So I have been on a boating kick lately (have you noticed?) and I wanted to record a few interesting boat makes and models that I have come across and a quick note of why.
Oyster
Made in England. Most people regard them as good high quality cruising boats. Likely good in colder climes thanks to their designers being British. Likely short overhead inside. Some have hard lifelines/rails.
Oyster 39 ketch
A cute little ketch. Center cockpit design. By most accounts a sturdy built boat with a high center cockpit to keep sailors dry. Interior looks fairly compact, but most models have a "workshop" space behind the nav station.
Oyster 37 Pilothouse
An oddball that and not many around. Definitely a better layout that the other two, IMHO. Also a bit of an odd layout since the overall hull is fairly small for a full pilothouse. I have yet to see good pictures of the interior, and none are for sale anywhere at this time.
Beneteau
Known around the world but mostly as a company that builds charter boats. The largest benefit that I see is that they can be had relatively cheaply on the used market and they are fairly roomy boats. Their lineup has been sailed around the world and across oceans, of course with ample prep work. The older, pre 2000s, models are much less nice inside, IMHO.
Benetau Oceanis 40 CC 42CC 400CC
A bit of an outlier in the Beneteau range. Can be found with a nice hard dodger, and has a neat folding swim platform a the stern. Typical center cockpit interior layout; looks cramped in the walkthrough and minim headroom in rear cabin.
Jeanneau
Sun Odyssey DS models
Mostly in the 40-50' range, the Deck Saloon models offer a much brighter saloon and kitchen area while not quite offering the height of a pilot house.
Freedom Yachts
An interesting brand that usually gets miss labeled as a Freedom and vise versa.
Early to mid 1980s models that use a spar mast (freestanding) and a small jib. Supposed to be decent sailing boats, but I believe the real benefits are in the roomy, appearing, interior.
Amel
Only vintage Amels fit in my budget. They are nice boats, as best as I can tell. The particulars are wide and varied: Hard life-lines, Hard dodger, pilot station vs central wheel/tiller.
Alubat
Alubat Ovni.
A cool modern aluminum boat. most have a swing keel. Very expensive.
Hanse
Not many in north america. Look nice, look affordable (maybe cheaply finished, dont know) Possibly a neat option.
Farr
While not really a model, he did produce some nice designs. There are a couple of cruisers and pilot house models in his catalog. Many different yards have produced different models so only the idea is left here.
Oyster
Made in England. Most people regard them as good high quality cruising boats. Likely good in colder climes thanks to their designers being British. Likely short overhead inside. Some have hard lifelines/rails.
Oyster 39 ketch
A cute little ketch. Center cockpit design. By most accounts a sturdy built boat with a high center cockpit to keep sailors dry. Interior looks fairly compact, but most models have a "workshop" space behind the nav station.
Oyster 37 Pilothouse
An oddball that and not many around. Definitely a better layout that the other two, IMHO. Also a bit of an odd layout since the overall hull is fairly small for a full pilothouse. I have yet to see good pictures of the interior, and none are for sale anywhere at this time.
DuJardain
DuJardain Atlantis 430
Absolutely stunning in pictures. Aluminum hull, nice deck, nice arch in the stern, also a lovely sugar scoop swim platform on some. Small number of yachts produced over many years so lots of variety on interiors and deck particulars.
Beneteau
Known around the world but mostly as a company that builds charter boats. The largest benefit that I see is that they can be had relatively cheaply on the used market and they are fairly roomy boats. Their lineup has been sailed around the world and across oceans, of course with ample prep work. The older, pre 2000s, models are much less nice inside, IMHO.
Benetau Oceanis 40 CC 42CC 400CC
A bit of an outlier in the Beneteau range. Can be found with a nice hard dodger, and has a neat folding swim platform a the stern. Typical center cockpit interior layout; looks cramped in the walkthrough and minim headroom in rear cabin.
Jeanneau
Sun Odyssey DS models
Mostly in the 40-50' range, the Deck Saloon models offer a much brighter saloon and kitchen area while not quite offering the height of a pilot house.
Freedom Yachts
An interesting brand that usually gets miss labeled as a Freedom and vise versa.
Early to mid 1980s models that use a spar mast (freestanding) and a small jib. Supposed to be decent sailing boats, but I believe the real benefits are in the roomy, appearing, interior.
Amel
Only vintage Amels fit in my budget. They are nice boats, as best as I can tell. The particulars are wide and varied: Hard life-lines, Hard dodger, pilot station vs central wheel/tiller.
Alubat
Alubat Ovni.
A cool modern aluminum boat. most have a swing keel. Very expensive.
Hanse
Not many in north america. Look nice, look affordable (maybe cheaply finished, dont know) Possibly a neat option.
Farr
While not really a model, he did produce some nice designs. There are a couple of cruisers and pilot house models in his catalog. Many different yards have produced different models so only the idea is left here.
2/15/21 Update
I have, since writing all of the above, come upon a couple of other models that I want to mention here.
Dufour Atoll
A very unique design that I really love on paper. The windows and upper level kitchen, I think, are great features. Obviously not the best sailing boat ever, and the sales numbers show that it was not a success at the time. Finding a used model for sale will be difficult as I read somewhere that there were only 45 of the 43' model sold.
