Older and large vs. new and smaller - same budget

[SVHarmonie]

Do please consider that the larger boat will cost a LOT more to maintain than the smaller one.

If the money available for maintenance is the same in both cases, you will be MUCH happier in the long run with the smaller boat.

I know nobody EVER listens to this, but it is true.

[sail sfbay]

Originally Posted by Chotu

I will be the contrarian. Older and larger............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.

Ditto Chotu....that is why we now have a Hunter 46.

[surazo]

I have a Perry 47 ketch and after all the refit necessary I'm proud of it and it's another useful way to think .After 2 years of repairs it's a new boat with and smell in different way .
The dilema is you which only sail for few days and no problems .Get a new one !! .Do you going to live an plan long routes and sailing with space and comfortable knowing your boat ,That's mean a 40-50 feet no new

[valhalla360]

Are you expecting full time air/con? Running a generator 24/7 can get expensive.

[alansmith]

Thor, 2 main thoughts, if you think about how you use the boat as a single handed or you and the missus... a trawler might be something you might want to think about. A really big cat is going to put a lot of stress on finances over time. A trawler is only able to make headway at 5-8 knots without eating diesel at an alarming rate. But they are very live able and can be bought at a fraction of a large cat.

When you talk about a/c in a hot humid climate.... that is always an interesting subject. I’m no expert. But before you pull the string you need to do considerable research on solar, generators, space requirements for solar, and redundancy. Because running air in hot climates is no small thing.

I heard that Seawind’s sales Dept has pretty good electricians in helping plan solar and air. Don’t know if it is true. But it wouldn’t hurt to chat them up about your goals and see where it goes from there. But first educate yourself about the combo of solar, generators, a/c plus all other things required. 12 volt vs 24 volt vs 48 volt all need to be encapsulated in design and schematics. What type of batteries and their pluses and minuses and risk tolerance and location of where you are and ability to repair when things go sideways on you. And they ALWAYS go sideways.

So, think about trawlers and talk to Seawind electricians and educate yourself in power consumption.

[smj]

I would second or third the Seawind as being a well respected cat.
As far as smells, we all carry our own. We think our own boats are odor free but actually we are just use to our own odors, to other people we just plain smell!

[thor1958]

Thanks for lots if input and viewpoints.
A lot to consider now, but as mentioned, I will not be moving around a lot and main purpose is as a house on water, staying for longer or shorter periods, having friends and family visit etc.

Since I live in Myanmar and have my business here, there are basically no infrastructure along the coastline. No bungalows, marina's....just endless number of pristine beaches and hundreds of uninhabited islands and also have a private beach that can be used as home base.

I guess I would be keeping the boat in Myanmar during dry season from October to May and then bring it to the dry side in North East Malaysia or other place, to have constant sunshine and clear water.

I have owned boats all my life and sailed since I was 14, having had many smaller boats through the years and all mono hulls and up to 36'.
I have however a Burmese Captain and crew persons that can take well care of the boat and ensure better safety when changing destination. So, a big boat should not be a problem.

Given all the good advice above, I guess the best would be for me to try out or charter a boat (smaller compact and a larger one), to see what gives me the best feel.

I have an active lifestyle and want many toys. I do windsurf, kite, scuba dive etc. and a larger boat kind of makes sense in this regard to keep this, have dive compressor, a Seadoo water scooter etc. Also, exploring the Islands of Myanmar, being able to have a bigger RIB to move around, requires a wider boat for it to fit.

I do get the point with maintenance costs growing with the size of the boat, so at least buying one that is in excellent condition and private owner would be a good start. I will most likely not stay much in a marina since none here and having all the equipment on-board for staying off grid, such as A/C, good generator and large solar package with Lithium batteries etc. will be needed, but adds more maintenance costs. Owning a beach house or bungalow also have a lot of costs for maintenance etc., so not overly worried about this unless I end up buying the wrong boat, full of hidden surprises.

Not sure if A/C is a must, but given temperatures here of up to 35-38 degrees C and periods with high humidity, I guess it will add some comfort for the hottest periods or at least when having guests and family visiting, coming from cold climate places.

And.... a bit confused with where the market is heading now in regards to price and have given myself 2 months before closing a deal, just to make sure I don't buy at the wrong time and as mentioned, try out a couple of rentals to see what gives me the right feeling.

[thor1958]

Originally Posted by alansmith

Thor, 2 main thoughts, if you think about how you use the boat as a single handed or you and the missus... a trawler might be something you might want to think about. A really big cat is going to put a lot of stress on finances over time. A trawler is only able to make headway at 5-8 knots without eating diesel at an alarming rate. But they are very live able and can be bought at a fraction of a large cat.

