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best cruising catamaran

Sailboat Shopping & The Almost Perfect Catamaran

We’ve learned a ton since we posted our first sailboat shopping experience a couple of weeks ago. Even when we fled south to the Keys it wasn’t all serene paddles on turquoise waters and laughs over sunset pina coladas.  We’ve spent hours wondering the docs, searching, researching and chatting up every sailor we’ve come across.

We’ve seen some potential cats come and go within hours of listing.  We’ve expanded our search to include the islands and even the world.  We’ve spoken and met with other full time cruisers, been aboard all types of boats and even spent some time learning and looking with one of our friends who’s an ASA sailing instructor.

We realize there’s a major benefit to purchasing a boat that has NEVER been chartered but that is proving difficult to find.  Add to that our new found love for an “owners version” and now we’ve narrowed the search down big time.  We feel like we’ve got a solid beat on what will and won’t work for us and what is a smart, long term, live aboard boat.

Fortunately, the east coast of Florida is a hot spot for catamarans and currently there are few that could potentially be our dream boat.

By the end of the video we were a little mentally exhausted (as I am sure was evident) and we only viewed two boats! To our credit, there were a few hours of driving involved to go see them that added to the day’s toll.

The day however was a great success because we were able to scratch one more brand of boat off our list of potentials.  Now we really know exactly what we are looking for and can go on a virtual world wide hunt!

Our Dream Catamaran

  • A Leopard 43 or Lagoon 410 is at the top of our list
  • Asking price under $300k
  • Owners version that’s never been chartered or lightly chartered and well maintained

A few thoughts on the boats we viewed…

Leopard 43

The first catamaran we viewed in the video was a 2005 Leopard 43 that fits our search perfectly.  Low engine hours, well cared for, light usage and many of the upgrades and service have been done at Just Catamarans, so Kent knows this boat well.  We really like the Leopards overall as they seem to be very solid boats, known for good performance and easy to work on as they have good access to everything. The downside: The asking price is more than $100k over our planned budget.  On top of that, it’s priced higher than other Leopards on the market.

Fontaine Pajot Belize

After seeing the FP Mahe, talking to Kent and doing a little more online research and polling other sailors we’ve moved all Fontaine Pajots to the bottom of our list.  The largest reason being accessibility to wiring, plumbing and the engines.  On top of that, FP seems to make a lighter built boat that shows age, along with wear-and-tear a lot faster than some other brands we’ve looked at.

However, we do like the looks of them and some of the layouts.  Which is why for the sake of not completely ruling FP out, we decided to check out a promising owner’s version which we showed in the video.  Sadly, we were not impressed with this particular FP as it was in horrible condition and way, way overpriced for its condition.

Lagoon 410

We had originally planned to see a Lagoon 410 this day as well, but during our first viewing the broker called Kent and told him the cat was now under contract and they didn’t want anyone else to step foot aboard the vessel in order to limit risk of accidental damage.  What a bummer!  This is the 3rd Lagoon 410 that has sold (or gone under contract) in the past few weeks and we still haven’t had the chance to see one in person.  Obviously, it’s a very popular cruising boat.

 

A little update on our Broker

There are good salespeople and bad salespeople. We’ve all encountered them and the bad ones can leave a long lasting distaste with a desire to never encounter their likes again.

After watching our first sailboat shopping video we’ve had several sailors reach out to us and tell us things like “Kent is one of the most honest people in the business.” and “Just Catamarans is by far the best place to have your cat serviced.” Through serendipity, we even met a couple other Cat brokers who have said great things about him. Of course they also jokingly said that’s he’s their competition and they’ll beat any offer he makes.

Through this process we’ve also met a few other brokers that gave us that creepy, we’re totally getting swindled, get me outta here salesman vibe.  So we feel good about our choice to go with Kent (who was recommended by our sailing friends).

Kent has personally sailed and serviced so many of the brands/models of catamarans we’re looking at.  His understanding of each of the model years and brands is exactly what we need as newbies.  He seems to be very conscious of our wants and need and he is helping steer us in the right direction…even though I jokingly gave him the finger of shame in the video.  Kent, if you’re reading this don’t let it get to your head, we haven’t bought a boat yet so the jury is still out.

