The best second-hand sub-40ft liveaboard boats: sail and power

Under 25ft, cruising yachts rarely offer standing headroom, making it tricky for cooking or dressing, not to mention the chronic back ache from constant stooping.

Headroom should be a priority on liveaboard boats.

Cruising for extended periods also requires some ‘normality’ in your facilities, so you feel relaxed about washing, dressing, cooking and eating.

Sleeping quarters can be rudimentary, provided the berths are large enough and well padded, but lack of space in the galley and heads often causes frustration.

The key to a successful liveaboard galley is plenty of prep space and stowage.

Most boats use bottled gas (LPG) for cooking. If you plan to live mainly in a marina, however, you can use an electric hob, microwave and air fryer.

Privacy is rare on a small boat, but a separate heads compartment is vital unless you live alone.

An electrically pumped hot water system is also needed if you want to shower on board, along with a large waste tank.

Though most sailors navigate from a display in the cockpit these days, a decent nav station is useful.

Having a dry, secure area to passage plan and check/log your course is important. Plus, it’s a perfect spot for non-waterproof comms equipment such as a laptop.

Saloon settees can make good berths and are often better for anyone prone to seasickness, as they impart the least motion.

Voluminous aft cabins with wide berths are fine at anchor or in a marina, but often not useable at sea, especially transverse berths. And forepeak bunks are undoubtedly the noisiest and most affected by slamming and wave motion.

On smaller boats, the cockpit will inevitably become part of the accommodation, so a good tent with see-through panels is invaluable.

In terms of comfort and security at sea, high coamings and a deep, well-drained footwell are preferable.

At anchor, though, the bigger the cockpit the better, so a compromise is required.

Catamarans have an edge on the equivalent length monohull; their wide, flat-bottomed hulls easily house double berths and luxurious heads.

Liveaboard boats: 25-30ft LOA

Sailing yachts

The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 29.2’s spacious cockpit and roomy accommodation provide a good level of home comfort.

Her saloon has a straightforward layout with a central table and two straight settees, allowing six to be seated comfortably.

The galley is compact but easily workable with a cooker, sink, cool box and nearby stowage.

Opposite is a forward-facing chart table with room for instruments and a dedicated seat. The sleeping accommodation is where she excels.

The large aft cabin spreads across two-thirds of the stern and contains a spacious double berth, hanging locker and dressing area.

In the other quarter is a roomy heads compartment with a shower, sink, toilet and wet locker.

While there’s no floor area in the forecabin with the infill in place, the berth is a good size and comfortable and there’s ample storage beneath it.

On deck, the 29.2’s large cockpit is ideal for entertaining in good weather while remaining safe and practical at sea.

Her side decks are wide and uncluttered and provide easy and safe foredeck access.

She was available with a fixed fin keel or stub keel with centreboard for those wanting to sail in shallow waters.

Her hull is sleek and easily driven, which results in an exciting performance under sail while remaining safe and stable for family cruising.

Tiller steering was standard but there was a wheel option.

Twin rudders keep her directionally stable even when heavily heeled and her powerful fractional rig carries more than enough sail to keep her gliding along at a respectable speed in light airs.

Being quick, yet agile and well-balanced, they’re easy to sail single-handedly without drama and are surprisingly close-winded thanks to the coachroof-mounted jib sheet tracks.

Modern and spacious, the Bavaria 30C offers big boat comforts in a compact and affordable package.

She has an open, bright, yet woody interior with plenty of opening portlights and lots of useful stowage, including lockers above the saloon settees.

Unlike the 29.2, Bavaria only built the 30C with a two-cabin layout.

She has a well-equipped galley with a full-size cooker, a deep fridge/cool box, a sink and plenty of space for cutlery and crockery.

Opposite is a nav station worthy of a 35-footer, with a seat, drawers under, chart stowage and instrument mounting space.

Behind this is the door to the heads, which is a little small, but still has a shower.

The saloon is cosy yet spacious. Long, straight settees allow six to eat together in comfort around the drop-leaf table, or two to bed down at night.

The two cabins are surprisingly roomy, both offering comfortable double berths for tall adults and good-sized lockers.

While her cockpit isn’t massive, it’s ideal under sail and the table and binnacle provide extra support.

At anchor, it doesn’t offer a huge lounging area, but it’s fine for four to relax and watch the sunset.

Over the years, Bavarias of all sizes have been thrashed to within an inch of their lives by charterers, and survived relatively unscathed, which says a lot about their build and seaworthiness.

The medium displacement 30C is agile and well-balanced, quick to tack, points well upwind and is fun to sail.

She is easily handled by any member of the crew, including young learners, and keeps sailing in the gentlest of breezes.

