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Sailboats with many cabins

4K views 30 replies 10 participants last post by  dorourke 
#1 ·
Hello Sailors!

Myself and 4 other sailing instructors are in the market for a Sailing boat.

We are in the market for a "tank" of a boat-meaning we dont care if it goes fast. We want it to be sea-worthy (Great Lakes), and were thinking of a CC so we can chill inside when the weather is cold, here in Chicago.

We also are looking for a boat that has plenty of berths for the 4-5 owners that will be purchasing said boat. Either cabins or sacked sleeping berths.

that said i have been looking at the Irwin CC 38, problem is it only has 2 cabins.

I think we need a used boat that has been built for charter that has crew quarters.?

Any feedback on these issues for some first time buyers would be welcome

Good winds


Aaron
 
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#3 ·
Aaron, if you are looking for a boat with many cabins that's very different from a boat with many berths. Berths are easy, cabins aren't. Unless you've got a big budget and can afford footage.

And if you've got no budget in mind...you're not really looking for a boat yet.

So, what's the budget and how many cabins do you really require, versus berths?
 
#5 ·
There is a widely-known solution to the many cabins problem. It is called a catamaran. A Gemini 105MC offers 3 cabins in addition to berthing in the salon as well, and it is only 34 feet long, but 14 ft wide. As you hit 40 feet by 20 feet, you gain cabins, but you become harder to berth and to haul.
 
#7 ·
If the four or five of you can't get along well enough to share a couple of cabins between you - why are you buying a boat together ??? ;)

If you're thinking that the 5/8" composite plywood is going to afford any modicum of privacy when you're "entertaining" I can tell you from sheepish experience that you might just as well string a line down the center of the cabin and hang a sail over it. Blocks the visuals just as well...but I digress....

There were a bunch of Beneteaus built with two heads and three "staterooms" in the late seventies/early eighties for the Caribbean charter trade. Contact Weather Eye Yachts to see if they can find one for you. Otherwise - check out the Niagara 35's - I believe they have bulkheads all over the place..
 
#8 · (Edited)
I'd have to agree... four or five people on a boat for any extended period of time is probably too many, unless they are very close... and it doesn't sound like your group will qualify for that description. At most, a 35' boat will have three cabins...and you have four or five people... hmmm.... the math just doesn't work out.

Most charter boats don't have "separate crew" quarters until they get much larger... Safari, a Gunboat 62 has separate crew quarters and can accommodate your group quite nicely, but is probably a bit out of your budget. :D
 
#9 ·
thanks all for the responses so far...

I should of added that we are 4 to 5 guys, aged 26-29...so was thinking of at least a 35ft to 50ft..., but are budget...well we would like to go no higher then 75-80k.....maybe to a 100k but would like to stay lower. We were also all thinking of putting down somewhere between 3,000-5,000 each and financing the rest...possible?

A few of us have been reading the boat classifieds for a year or so..and looking, so i figure time it would be to ask some peers there thoughts.

Again, we not looking for a fastboat, (we got about 3-4, Hobiecats and Nacra;s between us), we are looking more for a "volvo" type of boat, something that has enough berths or cabins for us all, maybe have a enclosed, CC, for those cold Chicago springs and falls, capable of crusing the Great Lakes. I see us using the boat more, in the harbors in Chicago, to live on, or at least be able to spend to spend 3-4 nights a week on it in the harbor during our season, launch our kitegear off of, anchor in a few of the nice spots offshore, and of course have some wild parties on where the rum and girls flow like the nile (Where young, sort of, and in one of the best cities in the world for single ladies who like to get wild)





Again i, and the rest of my crew appreciate all feedback and opinions from our peers.

thanks again

Aaron
 
#10 ·
The Morgan Out Island 41 has two _big_ cabins -- easy to fit 2 people in each, no crowding. There's probably an extra berth or two in the main salon. It's big enough for real cruising with four people aboard, used that way in the Caribbean charter business for many years..

"35 to 50 feet" is an awfully big range!

Charles
 
#11 ·
sailaway21----i like the sound of that;Ultimate live-aboard, what is this CY Tung you speak of?

TOMINDC2- yes yes, we all agree, on the cat, if we could afford it we would get a cat vs. a mono. We have actually been looking at the Gemini 105MC, its about at the top end of cash to spend, might be too much. (Were still paying off school loans and cars and girls and condos):) but we are still considering the Gemini.

uspirate----------indeed cash talks, and those are just slighty out of our budget......at this point of our lives...and when we do have the money...this is the one....http://www.deltayachtsbrokerage.com/dyeng/gunboat-en.html

Sailormann------ the 4 or 5 of us get along to well, we have known each other since 6 and 7th grade, still hang out to much to this day, have shared normal beds before, shared girls before, shared girls and beds, and have all been teaching sailing and saving lifes with each other for 10 years or so. We have no problem sharing cabins its just when the ladies are lucky enough to spend the night at sea with us we would like more then 2 cabins..3 cabins and a few berths, maybe stacked ones would be fine. 2 cabins and some berths would work to...but 3 would be better. I will have a look at the ones you listed..

