Suggestions for a 40" Bluewater Yacht

[kevandraper]

Hi ,
Need some suggestons /advice as I am about to purchase a yacht around 40 foot, needs to be bluewater as I will be sailing from USA back to Australia Have good sailing experience, about 20,000 open ocean and have single handed a few times. The aim is to purchase either on west coast USA or mexico and then spend about a year messing around Mexico before heading downwind to Australia. Have to time arrival in Australia to be after 2 years of owning the yacht as this will save import and duty taxes. My dilema is what to buy, other than the sail from USA to Aussie , the remaining use of the yacht will be live aboard and coastal. So the yacht needs a bit of space but also be capable of getting back safely to Aussie . Have around US$125K budget for the purchase. Have got into a confused pickle, everytime I think I have found something, I appear to get "not good for offshore", "lots of issues". Have looked a 42" passports, Beneteau 411, Hans Christian 38's. What appears to be good for bluewater, tends to be a a little cramped for long term live aboard. Is there something out there which someone could suggest, recommend. On the live aboard side my main aim is somewhere airey and comforatble to sleep, leans towards center cockpits or aft cockpits with queen quarter berth

[sailingdog]

One Sailnet member did something similar in an Ericson 39b that he bought on the west coast and now is back in Oz...

[night0wl]

Here is my short list:

Valiant 40 or Valiant 42
Pacific Seacraft 40
Caliber 40 LRC
Passport 40
Tayana 42
Island Packet 40 (yeah, I get it, not in the same class as others...but its my list)

[Faster]

Another vote for a Passport 40 - but pay attention to the various layouts available with an eye towards living aboard.

[night0wl]

My only wish about some of these 40' yachts is that they'd construct with 55' bridges in mind...not 65'

Many rigs are just too big for my house which is behind a fixed 55' bridge

[Mimsy]

Originally Posted by night0wl

Here is my short list:

Valiant 40 or Valiant 42
Pacific Seacraft 40
Caliber 40 LRC
Passport 40
Tayana 42
Island Packet 40 (yeah, I get it, not in the same class as others...but its my list)

My list would be eerily similar! Given the budget and the need to get her ready and outfitted for serious offshore work, I'd look at the Tayana 37 and the IP 35 as well.