 

What’s Next

Based on our wants and needs we’re going to keep searching for a Leopard 43 and a Lagoon 410 (and keep our eye out for anything else interesting).  We’re hoping one comes up on the market that’s closer to our budget, even if it is a bit more of a “fixer upper” or a year or two older.  While we’re waiting it won’t hurt to put in an offer on the Leopard 43 Owners Version that we looked at.  We’re just don’t want to “kick him in the gut” with too much of a low-ball offer (it is a nice boat)…but it can’t hurt to try right!?!

Sailing!!!! We’re going sailing!  Our ASA sailing instructor friend (his name is Sheldon) just purchased a new to him Lagoon 410 that he needs to move from St. Augustine to Ft. Lauderdale.  We’re going to be his crew and are excited to soak up all the knowledge and share the journey with all of you!  We’re headed that way today, so wish us luck and fair weather!

Gratitude

Thank you to everyone who’s left words of encouragement, sent their thoughts about each cat we’ve looked at and even those who have left words of caution. We enjoy reading every comment and we feel like we’re all in this together…and that makes the whole process a little less scary and a lot more fun. THANK YOU for being a part of the journey!

Share  your thoughts, advice, questions and tips in the comments below!

 

Extras you may have noticed:

Equipment used to film this video:

 

Disclosure: None of this is a paid endorsement. There’s no affiliation, compensation, sponsorship or discounts with Kent our broker, Just Catamarans or any sailing brand, boat or product.

Hello there! I honestly don’t know what to say, so I am going to tell you a bunch of random facts instead. I'm a fish eating vegetarian who hates spiders and loves snakes. I almost never took vacations growing up. I wanted to be Pippi Longstocking (still do). I misspell about every other word I write and still struggle with grammar. I love splurging on a good high tea (which is really hard to find these days). And whatever you do, don’t tell me I can’t do something, because then I'll HAVE to do it!

Comments (83)

  • Terry brady

    My wife and I had loved your website and RV adventures. We just retired and went full time RVing, partially based on your information, mid April this year.
    What the heck? You are no longer RVing?
    Now I have to get a boat(lol)?
    Have a great time and keep the info coming.
    What’s next for you two spaceships?

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  • Norwood Milton

    Thanks so much for the fascinating view on the experience of shopping for a sailboat” ! Does your choice of
    “CATamarans” have anything to do with those gorgeous creatures that allow you in their RV? They look like
    really cool cats. Your video provides a chance for people in the landlocked NW WA to do more than just dream
    about shopping for a sailboat all by ourselves. Well made and full of great info. Keep it going & good luck
    ” CAT HUNTING” !

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  • Steve Pariseau

    My wife and I are wondering why one of your stipulations was no prior charter? Our research suggests charter boats tend to be well maintained and readied for sale. Is this not true? I don’t recall where we read that, possibly sailnet.com. Please fill us in on your reasons. Our shopping has just begun.

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    • The service technicialns we’ve met all say “no charter” and they compare it to buying a corvette that was in a rental fleet. People use them, don’t understand them, abuse them, then drop them off and a few minutes later the boat goes back out.
      I know people who have purchased charter boats and they’ve been just fine. Also keep in mind a charter boat is usually bare bones and has lots of engine hours.

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  • Kristi

    Hi Jason and Nikki!
    I am with you, those shutters are awesome ! So simple! I actually got a sample from the company when I was looking at blinds for our Airstream about 6 months ago. Here is the link to the company that sells them. http://www.zarcor.com/products/clozures/index.php#gal-image-0
    Looking forward to seeing your next adventure on the water. We would love to be able to do something similar and cats would be our preferred boat as well. Good luck with everything!

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  • Valerie

    Please, take a look at the places where metal parts connected to the fiberglass body of all Leopards. Do you see those radiating little cracks? They are on every single Leopard I have ever seen. Just see what you think about it. Leopard takes bad weather very nicely. It is a little pain in the a.. while docking, but no big deal. Goes very well to the wind.

