60'-70' Yacht choice

Look at older Browards, Burgers, Vikings and Hatterases.

By keeping it limited to 70' it really narrows your choices, go slightly over 70' and it really expands your horizons.

Older Hatteras 65-75', 76' Lazzara (this has a nice split between staterooms), New 72' Hatteras, Older Viking 72' MY. All of these have plenty of space and nice galleys.....

Alot depends on the ages/genders of the children. That is, who can share a stateroom and how big a SR is required. On many 3 & 4 SR yachts the last SR is not much more than a closet, fit for 2 children under 5. Also to consider is whether he's looking for a dock queen, a bay cruiser or an open water boat for serious cruising, and what kind of speeds are desired.

Yeah but where can you get a new 72' Hatteras or an older 76' Lazzara for $500,000 or less?

If the OP is looking for new he'd best save his pennies a bit longer. The early '90s 54' Hat has a nice arrangement with 4 SRs.

With a price point of $500,000 or less, I hope he's not looking for new boats in that size range.

That's why I asked about his plans and the age/gender of the kids. Parents and (3) 16 to 18 year old boys looking to hang at a marine can get by on a 30' / one SR (if you hide all weapons). (3) 8 to 14 year old girls and boys and plans to cruise to distant shores is a whole different story.

So they need a single for the boy, and he can probably rough it a bit if need be. They need a twin for the girls, and those over-under/ size of a closet 3rd staterooms won't cut it for a pair of 9 year old girls for a month. Plus the parents in some comfort. Not un-doable in that range. I think I'd concentrate more on comfort, safty and range more than speed and European style.

Check Yachtworld for trawlers, passage makers and FBMYs in that range. I have a feeling you might find something that works.

Sorry, I missed the price point. In that price, I'd be looking at a big Hatteras. I ran a 75' MY (was origionally a 65' with an extension put on it.), It had 4 staterooms and was a VERY comfortable boat to live and cruise on. So if you can find a late 80's early to mid 90's 65' even with an extension on it, it sounds like a perfect boat for you and is in your price range

Well then about the same list of boats still applies.

Burger, Broward, Hatteras, Vikings, Offshore You can find nice older examples of those boats in that size and price range. And perhaps a bit bigger as well.

MAN's are fine. You'll find a lot of discussions about them if you hit the SEARCH button. Johnson's are fine I guess. You just don't have as many with experience with them as with the others. I think Pascal runs a 70, and I haven't heard anything bad from him about it. Send him a PM. He could probably tell you a bunch.

G550,

If your friend is from the EU as well, I would also have him get some input from local contractors. In the Black Sea area, depending on where he would anchor, he may want to get an opinion on what they can work on.

They may do fine with most types of engines, but in romania for instance, they can work miracles on Volvo or MAN Engines, but with a Cat, DD- forget it, you'll need to go somewhere else. If in the Mediterranean, he won't have to worry about it.

Its been about 7 years, maybe its changed a bit in the black sea. not sure about the north.

Just a heads up to get a boat that can easily get repairs/parts for locally...

You Can't. The Lazzara 76 is to new of a design and I've never found a used one. The new ones are around 5 mil.

It was a rhetorical question. And I was speaking about the old style 76s which there are a number of for sale.

It's worth considering if your friend likes that look. Like Broward did, Johnson builds an OK boat for the price.