Prout and similar cats

[cdreid]

Ive been getting up to date on used boats to retire and sail the world in. Right now my gotos are older Tayanas, allied princess and.. well those Beneteau oceanis...
Ive noticed older cats have become affordable (is you live on the hook). My budget is 50 to 75k.less is good Yes i can spend more . dont want to . Yes ill have plenty in the bank for repairs. Ill definitely be putting solar (or more) and a watermaker if it doesnt have one so i do expect to spend a bit more. May even go electric

Prout 37's (and smaller generally) seem to be a great deal and have a good reputation. And fantastic accomodations in that range. Does anyone have experience with them? Any similar models out there? The plan is coastal then.. next continent.. then coastal.. then ..next continent. So not a LOT of bluewater but definitely some long bluewater voyages. I love cats for the 1000 reasons .. care not a whit about pointing upwind. Am a little concerned about flipping. Any suggestions? It will be me and 2 dogs.. my old boy wont last another 4 years. And no the dogs are my family theyre not optional.. theyre one of the big reasons to look at cats.

Please note if youre here to say "Oh you have to spend 200k" dont bother ... please move along

[Chotu]

don’t be concerned about flipping a Prout. or a Catalac. or any of those style Catamarans

It’s the high-performance ones that end up in trouble.

[cdreid]

Thanks a lot

[boatman61]

Delivered a couple of Prout 37's, nice boats and if solo or a couple a great liveaboard..
Don't push them hard to windward trying to maintain/achieve hull speed and you'll have few problems.. they don't like the slamming..
Coastal cruising and downwind passages is what they're best at, just time you seasons in the tropics and 'Westward Ho'...

[cdreid]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Delivered a couple of Prout 37's, nice boats and if solo or a couple a great liveaboard..
Don't push them hard to windward trying to maintain/achieve hull speed and you'll have few problems.. they don't like the slamming..
Coastal cruising and downwind passages is what they're best at, just time you seasons in the tropics and 'Westward Ho'...

Thanks a lot this is exactly the kind of advice i was looking for.

[Tupaia]

What Boatman said. Check for osmosis, not common but a few were really bad. This was from a build era where everything was individual. There are a few where they didn't get it right. Osmosis never sunk a boat and Prouts are thick skinned and fixable but no need to buy work. The big genoa and mini-mainsail makes for a great tradewind boat.

[mikedefieslife]

If you are lucky you might get an Elite for that money. Not as good sailing as the standard Prout 37, but certainly a little more roomy.

[cdreid]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

If you are lucky you might get an Elite for that money. Not as good sailing as the standard Prout 37, but certainly a little more roomy.

I'm specifically looking at elites. They go higher but that's the pricerange elites and most of the other 37's run in. It will be a while so plenty of time just keeping an eye out. I was planning on a monohull but discovered the prouts and that i can find cheap slips upriver in louisiana nc etc and a cat will be much better for my dogs

[Capt Clark]

Cdread,

Great boats, not fast but very sturdy. I’ve lived on ours for over 20 years and have come to really appreciate many features that the Snowgoose offers. After working on newer boats, I have been able to compare those features to our Prout. I’m surprised that many of the advancements that the Prout brothers developed have been forgotten by newer designers. Newer cats seem to be more about having a condo on the water and less about sailing. I especially like the rounded & low profile (very stable in high winds), the ease of sailing (everything come to the cockpi), and placement of the water tanks (integrated into the hulls).

Capt Clark

[Bent Bugle]

Tough boats & good bang for your buck...you should get a reasonable one on that budget but be prepared to spend a bit on upgrades...make sure you check the Sonic Sillette drive leg operation which the majority have fitted, they are pretty simple but if it hasn't had the regular maintenance it requires they can seize up, google these boats history, I don't regard flipping as a problem to worry about..look at some of the modern style cats that have capsized in the last few years, it may surprise you, especially some of the makes involved. As mentioned above they are great d/wind when the genoa is drawing..no boat's perfect, they slam to weather but are pretty stable, when the Edgar Britt hits the fan out there they handle it quite adequately. If possible get a surveyor who has some experience with prouts, he will pinpoint some of the less obvious potential problem areas..

[cdreid]

Thanks. Im hoping to find a good one for 50 or 60k (at todays prices) then another 20k on diy upgrades/ outfitting. From what i can see current price for atop tier elite ready to bluewater is 100k or less. The fear of flipping comes feom when cats first became popular.

Frankly i cant wait ive dreamed of this my entire life and finally 1410 days to go!

[Wilyum]

What other older, cheaper makes could the OP be looking at similar to Prouts, that are small, well built, ocean faring, solid hulled, with glassed bulkheads etc?