Oceanis 34 or 37 Platinum Edition

[Pilgrimtex]

House is up for sale. Treva and I will be ordering a new Oceanis 34 or 37 Platinum Edition as soon as the house closes. My question to all my astute members of the forum is which one you feel is better, A 34 with ALL the bells and whistles vs. a 37 with not as many bells and whistles. My conundrum is I figure the 37 will be a better blue water sailor than the 34 but how much better? Live in TX. Eventually plan to reach the Grenadines in maybe 2015 and weather out the hurricane season there. The diff in price of about $20K but with a couple less options like the folding prop and weather/satellite radio. Both will be full length keeled knowing the shallow waters in Keys, TX, Bahamas etc. Keel does extend below the rudder though which helps protect it. Also want the enhanced sailing capabilities from it. We will be living aboard her and looking at maintenance costs etc. as well between the two.
Please don't suggest a used boat. New is set in stone. Both models will no longer be made in a few months so I will be getting my order in as soon as I can. Either will be 2 cabin version. Aft cabin will be modified for storage etc. I know a large part of my decision will be on the net I get from the sale of house and what the interest rate will be on a boat mortgage.
Just want some stories from knowledgeable people concerning the 2 models.
Thanks.

 

[woodster]

i have not owned one of theses but being that you are going full time and after me studying the info on them i personally feel you will be a more happy with the 37 ...the folding prop is not that big of a deal unless you have to replace it and then its a big deal in cost as for the sat weather you can ad that later on when you decide you cant live with out it ...hope this helps and good luck with your choice......

regards

woody

 

[gleason99]

Hello, Gary gleason here on board our 2009 Oceanis 37 here in Key West. Give me a call at 843-301-2097 and I will tell you about our boat and the 15k miles we have sailed her. Would buy this boat all over again, have been to Maine and all,up the east coast several times, best combination for a boat under 42 feet, email is gleason99@aol.com

 

[Davefromoregon]

I have an Oceanus 343, if we were going to spend a lot of time on a boat, I would really appreciate the extra space of the larger boat.

 

[Rick I]

No brainer. Go for the 37. But I would re-think the deep keel. I would not worry too much about the rudder being as deep as the keel. I've got two boats like that and it has not been a problem and I assure you I've been aground a few times. When cruising one tries to minimize going to weather so the deeper keel would not be that advantageous.. As for new vs used I'm with you on this.The most important part is a good dealer and time before you head out for the dealer to fix the little things that will crop up.

 

[Philip_Oceanis 361]

The bigger the better (longer waterline, therefore faster and safer; if you need more space that's another plus).
Yes, the folding prop is definately a nice to have toy (I would also like to have one) but not a necessity neither a safety feature.
Weather/satellite radio probably essential when you eventually need it. If you don't need it immediately then definately consider the bigger boat.

In general the 37 is a nice looking boat and I believe can handle bad weather too (provided you can handle it too!).

 

[4arch]

Go bigger. You'll appreciate the extra space and payload capacity.

As for the options, I just took the folding prop off mine. Didn't like the added vibration and it has to be serviced every 3-5 years at a cost of a few hundred bucks. Might have it rebuilt eventually or try another brand, but i'm not sure it's worth the maintenance effort for what I haven't found to be a huge performance boost in real world conditions.

Also the satellite weather/radio is reported by many cruisers to be spotty and unreliable in the Caribbean. It's not officially supposed to work outside of US waters at all, though it apparently does have some reach into the Bahamas and NW Caribbean. A ~$100 shortwave receiver can go a long way for receiving free weather info.

 

[MI248]

Agree with the above, especially the sat weather system usefulness and folding prop value. But ...watch out! You may just be headed for that serious maritime condition ..."Boat Length Creep". Five years ago I made my mind up on a sweet little 34. The wife got involved and ....in short order we ended up with a B40. As I look back it was the right decision and we still have it.

BTW you may want to rethink using the forward berth for sleeping while underway on a passage.

Good luck and enjoy the process.

 

[woodster]

BTW you may want to rethink using the forward berth for sleeping while underway on a passage.

Good luck and enjoy the process.

the best spot in the boat to sleep is right along the keel center point just like rideing on the wing section of the airplane the pivot point is always best .....

regards

woody

 

[Pilgrimtex]

This is great stuff guys. I really appreciate this and keep it coming. Being a retired engineer I thrive on data. LOL. I contacted Gary and sent him an Email. I'll include it here to give Ya'll a better picture.
Gary,
Thanks for your reply to my post and giving me your contact info. I am very interested on what you have to say about your 37. If money were no object I would not have posted what I did. I have to weigh out what I will wind up netting on the sail of the house and what the interest rates will be for a boat mortgage. I did a detailed budget analysis of present vs, liveaboard. I could purchase a 37 even under less than optimal circumstances but I don’t want to leave myself without some kind of savings after this. We’re also not saying a bare boat. I have planned a full raft of add-ons before commissioning and included in the budget. Full safety including raft, EPIRB etc., Radar, AIS VHF (I’m a Ham operator K5WGS) watermaker, genset, davits dinghy and on and on. The intent is to be as self-sufficient as possible. If I even the playing field on the difference in options the two boats are $26,000 difference between the 34 and 37. This would come right out of the savings part of my sale. Thus my conundrum. Is the 37 worth the price difference. I would also like your ideas on the keel. Without the standard keel, the 34 is not A rated. The 37 doesn’t matter which keel for A rating. Besides the protection for the rudder the std. keel has some advantage while sailing. You are at Key West and I have the Texas Coast as a reference. I’m not sure a ft. and a half makes all that much difference. Perhaps a little longer dingy ride.
I’m a retired engineer for one and probably the reason for my over analysis. LOL. I am also not a stranger to the sea.
Thank you for your reply which I await anxiously.