    Lagoons are very solid, lots of storage, awsome in closed quaters. Do not go into the wind well, hubby horse like crazy in bigger waves- safe, but very uncomfortable.

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    • Valerie,
      We noticed exactly the same things you mention in what little time we’ve spent on Leopards and Lagoons. It is hard to beat the easy access of the Leopard, which is a huge benefit for us since we’ll be upgrading and tinkering a lot as we learn and grow.
      Thanks for sharing.

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  • Well, if you’re searching for a “dream boat”, you might check out our Dream Catcher. We just had a buyer back out and now we need to sell it privately (if we can). 2009 Leopard 40. Details at our blog: http://dreamcatcher-sv.blogspot.com/p/dream-catcher-details.html

    Anyway, good luck with your search!

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  • Sandra

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  • Allan

    Here’s a slightly shorter version of one of your favorite cats. Kind of high on the engine hours, and a 4 cabin 2 head configuration, but a tempting price:
    http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/boa/5538594257.html

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  • William

    Hey Guys, occasionally check commonwealthboatbrokers.com for deals. They did have a Lagoon 410 available but it looked like it needed lots of TLC.

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  • Stephanie

    Here’s another possibility, just keep your options open. http://www.zerotocruising.com/pdq-32-for-sale/

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  • Jake

    Not my boat, but have you seen this? Will be in Ft Lauderdale by June, Including email address below

    http://www.svtangent.com/p/for-sale.html

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  • Max

    Hi Guys ~ I just happened to run across your sight looking at Catamaran’s on You Tube and this couldn’t be better timing. I’m about to take my first ASA 101 sailing class in the next month on my journey to get “Bareboat” certified so I can Charter a Cat for my wife and I just for pleasure. I’ve never sailed before so I’m curious how you are going about getting all of your cert’s to be able to do Chartering to make a living ? Cheers ~ Max

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  • Rick

    How about a quick trip to Grenada…
    2006 Leopard 43 and closer to your price range – $264,000
    http://catamaransforsale.com/catamaran-details/?catid=5763328

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  • I’m so excited to watch you guys enjoy this next journey. I was realizing that boating is the grand, off-grid, adventure! Again, just so happy for you, it’s a journey and we are all behind you! Take your time, find the right boat!

    reply
  • illya

    Hi guys, something i mentioned before about salty environments and electronics, this video is a repair of a magna sine that was damaged due to salt in the air. It a long video in depth about repairs but skip to 18:00 to see just how bad it is. A hepa filter room with a positive pressure air flow may prolong the life of anything like it or coating the circuit boards with non conductive material like rubber electrical tape as long as it doesn’t interfere with cooling. I used to do electrical repairs usually motherboard repairs and pin replacements on CPUS. Old pent 4’s lol, But i did a lot of things like that to prevent my automated equipment from being exposed to the salt with my fish tanks.
    Hope this helps 🙂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-1OSFPHi04

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  • Deborah Kerr

    Thanks for taking us with you while I’m sitting at my desk in cold, snowy Ohio on April 10th!!! Loved seeing the sun & palm trees & boats!!

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  • 6 months ago when you started to get serious about switching over to water travel, I bet you didn’t know what you wanted other than leaning towards a Cat. Now that you have gotten your feet wet, picking up on the terminology (HEAD) knowing what you want and don’t want at this point, I think you 2 have come a long way. Just like when you first got into buying your first RV, you guys were all over the place as far as rigs. It doesn’t cost anything to put a “offer” in on that Leopard 43 . You just never know.

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  • Brandon

    Nikki/Jason:

    Hi again, from Seattle. A few more thoughts to pass along:

    1. Don’t let anyone convince you that monohulls are inherently safer than multihulls, this is a long-running debate that is inconclusive, and frankly not worth getting into. Both designs have strengths and weaknesses, and it’s up to you to know how to cope with the weaknesses of your particular boat. We opted for the multihull, but I respect that it’s not for everyone.

