owned 4 years and just sold a 2005 L440, my review

[Nahbrown]

Owned 4 years and just sold a 2005 L440, my review

**experience** this was our first boat. We did attend a 1 week live-aboard ASA sailing coarse through LTD sailing in Grenada.

**Usage** We lived on our L440 for 7 months each of the last four years, hauling it out for Hurricane season. We sailed from Key Largo to the gulf coast to Mississippi to the Florida Keys, up the East Coast to Savannah Georgia & Two seasons in the Bahamas. While on board 99% of our time was spent on Anchor.

**Specific to our boat** owners version, mast reduced to 64 1/2 feet high, Hay racks on The sides of the boom allowed me access to the main sail from mast all along the boom. Genoa, Battened main, Bow sprit with screecher sail, 55 hp engines with modified SD 50s sail drives (upgraded cone clutch kits installed) hard top bimini with 3/4 enclosure, all electric 2 speed winches, solar arch with 1540W of solar and 1050 AH AGMs. 13k generator, 88lb delta anchor. 4 zones of air conditioning. 3 Jabsco electric heads, maxprops feathering propellers, Spectra watermaker

**Sailing** in general we saw 1/3 to 1/2 wind speed with genoa and main sail. Im not a big fan of the line routing for the genoa furler and it seemed to create unnecessary drag & strain when bringing the sail in. Not a huge deal though and was manageable. Single handing while tacking was possible but not convenient with the port and starboard lines / winches so far apart.
In general though an easy boat to manage the sails from the helm with little need to go to the mast. The exposed helm was brutal during weather and we lashed 8mil plastic sheets to the hard bimini supports for some relief.

**Motoring** in clam sea with no head wind 1 engine at 2500 RPMs would produce 6.2 knots, 2 engines at 2500 would yield 7.5 knots. The fly bridge was fantastic for visibility when docking or traveling the ICW. The propellers are aft of the rudders so when reversing I engaged the auto pilot to keep the prop wash from pushing the rudders hard to starboard.

**Anchor** comfortable with plenty of room. The 25.5 foot beam makes this a very stable platform. The 4.5’ draft gave us plenty of options for anchoring close to shores for protection from storms.


General thoughts

Pros-This boat was a great first boat for a few reasons. The shortened mast meant we were always reefed and never got ourselves into trouble. At 64.5 air draft We had the option to go on the ICW which opened up many more anchoring locations when coming inside. The flybridge made it easy to see for a rookie docking a boat

Cons- I will never own another sailing cat with a helm that exposed. I will never own another boat of any kind with the rudders forward of the propellers. Unless you are chartering there is no need for two heads on the non owners side as its a waste of space and just more stuff to break and repair.


This boat served us well and we learned a ton but for many reasons it was time to sell it and be land lovers for a while.

[macieknan]

Thanks Nahbrown! It's very helpful and timely as we are currently looking for our first cat.

Doesn't get any better than an honest feedback from a recent owner that has nothing to sell!

Cheers!

[comesatime]

It would be great if you would be willing to share the details of your purchase/sale prices and how much you spent on the boat over the 4 years. Thanks!

[Nahbrown]

Originally Posted by comesatime

It would be great if you would be willing to share the details of your purchase/sale prices and how much you spent on the boat over the 4 years. Thanks!

This was a private sale and we got to know the buyers a little bit so I’m not comfortable releasing the sale price. I will say that it was more than we bought it for in 2018. We purchased the boat for 325,000 with the buyer giving us $32,000 in cash at closing for repairs.


We ended up getting the sail drives cone clutch assemblies upgraded for 1800
The bottom repainted for $3000
A new radar for $2200
A new two drawer refrigerator that I installed for $1700
Solar arch for $4500
Over 1500 W of solar and two Victron controllers that I installed for $1500
Running rigging 400


Right before the sale We had both engines removed and refurbished ( Injectors cleaned and serviced, new alternators, New starters, two new mixing elbows, two new heat exchangers, Injectors cleaned and serviced,) and both lower units of the SD50 sail drives were replaced, engine compartments cleaned – all of that was under $16,000.

[dhenline]

I am not surprised you got more than you bought it for. Prizes have really jumped, even on the new boats.
I have watched all the three year old reviews of boat and I am amazed how much the middle range boats (seawind 1260 etc) have jumped in price new over the past three years. about 40 increase, obviously more than inflation. I doubt the prices will go back down.
I have seen used boats now staying on the market longer than I think they previously were.
don

[fxykty]

In Australia a mid-2000s L440 sells for around AUD 600K. Well found for a lot more, tired a bit less.