What do I really need on a new 42 foot yacht?

[anne claydon]

Hi this is my first time to the forum so hello.
We are contemplating purchasing a 42 foot yacht to sail from the east coast of Australia around the Pacific for 8 months. Can you help? The brokers advise every gizmo and gadget under the sun but what do you really see as essential? Also has anybody heard anything negative about a Dufour 425? Thanks as it can be very confusing.

[MarkJ]

Beer, hammock and a book. Tell them they keep their expensive optional extras!

Nice looking boat! Saw them at the Sydney Boat show and its looks lurvely!

[Randyonr3]

To keep from hauling water out to your boat, and to keep the wife in comfortable showers, you might concider a watermaker.. and to keep the batteries topped off at anchor.. maybe a couple solar panels..

[Alan Wheeler]

Hi Anne. Good on ya, I hope you have a fantastic adventure.
I think to answer this question, we need a little more info. As in, what is your experiance. I suspect from the fact you are asking about a Dufour, you do not have a lot of experiance in big boat sailing. That isn't a problem however. But your level of experiance and I mean each of you, would help in the level of gear you need.
Manditory items would be a good Life Raft, EPIRB, Offshore Flare pack, a comprehensive first aid kit(and ensure you both do a first aid course)Inflatable Lifejackets(with spray hoods), Safety Harness for each of you, good wet weather gear, a Man Over Board Pole/life sling, (painted bright orange;-) SSB, VHF, GPS+charts.
I think that covers the essentials. Additionals for the boat woudl be things that make sailing a little easier, especially if your skill level is lower than average. I have three items that I consider essential for a large boat and just two of you for a long distance.
Furling headsail, Electric anchor winch, Autopilot. Anything else is just niceties that aid your comfort. However, a water maker would be at the top of the list.

[Joli]

For an 8 month cruise I would keep it as simple as possible. How tough is it to get potable water where you are going?

Safety gear, charts, simple gps, depth sounder, electric windlass, canvas (dodger and bimini of good quality), IMO furling gear is not required for a 42 footer (two jibs 90% and 125%) free flying light air sail, 3 reefs in the main with full battens, pole and topping lift.

Avoid the temptation to load the boat up with bunches of stuff. You can always add things later if you want.

[anne claydon]

Thanks for all your comments.
The biggest dilemma is between going for broke and buying a new Dufour 425 or an apparently well specified 20 year old J 40!!with some cash in hand.
Any opinions?
Cheers Roger and Anne

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by anne claydon

buying a new Dufour 425 or an apparently well specified 20 year old J 40!!

I wrote somewhere here the other day about the new car smell that you only get in a new car and how you always treasure it more than a second hand car. I am not sure as I have never had the delight of a brand new boat, but they sure as hell must smell like a new boat!!!

Go the new boat!!!!!!!!

[Joli]

If the J is dry, it is a better boat.

What is your sailing background?

[anne claydon]

Roger is 48 and has sailed most of his life. A period of coastal cruising in England during his twenties, but the last 10 years have been seriously racing around the buoys in a 16 ft catamaran or a dragon. We have chartered yachts on several occasions in the med and the Whitsundays. I now have the opportunity to take 7 months off and would like to fulfill a dream and cruise the coast or even the pacific. We are learning allot of the theory, we just need a boat to practice and go!
Anne, well she has been on many sailing holidays and now has convinced me she has the same dream!

Roger and Anne

[Joli]

If you are not up on systems then new may suit you better. Going from racing to cruising and learning systems is a jump. If system maintenance does not worry you then old is easier on the pocket book. The biggest cost of boat ownership is depreciation and the new boat will loose 40% in 5 years.

Sounds like you will have no problems running the boat, you'll have to decide for yourself though if you can maintain the systems of an older boat. If the older boat is fairly simple then it is a wash to maintain.

[Pblais]

The biggest dilemma is between going for broke and buying a new Dufour 425 or an apparently well specified 20 year old J 40!!with some cash in hand.
Any opinions?

