Looking for opinions on 2017 Beneteau 41 versus 38. Primary sailing is Southern California day cruises, with maybe 4 times per year Catalina trips. Also considering slightly older Catalina vessels.
2017 Beneteau 41 or 38
- Thread starter alf10
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One is bigger and likely more expensive and slightly faster. Do you plan to single hand? Is this used? Either should be just fine for your intended use. Any more parameters?
I generally recommend to get the larger of one’s otherwise similarly good choices. The up-side is comfort, increased (e.g. weekend) cruising range that comes with a faster yacht, and overall enjoyment. The downside is that the cost of everything is much higher. For daysailing, the larger yacht requires more effort for the time you typically spend on the water—2 to 3 hr. The best yachts for daysailing, IMHO, are in the 34-36 ft range.
I use the Bavaria 38E far less for daysailing in Long Beach Harbor than I did my earlier Pearson 30, etc. But, if you are going to be away for few days to a couple of weeks, and travel, the larger yacht is likely the better choice. A Beneteau 41 is a very nice yacht.
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