[Stumble]

It's at the high end of your size range, but an Irwin 54'. I am partial to them having spend 10 years growing up on one. You give up some sailing ability for a cabin for everyone, and plenty of tankage and storage.

 

[christian.hess]

so you want fast too? I didnt see that part

 

[christian.hess]

I don't know the Montecarlo so cannot comment on it. We have a Bristol 45.5 and has served us well. Tough as can be and reasonably quick for its age and purpose. We looked at Petersons and I think the Bristol is better. Quite impressed with the Stevens 47 and various HRs we have seen. Very big fan of Amel. if we were doing it over and with more money to spend and if we were staying with a mono (answer big question), the admiral has said it would an Amel.

Final comment, the boats you are comparing here are quite different in both size and cost. I like the Saga but it seems much smaller to me. I don't think the Brewer/Whitby 42 (made in my home port of Brewer (I mean Whitby)) are in the same class as the others. Passport 40 is also not close in size to boats like the Stevens and Bristol. There are other boats in the 45' +/- range as well.

Final comment, I have never even done an overnight on cat but there are families out there doing circumnavigations in them quite happily.

While I love the amels they are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO overpriced...

part of it is cult status but also because indeed they are well made boats...

however they dont all look real good visually to me...takes some getting used to

but alas I agree they are for the most part awesome boats.

other boats that often go the way of overpricing are the hinckley bermudas, some pacific seacrafts among others

when looking at the boats in the list I can see chall has a wide spectrum to chose from...they are in no way the same lines and or characteristics...which is good....

options options!

 

[killarney_sailor]

The newer Amels (pricier of course) are much better looking boats than the early ones. Certainly when you start looking at Amels and HRs the prices are definitely up there. I guess you could always go for a Little Harbor if you want a more expensive version of a Bristol.

 

[chall03]

Thanks all,

Yes our size and budget range is unhelpfully broad at the moment!
Always been told go in the smallest boat you can, but after realizing the Roberts isn't right, I am trying to be realistic about it.

I really like the Amels, they are at the top of size/money scale however and we would be looking at 10+ year old models. They seem to complex boats with maybe more bells and whistles than we need? I worry about time spent in port trying to source parts and keep up with maintenance.

Not necessarily after a speed machine, just acknowledging that after buying a heavier boat we have been frustrated at times with slow passage times.

 

[chall03]

Certainly when you start looking at Amels and HRs the prices are definitely up there. I guess you could always go for a Little Harbor if you want a more expensive version of a Bristol.

That's the rub. It's a big chunk of our budget gone on either an Amel or a HR.

 

[MedSailor]

Thanks all,

Yes our size and budget range is unhelpfully broad at the moment!
Always been told go in the smallest boat you can, but after realizing the Roberts isn't right, I am trying to be realistic about it.

I really like the Amels, they are at the top of size/money scale however and we would be looking at 10+ year old models. They seem to complex boats with maybe more bells and whistles than we need? I worry about time spent in port trying to source parts and keep up with maintenance.

Not necessarily after a speed machine, just acknowledging that after buying a heavier boat we have been frustrated at times with slow passage times.

if you can afford an amel and have bern frustrated with slow passage times and want a good family boat then you should seriously look at catamarans

Brevity and typos are courtesy of my Samsung S4 Active.

 

[killarney_sailor]

One thing I really like about Amels is that the factory keeps a very detailed database about your boat. If you change out a bilge pump in Suva then want you to tell them so they can update the DB. If you get stuck somewhere and need something that you can't source locally they will send whatever it is that you need. That strikes me as a huge plus.

There are obviously some quick catamarans out there but if you take one in 40 to 45' range, which is what the budget here suggests and load it down with all the crap a family needs for extended cruising they do slow down a lot more than an equivalent monohull. We buddy-boated with an Antares 44 for thousands of miles and had no particular problems keeping - with both boats having couples of crews who were in particular hurry. I think there are good reasons to have a cat for a family but speed would be well down the list of virtues.

 

[christian.hess]

we buddy boated with 1 catamaran around 45 feet, up the red sea, they were catalan cats from spain...

they were awesome when anchored out as they had soooooooooo much space to play around on and any time we would stop thats the "comitte" and drinks boat...

having said that they were as slow going upwind, obviously less pointing angle and they always sailed the boat slow cause they were conservative...

they also motored A LOT, but they told me the reason for this is was that they consumed much less fuel by using either engine at a time...a cat has much less drag through water for a given length so they said their consumption wasnt as drastic as it would be on a mono...

having said that all boats have pros and cons...

the issue with cats for me has always been price...they are just too expensive for the same length or comparable volume if you will...

