Buying a used boat: A direct comparison of yachts for under 40,000 euros
The detailed test results of the yachts presented can be found here:
The used boat comparison test at a glance
Below deck, none of the boats showed any real weaknesses. However, the differences within the class below a budget of 40,000 euros are definitely visible.
If you only look at the sheer amount of space inside, there is a clear winner: the Bavaria 30 does everything right. Berth dimensions, headroom, brightness, ventilation options - it's all top class in comparison. The only downside is the uneven grain of the wooden surfaces, especially on the locker doors. But that's a matter of taste.
The same applies to the colourful mix on the Dehler. Many owners appreciate the light-coloured area at the companionway and are pleased with the dark mahogany in the saloon. The Winner is lighter, more homogeneous. It is the only one with a different layout: wet room at the front, open aft cabin to starboard. This provides air and a feeling of space, but offers hardly any privacy.
The Dufour is the Bavaria in miniature, so to speak: everything is a little shorter and lower, but otherwise just as coherent. The X-342 has one metre more hull length; everything fits below deck.
The quality of the interior fittings was pleasingly high for all test subjects
The Winner had been used intensively by the owner and should now quickly find a new owner before major investments were due; these would then be the responsibility of the buyer. In terms of sailing, she briefly but convincingly showed what she was capable of, despite no longer having new cloths. The X-342 had quite good laminate sails and the engine had already been renewed. Nevertheless, she still has a lot of work and investment to do, for example in upholstery and deck hardware.
The Dufour was ready to go. There wasn't much equipment on board anyway; what was there worked. New sails were due, otherwise the Frenchwoman was doing well. The Dehler has been invested in in parts, but a common thread was not recognisable in the attempts at renewal. She is also due for some expenditure, for example in the areas of electrics and navigation.
The most striking example was the Bavaria. Inside, it looked really good and had probably already had new upholstery. On deck, however, it was a picture of devastation. The new owner will have to invest heavily to get it up to an adequate standard.
Off to the water
A ship can only be fully assessed under sail. After all, that is its purpose. Does everything work? Does it creak anywhere? Is everything tight? And: What costs can arise?
Boat tests are like a box of chocolates at Forrest Gump: you never really know what you're going to get. This is especially true when it comes to used boat tests. Is it the owner's jewel, well maintained and in top condition - or a workhorse that now needs to go after a long and strenuous charter life? Or is it even a community of heirs who simply want to get rid of the ship, to which there is no longer any connection, and see the test as a free advertising measure? Just like a potential buyer, the testers also approach the object. And in this comparison, the test subjects were quite heterogeneous.
On the test day, the wind is blowing at around 18 knots - ideal conditions for testing the boats at or above their reefing limit. This is because old used boats are not spared any more than their brand-new counterparts.
Dufour, Bavaria and Dehler compete with full sails, X and Winner start reefed. The Dufour, as the shortest boat in the test, is predictably the slowest. The crew couldn't care less - the boat is simply fun, in the truest sense of the word. If only there were a little more trim options on board, it would be easy to continue sailing with a full sail without the annoying sun shots.
The Bavaria parries all gusts with the rudder. Sun shot? Not in 18 knots of wind. And that's despite sails that are so blown out that they certainly cause ten degrees more heel than would be healthy. That certainly works. Probably one of the reasons why the little one is so popular with charterers.
Although the Dehler does not provide the precise steering feel that it offers with a tiller, it sails well in a convoy. She is simply a very fast boat. With her long keel, she also wants to go upwind quite a bit.
At the top of the field, X and Winner are in a neck-and-neck race. Of course, the X should be ahead in terms of vital statistics - and it is. The advantage of the Winner, however, is the unspectacular retrievability of its good speed. Going up and being fast, of course, with a little knowledge of trim, that also works with a small crew. Not so with the X, it is a complicated boat. Backstays and checkstays plus backstay, everything can be trimmed and adjusted - the crew and skipper have to know what they are doing. If they do, the X is a real fun machine, but not for everyone. Each boat has its own character. You have the choice for under 40,000 euros.
The big YACHT used boat special:
- New, used or chartered - here's what to consider
- Which type of boat is the right one? Decision-making aids
- Overview: Used boats under 6 metres
- Overview: Used boats under 7 metres
- Overview: Used boats under 8 metres
- Overview: Used boats around 9 metres
- Dream yachts: These are the favourite ships of YACHT readers
- Buying a used boat: Your guide through the online jungle
- Own inspection or surveyor? What you need to look out for
- How to avoid traps in the purchase contract
- The boat is bought - what's next? The first steps
- What insurance do I need for my boat?
