Valiant 42 vs. Passport 40

[belliegirl2]

If you place a question like this on the sailing anarchy forum, Bob Perry will most likely chime in and give a little info for you.

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by SVlagniappe

There's some truth in that. The hull certainly hasn't changed since they're using the same molds that were originally made from Bob Perry's design back in the 70's.

However, nearly everything else has evolved. If money wasn't an issue, I'd own a Valiant right now. And a new one too. I actually crewed the first 42 on it's first crossing, and it was a joy to sail. They're semi-custom built, so the interiors vary considerably. For instance, the one I did the crossing on only had one stateroom! Definitely a couple's boat.

In full disclosure, like CruisingDad, I spent many years sailing out of Cedar Mills marina, and seeing many Valiants bring built, and knowing many of the owners, watching them take off, you do get caught up in the magic a bit.

And on a personal note, there's not a prettier boat in the world viewed from the stern...

Yeah, I was referring to the hull form. I will definitely concede that the systems are very current and top notch. I think the PSC 40's mid-90's design is more current, and as long as we're going "robust" I have a strong preference for the prop embedded within an aperture in the skeg.

JP, if you're still committed to a larger 40+ foot vessel, another boat to look at might be the Saga 43. It's a performance cruiser designed by Bob Perry. Some were built in Canada and later editions were built by Pacific Seacraft in California. They had a few different interior configurations. Maybe worth a look...here's an example of one, but there appear to be a handful on the market: Saga 43

[JPGaillard]

Thanks - I looked at the Saga 43 and it is just too big. I tend to agree with most that 40 is the max in terms of size for a singlehander. the reason I consider the Valiant 42 is because it is simply a 40 with a bowsp.