Best Built Midsized Cats

[Curmudgeon]

Which cruising cats in 36-43 foor range and the $500-600K price range (or thereabouts) have the best build quality? I'm concerned with fit and finish, construction (e.g. proper chain plates and backing plates for cleats, winches and the like), good quality deck hardware, and ground tackle, etc. The makes that come to mind are Lagoon, Robertson & Caine, Seawind, Maine Cat, Fontaine Pajot, Prout, Privilege, etc. Maybe I've missed a couple.

And while we're at it, which one of the models from these builders has minimized pounding, via bridgdeck clearance, good hull design or other means?

[Sand crab]

Privilege has the best fit and finish. They are very solid, expensive but kinda heavy. Visualize a Rolls Royce. Mainecat, Outremer, and Seawind, have the highest bridgedeck. Mainecat might be the fastest on your list. FP is probably a little nicer and maybe a little faster than a Lagoon. The Lagoons are affordable so not the greatest fit but huge volume. Outremer is by far the fastest of all the major builders but low volume. Leopard and Dean are middlin in the fit department. St. Francis is really nice. But all the production cats are really fine boats. Can't go wrong with any of them. I forgot Catana. They are very nice, fast, good clearance, have daggerboards and expensive but hold their value better than most. Great fit but it's those dingdang exposed helms. I want one anyway. Oops we forgot Manta. The Manta owners are absolutely rabid about their boats and it seems like everyone is absolutely loaded with all the options and an easy boat for a couple. BOB

[muskoka]

i think Privilege have the nicest fit and finish. Maybe less polished inside but very nice are the Catanas. And the Outremer is an excellent sailors boat but more spartan in terms of interior finish.

The rest: Leopard, Lagoon, Nauticas, FP, Seawind, etc. are all production boats which make their owners happy (me included) but at the end of the day, they are built to a price point. And every owner of those boats will swear blind that theirs has none of the inherent defects of all "them other production boats"!! Until they've had a yard bill and a couple of beers.

Get what you want, fix it up, make it yours. And listen to everyone else tell you why your boat is not the best boat and you should've bought what they did. Who cares, you're the one writing the cheques and living your unique version of life on the big blue.

[Curmudgeon]

I don't mind fitting out the boat to suit my taste. But I don't want to be forced to rebed the damn winches and cleats, rewire the boat, replace the standing rigging because it's not 316 stainless, repair inch-wide gaps in the joinery, replace substandard through-hulls, etc.

My current monohull was a custom project built for a very exacting first owner. I don't expect the level of quality I have now, but I do expect the basics.

[Factor]

Go and have a look at some old ones of each brand - how they age is a small indication of the quality of build. Of course owner treatment etc is important but there are some builders whose boats look old quickly and some that seem to age well - all other things being equal.

[Curmudgeon]

I don't want to become an expert. I want to draw on the knowledge and experience of the experts here.

So, Factor, if you are a Seawind agent, why kind of running rigging do they have? Are the through hulls bronze or marelon? How are the cleats and winches seated? If you had to deploy a parachute in a storm, where would you attach the bridle?

[thinwater]

You missed PDQ. Built VERY solid with great attention to hidden details. The PDQ 36s are far below your range, as they are out of production and a few years old. The 44 is a bit higher new but lightly used would be in the range.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

I don't want to become an expert. I want to draw on the knowledge and experience of the experts here.

So, Factor, if you are a Seawind agent, why kind of running rigging do they have? Are the through hulls bronze or marelon? How are the cleats and winches seated? If you had to deploy a parachute in a storm, where would you attach the bridle?

I strictly avoid discussions of this nature on the forum, I dont want to be a marketer in disguise or even surreptiously. Happy however to answer any questions adressed to me privately, and or to refer to owners blogs etc as that then is a users perspective rather than a builders. On the para anchor for example - see www.katiekat.net for his discussion on deploying a para anchor

[JJB]

One design I would be taking a good look at is the Spirited 380, I got to sail on one over the weekend, it was built by stallion marine, they are building them as a production boat, while they aren't fully in production I was really impressed with the finish on it, and how will it sailed in all, it also has dagger boards, which a number of boats are missing, from a personal perspective they make a big difference to how a boat sails.

Seawind are also great boats, the build quality is brilliant and fit out really nice.

Of the Euro cats, the only one I would look at would be Catana, the 42 seems like a really great cat but I haven't sailed on it.

[downunder]

Stallion Marine are good builders.

They could also build an Oram or FreeFlow40 in that price range.

[JJB]

Originally Posted by downunder

Stallion Marine are good builders.

They could also build an Oram or FreeFlow40 in that price range.

Freeflow's look like really great boats too but I don't think any are in the water yet, I really like the design of them, I have a real soft spot for the 52.

Oram cats look great on his website but I find they are somewhat lack lustre when you actually see them, like their internal of a 44c is more like that of a 32, there is a 52 oram going around, looking at it's photo's the interior looks more like that of a 40.
But his 62c looks a great boat for world cruising, heaps of saloon space.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by JJB

Freeflow's look like really great boats too but I don't think any are in the water yet, I really like the design of them, I have a real soft spot for the 52.

Oram cats look great on his website but I find they are somewhat lack lustre when you actually see them, like their internal of a 44c is more like that of a 32, there is a 52 oram going around, looking at it's photo's the interior looks more like that of a 40.
But his 62c looks a great boat for world cruising, heaps of saloon space.

JJB can't dissagree with you on the Orams. Apparently are 2-3 FF52's being built in China. Molds are finished and he has an Aussie in China supervising. The FF46 being built in his shed at the moment should be in water by late may/June really looks the goods to me. Has a lot of the good points of Antares 44 (center mounted shaft drive (3 degrees) with fuel/water under cabin sole in a modern hull design. Will be very interested to see it in the water.

[JJB]

Originally Posted by downunder

JJB can't dissagree with you on the Orams. Apparently are 2-3 FF52's being built in China. Molds are finished and he has an Aussie in China supervising. The FF46 being built in his shed at the moment should be in water by late may/June really looks the goods to me. Has a lot of the good points of Antares 44 (center mounted shaft drive (3 degrees) with fuel/water under cabin sole in a modern hull design. Will be very interested to see it in the water. recent photos here
Multihulls4us Forums

Do you have any idea of FF base prices yet? I sent them an email but they were rather evasive re pricing.
The new Grainger cats look nice too.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by JJB

Do you have any idea of FF base prices yet? I sent them an email but they were rather evasive re pricing.
The new Grainger cats look nice too.

Graingers are nice. I think Stallion have quotes available for 40 & 46 on their website.

When you benchmark the 46 against the Lightwave 45 for cruising around $1m I don't think I would be building in Aus.

cheers

[tuskie]

Originally Posted by Factor

I strictly avoid discussions of this nature on the forum, I dont want to be a marketer in disguise or even surreptiously.

Well said Factor. There's enough builders' stooges lurking in this forum without you jumping on the bandwagon. Anyway, Seawinds do their own marketing, like all good products. Perhaps you do! (DILLIGARA)

Spiriteds, Freeflows and, particularly Orams are small volume (of production) or custom built boats. Many are home builds. So quality of construction, fit out levels, type of rigging,etc and all the other build parameters that Curmudgeon is interested in are extremely variable in these types of boats. Some are gems and some are, well, you know...