Quote:
Originally Posted by Silvrav
Hi Guys.
I have now short listed it between 2 boats for potential purchase and they are vastly different...
One is the Beneteau First 42 and the other is a Koopmans 38.
Both surveys looks good but I am leaning towards the Koopmans due to its full hull as I would prefer to have stability at anchor/mooring and reduce the risk of the spade rudder failing (yes yes I know this is a vast debate).
Anyone that has sailed both and or have any comments opinions?
The Beneteau is a well know name, longer and bigger beam provigin more space....
Links below:
https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/b...8?bof=lwEah5Fh
https://www.gulfgroup.co.nz/search/d...0Koopmans%2038 |
I have never sailed the Koopmans, however, I have a Spencer 42 that is incredibly similar to her hull form, and would be a near identical boat if the Koopmans had a lazarette behind the
cockpit.
I love my boat for the way she
sails and I would expect that the Koopmans has very similar properties and were I
shopping for a boat today knowing what I know now, I would certainly take a hard look at the Koopmans. Especially having a rudder that is almost identical to my own, where I can throw the
wheel hard and that rudder will create enough force to move the boat from a standstill and she can be skulled with the rudder if there is minimal
current which also means when slow speed maneuvering that rudder is an asset.
Just be prepared for the fact that she will back up like and old blind drunk fat dog.
From what I can tell of the Koopmans it seems to be a finely built boat, the
interior fitup looks to be well done and of quality materials, I do quite like the sit down nav station.
She also has a fairly new Kubota
Diesel, I have run quite a bit of
equipment on land over the years and Kubota engines have always treated me right, how well she would treat you I suspect would be a function of how well the
engine was marinized and by whom.
What I would suggest is get on the Koopman and spend some time on it see if you like it and if the layout works for you, I know I have a few reservations about her layout, the
galley is not the best for at sea, and the
head is meh.
But overall she seems to be a fine boat.
As for the Beneteau, well I will be the first to tell you it is not a boat that I would spend my
money on, I am of the opinion that Beneteau brings their
money on branding and name reckognition, not on the quality of the build and quite frankly, I don't care for their boats. Albeit one caveat to that is some of their older boats were better built.
This one in particular looks as though it has had some terrible
work done to her such as how the
windlass is mounted, when I see that it is the calling card of an idiot who ought not to be working on boats to slap that in there like that as the big gaping hole in the
deck is going to introduce gallons upon gallons of sea
water into the boat any time the bow gets stuffed in a wave.
It also says that the
engine was replaced, but I think it is more likely rebuilt, it looks to me to be a
Perkins 4108 which is a mighty fine engine except for the fact that it is out of production and has been out of production I think since the early 1990's if memory serves although I could be wrong. I am not a
Perkins guy so don't take what I say about them as the gospel.
What I do know though is that
parts for those older Perkins engines as great as they are in some cases are becoming unobtanium, especially in far off
parts of the world. I cannot speak for
New Zealand never having been there myself, but my inclination would be that Kubota, Isuzu or
Yanmar are a much safer bet in that part of the world as they all originate in
Asia however, in this global economy you never can tell.
Ultimately if you handed me the title for the Beneteau and told me to do what ever I wanted with it, I would sell it to someone who really loves the Beneteau name, and find something else more to my liking.
One I would definitely look at, is a Spencer 42
for sale in
French Polynesia, beautiful boat, far nicer
interior, and less money than either of the ones you are looking at and I would consider her to be a far superior boat as she has had a complete modernization and
refit about 14 years ago and still looks very good and has all the cruising kit to get her back to New Zealand.
She even has a
Hydrovane and
self tailing winches. The only reason she isn't selling is she is in Papeete which is one of the worst places on the planet to sell a boat to the best of my understanding.
https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/196...er-42-9152962/
The only thing I can really beat her up for is that she does not have the hard
dodger like mine does which I have quite fallen in love with as it keeps the boat so damn dry. That and the
canvas on her
dodger will want to be replaced soon.
It would take about 15-18 days to sail her direct the 2200 NM from Papeete to Aukland, if you don't want to iron man the whole thing can always make a layover in the
Cook Islands.
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