Buying the right monohull brand

[Pilot90442]

The Admiral and I have decided that a monohull will meet our needs for the foreseeable future. We wish to liveaboard (she is totally on board) as I continue to work. My job allows me to move up and down the east coast kinda like snowbirds. So coastal sailing, Florida keys, Chesapeake bay and trips to the Bahamas are in order. It will be the 2 of us and 2 medium dogs. Occasional kids/grandkids.
We are looking at used boats that can still be financed so less then 20 years old. Budget of 250k
THE ADMIRAL likes the room of the 50ish foot boats.
We don t like the typical charter layout. Too much wasted space on unused rooms and heads.

We like the 2008 or so Hunter 50 cc in its lay out all but the number of stairs. She likes the idea of fewer steps of some of the other production boats.

Should we go with the budget production boats Beneteau Jeanneau Hunter etc and keep the purchase cost down or buy one of the higher quality boats Amel IP Oyster etc knowing that one day all boats get sold. The last ones would require a higher budget for sure but will have a better reputation.

What I'm getting at is coastal sailing has different requirements then blue water and some boats are better suited for one over the other.
Your thoughts.

[David M]

Given you are going to be living onboard and not taking it far offshore, get one with the largest interior you can find within your budget. I think the lower cost production boats would be more suited to this.

[S/V Illusion]

For coastal sailing, the limiting factor isn't the nameplate on the boat but the seamanship of the crew.

I'd focus on the latter rather than worry about brand name as for your purpose, almost anything can fit your stated requirements.

[Kenomac]

We owned a Hunter 450 for two years, then sold it to purchase our current Oyster 53 we've had for six years, and will most likely have for the next 15... unless we're somehow able to purchase an Oyster 62-70ft.

My wife didn't like the Hunter after a relatively short time because she thought it was "too tippy and creaky" and that scared her. That said, the Hunter will probably suit your needs and the Oyster will take you around the world if you wish to do that someday.

Have fun either way.

[donradcliffe]

If you want to use the ICW, that will limit your draft to about 6 ft and your air draft to 64 ft. A used boat is a much better deal than a new boat. Not only do you avoid the rapid depreciation of a new boat, you also avoid being tied up by warranty repairs. The warranty issues may be somewhat manufacturer dependent, but many of them are for installed equipment, such as gensets, air conditioners, electronics, etc.

[sailingharry]

Originally Posted by David M

Given you are going to be living onboard and not taking it far offshore, get one with the largest interior you can find within your budget. I think the lower cost production boats would be more suited to this.

I somewhat disagree. For two people in 40+ feet, a large interior is excessive. It meets the boat show "wow factor" and certainly meets the 4-couple charter requirement. But the cruising couple should be more concerned with room for storage, systems, and tankage. A place to put a years worth of clothing, all the toys, and several weeks of groceries. Room for the a/c, generator, water maker, larger batteries, etc. Enough tankage to go a month without having to go get water or fuel. A dinette that can seat 8 is not very useful.