Thanks in advance for any feedback to help us make an informed decision....
I am considering placing an order for a new
Seawind 1260. I've also researched FP's line, the
Antares, Perry 43, and others. All are fine boats, and they each address some
parts of our "wish list" in different ways. The Perry 43 looks awesome, but so few are available any more, and I have not had a chance to see one in person yet.
Antares also looks like an amazing
boat for long passages and year round living but we are not sure yet how often we will be crossing oceans versus doing coastal cruising in the
Sea of Cortez &
Caribbean. Right now, I envision more of the latter while our boys are still in
school. When new, the FP line is definitely appealing to my wife for it's livability at
anchor. We've sailed a
Saba 50 and Helia, and enjoyed the time aboard. I have concerns about the FPs build quality and their performance under sail. The
Saba we were on was less than a year old but there were already some cosmetic issues that would drive me nuts (for example,
corrosion on some of the
interior chrome hardware).
Stating the obvious, selecting the best
boat seems to be about determining which priorities you are willing to sacrifice for other priorities. And, the tradeoff often seems to come down to performance under sail vs livability. Both are important to us, although we are not yet sure which is more important.
I am leaning towards the 1260 for the following reasons:
1) I am impressed with the quality of build vs what I've seen from FP and other production cats. I sailed a 1260 recently, and it was solid. Very rigid. None of the creaking or flexing that I sensed on other boats.
2) It appears to be able to point higher than other cats that I've sailed.
3) The layout of the lines, along with the self tacking
jib, and the dual
helm, makes it easier to sail
single handed when necessary.
4)
Galley down makes good use of space.
5) Seawind's trifold door creates a very large living space for a 41' cat.
6)
Engine access is through the
interior, eliminating the possibility of
salt water entering the compartment through a rear
hatch.
7) It was more fun to sail than the FPs.
8) Significantly less freeboard on the 1260 vs FP.
9) Seawinds appear to retain their resale value better than FP.
10) They don't waste space (IMO) on 3-4 heads. For owner's versions, it doesn't make sense to me to have more than one
head in each
hull.
The FP layouts are definitely appealing. At
anchor, it would probably be more livable and able to handle guests more comfortably. I'm not sure about FP's elevated
helm vs the
cockpit helm of the
Seawind but having lounging areas below the boom, next to the helm, is attractive. Of course, the
price for that is either less sail area or a higher
mast. Seawind's interior is definitely more spartan than FP.
The Perry 43 and Antares are a little bigger, and their layouts are also appealing.
Reading through posts on these
forums, there appears to be a lot of FP owners who have problems with warranty issues. Of course, people probably only post stuff when they have problems, and there are a lot more FP owners out there than Seawind.
Probably my biggest hesitance with the Seawind is the size - wish it was a few feet longer. Most of the time, it will just be my wife and I, plus one or more of our teenage sons. But we also intend to have friends join us from time to time. Things will get a little tight when they do. But I don't want to buy a bigger boat for those relatively few occasions when we need it, and then deal with the compromises from having a bigger boat for the majority of the time when we don't need it.
Being a new model, there are not any used 1260s available so we'd have to bit the bullet and buy new. Fully configured with the options we would want, it looks to
price out at $550k to $600k. Much less than a new FP 45 I assume, or a new Antares 44. But more than a used Perry 43.
Appreciate any feedback on things we are missing in our analysis, or on other boats that we should consider. My comments about FP may not be on point, and I certainly didn't intend to offend any FP owners/loyalists out there. Obviously, their volume speaks to the fact that they are addressing the market well.
Thanks!