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Old 04-06-2023, 08:29   #1
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Old "bluewater" cruiser VS. new Beneteau, Jeanneau etc.

Question: Am I going to die if I go cruising solo around remote/poorly charted Pacific atolls in a 2001-2008 40 foot Beneteau? Will my mast and keel fall off? Should I be looking at other boats?

Background:

I'm new to sailing and have the goal of crossing the Pacific solo. I particularly want to visit remote and uninhabited atolls and islands to photograph wildlife.

I'd love a catamaran as I like the idea of a shallower draft giving more access to anchorages, however I have a max budget of $125,000 including upgrades so that pretty much limits me to monohulls.

I've been looking at boats in the 40 foot and under range as I get the impression that any bigger gets tricky single handed (not to mention the additional expense).

Where I'm really stuck/confused is whether to go for an old boat or a new one.

Reading about this online, there's a bunch of people saying I should be looking for a 1980's full keeled boat and another bunch of people saying get new (2000's) "plastic" boat with a fin keel and a spade rudder.

I've watched a whole bunch of Youtube channels and I get the impression that people who went for an older boat seem to spend all of their time fixing them. These old boats also look like crap inside.
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Old 04-06-2023, 08:43   #2
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Re: Old "bluewater" cruiser VS. new Beneteau, Jeanneau etc.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lawnmower View Post
Question: Am I going to die if I go cruising solo around remote/poorly charted Pacific atolls in a 2001-2008 40 foot Beneteau? Will my mast and keel fall off? Should I be looking at other boats?

Background:

I'm new to sailing and have the goal of crossing the Pacific solo. I particularly want to visit remote and uninhabited atolls and islands to photograph wildlife.

I'd love a catamaran as I like the idea of a shallower draft giving more access to anchorages, however I have a max budget of $125,000 including upgrades so that pretty much limits me to monohulls.

I've been looking at boats in the 40 foot and under range as I get the impression that any bigger gets tricky single handed (not to mention the additional expense).

Where I'm really stuck/confused is whether to go for an old boat or a new one.

Reading about this online, there's a bunch of people saying I should be looking for a 1980's full keeled boat and another bunch of people saying get new (2000's) "plastic" boat with a fin keel and a spade rudder.

I've watched a whole bunch of Youtube channels and I get the impression that people who went for an older boat seem to spend all of their time fixing them. These old boats also look like crap inside.
You might want to sail across your local lake or bay first solo on a small sailboat then after you have completed that figure out if you still want to spend $125,000 on a sailboat and related equipment and repairs.
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Old 04-06-2023, 08:53   #3
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Re: Old "bluewater" cruiser VS. new Beneteau, Jeanneau etc.

Buy the Beneteau and learn it through and through before going offshore.
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Old 04-06-2023, 09:01   #4
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Re: Old "bluewater" cruiser VS. new Beneteau, Jeanneau etc.

I'm going to be the negative guy in your thread.

From reading your 3 questions in the forum, I suggest you don't buy a sailboat, but instead, volunteer to crew, join a club, take sailing lessons on different size boats, and go out for the day...weekend, and multi-day.
In the simplest and least expensive way, find out if you even like the lifestyle you're dreaming about.
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Old 04-06-2023, 09:19   #5
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Re: Old "bluewater" cruiser VS. new Beneteau, Jeanneau etc.

I spent a week on a boat and loved it so I'm not looking to rethink the plan, I'm looking to get some advice on old vs new boats. Crewing on other peoples boats before buying is the plan - Ideally I'd like to spend more time crewing on the type of boat I'd end up buying.
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Old 04-06-2023, 09:31   #6
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Re: Old "bluewater" cruiser VS. new Beneteau, Jeanneau etc.

Both new and old boats even production boats can sail around the world. It is a lot more dependent on the crew and equipment than the hull.

A disadvantage of a new or newer boat is it simply is going to cost you more. Also the more reasonably priced ones are likely to not be configured for liveaboard global cruising so it will be even more cost to refit (expanded solar, watermaker, davits, etc).