I do think they make better FAMILY boats for all the reasons mentioned before, but speed like KS says is way down the list in reality once out there.

 

[christian.hess]

chall have you thought about aluminum boats? we saw quite a few from australia, nz and other places...

I beleive they were ovnis and another maker, french I beleive I just cant remember the name

they for some reason were all cruised by families dont know what it was! jajaja

 

[chall03]

We have I guess never been cat people, which in of itself is probably a silly reason to not at least consider them.

It is hard to ignore the liveability of Cats particularly for a family and the Antares are really an amazing boat, albeit more expensive than even an Amel and well out of budget.

As for Aluminum I do like the Ovni's that I have seen down here. They are still quite rare here however.

Besides I am trying to narrow our search not widen it!!!!

We have also considered the possibility of purchasing and then starting our trip somewhere other than Oz. Purchasing a HR or Amel in Europe and bringing it back this direction make some sense, particularly given that it is difficult to include the Med in a circumnavigation starting from Australia in any case.

Weighed against this option is the potential hassle of getting to know and preparing a boat in a foreign port.

 

[Steady Hand]

What boat and why for family of 4 to do a circumnavigation on a moderate budget?

I am leaving the question somewhat ambiguous as in part my curiosity is philosophical as well as pragmatic.

I know there are several boats that could and have done it. I have read the 'Bluewater' lists and gone a round or two in a few of the threads but what I am trying to figure out is what is the best fit for us.

We currently sail a Martzcraft/Roberts 35. It could do it.

While we have cruised thousands of miles mostly coastal and like alot about her however for world sailing we are starting to consider whether she is perhaps not right for a trip around the globe. She is perhaps a tad small, as racers in a former life we also have to confess that she is not quick.

We would still prefer to go as small and simple as possible, but what is small, simple yet comfortable for living aboard for 3-5 years with school aged children?

Our plan is a'standard' circumnavigation but with the current Gulf of Aden situation it would most likely be via the Cape of Good Hope.

For the sake of a guide let's say 40 - 55ft.

Budget is very variable. In reality we will spend what we have to get the right boat. Say loosely 150k-400k.

Boats we have considered

Peterson 44/46
Stevens 47
Amel Super Maramu
Bristol 45.5
Hallberg Rassy 42/46
Brewer 42
Saga 43
Montecarlo 43

All advise and thoughts welcome.

Is the $400k USD or AUS?

 

[windmagic]

You have to look at a cruising cat not a charter cat , a good 2nd hand one that is already fitted with all the gear . Plenty available in South Africa for well under your budget .

 

[SVAuspicious]

Weighed against this option is the potential hassle of getting to know and preparing a boat in a foreign port.

I did that with Auspicious. It wasn't bad at all. In my case I found being away from home provided great focus on getting finished and off the dock. I did have excellent local support.

 

[christian.hess]

We have I guess never been cat people, which in of itself is probably a silly reason to not at least consider them.

It is hard to ignore the liveability of Cats particularly for a family and the Antares are really an amazing boat, albeit more expensive than even an Amel and well out of budget.

As for Aluminum I do like the Ovni's that I have seen down here. They are still quite rare here however.

Besides I am trying to narrow our search not widen it!!!!

We have also considered the possibility of purchasing and then starting our trip somewhere other than Oz. Purchasing a HR or Amel in Europe and bringing it back this direction make some sense, particularly given that it is difficult to include the Med in a circumnavigation starting from Australia in any case.

Weighed against this option is the potential hassle of getting to know and preparing a boat in a foreign port.

I know you might not want to, but when I was in California and reading latitude 38 a lot there were many articles about cruisers from oz and nz that said the best market($$$ wise) for them and starting point for a circumnav was to go to the states, west coast(california) were there are plenty of well priced good boats, some bargains, outfit there(very good parts and labor) and start the cruise back down to the south pacific...or cruise pacific coast of mexico, go to panama etc then hop back down to south pacific, or go to caribbean etc...plus you get to know your boat down the coast where its easy sailing...etc...

