Any input truly appreciated..

[hic ego qui...]

Hi, I am Olli from Germany and new to this site. I am in the market for a new boat and narrowed my search down to 4 or 5 boats.
I would love to get some input from people who know them, own them or have sailed them.
To myself: I started sailing at a young age. Firstly on dinghies, then on 420 and 470. Later on on Hobies. My first experiences on bigger boats I had in the Mediterranean when I was around 15/16 years old.
My cruising licenses I did on a Hunter 40 and a Bavaria 42.
I am not a blue water cruiser but it is my intention to outfit a boat within the next 2 years and leave Germany. I am searching for a good liveaboard with blue water potential. Preferably sloop rigged. Suitable for a crew of maximum 4 with the possibility to accommodate guests sometimes. After month and month of shopping around. I came to like following boats.

1. 1991 Jeanneau Sunkiss 47
2. 1971 Le Comte Fastnet 45 ( really drawn to this boat )
3. 1980 Gulfstar 50' ( little worried about the ketch rig, never sailed it)
4. 1976 Plaver Sciarelli 49'( ketch rig as well )
5. 1982 Lafiite 44' ( the teak worries me quite a bit)


As said, I would appreciate any input I can get regarding these boats.

[Culwatty]

Hi Olli

I can't help you with the boats, but just wanted to wish you good luck! I'm a new live aboard and loving it!

[psk125]

The LeComte 45 probably sails nicely and the skeg-hung rudder can help to avoid snagging fishing lines. Handholds below seem well-placed. The off-center companionway looks like it could make the nav station very wet on some points of sail.
The Gulfstar 50... The ketch rig might be nice for long-haul reaches and for keeping the bow pointed into the wind at anchor. The center cockpit makes leaving it difficult. Construction and joinery may not be on a par with the LeComte.
The Jeanneau has a spade rudder - no skeg. Two (or three?) heads seems like a waste of space. The in-line galley would be difficult to use on passages. The sugar-scoop transom platform looks huge. What happens if a wave lands on it? It also seems like it might be difficult to access unless the wheel is able to fold or be removed.
The Lafitte is designed by Bob Perry, which gives it a good pedigree to start with. This review might be useful: https://dicksimonyachts.com/blog/boa...ly-summer-1985 It has a no-nonsense, go anywhere look, as well as what appears to be cozy spaces below.
Plaver-Sciarelli seems like a capable boat, but the design is old (like the LeComte) and seems narrow compared to more current designs. Below might seem cramped for long-term living aboard. The companionway is again offset. If the decks are teak it could become an expensive nightmare.

For any and all of these boats, their condition - how they’ve been maintained and outfitted - makes a big difference. Pictures (which might be 20 years old) from the brokers aren’t the same as going and seeing for yourself.

[a64pilot]

The few Gulfstars I’m familiar with aren’t great sailing boats, nor do I believe they were meant to be, they are motorsailors and from what I have seen provide a lot of livability for the price.
I’ve not sailed a ketch myself, but believe above a certain sized boat that they make a lot of sense. especially for single handing.
I would avoid teak decks myself.

[hic ego qui...]

Thank You so much. The Le Comte is a fresh water boat. In same ownership since the beginning. Wish I could post the link here. The boat is basic. The owner has renovated the inside in 2018. He replaced the gelcoat with a 12 layer epoxy mixed with Aluminum powder. The rudder blade has been replaced with stainless steel. What do you think ? Now, that might only be me but the rigging looks not really sturdy to me
The Lafitte will need a teak deck replacement. It is not so much the replacement and removal that concerns me but the way it was originally done. Bolting from the bottom up. Any ideas here ?
The Jeanneau was 2nd choice to begin with and the Gulfstar is in the US and I am in Europe. CE certification , VAT etc.

[hic ego qui...]

https://www.boat24.com/de/segelboote...detail/328929/

[hic ego qui...]

https://www.boat24.com/de/segelboote...detail/385802/

[Mag3]

both the Lafitte and the Le Comte - i've sailed on both. Both are great boats... fresh and in new condition i'd probably opt for the perry design, but at this age (and having just gone through an easier - top fastened - teak deck removal on my own boat) i'd definitely say your preference for the Le Comte is well founded.

if it's been truly taken care of then it seems a no brainer as it's both the one you prefer and the one that will likely need less work to get it up to snuff!

as always... SURVEY!

congrats on being in a position to be making this dream come true for yourself.

Cheers,
-Justin

[hic ego qui...]

Thanks, I just have a good gut feeling about the Le Compte. Survey for sure..