    2. It may be a bit more difficult, but not all boats get sold through brokers, so there might be a larger number of “untapped” opportunities out there for you! For example, on the Lagoon Owner’s group on Yahoo, I’ve seen a handful of postings just within the last month. See here: http://www.catamaran-moksha.com for one. (This boat is SWEET – if you get this, I may have to beg for a tour or a ride!) You may choose to join some social media groups of your favorite makes (I know we have a Lagoon group on both Yahoo, and also two others on FaceBook), and then put a request out there to know who’s selling – you might just shake the perfect boat out of hiding!

    3. I have to second what someone said about taking the survey to the boatyard for estimates – this may save you tens of thousands!! We didn’t do that, but really wish we had now, our first boatyard visit was embarrassingly expensive. Also, don’t think that you’re constrained to only have your maintenance done by the boatyard, there are a lot of incredibly competent maintenance professionals out there that will probably be cheaper – AND BETTER!! We learned that one the hard way too…

    4. Everyone knows yachtworld.com, but have you seen iboats.com? I see a 2000 Lagoon 410 (Owner’s version) in Melbourne, FL for $185k. Looks like it needs some TLC, and taxes paid, but it’s a potential.

    5. The training you mention is super important, keep it up! At a minimum, I’d think you want ASA 101, 103, 104, and 114. Maybe post some vids?

    Brandon

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    • Brandon

      I forgot to mention how jealous I am of your Lagoon 410 delivery you’re doing – AWESOME!! Have a GREAT time!!

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  • Cliff

    Unless you’re planning on crossing oceans (and even then) I would go for a smaller boat… Boat cost are exponential with size. There were a few models of Leopard 38 and 40 that you might like just as much. That 43 has as much interior as a mid 50s foot mono. 3 heads in an owner’s version is kinda ridiculous so you might consider changing one out to a wet locker and maybe going with composting head (I really liked your composting head FAQ video BTW)

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  • MAN that Leopard looked GOOD. Not to spend your money for you, but us irresponsible types would make a low-ish offer and take out a loan! LOL btw…. the link in the video annotation that ‘s supposed to go to your website is actually the link for AndrewApplePie… thought you’d want to fix that. 😉

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  • Brian Litz

    So I am an avid boat shopper with a similar budget to you. I too would like a cat but have found so many boats that are mono’s that are in budget. I like the Beneteau 42CC a lot, the Jeaunneau 43DS from about 1999 through 2005. These you can find for $130k in very nice condition. I think they are more like your motorhome and you would adapt well to a mono and there are advantages when it comes to safety and sailing characteristics.

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  • The Professor

    While you are shopping or looking at Cats ask the broker if he has a Tartan 3400 or better yet, an older, well cared for Tartan 3700. Also consider the Hans Christians. Half the cost of the Cats here (150K-175K and up) and worthy vessels to have to rely upon. Save money for an aft radar arch festooned with solar. They are much safer in rough weather and someday you will find yourself in a blow and the song line “Does any man know where the love of God goes when the waves, turn the minutes to hours”. Test drive a good mono hulled cruiser, you may be surprised.

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  • DS

    Hey guys –

    I’m sure you guys are in the loop on catamarans coming up for sale in FL, but just in case, this Leopard 43 in Vero beach just had a big price drop from $300K down to $229K:

    http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2006/Robertson-And-Caine-Leopard-4300-Sail-Catamaran-2884103/Vero-Beach/FL/United-States#.Vwc7ZD_lxE4

    Best of luck!

    Dave.

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  • Terry

    They are called Peek-A-Boo shades. There are competitors that also sell them under their brand names also.

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  • I can’t wait until you guys find your boat! What an adventure that is going to be and I look forward to watching. Just wish I was watching from my RV…

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  • Jeff

    What does “owners version” mean?

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  • We are rooting for you to find the perfect boat soon! The AB tender on the Leopard is an expensive tender. probably $8k-10k used. keep in mind that you can always negotiate in or out items like that. have a great sail on the 410. Sounds like fun trip to give you some hands on experience with a big cat.

