Want To Buy: Early research to buy catamaran

[Bunnellr]

Hello all,
In two years time, we are looking to buy a used cruising catamaran in the 40 foot range to cruise/live on. Have chartered and will charter again to get an idea of the pluses and minuses of different designs. We are targeting Greece, but the Med basin is OK. We currently live in Italy.

Three reasons to post this: 1. Would like your feedback (advice, opinion, fervently held belief, religious commitment) on a cat to live on. 2. If you know anybody looking to move off the water in that time, please pass along a potential buyer, 3. We're still constructing a retirement lifestyle that includes balancing time on a cat in the Med, travel, and a land place to host visitors, any experience with that would be appreciated.

CAT:
Around 40 foot
Strong preference for Owner layout
Cruising additions appreciated
Photovoltaic cells
wind generator
A/C
Watermaker
Because I like it: Spinnaker or gennaker
Because I am a marine engineer: Maintenance records.

Looking at the market, I'm planning on 250K.
Been researching Fountaine, Lagoon, Leopard.

BTW, if you have a boat or are passing this along, we cannot buy until 2016. But we might be able to make a lease arrangement until then.

Thanks in advance for any and all input.

Bob

[snort]

I'd look at Privileges and Mantas (Florida-based catamaran).

[Greasepower]

Originally Posted by snort

I'd look at Privileges and Mantas (Florida-based catamaran).

I agree, I own a 42' privilege and I'm 29...but I believe she will outlast me!

most catamarans are made cheaply and it shows, walk on a privilege and you know she was meant to last

cheers

david

[JusDreaming]

We live on a TPI Lagoon 37, strong boat, also would consider a Privilege. Keep doing what your doing, with chartering different boats. It took us many years of chartering before we found OUR boat/home

[belizesailor]

For a cruising owner's layout Manta is quite good. Most other brands you mentioned are more typically laid out for charter use. Even the Lagoons for example with an owners suite are otherwise set up for charter use (maximizing number of cabins and heads rather than space more useful for cruising use...like storage, workshop, engine room area).

However, if you have any intentention of chartering the boat then Manta is not a very good layout for working charters.

Manta also has a good helm set up. I don't like the helm set ups on most production cats, they are really designed around accomdations rather than being in a more practical location.

Privileges are big and solid and despite this, sail surprisingly well. Don't like the helm position though.

[tao2]

We have been living on a Fountaine Pajot Venezia first, we liked it and then bought the Eleuthera 60 ft. The change from a monohull to the first cat was big: the width of the boat was a bit frightening. The change from the 42 ft to 60 ft was on the contrary very easy; so you get used to bigger sizes obviously.
Even sailing single-handed was no problem after re-arranging the set-up.
The biggest problems with the catamarans I found that they are laid-out for chartering (or enormous families). We were just a couple without kids and did not need a million berths and bathrooms.
We ordered the boat with a custom lay-out the way we liked it. One hull with a "bedroom" 7 meters long ( bed, sofa and desk ), a 2,5 meters long bathroom with separate shower and a 3 meters walk-in closet.
The other hull has the standard front-cabin with walk-in closet and bathroom, a second bathroom and a 4 meters long workshop. Pretty useless for charters, but great to live ( and work if needed ).
My experience after a total of living-aboard:
My good buys: washing machine (3.5 kilo Candy runs even from a 1500 W inverter), solar panels (buy the most that fit) (I run the generator now only once a month to keep it lubricated), a scooter to go anywhere on land, an external long-range antenna for the computer to pick-up wi-fi from far away.
My useless buys: dishwasher (we are only two, but it looks nice in the kitchen and maybe it is different with kids)
And of course it is all personal; I try to live simple but often I fail and look in a drawer full with gadgets........

Good luck