Hi Nikki,
Thanks for the good info. No, we haven't boat a boat yet, will likely wait a year or two. My sailing club has a 52.2 and I really like sailing it. I saw a beautiful one listed for sale in December down in BVI (cutter rigged) and I was tempted to just go for it but we really won't be ready for another 1.5 years. So for now, I'll jst get as much time as I can on the one in my club.

Thanks again for your message,
Joe

Actually 4 electric winches and 2 furling sails - the main in-boom. I'd prefer a second furling head sail and an in-boom main, but hey, maybe next time....although next time i might choose a 50ft daggerboard catamaran if i felt i could sail it and afford it....

Hi Joe,
sorry, I just saw your comment from December. Did you get boat yet? Ours has 3 electric winches. My husband has sailed it single a few day-times - once in 40 knots. I feel comfortable when on night watch on my own, furling and unfurling sails (due to low wind). I have only been 15nm offshore, though, at night in light conditions. We don't have a huge amount of experience and are finding the Jeanneau good for learning to live aboard and do our first ocean sailing on. Planning first passage this year - from Aust to New Cal. We bought this particular boat because it was a stronger build than a lot of newer, similar production boats. It's a 2002. Apparently, as you say, in recent years the build materials on a lot of production boats have been a lesser quality. We chose the 52 ft because we have 2 kids and it is our home. It's the biggest boat I've ever sailed and I like the size, but so far we haven't had a lot of repair or rigging replacement costs, so maybe that's why.

Hi Nikki,

I recently joined Cruisers Forum and saw your post from earlier this year that you'd bought a Jeanneau 52.2. We're interested in this model and wonder if you'd mind sharing your experience. Especially on how it might handle when sailing shorthanded. It will be just my wife and I. We hope to do some passages so looking for blue water capable. My main concern is whether the 52.2 might be too large for just the two of us. We have experience chartering in the Caribbean and Croatia but no real passages.

I've chartered a 52.2 here in San Francisco - had it out for a day on the Bay and was impressed. It felt so much more solid and better constructed that the newer production boats we've chartered. We'd been looking in the 40'-45' size, 2010 or newer, but after sailing the 52.2 have decided older, larger, better construction might be a better combination.

Any comments or insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks much
Joe
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