It depends on the real question. If it is only about the money then by all means save a little bit. Lots of used are boats out there are cheaper than a new 425 Dufour. Lots of used boats that once were great boats need a lot of work today. Some might need 20 years worth of work others a bit less. It's hard to tell the difference by the brand name. The money part of the purchase and the outfitting part for the departure of the trip combine. The price you pay for any boat you know pretty well before you purchase. The other part isn't so clear. So you buy new gadgets or you fix old ones in either situation. Even new boats need a few items fixed.

"Gadgets" are all the expensive things on a boat you don't understand. Anything you don't understand isn't important until you do understand. It's hard to get excited about things when you really don't know how to use them or what good they might do you - even if you "sort of get the idea". Its also pretty easy to go to the next step and decide you don't need them.

All gadgets are useful to someone else they wouldn't make them. If they will be useful to you is more about you both, your trip, how you like to travel, sailing knowledge and your own expectations. Just how is this trip supposed to work in your mind? Lets keep in mind it all supposed to be fun too. You would feel more comfortable with the trip if you discussed more about those things and how it works. Those are the more important questions you have to answer before you leave the dock and from those answers the gadgets turn into things required for the trip. You then simply leave all the left over "gadgets" behind and sail off happy knowing where you are going and why.

Many of us would like a J40 just fine. Might take some money to refit a few things but clearly a potential. New Dufour wouldn't be bad either. The only bad thing about the Dufour that comes to my mind is more about the owners of one I met. Dreadful people. Nice boat.

[Sandero]

You want to have all the key safety and collision avoidance "gadgets" as well as convenience ones:

Life raft
Ditch bag (complete of course)
drogue
Dink (RIB with a good motor)
Lifting crane to get the motor on deck for sailing
Place to stow the dink when underway
406 EPIRP
Radar
fixed mount GPS and a hand held back up
Chartplotter
paper charts
AIS
SSB radio (properly installed and weather contacts)
electric windlass (several anchors)
chain rode and snubber(s)
furling head sail
slab or roller reefed main
Storm canvas
auto pilot
deck wash pump
cockpit shower
(water maker)
cabin heater (hydronic or forced air)
high output alternator, smart regulator
alternate charging sources (wind, solar, genset)
large batteries (500 AH or more for house bank)
electrics monitor (Link or equal)
inverter
spares and tools, oil filters, pumps
cockpit awning or enclosure

Enjoy~!

[Therapy]

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ale-12167.html

Get it and go!

[Alan Wheeler]

Ditch bag (complete of course)
drogue

Oh, forgot that one. That's important.

I say this to many looking for a boat to go off to the Islands in. Look for returning boats. The boat6s that have just returned from the Pacific Island adventures or World cruising. There are many that have "been there, done that" attitude and have the boats up for sale. Many want to get back into the land life (no idea why) as quickly as possible and need the cash ASAP. So you see these fully equiped boats advertised for waaay less than it costs to set one up. If it is a Kiwi boat, it will have everything you need, because it would have had to meet Cat1 cert. before it left. Then the while away, all the extra's get fitted that the owners found they needed. Honestly, when these boats come back home, they look like Chinese Junks with all the gear tied to every place it can. Take a good look on NZ and Oz sites. They trickle in all the time, but there is usually a big influx in the middle of the year when the weather has been right for them to return home.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by anne claydon

Thanks for all your comments.
The biggest dilemma is between going for broke and buying a new Dufour 425 or an apparently well specified 20 year old J 40!!with some cash in hand.
Any opinions?
Cheers Roger and Anne

Hi Roger and Ann...Please be very careful that you do not fall in the trap of spending every last coin you have on a boat and too strapped to put anything on board. Marinas are full of disenheartened dreams.
It is better to go to sea with a smaller well equipt and safe boat as opposed to a larger vessel that needs work and is has out-dated safety items and electronics.