New Boat Selection: C&C / Dufour

[LungDoc]

I am looking at a new Dufour 40 or 44 VS a C&C 121... Same price range and I like both. I am leaning towards the interior layout of the Dufour models.

Any owners of either who could constructively comment??

Thank You,

Steve

[meh]

Although I don’t own either, I feel compelled to reply.

We went through a similar dilemma last year, having narrowed our choices to the Dufour 34 or C&C 99. We opted for the C&C. At the end, we made our decision not based in what we wanted in a sailboat, but in what we dislike most about sailing (for example, I hate having the engine on). We are very happy with our choice. The C&C suits our style of sailing, and it has delivered on every expectation we created around it.

Granted, the procedure to slice a tomato in the C&C 99 is: move stuff grab knife; move stuff get board; replace all the stuff that has been moved (hopefully remembering to keep knife and board out); open refrigerator, get tomato (sins of all sins for such a great – and humble – cook as myself, must keep tomato in fridge). I knew it would be like this when we made our choice; but that is, for us, a small inconvenience compared to the way she sails.

I believe that the Dufour would have been an excellent choice for others.

Best of luck with your choice.

[Denr]

I''ve not been faced with a decision of this magnitude either but based on my observations at the boat shows; I believe the C&C is better built. I saw many things I didn''t care for on the Dufour from unfinished/raw fiberglass areas under deck to wires run through the deck and wire tied to the bowsprit to power the nav lights. I wonder what the portion of the boat you can''t crawl in looks like. The C&C will sail like a dream, it''s a Tartan!
Capt. Denr

[SoC]

Lungdoc,
I cannot comment about the Dufour''s, other than I have seen the exterior of the 40, and personally found it very attractive. As to the C&C 121, I can only provide my own experiences, having owned not 1, but 2, C&C 110''s over the last 2 years. Also I can provide insight into my limited exposures to the 121. I would recommend you do a great deal of indepth research into the matter and consider long and hard what you find out. Don''t disregard anything as a fluke or an anomaly, as it''s probably not. If you would like details of my experiences, fell free to email me and I would be more than willing to tell you about them, as well as the documented experiences of other C&C and Tartan owners I have had contact with. I suggest you talk with people like sail makers and others who don''t own them, or are involed in selling them, but sail on, and repair them for real insight.

[Debonair]

As the owner of a Tartan 3500 I would like to hear about the details. Please E-mail.

[LungDoc]

Thank you kindly SoC for your advice. I did read through post and conducted some simple research as you suggested speaking with various suppliers, sail makers and technicians who have had to do work on the new boats. I also spoke with someone regarding ownership of two 121''s as you had two 110 models...

I do like the Dufour 40 and from the brochure, the 34 and 44 that I saw, the Gelcoat work seems to be superior as well. The Dufour 44 is a beautiful boat, however out of my budget.

You don''t really see to many Dufours on the water or hear much about them. The boat seems to have an excellent reputation but I am intrigued: For what appears to be a nicely constructed and well-designed boat, why are there not more on the water and why are they really not discussed very often?
The ballpark price seems to be where it should be and is actually a little less than the other models I have been considering.

I am anxious to get aboard a Dufour 40 when there is one available here or maybe at a boat show. I would love to hear from ANY Dufour owners regarding overall experience with their boat.

I will email you,(thank you) for more detail on the C&C.

Regards

[magnusmurphy]

I''m the owner of a Dufour 36 classic (2000).
We love the boat. This summer my family and I are taking a much anticipated three month cruise from Vancouver to Alaska. We depart July 1.

We have two daughters, age 9 and 12. Our boat is the three cabin version, so the daughters each have their own cabin. In spite of that we get everything we need, in the cockpit lockers. We find that the daughters often would snuggle up together and we can use the one cabin for some storage (for instance our inflatable canoe) as well as many other things. There is enough space anyway to stow all that at the foot of the cabin, and still have ample space for the girls.

The forward cabin works well for my wife and I. The pullman is not set up for offshore work but a leeboard can be installed. The port side bunk is an excellent leabirth with a leecloth installed.

We like the linear (European style) galley a lot. It opens the back of the saloon area up. The saloon bench is in a good position for bracing when working at the stove, which is exactly in the middle of the boat. We have admittedly not yet made any distant offshore trips, but my own offshore experience is that one throws everything in the pressure cooker and dishes it into bowls asap anyway. No gourme cooking no matter what galley layout. So the idea that certain layouts are better for offshore sailing is in my opinion a non-issue. At anchor however (90% of the time) those space hogging L shaped galleys have always irritated me.

The quality of the boat is probably similar to other quality production boats. I know someone who has worked (and still does) in a very senior capacity for a certain worldwide charter operation. This individual has also lived on a boat and sailed the world for nine years. I don''t think there are many people who know more about boats than this person. He has a high opinion of Dufour yachts (with minor qualifications) and told me in no uncertain terms he would not hesitate to take my boat on a tradewind run.

I don''t know the new C&Cs and I''m sure they''re great boats. I do know however I like my Dufour.

One thing that I don''t like, is the lack of space on the foredeck to put a dinghy. The baby stay puts paid to that idea...So I guess for offhore work I''ll have to stow an inflatable in the cabin. For now I tow...

M Murphy