Given it is your plan to solo you likely don't need a 40 foot boat. Going a bit smaller may allow you to go newer and still have enough funds in your budget for refit and upgrades. Downsizing to something in the 34 to 36 foot range may work out better especially if you prefer newer boats. I wouldn't go below 32 ft but that is a personal preference plenty of people have sailed solo around the world in even 27 ft boats.
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Old 04-06-2023, 09:35   #7
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Re: Old "bluewater" cruiser VS. new Beneteau, Jeanneau etc.

You might die; you might not. Your mast might fall off; it might not. Many factors come into play.
We just motor-sailed four hours thru 38 knot head winds in the San Lorenzo Channel near La Paz, Mexico. I couldnt imagine doing it in a newish Bene or Jeanneau. I vote—old, strong monohull.
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Old 04-06-2023, 09:36   #8
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Re: Old "bluewater" cruiser VS. new Beneteau, Jeanneau etc.

Yeah I noticed that browsing Yachtworld - you know if there are any particular spots in the world where people tend to sell boats set up ready for cruising?
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Old 04-06-2023, 09:37   #9
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Re: Old "bluewater" cruiser VS. new Beneteau, Jeanneau etc.

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Originally Posted by rbrazil View Post
You might die; you might not. Your mast might fall off; it might not. Many factors come into play.
We just motor-sailed four hours thru 38 knot head winds in the San Lorenzo Channel near La Paz, Mexico. I couldnt imagine doing it in a newish Bene or Jeanneau. I vote—old, strong monohull.

What do you imagine would have happened in a newish Beneteau?
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Old 04-06-2023, 09:46   #10
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Re: Old "bluewater" cruiser VS. new Beneteau, Jeanneau etc.

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Originally Posted by Lawnmower View Post
Yeah I noticed that browsing Yachtworld - you know if there are any particular spots in the world where people tend to sell boats set up ready for cruising?
I don't know if any location is better than others but understand the overwhelming majority of boats are not using for liveabords and the majority of liveaboards are not looking to cross oceans. The number of boats currently being used and kitted to liveaboard for global cruising are a rounding error.

I would imagine that older boats on average tend to have the gear you are looking for simply because well it is in more people's budget and they have had the years and numerous owners to get upgraded and modified. Sweet spot is probably around 20 years old. Understand insurance may be a problem for boats older than 40 years.

Stumbling upon a boat perfectly kitted to your needs and in your budget is largely just going to be luck. Every day there are people who have sailed around the world giving up that life and selling their long range cruisers. Just need luck of the draw to grab em.
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Old 04-06-2023, 09:50   #11
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Re: Old "bluewater" cruiser VS. new Beneteau, Jeanneau etc.

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Originally Posted by Lawnmower View Post
Reading about this online, there's a bunch of people saying I should be looking for a 1980's full keeled boat and another bunch of people saying get new (2000's) "plastic" boat with a fin keel and a spade rudder.
Why on the wide blue ocean do you expect to get a consensus answer to that question here, of all places? You are just going to get more of the same, and added in a few different ones too.

A lot of OTHER people will tell you that both of those are less than perfect choices, you should have a modest keel with a skeg hung rudder as a good compromise of robust strength and handling.

If you don't know any better, it seems to me the smart money is on a middle ground choice rather than an extreme design of one flavor or the other. But that is just me.

And I'll second the comment about boat size. Consider smaller. The less money you spend on the boat upfront, the happier you will be in the long run. Nobody EVER listens to that, everybody buys the biggest boat they can afford, and it is always a mistake.
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Old 04-06-2023, 09:56   #12
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pirate Re: Old "bluewater" cruiser VS. new Beneteau, Jeanneau etc.

