Affordable liveaboard catamaran for a family of 5?

[One]

Hi, I'm looking for an affordable liveaboard catamaran for my family. We want to cruise only in the Med (Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus) for two or three years. The cat doesn't need a lot of payload because we are used to live only with a minimum of stuff and we don't need a lot of space. If the weather should be very bad in January and February we will rent a flat for that time.

Maximum Budget: 150.000,-€ for the cat and 50.000,-€ for a refit and upgrades (LiFePO4, solar, watermaker, AIS, Epirb, etc.). A cheaper boat would be more relaxed.

Requirements to the cat:
- Year of build from 2005 onwards,
- Min. three cabins,
- Not chartered before,
- No production cat like Lagoon, Fountaine Pajot, Leopard, Nautitech, etc.

The best options I found so far:
1) Prout Snowgoose Elite 37, would be perfect (problem: Only build till 2001)
2) Gemini 105MC (too much problems with quality / don't like the Legacy)
3) Privilege 37 (I think only build until 2003)
4) Chris White Atlantik 42, perfect but only cheap if older and very rare
5) Broadblue 385 (nothing on the market, not easy to find / 38 is no option)
6) PDQ 36 (too old)

I'm looking also for Bob Oram, older and small Schionning, Outremer 40 or 43 catamarans.

The Snowgoose would have been perfect, they are offered from 2001 for 90.000 €, this would be easy to manage for us with costs for refit and upgrades.

If any of you have an idea for other options from 2005 onwards, it would be very helpful for me.

Thank you in advance and best regards,
Alex

[LeeV]

Originally Posted by One

Hi, I'm looking for an affordable liveaboard catamaran for my family. We want to cruise only in the Med (Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus) for two or three years. The cat doesn't need a lot of payload because we are used to live only with a minimum of stuff and we don't need a lot of space. If the weather should be very bad in January and February we will rent a flat for that time.

Maximum Budget: 150.000,-€ for the cat and 50.000,-€ for a refit and upgrades (LiFePO4, solar, watermaker, AIS, Epirb, etc.). A cheaper boat would be more relaxed.

Requirements to the cat:
- Year of build from 2005 onwards,
- Min. three cabins,
- Not chartered before,
- No production cat like Lagoon, Fountaine Pajot, Leopard, Nautitech, etc.

The best options I found so far:
1) Prout Snowgoose Elite 37, would be perfect (problem: Only build till 2001)
2) Gemini 105MC (too much problems with quality / don't like the Legacy)
3) Privilege 37 (I think only build until 2003)
4) Chris White Atlantik 42, perfect but only cheap if older and very rare
5) Broadblue 385 (nothing on the market, not easy to find / 38 is no option)
6) PDQ 36 (too old)

I'm looking also for Bob Oram, older and small Schionning, Outremer 40 or 43 catamarans.

The Snowgoose would have been perfect, they are offered from 2001 for 90.000 €, this would be easy to manage for us with costs for refit and upgrades.

If any of you have an idea for other options from 2005 onwards, it would be very helpful for me.

Thank you in advance and best regards,
Alex

All I can say, looking at the market, is good luck!

[Jim Cate]

Could you explain the hard cutoff at 2005? It seems to be causing you a lot of rejections of otherwise good choices.

Jim

[Ballsnall]

Originally Posted by One

Hi, I'm looking for an affordable liveaboard catamaran for my family. We want to cruise only in the Med (Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus) for two or three years.

A cheaper boat would be more relaxed.

- Not chartered before,
- No production cat like Lagoon, Fountaine Pajot, Leopard, Nautitech, etc.

For a 2 to 3 year family cruise in the Med, it seems you have ruled out 98% of the vessels that would be most suitable.

[Jeannius]

Drop the 2005 and later requirement. Completely meaningless. Older, quality, well maintained boat far better than newer, lower quality boat. Also, I would say you probably should go for more than 3 cabins for 5 of you.

[One]

Hello everyone,
yes three cabins would be enough for us. We're not looking for a house on the water, we see the Cat more like a van on the water.

My father worked as a material tester and there was a lot of asbestos in most heat and fire protection materials, even wall paneling etc. Personally I wouldn't care but we are also responsible for the children and my father asked me not to buy an older boat . During his work they also checked the fittings of boats a few times and lo and behold asbestos was also used on the boats. By 2005 at the latest, asbestos was banned in most countries, some sooner, others later. Everyone has to decide that for themselves.

I know that there are wonderful, well built catamarans in very good condition, but unfortunately that's not the case for us.

Unfortunately catamarans like the PDQ 36 and Snowgoos 37 were no longer built, these would have been perfect. The large series charter catamarans are out of the question.
maybe someone still knows a corresponding catamaran after 2005.

Thanks and best regards,
Alex

[JPA Cate]

Alex, fwiw, the dangers with asbestos are mainly in the mining for it. A bit of asbestos webbing around something hot isn't going to be a health problem. It doesn't jump off and force you to breathe the particulates that cause asbestosis.