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  • lisa weed

    We have those blinds on our sailboat. They come in a white/cream colour and also a dark brown as a black out shade. We got them on line the company is called Zarcor and the blinds are called Clo zures. We love them.
    Cheers and happy hunting for the perfect boat.

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  • Stephen Gloor

    Hi I am really enjoying your RV experiences however with the cat I think you are looking at the wrong things. Most experienced sailors will tell you the primary and most important job of any boat is keeping you alive in a hostile and unforgiving sea. Anything else is secondary.

    You might have looked at them however it is thinks like the anchors and sea anchor that should be top of the priority list along with the condition of the lines and blocks. The sail track on the fully battened sails that you showed is critical. If you can’t lower sail quickly in an emergency due to a jammed sail you can get into real trouble really quick.

    One of the most important things in cats is bridge deck clearance. Some of the ‘luxury’ cats can have, when loaded up with all the luxuries, insufficient clearance which can slap at best and be dangerous at the worst. Also a heavily loaded luxury cat, low in the water, will hardly be faster than a monohull of similar size as cats do not have the same load carrying capacity as monohulls.

    I think that a monohull is a better choice for noobs to sailing. Again experienced sailors will most likely agree a monohull might forgive your four or five bone headed newbie mistakes without you dying. A big cat may forgive one or two and let you live however they are more unforgiving and require sometimes a deft hand at the controls to avoid a life threatening situation, especially in heavy weather. And I know you never plan to travel in heavy weather however if you sail a lot it WILL happen and when it does you need to know what to do.

    Please have a look at this couple’s channel. The skipper Riley started out as a newbie and it is quite an honest log of their mistakes and how they dealt with it.
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZdQjaSoLjIzFnWsDQOv4ww
    http://sailing-lavagabonde.com
    They bought a large mono sight unseen in Spain ad sailed off however it was a lot lot more expensive and difficult than they thought. Add in a huge unseaworthy cat and they may not have done it.

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  • Andy Schiro

    Hey Guys, take your time. Having purchased several offshore boats over the years, here are some tips.
    1. Remember any boat 8 years or older over will most definitely need electrical work.
    2. Hire a certified marine surveyor
    3. Take the survey to a boat yard and see if you can get a rough estimate on the repairs (If you buy the boat, get it over to the boat yard and have them do a complete check of the electrical systems and wiring. Never assume the survey is 100% correct, surveyor’s miss things, a small pinhole or crack in electrical shielding could mean the entire wire or harness is corroded.
    4. Have them check and replace all dried out hoses and corroded thru hull fittings.
    5. Have them check shaft bearing seals Motor and rudders
    6. Have them check the fuel tank for corrosion

    Remember having a pump fail or a fire at sea can be life threatening, It’s not like the RV, you can’t run out and stand by the road.
    Best of Luck

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  • carl newton

    keep the faith.. the right boat is out there plus this might be a bad time of year to look.. Like your salesman advised, take your time, the “universe” will provide you the best boat at the best price at the best time. Be attuned to what you want and it will show up. 🙂

    peace out!!…

    ps i took us over a year to find the 2005 Airstream 31D Classic we just picked up last week in Sarasota florida.
    good luck.

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  • Nikki Buck

    You guys do a great job of videoing & sharing important points. Keep up the great work & know your boat is out there somewhere!

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  • If you’re going to live on a cat for a year or two – go for the best, I say. Having lived in South Florida for 1/2 my life, I’ve seen some gorgeous boats and been to the Miami Boat Show more than once. Also, remember there is hurricane season to deal with, so you have to have safe mooring or be sailing somewhere away from the Caribbean during hurricane season. I envy you. Good luck in your search.

