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| The Honcho at the shipyard, ready to be hauled out and packed up for the road trip to Anacortes. |
Last Friday we finished up the paperwork and handed the keys to the Honcho over to her new owners, who will have her hauled out and trucked to Anacortes where she'll be relaunched. From there she'll sail to her new home in Sidney, BC, Canada.
It was bittersweet to see the boat go because we had such an enjoyable four years with her. But all things must end, and with the Honcho off to her new home we are ready to begin to search in earnest for our next boat, which is the first step toward new sailing adventures. We were very fortunate to have found the Honcho, a boat that had been lightly used by her previous owners. We'd like to find another boat that has had no modifications or 'upgrades' so we can start with a 'clean slate' and set it up for offshore cruising with top quality equipment.
Over the last few months we've looked at quite a few boats in person and online. We really liked a Delphia 40GT that we found in San Diego, but it was sold a few weeks before we could make an offer on it. I've reviewed several boats in previous posts here that caught my eye, but so far we have not settled on a particular make or model. At this point I would say the Beneteau 423 comes closest to what we're looking for. It seems to embody that balance of design, construction, performance, comfort and budget that we're looking for, and is the benchmark that we've been sort of measuring other boats by. If we weren't constrained by a budget I'd say the Hallberg Rassy 412 would fit the bill nicely, but of course our budget can't handle that much boat. But a boat of that ilk is what we're looking for. I'll keep you posted as we wander around the country searching for the perfect, or almost perfect boat.
So, if you came across a good deal on a catamaran, would you go for it?
ReplyDeleteIf not, please state your reservations.
Good question! Catamarans can be exciting to sail as well as excellent cruising yachts. In the Caribbean, where the water is thin, it's hard to argue against them. However, I would have to say that I would not choose a catamaran as my personal cruising yacht in spite of the fact that I have thoroughly enjoyed cruising and racing them. Way back in the 70's I owned C class cat and it was the most exciting boat I've ever sailed before or since. Recently we spent a couple of weeks cruising with friends aboard their beautiful Leopard 42 in Panama.
ReplyDeleteWith all that said, a monohull is a better fit for our cruising needs. I may change that feeling after we spend some time cruising in the Caribbean, but for now, I prefer the ease and simplicity of a monohull.