If your going solo I see no point in a 40ftr from a practical viewpoint bar ego value.. look, I got a big boat..
Personally I would opt for the 331 if Beneteau is your bag..
https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/beneteau-331/
I solo'd mine from the BVI's to the Azores, then Portugal and Spain before sailing to the UK via Madiera and the Azores.
A roomy well behaved sailing boat easily handled by one.
You can pick a decent one up for $50k - $70k depending on year and spend some of your remaining budget on a decent watermaker, new rigging and sails, a windlass should you need one and any other upgrades.
But hey.. that's me, others may differ.
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Old 04-06-2023, 10:03   #13
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Re: Old "bluewater" cruiser VS. new Beneteau, Jeanneau etc.

The questions you ask jokingly are actually a good way to approach the overall question. Will your mast fall off? That is a question of whether your standing rigging is in good shape and if the chainplates are solid and well attached. Will your keel fall off? A typical newer keel needs to have bolts in good shape. An older style, fully encapsulated keel, especially on much older boat, will most likely be safe against nearly anything that happens. Buying a used boat you get much more for your money, but you need to carve out a big chunk of your budget for things like new sails and new standing and running rigging if you plan on cruising. Lots of older boats look great inside, but newer boats tend to have designs that provide more spacious cabins and cockpits. I tend to agree with the comment above that you might consider a somewhat smaller boat, which should be big enough if you are on your own and also be a bit easier to handle, as well as much cheaper to maintain. Remember that the volume of a three dimensional solid increases as the cube of the increase of the edges, and apply that to the cost of parts. Twice the length means nearly eight times the cost.
If you want to stay with a big boat, you might go older and find something like a CSY 44, which like many boats from that era was built like a tank.
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Old 04-06-2023, 10:23   #14
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Re: Old "bluewater" cruiser VS. new Beneteau, Jeanneau etc.

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Originally Posted by boatman61 View Post
If your going solo I see no point in a 40ftr from a practical viewpoint bar ego value.. look, I got a big boat..
Personally I would opt for the 331 if Beneteau is your bag..
https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/beneteau-331/
I solo'd mine from the BVI's to the Azores, then Portugal and Spain before sailing to the UK via Madiera and the Azores.
A roomy well behaved sailing boat easily handled by one.
You can pick a decent one up for $50k - $70k depending on year and spend some of your remaining budget on a decent watermaker, new rigging and sails, a windlass should you need one and any other upgrades.
But hey.. that's me, others may differ.
Haha well If it's going to be my home a 40ftr is still going to be a lot smaller than the house I'm used to, I'm also an unusually tall/big person so I'm gonna need a decent size bed.

One other thing is the motion - do you notice a big difference between a 33 and 40?
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Old 04-06-2023, 10:27   #15
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Re: Old "bluewater" cruiser VS. new Beneteau, Jeanneau etc.

We have no idea how old or how fit you are. Nor do we have any idea about your skill set.

Sailing is relatively simple, there are plenty of "Sailing How To" books out there and a few sailing courses or joining a yacht club will set you on your way.

Navigation depends a lot on whether you are math and science major, able to read and process data, or an art and history major less so. Applied mathematics with a bit of common sense.

Maintenance of marine systems, engines and electronics depends on how practical your are. Did you take things to pieces as a kid to see how they worked? Pointless learning about diesel engines if your boat has an outboard which is much simpler and easy to look after.

Crossing oceans is more to do with your state of mind, solo sailing even more so. Your budget precludes most expensive modern communication aides so you will be "alone" for weeks on end. Lock yourself in your apartment or rent a cabin in the middle of nowhere, no TV no phone no contact with anyone for a week and see how you cope.

Are you a confident person? Arriving in a foreign land and dealing with officials should be part of the adventure, not a burden.

You should think about a boat that is really simple to sail and maintain and will look after you, no complicated spare parts that are never in stock and can't be shipped across oceans.

Choose a simple well tried and tested s/hand boat, one that has already been cruised, perhaps one owned by old salts that are swallowing the anchor. It will already have most of the equipment you don't even know you need already on board.

If you want to go cat then there are options.
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