[vtsailguy]

True!

Thoughts on this one?
Bruce Hill Yacht Sales, Inc. (Shelburne, VT)

 

[MarkofSeaLife]

So if I bought a cruiser down there, it might not be robust enough for the passage (for my liking)

Its so funny reading these threads (and there are several per week). You are trying to buy a boat I would never go to sea in saying that its a 'blue water boat' and the boats I do go to sea in you dont think are safe.

You have never been, and I have.

Its funny, but borders on the ridiculous.

 

[vtsailguy]

hmmmm, I think you missed my point perhaps?

I was saying exactly this, a lot of boats I have seen for sale that are IN the caribbean I would be very reluctant to take offshore.

I have been looking at tartan 37, the morgan 382 I linked to, Cal 40's. Unless I have missed something, they all have strong offshore credibility.

 

[MarkofSeaLife]

a lot of boats I have seen for sale that are IN the caribbean I would be very reluctant to take offshore.
.

The Caribbean IS offshore!!!!!!!!!! All the boats that are there have arrived from long ocean passages!

All the charter boats arrive from France or South Africa sailed there on their own bottoms. Every day of their lives they sail ocean offshore.

So you are asking for advice, but the only advice you can get is about boats that are in one configuration that many dont think are good to sail on
Have you seen that thread about the guy with the old Moody 42 that went agrouund in the ICW yesterday and it broke the Skeg off the rudder and sank the boat. Thats one of your 'ble water boats' but cant handle a soft grounding.

Also you only want your children in pilot berths / pipe cots. Well very few boats have that these days... they have cabins. they have cabins because they are built with more space than old boats... but you dont explain why your children shouldnt have their own cabin, or share one.

As I said, I'm not having a go at you. Its just we get so many threads all exactly the same and how can we help or give advice when the Original Poster is blinkered? All the advice you will get will only confirm your one original idea.

It must be very frustrating for you (and for others when they post similar).

So I try not to post to these threads.

All the best,


Mark

 

[vtsailguy]

I did see that moody, very unfortunate.

Sure, I'd love a boat with a cabin each for three kids, but I can't see that in my handling or price range.

With three boys between 6 and 9, sharing rooms isn't a strength

 

[SloopJonB]

With three boys between 6 & 9 you could put them all in the V-berth.

 

[TQA]

OK with 1 year available DO NOT BUY IN THE USA. You will have a miserable time beating up wind and up current to get to the good bits only to have to turn around and rush back.

Buy in the good bits [St Maarten down to Trinidad] and ENJOY THE EASY DOWNWIND SAIL back to the USA,

Something like this CLICKY

OR THIS http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/boatMergedDetails.jsp?boat_id=2247561&ybw=&units=Feet&currency=USD&access=Public&listing_id=74603&url=

The Bene will be easier to sell in the US I guess. But I might go for the older bigger boat with your family.

Anyway make the decision to go, everything else is just logistics.

 

[vtsailguy]

With three boys between 6 & 9 you could put them all in the V-berth.

You must have different children to me

 

[vtsailguy]

OK with 1 year available DO NOT BUY IN THE USA. You will have a miserable time beating up wind and up current to get to the good bits only to have to turn around and rush back.

Buy in the good bits [St Maarten down to Trinidad] and ENJOY THE EASY DOWNWIND SAIL back to the USA,

Something like this CLICKY

OR THIS http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/boatMergedDetails.jsp?boat_id=2247561&ybw=&units=Feet&currency=USD&access=Public&listing_id=74603&url=

The Bene will be easier to sell in the US I guess. But I might go for the older bigger boat with your family.

Anyway make the decision to go, everything else is just logistics.

Best advice yet, THANKS!

 

[kwaltersmi]

OR THIS http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/boatMergedDetails.jsp?boat_id=2247561&ybw=&units=Feet&currency=USD&access=Public&listing_id=74603&url=

That seems like a ton of boat for the money.

In any case, great advice TQA! Shared firsthand knowledge from the likes of you, Faster and Mark are exactly why I invest time here at SailNet.

 

[fallard]

The engine hours on that 13 yr old Beneteau are impressive. Does anyone have a good estimate of the number of hours you can expect out of the Yanmar?

 

[MarkofSeaLife]

The engine hours on that 13 yr old Beneteau are impressive. Does anyone have a good estimate of the number of hours you can expect out of the Yanmar?

25,000 hours I've been told by Yanmar mechanics.



Mines at 6500 and is fine.
Had to do a few things. The only big one was a reconditioning of the Heat Exchanger. Apart from that its oil changes and filters.


Like cars when they hit 100,000 miles (or KMs) you need tolook after them but they go on and on.
Look at diesel trucks that do interstate run for decades....

 

[kwaltersmi]

I don't have any experience with steel boats or Van de Stadt designs, but this is an interesting and affordable cruising boat lying in Grenada, which would give you a nice run up through the islands.

 

[Faster]

I don't have any experience with steel boats or Van de Stadt designs, but this is an interesting and affordable cruising boat lying in Grenada, which would give you a nice run up through the islands.

Sistership of the Womboat Raven!!

 

[vtsailguy]

That boat is a great price, not sure it fits my family of 5 though

 

[hamburking]

A classic question!
The smaller, more rugged, full keeled boat will be better at sea.
But the bigger, more modern fin keeler will be better in port.

In the caribbean, you don't need to do long passages if you don't want to. Its easy enough to hop from island to island. So go with a well built modern cruiser with lots of space for your boys and lots of storage.

 

[SloopJonB]

The engine hours on that 13 yr old Beneteau are impressive. Does anyone have a good estimate of the number of hours you can expect out of the Yanmar?

That equates to around 180,000 miles on a car. We got 250,000 out of our previous minivan and it was far from religiously maintained. 10,000 hours should be fairly easy with proper maintenance.

 

[vtsailguy]

Looks like I found one, a final update!

The Best Boat for Cruising with Children | Sailing With Kids

Feel free to comment on my thoughts in the blog!

 

[SloopJonB]

Great choice - one of my all time favourites.

 

[utchuckd]

Congrats! Looks like a fine boat, have fun with her!