I also take after my Father to some degree in that I anguish over a decision. Unlike him though; Once I make it, That's it.
By the way I turn 68 in a couple months. I'm a Vietnam Vet and have two 100% VA disabilities so ease in single handing comes into play. I plan to die on my choice when it's time so this is hopefully "Long Term" decision. LOL.
As long as all the controls come to the cockpit and have RF main and Genoa it's cool. Can even play with the Gennaker and Spinnaker when I want to. Will always wins out over disabilities and being a Marine helps. LOL. My other half is much younger and a real first mate who could single hand if need be.
Awaiting more excellent replies. Thanks.

 

[Pilgrimtex]

Bump

 

[Stu Jackson]

By the way I turn 68 in a couple months. I'm a Vietnam Vet and have two 100% VA disabilities so ease in single handing comes into play.

I plan to die on my choice when it's time so this is hopefully "Long Term" decision. LOL.

My other half is much younger and a real first mate who could single hand if need be.

I just turned that # myself. We've had our C34 for 15 years. I love the size and singlehand it very, very often, like once a week. I see NO issues singlehanding a 37 or even a 42 if set up properly with midships spring lines (and assuming the docks have cleats!).

No brainer - if you plan to keep it "forever" get the bigger boat. You will never regret it. If you buy the smaller boat, you WILL regret it.

Happy decision making.

 

[Pilgrimtex]

Well the forum seems to have died but that's ok. I will order a 37 and with standard keel. I have searched and read and searched and read about shoal vs standard and what I have decided is that I will drag a shoal keel as often as I drag a standard keel just in shallower water but at least my rudder should be safer than a shoal. Even with a shorter shoal rudder it would only be a couple of inches shorter than a shoal keel which means squat. The standard keel appears to provide about an extra foot of clearance for the standard rudder. Enough to plow through some mud or sand with out the rudder touching and possibly being bent. Besides I don't want to compromise on handling in blue water and my nature is such that I will probably wind up racing her once in awhile anyway.

 

[woodster]

very good tx.....

regards

woody

 

[Davefromoregon]

Well the forum seems to have died but that's ok. I will order a 37 and with standard keel. I have searched and read and searched and read about shoal vs standard and what I have decided is that I will drag a shoal keel as often as I drag a standard keel just in shallower water but at least my rudder should be safer than a shoal. Even with a shorter shoal rudder it would only be a couple of inches shorter than a shoal keel which means squat. The standard keel appears to provide about an extra foot of clearance for the standard rudder. Enough to plow through some mud or sand with out the rudder touching and possibly being bent. Besides I don't want to compromise on handling in blue water and my nature is such that I will probably wind up racing her once in awhile anyway.

Have fun and let us know how you like it.

 

[Philip_Oceanis 361]

but at least my rudder should be safer than a shoal. .

Plus you will point better plus you will reef later.

 

[MI248]

Great choice. Enjoy the next stage of the process. Will you make the trip to Marion to watch it get built?

 

[CCHer]

I bought the limited edition 37 last year, going from a C310. I love the sailing qualities over the Catalina even with the shoal keel; the sail plan is well designed and easy on the occasions I'm single handing. The full keel can only be better but for the Bay (and at my dock) I opted for less draft. I did not buy the boat with off shore in mind, we are Bay and coastal cruisers, so I can't speak to blue water experience; the beamy, relatively flat bottom might be uncomfortable in some conditions. Also, I plan to go to a folding prop this spring. 34 or 37? There can be no question IMHO for what you are planning. Feel free to PM me if you want more info on my experience with the boat.
PS: I'm about your age and a Vietnam vet as well.

 

[zoya]

..... Even with a shorter shoal rudder it would only be a couple of inches shorter than a shoal keel which means squat.....

I wouldn't worry much about the limited rudder clearance on the shoal version, the keel is very fat at the base and if you hit the ground, soft or hard, it'll pretty much stop you right there before the rudder goes over. Unless you are planning to do quite a few ocean crossings, I'd definitely consider the shoal version, a foot difference in draft can make quite a bit of difference especially if you are planning to sail the Bahamas and the Grenadines.

Good luck with your boat shopping. I thought buying a house was tricky enough but yacht shopping is a notch above that.

 

[Ron20324]

I'm speculating that if you get a short or deep keel, the rudder would be sized accordingly? Here's my shoal B323.