Ann

[JC Reefer]

Originally Posted by One

Hi, I'm looking for an affordable liveaboard catamaran for my family. We want to cruise only in the Med (Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus) for two or three years. The cat doesn't need a lot of payload because we are used to live only with a minimum of stuff and we don't need a lot of space. If the weather should be very bad in January and February we will rent a flat for that time.



Maximum Budget: 150.000,-€ for the cat and 50.000,-€ for a refit and upgrades (LiFePO4, solar, watermaker, AIS, Epirb, etc.). A cheaper boat would be more relaxed.



Requirements to the cat:

- Year of build from 2005 onwards,

- Min. three cabins,

- Not chartered before,

- No production cat like Lagoon, Fountaine Pajot, Leopard, Nautitech, etc.



The best options I found so far:

1) Prout Snowgoose Elite 37, would be perfect (problem: Only build till 2001)

2) Gemini 105MC (too much problems with quality / don't like the Legacy)

3) Privilege 37 (I think only build until 2003)

4) Chris White Atlantik 42, perfect but only cheap if older and very rare

5) Broadblue 385 (nothing on the market, not easy to find / 38 is no option)

6) PDQ 36 (too old)



I'm looking also for Bob Oram, older and small Schionning, Outremer 40 or 43 catamarans.



The Snowgoose would have been perfect, they are offered from 2001 for 90.000 €, this would be easy to manage for us with costs for refit and upgrades.



If any of you have an idea for other options from 2005 onwards, it would be very helpful for me.



Thank you in advance and best regards,

Alex

Let me know if you get any bites.

[Jim Cate]

My father worked as a material tester and there was a lot of asbestos in most heat and fire protection materials, even wall paneling etc.

I would be interested to learn which materials that are used in the construction of catamarans (or any recreational boats) contain significant amounts of asbestos, and in what form it exists there.

I've owned a few boats now and not been aware of overt asbestos usage in any f them. Even my 1974 Yankee 30 used a kind of fibreglass lagging on the hot parts of the Atomic 4 exhaust system... a spot were asbestos was used in previous eras. With no disrespect for your father, I can but wonder if his worries are justified, and if your cut off date could not be safely extended quite a bit.

At any rate, it is your decision, but it is clear that the 2005 date is seriously limiting your choices of boats within your budget.

Jim

[Heath68]

You are absolutely right to be concerned about asbestos on a boat (or anywhere in fact). However, there are different types and a few simple rules mean it'll never be a threat.
1. Look at the existing structure of the boat, if it is flaking or crumbling then get a specialist to repair it (by sealing it). If it looks in good order but you want to be belt and braces about it, you can buy a sealing paint and give the whole thing a new coat of sealing paint to keep it where it is. There are no doubt a good few training videos/courses online about asbestos identification, risk assessment and reduction. Most of them will confirm that managed asbestos poses no risk.
2. What does pose a risk is when you want to cut or drill into the asbestos containing material to hang a hook on it.. here you are advised to take a few good precautions ( clear area, ventilate well, wear PPE, use a vacuum to immediately collect dust whilst drilling and clean down well after etc) but you need to ask yourself how often is that likely to happen anyway?
I think a good training course will give you the facts about it without scaring you away from probably most of the boats in your criteria. Up to 30% of houses contain asbestos in the USA (mostly anything built before 1980 but its still not banned in all states) so you need to try and give a little perspective. .. that's my opinion for what it's worth.

[blubaju]

Sailing med is mainly EU! Are you familiar with rules and regulations? TR & GR have a special relationship, where you want to register or what is your nationality?

[SteveSadler]

Ouch! You can find cheap boats, but it will take time and $ to make them seaworthy. Selection will be very limited so being picky won't help.
I'd be hunting in the salvage department, if you have the skills and time, real bargains can be found.

[captlloyd]

Really wondering where you are going to find any significant amounts of asbestos in any sailboat, let alone a catamaran ??

[nwdiver]

I built boats as far back as the 60s……..never used any form of asbestos, even on the exhaust system……where did you hear it was used, today the boat would have negative market value, I don’t see any “take my boat” and I’ll give you 75k to despose of it signs anywhere in the world….maybe it’s those concrete guys no idea what they used.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by One

Hello everyone,
yes three cabins would be enough for us. We're not looking for a house on the water, we see the Cat more like a van on the water.

My father worked as a material tester and there was a lot of asbestos in most heat and fire protection materials, even wall paneling etc. Personally I wouldn't care but we are also responsible for the children and my father asked me not to buy an older boat . During his work they also checked the fittings of boats a few times and lo and behold asbestos was also used on the boats. By 2005 at the latest, asbestos was banned in most countries, some sooner, others later. Everyone has to decide that for themselves.

I know that there are wonderful, well built catamarans in very good condition, but unfortunately that's not the case for us.

Unfortunately catamarans like the PDQ 36 and Snowgoos 37 were no longer built, these would have been perfect. The large series charter catamarans are out of the question.
maybe someone still knows a corresponding catamaran after 2005.

Thanks and best regards,
Alex

No asbestos in fiberglass boats.. they burn beautifully.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GbjpiB6_m64