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  • Doug

    Wow! That Leopard was gorgeous! I got caught up in the Hynes Honeymoon blog and Youtube channel after someone mentioned it in the boat show blog comments. I saw their review of the Lagoon 380 and they talked all about the owners version and it sounds like such a great idea to have one whole hull for yourselves and especially a full shower! Loving the boat shopping videos and of course the Keys video! I had thought about living on a boat in a Marina here on the East Coast of FL a while ago but had really only looked at motor yachts due to the size restrictions on a mono-hull but seeing these cats it’s amazing what they can do with them!
    Oh and Congrats on picking up a crew gig! That is so cool and I bet it will be a great learning experience. Hope you guys make a video of that.
    Good luck & Fair winds!

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  • Mary

    Well, I’m glad you are already including me in your plans! 😉 I love the boat. I do hope it works out for you.

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  • Debra Handley

    I really enjoy reading your adventures! About 12 years ago my then fiancé and I went to the Annapolis Boat Show looking to price out a new 40 ft. Cat. We had such fun looking at all the goodies we wanted to include on our boat! Even then, we were almost at 600,000! We started searching for a used boat. They are indeed out there, but hard to find, and spread out all over the place. My fiancé and I broke up, I married a man who prefers a rv over a boat. Too bad there isn’t a Properties Brothers operation out there for folks like you! Keep the faith you two. Your boat is out there somewhere just waiting for you, and when you find it, I think I’ll be as happy for you as you will be!

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  • Richard Cross

    Nikki, Jason, I’ve enjoyed following your RV blog and now your entry into sailing. That Leopard 43 was gorgeous! Regarding your worldwide search, have you tried boats.com searching for Robertson & Caine (the builders of the Leopard cats out of South Africa)? They have two 4 cabin versions of the Leopard 43 listed, not your preferred layout, one in Martinique and one in Spain for around $200K-$220K. Also, they have other Robertson & Caine models listed which might reflect similar build qualities. The boats.com search engine can be filtered with your budgeted amount. I put in “used” “sailing” “cat” and “$200K” and got 15 returns from this builder from as far away as the Seychelles and Croatia. Anyway, if you already have the search covered, never mind. 😉
    http://www.boats.com/boats-for-sale/?condition=used&boat-type=sail&class=sail-catamaran&make=robertson-caine&price=100000-200000

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  • William (Bill) Weaver

    The condition of the first boat is hard to believe. It looks like a fresh water boat. The second boat looks like what happens on a well used saltwater boat. Saltwater is a wicked thing. I looked at power boats in my budget and found those from saltwater compared to fresh water were in much worse condition. I found one in the Great Lakes and transported it. Just a thought. Good luck and don’t give up.

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  • stacieodstacieod

    How safe from the risk of harm from crime when you are at sea. How mach do you know about the risk from crime at sea

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  • bob Lantinga

    Thanks for sharing your boat search. I sail up and down the BC Coast and love stopping at the island water front spots to eat and explore. I suggest you take a power squadron course. You will learn all the things you need to navigate in the dark and new areas.b Read charts and do plotting. now adays you can buy a unit which has a plot chart on it and water temperature and fish finder as well as depth sounder all in on eunit. and even auto pilot. Anther good idea is to get a ham radio licence and sat phone for emergency. Most boats will have a marine radio. you also got to register the boat . have fun looking forward to your next videos

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  • Hal Lucas

    Loved the video. One of your best. I would love to see you in the Leopard. It looked brand new on the video. I think you should make an offer. Good luck, we’re rooting for you.

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  • James R.

    There called…

    Peek-A-Boo Porthole Shutters or Peek-A-Boo Privacy Shutter
    http://www.zarcor.com/products/clozures/#gal-image-0

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  • -cb.

    boats are the easiest thing to buy, and the hardest to sell…take your time and you will eventually know exactly what you want and where every possible candidate is in the world, and whether or not they are or might be for sale….you will be glad you did, and learn mountains in the process…enjoy the journey.