Im a firm beleiver that the bay area and california offer some of the best deals boat wise, especially for cruisers wanting a boat for cruising offshore...some boats already have many of the bells and whistles since they are "mexico" vets or hawaii vets, or transpac vets even round the workd vets..

places to look at are marina del rey, san diego, santa barbara, los angeles, and best san francisco bay area.

just a thought

I should also add the the pnw offers some good used boats too however they are around 25% more expensive on average compared to say san francisco...

but in seattle, port townsend among others many many beautiful boats to chose from.

 

[chall03]

What boat and why for family of 4 to do a circumnavigation on a moderate budget?

I am leaving the question somewhat ambiguous as in part my curiosity is philosophical as well as pragmatic.

I know there are several boats that could and have done it. I have read the 'Bluewater' lists and gone a round or two in a few of the threads but what I am trying to figure out is what is the best fit for us.

We currently sail a Martzcraft/Roberts 35. It could do it.

While we have cruised thousands of miles mostly coastal and like alot about her however for world sailing we are starting to consider whether she is perhaps not right for a trip around the globe. She is perhaps a tad small, as racers in a former life we also have to confess that she is not quick.

We would still prefer to go as small and simple as possible, but what is small, simple yet comfortable for living aboard for 3-5 years with school aged children?

Our plan is a'standard' circumnavigation but with the current Gulf of Aden situation it would most likely be via the Cape of Good Hope.

For the sake of a guide let's say 40 - 55ft.

Budget is very variable. In reality we will spend what we have to get the right boat. Say loosely 150k-400k.

Boats we have considered

Peterson 44/46
Stevens 47
Amel Super Maramu
Bristol 45.5
Hallberg Rassy 42/46
Brewer 42
Saga 43
Montecarlo 43

All advise and thoughts welcome.

Thanks to all who offered some great advice here.

To give a bit of an update, shortly after starting this thread we came very close to buying a Hallberg-Rassy 45 in the other hemisphere.

In the end it turned out to be a boat with too many issues and a vendor too unwilling to budge on price. As we were not desperate to buy we walked away.

We did a bit of sailing, had a baby and took a year off from boat shopping. Now we are back and a tad more focused.

My first questions is does anyone have any experience or advice on a Moody 425?

The liveability looks good for us, they look to sail reasonably and have good build quality.

 

[TQA]

The 425 is essentially the same as the 422 but with a bit extra on the sugar scoop.

90 galls water which is insufficient unless you have a reliable watermaker.

In mast furling was standard. [ Hate the the things. ]

Ensuite heads for the aft cabin which might suit you.

 

[chall03]

The 425 is essentially the same as the 422 but with a bit extra on the sugar scoop.

90 galls water which is insufficient unless you have a reliable watermaker.

In mast furling was standard. [ Hate the the things. ]

Ensuite heads for the aft cabin which might suit you.

I had thought the water tankage a bit limited, one of the boats I am considering in Panama has had additional tankage fitted and the In Mast furling removed in favour of lazy jacks.

Thoughts on build quality and sailing characteristics?

They seem to be on large far more reasonably priced than similar sized and aged Hallberg Rassy's and Najads.

 

[blowinstink]

That's the rub. It's a big chunk of our budget gone on either an Amel or a HR.

That's your answer (and you already know it). It sounds like you have great reasons for a bit larger boat to facilitate the cruise in comfort -- just don't let that turn into a luxury which takes away from (or puts an end to) the cruise. There ought to be plenty of boats at or under 100K that fill most of your needs. Tayana 42, KP44, Caliber 40, Bristol 45.5 or even 41.1. Sounds like a fun search to me -- just stay off the one's you can afford!

 

[chall03]

That's your answer (and you already know it). It sounds like you have great reasons for a bit larger boat to facilitate the cruise in comfort -- just don't let that turn into a luxury which takes away from (or puts an end to) the cruise. There ought to be plenty of boats at or under 100K that fill most of your needs. Tayana 42, KP44, Caliber 40, Bristol 45.5 or even 41.1. Sounds like a fun search to me -- just stay off the one's you can afford!

Pretty much!

Figuring out how much money we actually have snd then how much money we need for a midlife extended( 5 years) cruise while still having some in reserve is the equation we have to figure out.

All the boats you mentioned are on our shortlist other than the Caliber 40 as I must admit I do not know much about them.