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Old 18-04-2020, 02:59   #1
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Older and large vs. new and smaller - same budget

Hi all
New to the forum and after many years of hard work and no time to have a boat, I finally have the opportunity again.
Had planned to buy a beach house in Thailand (I live in Myanmar), but have decided to go for a mobile sea view condo, a catamaran.
Can then move around in the area and keep away from monsoon season by alternating between the SE Asian countries. Myanmar have monsoon season from mid May to October.
Since Myanmar have no Marinas and even possibility for having a shore connection, since electricity is scarce and not available in the coastal cities, I need a cat with the full package, such as generator set, freshwater maker, A/C (since very hot and humid here) and all other needed household appliances (washing machine, dishwasher etc.).

I struggle a bit in regards to going for a new smart solutioned modern type, like the new Bali series (4.3/4.6/4.8/5.4) with the open concept or buy an older, but massive Lagoon 560, Sunreef 62 or similar.
I would guess that the more open and airy/large spaced, the better. But since I haven't owned a cat before, I am not sure about what type that would give me the best overall feeling.
Definitely like the ones with a large social flybridge area, since more air circulation the higher you get, so possibly an older larger one will be the best ? Budget 400-700.000 USD.

Finally, I guess there will be a buyers market pretty soon, since the COVID-19 situation will make it tough for the charter boats and possibly for others too...
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Old 18-04-2020, 03:21   #2
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Re: Older and large vs. new and smaller - same budget

i went for newer and smaller.

Originally looking for Lagoon 44 or 450, 6-7 years old but for same money bought Lagoon 400 1 year old.

Boat was debugged so no issues in next 6 years. Also as we got things nearly new, one learns proper maintenance and care and things last longer.

Also we have noticed smell in older boats. Some people do not mind, but it is important to us - no smells.

it is bit less performance but we talk 5 % or so and I am not stressed about it.

newer/smaller works for us.
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Old 18-04-2020, 04:50   #3
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Re: Older and large vs. new and smaller - same budget

Yes, I guess you are right about buying a next to new boat giving less risk for technical issues and if older boats are smelly, not so good.
Still, looking the Lagoon 560, it is quite an impressive sight due to its size.
Guess I should pop down to Phuket as soon as the curfew and covid lockdown is over and check out odl vs. new in person.
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Old 18-04-2020, 06:44   #4
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Re: Older and large vs. new and smaller - same budget

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Thor.

It would be interesting to learn what took you to Burma.
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Old 18-04-2020, 07:49   #5
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Re: Older and large vs. new and smaller - same budget

The L560 has a 31' beam. You will have limited (translate to expensive) options on marina slips and haulout.
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Old 18-04-2020, 08:08   #6
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Re: Older and large vs. new and smaller - same budget

everything is more expensive for a larger boat
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Old 18-04-2020, 09:18   #7
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Re: Older and large vs. new and smaller - same budget

The conventional wisdom is "buy the smallest boat you can tolerate". Personally I would rather have a Grand Banks 42 than a 36 so I don't always follow conventional wisdom
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Old 18-04-2020, 09:25   #8
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Re: Older and large vs. new and smaller - same budget

In my experience, "older and larger" correlates to "more money and work"...
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Old 18-04-2020, 09:41   #9
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Re: Older and large vs. new and smaller - same budget

The conventional wisdom is to "buy small", but I've noticed that almost everyone living on a boat ends up trading their boat in for a bigger one, not a smaller one.
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Old 18-04-2020, 09:44   #10
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Re: Older and large vs. new and smaller - same budget

Quality is more important than age,to a degree.
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Old 18-04-2020, 10:07   #11
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Re: Older and large vs. new and smaller - same budget

Quote:
Originally Posted by thor1958 View Post
Hi all
New to the forum and after many years of hard work and no time to have a boat, I finally have the opportunity again.
Had planned to buy a beach house in Thailand (I live in Myanmar), but have decided to go for a mobile sea view condo, a catamaran.
Can then move around in the area and keep away from monsoon season by alternating between the SE Asian countries. Myanmar have monsoon season from mid May to October.
Since Myanmar have no Marinas and even possibility for having a shore connection, since electricity is scarce and not available in the coastal cities, I need a cat with the full package, such as generator set, freshwater maker, A/C (since very hot and humid here) and all other needed household appliances (washing machine, dishwasher etc.).

I struggle a bit in regards to going for a new smart solutioned modern type, like the new Bali series (4.3/4.6/4.8/5.4) with the open concept or buy an older, but massive Lagoon 560, Sunreef 62 or similar.
I would guess that the more open and airy/large spaced, the better. But since I haven't owned a cat before, I am not sure about what type that would give me the best overall feeling.
Definitely like the ones with a large social flybridge area, since more air circulation the higher you get, so possibly an older larger one will be the best ? Budget 400-700.000 USD.

Finally, I guess there will be a buyers market pretty soon, since the COVID-19 situation will make it tough for the charter boats and possibly for others too...
With that budget, I'd look at a new Seawind 41', made in Vietnam to an Aussie specification. Most cats in this size range have four cabins (some with four heads as well) So the only difference in length is in the cockpit and saloon. The Seawind I just saw reviewed can be had fairly well equipped for less than 500K US. The nice thing about a new one is that you can make cosmetic choices that suit you.
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Old 18-04-2020, 10:12   #12
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Re: Older and large vs. new and smaller - same budget

I will be the contrarian. Older and larger. The larger boat you have, the more comfortable it is. And I am not talking about the interior. I am talking about the motion at sea and at anchor which is probably even more important.

Water line length and displacement are what makes a boat comfortable.

No matter what you do with a smaller boat, it will never be as comfortable as a larger one.
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Old 18-04-2020, 10:22   #13
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Re: Older and large vs. new and smaller - same budget

Not so easy to answer your question. First factor I would need to know is your sailing experience. I can easily single hand my Seawind so it is a good fit for me. If you can't do that what kinda crew are you expecting to have and will you need to pay them. Another big issue is can you maintain the boat yourself or will you have to pay others to do it and can you get to a haul out facility where it can be maintained.

As a rule smaller newer boats are easier to sail and maintain. But my biggest rule in selecting a boat is the whole idea is to have fun. You should get on as many boats as possible and see which ones you like. Things like how easy it is for you to move around the boat, up and down the companion way, is the head big enough for you, and a host of other things you can only know about by being on the boat. Not to mention the sailing stuff like raising and lowering sails, reefing, anchoring, and getting in and out of the water from the boat if you dive or swim. The size and newness of the boat does not affect a lot of these issues; you have to walk the walk to talk the talk.
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Old 18-04-2020, 10:28   #14
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Re: Older and large vs. new and smaller - same budget

Really depends on what you want to do with it. In a slip, at anchor or underway a lot. No matter what you will be spending most of the time not underway. Larger is pretty much always more comfortable underway.



A 55' cat is has about twice the space of a 45' so it partly comes down to how much space do you want, how many will be on board, etc. Everyone has a different combination / answer to this. Good luck finding your answer.
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Old 18-04-2020, 11:10   #15
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Re: Older and large vs. new and smaller - same budget

My personal preference would be to go straight to the Seawind, slightly used or brand new. I think these boats are very well thought out. Picking a new one up in Vietnam, tweaked to my choices, would be outstanding.

When I was going through the process of choosing I found it VERY helpful to get on board the prospective boats. Many were quickly eliminated and the short list became tightly focused on our preferences.
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