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40' to 45' SF Convertible - Riviera? - Silverton? - (Luhrs ?) - Any Others?

Discussion in 'General Sportfish Discussion' started by NewSouthSailor, Jun 5, 2011.

  1. NewSouthSailor

    NewSouthSailor New Member

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    I have spent considerable time researching on the internet in general and specially in this forum. Many thanks to all the forum members who share valuable knowledge and information here!

    I’ll try to be as brief as possible laying out my situation and my questions. Thanks for taking time to read and to answer with any feedback you may have!

    I am a first time boat buyer looking for a SF convertible in the 40’ to 45’ range.

    I plan to purchase the boat on the US east coast (preferably southeast), possibly in the gulf.

    I might spend some time on the boat in US waters with a professional captain and/or hire a captain to bring the boat down to Venezuela where I live. Here in Venezuela I plan to hire a captain for at leats a year or two in order learn before even considering to get out on the water without a pro on board. The boat will mainly be used for weekend trips from the coast to the islands of Los Roques, La Tortuga, etc. These would typically be 200 to 250 nm trips back and forth (e.g. 100 nm crossing in each direction) with stays of 2 or 3 days at the island(s). There are no marinas at these islands meaning the generator would be working 24 hours a day. The main use will be cruising and resting at anchor in nice bays. Fishing is not a priority. The trips will be my wife and I, the captain … and now and then a friend or a couple of friends.

    The seas down here are quite calm about half of the time but windy and quite choppy the rest of the time.

    Fuel cost is no concern. A 800 gallon tank of fuel goes for about 25 USD. No, that’s not a joke and it ain’t a ‘miscalculation’ neither.

    Profile:
    SF Convertible 40 to 45 feet. Fuel tank 600 gallons +. Good seakeeping. Cruise 25 kts+. Top 30 kts+. Nice boat to be at and to spend leisure time at. Price target: USD 300’000 to USD 400’000.

    With these criteria I have narrowed my search (for now) to:
    Riviera 40 (e.g. 2005 to 2007).
    Rivera 42 or 43 (a bit bigger, but typically a bit older and slower)
    Silverton 45
    Luhrs 41 (I understand there has been a big deal of controversy abouth Luhrs. Please let me know if you think from a certain year of production onwards they have overcome their troubles.)

    I have looked into other ‘big name’ SF’s like Viking, Cabo, Mickelson, etc. but for my price target they look a bit steep unless I wanted to go for a pretty ‘old’ boat.

    I look forward to reading your feedbacks on any of the aspects laid out here! Thanks in advance!
  2. AdrenalinJunki

    AdrenalinJunki New Member

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    You might also look at Ocean Yachts. I've owned a '82 55' and a '97 53'. They are a nice boat for the money. If they were a car they'd be the equivalent of maybe an Oldsmobile or Buick, nicer than a Chevy, not a Caddy. I think it's a better boat than a Luhrs.
  3. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,

    With long tuns in your program would it not ne prudent to look at boats that can run at a good cruising speed.

    If you can do 25 kts 100 miles will take you 4 hours each way, if it's only 20 the travel time slips to 5 hrs each way - 10 hrs of travel for a 2 - 3 day weekend.

    The novelty might soon wear off.
  4. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Not a prticularly great lover of the Silverton, especially in a quartering sea, nor their quality. Don't count on those calm seas carrying the full 100nm. You could easily run through multiple weather systems in that distance. Other than that it sounds like you're heading in the right direction on all counts.
  5. NewSouthSailor

    NewSouthSailor New Member

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    Thanks everybody for your feedback!

    @ AdrenalinJunki: I did look at Ocean and like them. To make my money target I'd have to move towards a 2000 or older 45' or 48' Super Sport ... and that is a bit of a concern in terms of age (and size) when it comes to maintenance. What do you think? (Besides the 'smaller' Ocean's have rather small fuell tanks.)

    @ K1W1: I agree. More speed would always be nice. Though I'm not sure this will be realistic given the money I want to spend on the purchase.

    @ NYCAP123: Thanks for your comment on Silverton. Do you have any experience with Luhrs? Would you even consider them given their recent 'troubles'? On the other hand I might keep Mikelson 43' on my short list. Do you know these boats? Any comment?
  6. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    NewSouthSailor

    Take a look at the newer 42 posts (even though they just went out of business. avoid 1998-2002?). Solid, fast, economical boats because of the low dead rise at transom and sharp entry. Not as comfortable in heavy seas as say a Viking but handles pretty darn well nonetheless.
  7. NewSouthSailor

    NewSouthSailor New Member

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    @ BEAU: Thanks for your feedback! I like the Post 42'! ... but there seems to be only one on the market from 2003 onwards and in my price range (in this moment). I'll keep having an eye at them in any case.
  8. AdrenalinJunki

    AdrenalinJunki New Member

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    My 53' Ocean with the 820hp Mans had a 27.5 kt cruise at 1950 rpm. I don't remember actual GPH numbers, but it was efficient. The 1000 hour service on the Mans was expensive, but they ran flawless. Due to the market dropping so drastically I paid $525,000 for it in '04, and sold in '09 $219,000 so there are deals to be had.
  9. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    I wouldn't even CONSIDER a Silverton for the type of cruising you're looking to do. I would look at a 40 Cabo. I would definately take an older 43' Cabo over what you're considering and not worry about the year. There is a 2000 45' Cabo at National Liquidators that can be had pretty cheap. The newish Post's are another consideration. Viking is another great choice. I would go a few years older and for a good quality boat if I was doing 250nm round trips on a regular basis.
  10. Mark I

    Mark I Member

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    Agree with Capt J 100%.