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  • Brian

    I have really enjoyed following your RV adventures, and I love watching your sailboat shopping. I commend you on being debt free. There’s no better feeling in the world. With that said, and this is just my 2 cents, but DON”T go into debt to buy a boat, I think you’ll regret it. You’re venturing into somewhat unknown territory and like all us in similar situations there will be those hidden and unsuspected costs. I’ve never owned a boat, but looking at the videos, I see 2 engines to maintain, lots of navigation equipment, sails, ropes, and hundred of other items I don’t even know about. Looks like a lot more to maintain then a motor home. One other point, and I’m sure you two have considered this, but since you’re new to sailing, how long do you think you’ll have your first boat? I think you have switched motor homes a few times, I know myself I went thru 5 different ones before settling on the one I have now………….why? because we all go thru learning curves. Once involved in your high seas adventures, you’ll gain experience thru “hands on” and since you’ll be living on the seas, you’ll be meeting and talking to fellow sailors and seeing what equipment and boats they have and recommend. Again, my 2 cents, but stay within your budget, be conservative, get something you’re financially comfortable with, that way you’ll have the extra $$ for those unknown fixes and equipment needs. Like your broker and others have said, be patient. Good shopping and good luck. Again, really enjoy your site. keep the videos coming.

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  • Vicki Cosier

    Your boat shopping is like my RV shopping! Love your Bounder with solar and WiFi setup. But alas, like you are finding….over my budget.

    Love the videos. Leopold was very nice! Maybe you should approach the manufacturer for a “try out” model? Then we could learn along with you through your video blogs.

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  • John Puccetti

    Very good I think this much better option than going off grid in Idaho in a 36″ deep frost line below grade. You will not freeze to death!

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  • Jerry Cummins

    Really enjoyed the Leopard 43 and Lagoon 410 shopping video and the couch talk at the end. Thus the question: Do they make cat strength sea sick medication for the poor cats?

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  • KARINA MENDEZ KEIL

    Hi you two :), I’ve enjoyed following your travels and feel like I’m learning right along side you. Great, clean, and easy to follow (and entertaining, of course) content! Just a thought- you two have so much experience traveling, video, blogging etc. why not find a sponsor similar to Fleetwood in the cat world? You can create content and take us all along for learning the ropes as you become full time sailors while perhaps producing a bit of content for the cat company that sponsors you or giving them feedback- a la Fleetwood. I think there might be an un-explored opportunity for you two to build off your current success! Best of luck and our warmest regards, Karina & Justin

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  • illya

    That boat is in incredible condition for 11 years old, immaculate. I know whatever decision you make will be the best one debt or not. Amazing how much you know about boats in like no time at all. I myself do everything i can to avoid loans or debt because i just despise banks and credit cards so much. But typically everyone has to get a loan to buy a house. The restraint you show is admirable, the majority of people would have latched on to that beautiful needle in a haystack boat and not thought twice about tomorrows debt. Fellow rv readers—- help them out if you can, even 5.00 Paypal helps a little, they sure have given us a lot.
    Thanks for another great video and sharing of your lives.

    thanks, illya

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  • John S.

    That 2005 Leopard 43 is one of the cleanest looking decade-old boats that I’ve ever seen. I noticed that it is the Reset from Toronto.

    Perhaps the owner will take $300 k in Canadian dollars. (That’d save you over 70 grand!)

    Thanks for taking us along for the sales trip. Hope to see some great video from your re-positioning voyage and, if nothing else, I expect you’ll be more comfortable NOT saying ‘ropes’ and ‘bathroom’.

    P.S. Have you bought your first pair of deck shoes yet?

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  • Robert Lighton

    I can see you guys in the Leopard. Good luck….

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  • Scot

    Great video guys. I really liked that Leopard, but I agree, sounds like staying out of debt will just add to your sense of freedom when you finally get to go sailing. To get what you want, though, it looks like you might have to either up your budget, or consider looking at smaller boats. The best piece of advice we got when we were in your situation was to buy the smallest boat you think you can get away with. It ended up giving us a lot of flexibility after the purchase, including cheaper mooring in marinas, smaller (and cheaper) equipment for upgrades, easier sail handling, more places we could haul out, etc. What about a really clean Lagoon 380 or Leopard 40? If you can find one, they might match your budget more closely, as well as making your boat owning life cheaper and easier.