Thanks again to you all.
 
#12 ·
You might check out an old Morgan 46, I looked at 1 the other day,2 single berths in fore cabin, 2 sea berths in sallon, 2 single berths in mini cabin/passageway, double berth in aft cabin, along with a friggin bath tub.
It even fits your price range, and will probably out sail the junk. Art.
 
#13 · (Edited)
I looked at a lot of Morgans. I think some here say there are too many problems? I am not the one to ask about that, others know more. But, the problem I had with them was that no matter how big they where, they still had aft quaterberths, no aft cabin. Lots of single berths, pilots etc. Maybe I just never found one that had an aft cabin and they do exist. (well, i was wrong, just found a morgan 462 with aft cabin!) Would you consider a ketch? They make great livaboards and party boats, very impressive with the ladies! They usually have a big aft cabin for the catch of the day. wink,wink. I suggested moorings earlier, but not sure you would find one big enough and in good enough condition under 100k. The beneteau oceanis line puts out tri-cabins. They would be at the top of your budget. Tayana 42, Endeavor, custom ketchs(bruce roberts), CSY?
 
#17 ·
Have you seen the video of Safari, the Gunboat 62 that is a charter... funny to watch... www.safaricharter.com

Personally, I like tris more than cats...but if someone gave me a Gunboat 62, I wouldn't mind... :D
 
#18 ·
Just be careful on the Great Lakes with Cats. Not many of the harbors/marinas have slips that can accomadate that much beam. Some have very, very limited availablity. Some will put a cat only on a cross T at the end of a dock. Not very many in the area are set up to handle them. Call around and find out. I know that a folding Tri sometimes makes more sence because of dockage.

Also, (I did not read the entire thread) has any body mentioned something like a Beneteau 50. (I know the B word is often scorned on this site) They have a four cabin layout available with doubles in each. This layout is very popular with the charter trade.
 
#19 ·
Giulietta-----------hmmmmm i dont even know what to say about your women comments...maybe you like dudes......(which is cool with me if you do)

sailingdog----------ya ive been watching that Vid like 3 times a week for a while now,totally sick.


sailortjk1--------------true indeed with the harbors here in Chicago,which is why we are looking at more Mono hulls now., and whats the problem with Beneteau and people on this forum..since im a newbie to this forum?

thanks again to all
 
#20 ·
The Gemini is only 14' wide, so it will fit in alot of the larger slips without much problem. My tri is 18' wide...so if it didn't fold, it'd have some serious slep limitations...

2STF2-

I love that video... so much fun... and one thing I show people when they ask me why I sail a trimaran... :D
 
#21 ·
C Y Tung is, was maybe, a Taiwanese shipping magnate. Started Orient Overseas Container Lines. You see their boxes going down the road, "OOCL".
He commisioned a number of luxurious sea-going junks, probably in the seventies and no doubt Taiwan-built, and at least one of them was for sale in Chicago in the early eighties. As previously mentioned, speed under sail was not their strong suit.
 
#23 ·
Okay - we've got more information now ... there are four guys except when the one with the schizoid tendencies forgets to take his medication and then there are five, but we'll assume that the two of him are never in the same place at the same time, so let's go with four for now...and you've each got a max of 5K. So you've got 20K to work with and you're looking for a floating nookie palace. I can't imagine a banker being hesitant to lend four individuals suffering from serious hormone overload 80 thousand American dollars so that they can give their right hands a rest.... ;)

Here's a thought. Incorporate - 4 partners. Take your 20K and buy a condo as a business investment. Maintain it decently and rent it out. Keep sailing the cats and partying as you have been. In five years, sell the apartment, split the money and you can each go out and buy your own boats. If you still want to be together then you can get slips near each other in the marina. The banks will probably take that seriously...
 
#24 ·
Sailormann-------there are 4 of us as of now a 5th might join. But we can say 4 if it makes it easier for you and whoever else. And no, not just a floating "nookie" place but thats part of it, christ we are sailiors....hormone overload?... right hands? come on now...
We got condos on terra firma..great advice though, id recommend you do the same...

I didnt ask for your advice on real estate investment..i asked for your opinions and advice on sailboats...so lets get back on track.
 
#25 ·
Ok, if all your worried about is she'll stay afloat and enough berths, 4+, look at the Dufours Atoll 43. Not a CC but enough room below with 4 doubles, and 2 singles. And if you watch real close you can catch one below 100K. Haven't sailed one but have been on 3 that made me say hmmmm, this would be a good layout for Charter.
 
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