[hic ego qui...]

If anybody has any information such as reviews, tests or owner experience regarding Le Compte Fastnet 45, it would be highly appreciated.

[Trintella44a]

Up to date maintenance is the number one here.
Number Two is how many people will live on board ?
I have owned a '97 Sun Odessey 47 in the past and sailed it UK to Greece etc. It was quite capable but it's not an ideal live aboard boat if you are going to travel far and wide.
If you are living alone or with a not so strong partner, the manual winches require a lot of strength and as said already, the linear galley is not a good idea either.
Have you considered an older WELL maintained Amel at your perceived price ? (hens teeth come to mind). However whilst they are marmite boats, their blue water Number One capability is undisputed and they have a world wide owners web site where you can get help with sorting out any problem you are bound to come across on your travels.

[hic ego qui...]

Originally Posted by Trintella44a

Up to date maintenance is the number one here.
Number Two is how many people will live on board ?
I have owned a '97 Sun Odessey 47 in the past and sailed it UK to Greece etc. It was quite capable but it's not an ideal live aboard boat if you are going to travel far and wide.
If you are living alone or with a not so strong partner, the manual winches require a lot of strength and as said already, the linear galley is not a good idea either.
Have you considered an older WELL maintained Amel at your perceived price ? (hens teeth come to mind). However whilst they are marmite boats, their blue water Number One capability is undisputed and they have a world wide owners web site where you can get help with sorting out any problem you are bound to come across on your travels.

Thanks, sure I have been looking at Amel. There is simply not much out there. As it is my intention to use the next 2 years to outfit the boat it makes sense to me to have the boat in Germany or the Netherlands.
All boats I have intially listed are in the 60,000 Euro range. More or less. The Le Compte and the Jeanneau I have seen personally. I honestly have to say that the Le Compte looked better maintained. And I have to admit I really liked the lines.
On board only 2 people will be living.

[hic ego qui...]

Very initially I also looked at a Swan 44. Sure, beautiful! But at the end the teak is simply a killer. At least in my budget.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by hic ego qui...

Hi, I am Olli from Germany and new to this site. I am in the market for a new boat and narrowed my search down to 4 or 5 boats.
I would love to get some input from people who know them, own them or have sailed them.
To myself: I started sailing at a young age. Firstly on dinghies, then on 420 and 470. Later on on Hobies. My first experiences on bigger boats I had in the Mediterranean when I was around 15/16 years old.
My cruising licenses I did on a Hunter 40 and a Bavaria 42.
I am not a blue water cruiser but it is my intention to outfit a boat within the next 2 years and leave Germany. I am searching for a good liveaboard with blue water potential. Preferably sloop rigged. Suitable for a crew of maximum 4 with the possibility to accommodate guests sometimes. After month and month of shopping around. I came to like following boats.

1. 1991 Jeanneau Sunkiss 47
2. 1971 Le Comte Fastnet 45 ( really drawn to this boat )
3. 1980 Gulfstar 50' ( little worried about the ketch rig, never sailed it)
4. 1976 Plaver Sciarelli 49'( ketch rig as well )
5. 1982 Lafiite 44' ( the teak worries me quite a bit)


As said, I would appreciate any input I can get regarding these boats.

I strongly considered a Lafitte 44 when doing my boat search 14 years ago. I truly fell in love with the Perry design but that particular boat had very bad problems with deck leaks that were ruining the interior. The photos of the Lafitte you are interested in look like it is in much better condition but I would get more information on what has been done with the deck and of course, a thorough detailed survey. That said, before purchase, I would also have a long range plan on how I was going to deal with the deck.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[hic ego qui...]

Originally Posted by MJH

I strongly considered a Lafitte 44 when doing my boat search 14 years ago. I truly fell in love with the Perry design but that particular boat had very bad problems with deck leaks that were ruining the interior. The photos of the Lafitte you are interested in look like it is in much better condition but I would get more information on what has been done with the deck and of course, a thorough detailed survey. That said, before purchase, I would also have a long range plan on how I was going to deal with the deck.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

Thank You, I really do like the Lafitte, too. If the teak would just be laminated, it would not be a real problem. Apparently you followed the link and you will see that there is water damage at the entrance to the companionway. The boat is on the market for a while. And with the economical problems at the moment the price has dropped over 12,000 Euros within 2 weeks.
The teak does not look healthy anymore. Even in the pictures it is visible.
Unfortunately, I cannot find a lot of information. Neither for the Lafitte nor for the Le Compte.
I can just imagine how taking the deck off will leave me with thousands of holes.