Your Favorite Seaworthy Vessels 40-48' with Comfortable Digs

[Lonestaralaskan]

Originally Posted by Divevac

Enjoy the evolution...I hope it turns out to be as fond a time for you and your family as it has been for us.

Thank you for sharing your experience. I expect its akin to coming of age - no amount of warning will save us from going through the same experience you had! But it does help.

[Scott Berg]

I strongly suggest you look at both the previously mentioned Morgan 462 and my fav, the Stevens 47 (later the Hylas). Check out Behan Gifford’s great website on these amazing affordable boats. https://www.sailingtotem.com/

[skipgundlach]

Originally Posted by Scott Berg

I strongly suggest you look at both the previously mentioned Morgan 462 and my fav, the Stevens 47 (later the Hylas). Check out Behan Gifford’s great website on these amazing affordable boats. https://www.sailingtotem.com/

Hi, Scott!

A couple of minor observations...

The M46x is what I hope you meant. While there was only one 463, there are somewhere on the order of 150 M461/2 existing. See my earlier for the distinctions, and see my gallery (Morgan 46 Info subgallery) for lots of background on these.

However, as nearly any will have undergone significant modification by subsequent owners, the take-away I have to offer is that the 461s are notably stouter, having 2100 pounds more fiberglass (and 900 of lead, being the deep draft which is the exception in the 462s) along with a minor design tweak, the fiberglass tube encasing the drive shaft between hull and strut.

The Stevens 47 is a boat I got to sail, with my ex-father-in-law, as part of his solo circumnav. Either of these boats will take you anywhere in the world, but this one's crew quarters in the forward half might work well (compared to the sea berths in the M46 walkthrough, if you can find one of those examples) for kiddos. The engine doesn't have an engine room, by comparison, and that results in more boat space, but (also by comparison) much less storage space.

As I didn't get involved in the nitty-gritty of that boat's operation and storage, I can't definitively say, but my impression of the M46x is that despite it having been designed for charter use (and then found to be so superior a design when compared to the Out Island "type" so popular of the time that the retail - 462 -version was quickly produced as well) it has a relatively massive amount of storage. In reality, it's a 45' boat with a bow roller cage, but a typical comment of visitors has to do with how big it feels, and how much storage there is, in our boat when compared to others of the same length.

As I don't follow the market, I don't know the availability nor typical pricing of the Stevens 47s, but nearly always the M46x will meet your need and budget. Both are great boats.

And, as an aside, if the configuration works for you, the Kelly-Peterson 44 and 46 are also world girders, and in that case, have a wide support network of fellow owners...

L8R

Skip, ashore currently, but doing an offshore from Ft. Pierce to north of Portland ME in early summer

[Juggerknot]

With the luxury of your 2-3 year projected launch date, have you considered taking on a Westsail 42 refit project? 5'8" draft, legendary blue water performance, nice layout plus, if you are handy, you will be familiar with every system on her once you've completed the work... 150k will build a world class w42 if you get your hands dirty =)
Failing that, I'm rather partial to the Lafite 44, very solid design and I have seen some attractively priced ones as of late. "Your mileage may vary"

[Juggerknot]

Originally Posted by Divevac

We are on the other end of a thorough 2.5 year search\learning curve. In hindsight, when it comes to selecting a boat it seems every decision was a compromise.

We are in our 50s, our kids are launched (more or less) and our budget was a little more restrictive ($US125k). We travelled 15k kms by car getting a real education! As a dinghy, mono and cat racer of 40 years with plans to cross into the Med in 2019 we considered in turn and ultimately dispensed with PDQ, Corbin CC, Amel 46 (my fave!), Prout Snowgoose, Bene 44 CC, Moody 42CC, Freedom 45CC, Bavaria Ocean 40\42CC, Jeanneau 42 DS, Halberg Rassy 41and a few steel designs we liked (Dudley Dix and van de Stadt).

I was leaning toward an older Amel or HR...and eventually realized we only needed a blue water boat for 6-8 weeks of the next 6-8 years. With the correct crew, gear and prep, we also realized we would be happy to cross an ocean in a Star!

Good hearted brokers will tell you they are aware of the need to kiss a lot of frogs before they eventually meet a prince...I'm grateful to most that we met who contributed a great deal to our journey!

Much to my surprise our final compromise was a Catalina 42 MkII-2 cabin. We both instantly liked this boat (safe and comfortable layout, under 5' draft, single handedness, reputable supportive manufacturer still in business). With that decision taken last summer, we embarked on a focused search for the best possible example. The selling points:
-Fresh water only
-Yanmar 55 with <1k hours
-extremely well equipped and maintained
-exclusive Great Lakes use of ~ 4-5 months per year (mostly weekends)
-amazingly clean
We take delivery in two weeks.

I ramble on to share with you that it was a grand adventure getting an education, considering the myriad of factors and ultimately settling on our compromise boat. Our lists of must-have's, nice to have and optional features and equipment changed dozens of times. In hindsight, I openly laugh at the lists we made in the fall of 2015 (washing machine indeed!).

If it is of interest, PM me - I'm happy to share brief impressions of each of the boats we ultimately discarded.

Enjoy the evolution...I hope it turns out to be as fond a time for you and your family as it has been for us.

lol... I went with a passport 51 for the washer/dryer combo! With little ones, it was mandatory =) And, err, ummm, wife wouldn't sign on otherwise jjjjjj
Enjoy the Catalina, sounds like a great find.