When you talk about a/c in a hot humid climate.... that is always an interesting subject. I’m no expert. But before you pull the string you need to do considerable research on solar, generators, space requirements for solar, and redundancy. Because running air in hot climates is no small thing.

I heard that Seawind’s sales Dept has pretty good electricians in helping plan solar and air. Don’t know if it is true. But it wouldn’t hurt to chat them up about your goals and see where it goes from there. But first educate yourself about the combo of solar, generators, a/c plus all other things required. 12 volt vs 24 volt vs 48 volt all need to be encapsulated in design and schematics. What type of batteries and their pluses and minuses and risk tolerance and location of where you are and ability to repair when things go sideways on you. And they ALWAYS go sideways.

So, think about trawlers and talk to Seawind electricians and educate yourself in power consumption.

Hi Alan

Funny you talk about a trawler, since that was the first thing that came into my mind when I decided to go for a mobile solution instead of a beach house. I always liked those and certainly a thing to look into.

I do like the silence and joy of sailing and also being active when on-board.
I am not overly worried about the maintenance or operating costs, since my economy is decent and pension to come not bad either for living in this part of the world.

I have been in the Telecom business and still am, but now on the logistics side and very familiar with off-grid hybrid solutions where solar, wind and generators is an amazing combination paired with smart Lithium batteries.

I do see that I have a lot learn in terms to liveaboard versus the week long rentals I have done in Greece when I was younger.

[Nahbrown]

We went larger and older with a 2005 Lagoon 440. As live a-boards who have sailed 3500 NMs we are very happy that we did. The comfort and livability is perfect for us and although the boat had been well maintained & updated There are plenty of things for me to fix at all times... (3 heads, refrigerators, saildrives ect)

With a 25’ beam our haulout options are limited as well but if you look you can find dockage when needed for a reasonable rate.

[Sojourner]

Hey, mingalabaa! Where in Myanmar? I married one of my wives in a small monastic complex between Sule and the Shwedegon about 14 years ago! Amazing people....back then, we had to hire teen hackers to send a line of text to our families that all was well Love love love <3

As to old vs new, we went old (1991). I figured that as long as we loved the hull design, and it was a strong one, everything else on a sailboat needs to be refurbished/replaced/upgraded every decade or so--rigging, sails, electronics, appliances, dodger, whatever. So the odds can be (and are, I think) high that you can pick up a ten year old just out of charter boat for cheap, and then immediately need to do a full, expensive refit. Or find a well-maintained owner boat that is however old, but with newer stuff on it. In our case, this 30 year old hull had max 2 year old everything else on her, so the choice was easy.

Anyway, good luck!

[Mook1e]

Go check out this Sunreef 62 in Malaysia:

https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/200...ef-62-3620830/
It's posted for sale at multiple locations...



Check out a new Bali 5.4 in charter, but realize your posted price range won't afford a Bali 5.4. You could get the 4.8, or 4.6 when they are available at the end of this year...unless the current and future economy brings heavy discounts.


Either way you know your budget and if you have a crew available you have a lot of flexibility. If you intend to have crew and continue to work regardless of which yacht you choose, you should stick to your pre-conditions also posted. Make sure your choice is self-sufficient and has A/C. Also, however, make sure you think of liveaboard costs for whatever size yacht you purchase.


I'm interested in a lower price range of the same types of catamarans, although my wife and I will be on our own, so we're probably going to scale down even more. If not, we would be (and have been) looking at similar choices. Our choices have been Bali 4.3 to 4.8 (or Fountaine Pajot 44/45, or 47) if we purchase new and larger Lagoons or other models (only up to 50 or 52 foot) if we purchase used.


I believe the more my wife and I learn, the more we are moving towards smaller, less expensive choices. We (my wife especially) are still looking with extreme interest at the new Bali and FP cats.

[Sand crab]

You will have complications with a Seadoo and a larger dink on a cat. Some trawlers might be able to do it though.

[gonesail]

Originally Posted by owly

everything is more expensive for a larger boat

and most everything is more expensive for a catamaran

[Mook1e]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

You will have complications with a Seadoo and a larger dink on a cat. Some trawlers might be able to do it though.

Sea-Doo water scooters the OP mentioned will fit on any cat he mentioned.
https://image.made-in-china.com/2f0j...r-for-Sale.jpg

Larger cats will also hold larger tenders.

[nortonscove]

Since you've written smaller and not small I would go with the new option. Given the purpose you have indicated smaller would serve the purpose well enough without any ugly surprises and still less expensive to own in the long run.