great boat but not the one. Next was a Tayana 42. On paper it looked great, big heavy and very salty looking. We found a local one to look at nice boat but too dark and cave like inside for my wife. We looked at a Morgan/Catalina 45 CC and it was great on the inside, huge too huge and the lines just didn't appeal to me. We found a Morgan 44 that was very nice and it was a contender but sold before I could do any serious research on the model. A Hylas 44CC caught our eye and if it had been in better condition it could have been our next boat. The problem with most is that they needed a refit after 30+ years of use. After refitting our Pearson I knew how much time and money that would take. I'm getting close to cutting the dock lines and cruising not working for years to get another boat ready.
My wife and I really liked the look of a Nauticat 43. Lots of space and big raised salon area with lots of light. We considered it for a bit but again another project boat and more of a motorsailer.
While at a local boat show we saw a Jeanneau 43 Deck Salon. My wife loved it. I have to say I thought it was a sexy boat but didn’t fit my view of a proper cruising boat. My first thought was the windows are too big. Then I thought back to the Nauticat, a well-respected blue water capable boat with big windows. So why were the large windows acceptable on the Nauticat and not the Jeanneau? I know there are differences in build quality but the Jeanneau is 30 years newer and from what I could gather a well put together boat. After a bit of research, I found that the 43DS had been successfully cruised by many with several crossing oceans and for what it’s worth it’s rated class A offshore. Access to the water and fuel tanks is great, no pan blocking access to the hull. Good storage, plenty of water, engine is easy to get to and hey it's a 2003 model so all the systems are fairly new.
The Jeanneau is far from perfect but every boat has its tradeoffs. In the end the Jeanneau fit my budget and gave me in my opinion a beautiful efficient sailboat that has already made the upwind bash from San Diego to Portland and a quick sail up to the San Juan’s and back. Next we plan to go back to the San Juan’s for a season then south to Mexico. From there no plans yet but the boat won’t be the limiting factor.
Sorry for the long rambling post.
Lennie

+1!

Great post IMHO. Exactly what it is like buying a s/h boat: many interesting potentials but as you go thru them you find them lacking. Then you stumble upon one that ticks most boxes and that's that.

Even if/when you know exactly what you want (say a PS34) often there will be many on the market and you will have a headache choosing between them.

I loved that buying time and we were LUCKY to get the boat we did (we had next to zero experience and we bought a boat that needed only minor upgrades before setting off). If we ever buy another, I will spend more time sniffing, testing, doubting ... and enjoying the whole process.

b.