    I would rather have a well maintained, quality "older" boat than a cheaper new one. There are deals to be had on older boats that have not only been maintained but seriously upgraded.
  11. AdrenalinJunki

    AdrenalinJunki New Member

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    I agree with what everyone else is saying. I think most of us know that we get what we pay for, but sometimes we don't want to believe it. I thought my Oceans were good boats, but they weren't a Hatteras or Bertram. One of the good things about Ocean Yachts is they are good at fuel consumption, but they get the performance by building a lighter boat that rides good, but not as good as Hatt/Bert. For me, I got my money's worth.
  12. dsharp

    dsharp Senior Member

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    I haven't seen a Luhrs in awhile so I don't know if they have improved on the build quality or not. The older ones did not have a very good reputation. I was at the boatyard the other day and they had an Ocean hauled out and setting in front of a comparable sized Bertram. The difference in the size of the running gear, ie the shafts, struts, and rudders was considerable. In my opinion, any of the Jersey area boats would be a step up from what you are looking at. Like the previous person just stated the Oceans pick up their spped with the flat aft section and lighter weight. If you understand what you have and run it appropriately its not a problem. It's been my experience that the average mariner gives out long before the boat does. If you don't have to run in rough water there isn't much reason to beat the boat apart. I don't think there is much to fear in buying a 10 year old boat. if you could find a 45' Hatteras with a pair of Cummins or Cats would be ideal. About two months a guy hit the jetty in a 40' Cabo and hauled the boat out to the rudders. He hit it hard enough to yank the gears off the engines but, you wouldn't believe the lack of damage to the hull and the running gear. Apparently they build a very stout product. If I can find a scanner I'll post the picture of it sitting high and dry. I was curious - how much is fuel in your area?
  13. NewSouthSailor

    NewSouthSailor New Member

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    Thanks again for your feedbacks!

    @ CaptJ: Ok, I'll definitely take Silvertons off my list. Cabo 40 and 43 look great and I'll put them on my short list ... though they might strecht my 'budget' a bit. I might look for Posts 42 as well ... but there seem not to be too many.

    @ dsharp: Diesel goes for 0.08 Bolivares (VEF) per litre. At a parallel market rate of roughly 8 Bolivares for 1 USD ... that would make about 0.036 USD per gallon ... or about USD 25.00 for a 800 gallon tank of fuel. This is the price for ships that run under Venezuelan flag. For boats from abraod an 'international' price is charged. I think it's around USD 3 per gallon.
  14. Kafue

    Kafue Senior Member

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    Well said dsharp
  15. SHAZAM

    SHAZAM Senior Member

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    I was never an Ocean fan but my experience was limited to the older pre 1990's boats. I recently had an 84 46' that had an extensive refit, still not to excited about the boat, but for the money you couldn't beat it. I just got a 1999 60 Ocean which is a whole different boat (buildwise) than the old 46. It's got a lots of things on it that I'd have done different, but for the price you can't beat it. Regardless, I'd take an Ocean any day over a Riviera, Luhrs, Silverton, etc.
  16. NewSouthSailor

    NewSouthSailor New Member

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    If I'd stretch my budget a little closer to USD 500M I'd be able to buy a 2005 or 2006 Ocean 46' ... and they look like a lot of boat for the money. I'm not all that thrilled about some of the 'details' and the interior IMHO looks strangely old fashioned for such a 'new' boat ... But again, probably it's a lot of boat for the money.

    Would I be able to install a 2nd generator on that boat easily? (Most people do that down here for redundance when they take the boats on longer trips to the islands.)
  17. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Ditto on what you said and the Luhrs & Silverton. I like the Rivieras so I wouldn't rule them out, but there are issues.
  18. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    NSS

    In re-reading your post, If it is just you and your wife. (the Capt Has to go). Maybe a Tiara express would serve your purpose??

    Carl, if I am not breaking rules , can we send him to ************** to look around?
  19. NewSouthSailor

    NewSouthSailor New Member

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    Tiara Open / Express / Sovran look like very nice boats ... but for now I think I'll stick with the Flybridge idea.

    The Tiara 39 Convertible looks very nice and close to what I'm looking for. What can you tell me about it's ride? Seakeeeping? (Or any other aspect you particularly like or dislike ...)

    Cheers.
  20. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    [QUOTE

    The Tiara 39 Convertible looks very nice and close to what I'm looking for. What can you tell me about it's ride? Seakeeeping? (Or any other aspect you particularly like or dislike ...)

    Cheers.[/QUOTE]

    There is a newer 40 at our marina. Very solid well made production boat. Deep vee, probaly would handle like a Viking of similar size