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  • Cheryl Robertson

    Loved the video. Understand the champagne-taste but beer-pocketbook situation. I encourage you, too, to listen to the good advice you are getting about being patient. Staying out of debt gives you so many more life options, even if it looks like it’s going to limit your living space a bit. Enjoy crewing! Hope it is a blast!

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  • Oh exciting! You’re going to crew! You’re getting closer and closer to your dream. Serendipity will step in, I have no doubt, when the time is right. Looking forward to your first sailing video!

    Nina

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  • Brent

    Those shades are called Clozures and come from Zarcor.com. They make them for RVs too, that is what is in those teardrop micro trailers with the round Windows. Easy to clean.

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  • Blake

    Check out a Manta 42 while your there

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  • Sheila Hagadone

    You’re finally get to see & work on a Lagoon 410! Have fun!

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  • Rod Reichardt

    I have to say that the Leopard 43 looks really nice. I get that you guys are trying to stay debt free but I don’t think you’re going to find a cleaner boat of that age. The motor compartment was immaculate. I get that everything looks better in video but it looked great. What kind of timetable are you guys on? Is there a time limit on your Bounder or can you keep it as long as you want? I know in the RV world they say something like, “Your second coach is the one you should have bought first.” If they don’t say that they should. You learn so much about what is important to you in a coach rather than what a salesperson or manufacturer thinks is important. I am sure the same thing applies to live aboard boats. It’s probably difficult to get it right the first time so you are probably wise to take your time. That being said that Leopard 43 looks perfect. It’s the first boat in your videos that I thought I could live in. Good luck with your search.

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  • Sheila Hagadone

    The bar is a PERFECT Nikki & Jason’s Catamaran!
    But I agree with you, stay out of debt!

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  • Alan Coe

    Having sailed all of these cats your list and priority ranking is very good. Would agree completely.
    You might also consider the Leopard 40 and 42, which are also available on the resale market. Have sailed them they are very similar to the Leopard 43 with the exception of the # of heads (4, 3, or 2), sail similar and are of similar build quality all coming from the South African boatyards (Robertson & Caine or Morelli & Melvin). One consideration is the more heads the more toilets/plumbing, hoses, and through hole fittings to repair and maintain. The simpler the boat the easier and less expensive to maintain.
    Good luck in your search.

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  • Mark

    Hi Wynns,
    Regarding a huge purchase such as a catamaran. IMHO it’s best …within reason, to establish your needs and wait until your budget allows you to meet them. Letting your current funds dictate your choices rarely ends with any real long-term satisfaction. Keep up the good work, your videos are top notch. Many thanks

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  • Hello Guys,
    Love your videos, but I have to say I think you may be jumping in a bit over your head with the boats you are looking at. I strongly suggest you get a little sea time on some of these boats and see how they sail. There is a lot more to boats than how much space in the kitchen; these type of cats are extremely expensive to maintain and you better be pretty good at fixing things or be ready to fork out loads of money for people to repair it for you. Take it from someone who has 35 years of sailing experience, owns a half dozen boats, including a Gemini 105MC, Moore 24 and J24; started sailing at age 14; built my first boat at age 17….20 year racing experience, Fleet Captain and Harbormaster at local club……anyway you get the picture.

    The boat you really want is called a Seawind 1160 Lite, which retails for about $310,000 new from the factory last time I checked. Low maintenance outboards, simple proven systems and sails like a star. Let me just say I have spent the last 20+ years looking for the perfect cat for offshore; and that is it. But none of these big cats are no good on the west coast (SF Bay is my favorite sailing area); no place to put them and I do not like offshore cruising; find it boring as hell; rather fly there and charter….but for coastal work, nothing beat the shallow draft of a Gemini 105MC…Anyway, that’s my 2 cents.

    Oh, could I suggest you make some good use of your time and enroll in a sailing course or two…it will be good to know how to sail once you do find that boat…or at least be sure you like sailing; it is not for everyone. Many people I have taught never really get the hang of it; which can be downright dangerous in a large boat.

    Fair Winds….keep up the great videos.

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