The first Hurley 30/90 was launched in 1974 and sported a shallow fin keel containing 1.7t of encapsulated lead ballast and a skeg-mounted rudder.

She’s comfortable and practical to live on for extended periods, and steadfast enough to undertake a lengthy offshore passage.

Thanks to her comparatively wide beam it is roomy down below. The sleeping accommodation is comfortable, though rudimentary.

The forepeak vee-berth is a little short, but the port settee converts into a comfy double and the quarter berth is a good size.

Headroom is a generous 1.90m/6ft 3in everywhere except the forecabin.

The heads is forward of the saloon and has a pull-out sink, though showering space is limited.

Her cockpit is wide and long, with a cut-away aft, and though her vertical transom makes boarding from the water awkward, it’ll save on marina fees.

There’s abundant stowage in deep lockers plus cave lockers for smaller items.

The primary winches are well forward on the coamings and her mainsheet track is on the bridge deck.

While neither presents a problem with a tiller helm, both are out of the helmsman’s reach in the wheel version.

She has a stout masthead rig with a tall, deck-stepped mast. This provides a high-aspect sail plan that keeps the boom short and clear of the cockpit.

As in most boats of this era, the bulk of the driving power comes from her ample genoa.

She is a cruising yacht and as such, her round-bilged, full-bellied hull creates some drag under sail.

That said, her relatively high displacement means she exhibits a sea-kindly motion and carries well when the going gets choppy, resulting in good passage times, even in heavy seas.

The original 12hp Yanmar diesel engine was a little underpowered and the prop is slightly offset, which can make her tricky to manoeuvre.

Motorboats

Built over 20 years ago, the high build quality of the Swedish-built Nimbus 280 Coupe means she still feels ‘new’.

Though not cavernous inside, the 280C has a place for everything and makes a very comfortable floating home for a couple, with room for three overnight guests on the convertible saloon dinette and a single berth beneath the saloon sole.

When the weather is good you can slide back the saloon doors and wander freely between the saloon and the spacious cockpit, which is as well laid out with a padded L-shaped bench surrounding the removable dining table.

Inside, it’s bright and airy due to the sliding glass roof lights and tall side windows with opening sections.

The raised helm seat is very comfortable and offers an excellent all-round view while being an easy reach to instruments and displays.

The double navigator seat can convert to a dinette seat or go completely flat for sleeping.

Opposite the dinette is one of the most well-equipped galleys I’ve seen on a 28-footer, complete with a large cooker/oven, fridge, sink and worktop, and numerous drawers and shelves.

Below, she has a large double berth forward that is roomy and practical, with space for storing clothing and shelves for smaller items.

In the corridor is access to the single berth under the saloon sole. Opposite is the heads which, though not massive, is big enough for a decent shower.

The 280C has a 150hp Volvo Penta TAMD31 shaft-driven inboard diesel engine, capable of a 14-knot cruise speed and a top speed of 18-knots with a clean hull. Cruise fuel consumption is around 22lt/h.

She’s a good performer in most conditions and handles heavy seas with ease.

Liveaboard boats: 31-35ft LOA

Sailing yachts

The Polish-built Delphia 33 is a roomy, mid-range family offshore cruiser offering six berths in two double cabins plus the saloon, and 1.83m/6ft headroom.

The accommodation is a good size and ideal for a liveaboard couple with occasional guests. The quality of the mahogany woodwork is excellent, though a little dark.

However, the abundant light entering from the large windows makes her cosy rather than gloomy inside.

Rather than providing twin aft cabins and squeezing the heads into the saloon area, Delphia opted to install the heads where the second aft cabin could have gone.

This opens the boat up, leaving almost as much living space as a 36-footer.

For those happy with two cabins this is a sensible use of space and leaves room for a proper, forward-facing navigation station.

The saloon has seating for six, and the port settee can be converted to a double berth.

The L-shaped galley includes a two-ring cooker/oven, twin sinks, and a fridge. On deck, her streamlined coachroof melds gently into the foredeck.

Her side decks are wide, and the transom has steps down to a narrow bathing platform, with a boarding ladder and hot water deck shower.

Her cockpit is quite wide, with the genoa winches on the coamings and two self-tailing halyard winches on the coachroof.

All the sail controls are fed aft through clutches, including the mainsheet traveller.

Her 7/8ths fractional rig uses a deck-stepped mast with swept spreaders and an optional backstay adjuster. The sail plan comprises a semi-battened mainsail with two single-line reefs and 115% furling genoa.

The 33 is a very competent performer under sail without being hard to handle or at all twitchy.

The deep, bulbed keel keeps the ballast down low, so she’s stiff under sail, plus her deep spade rudder provides maximum grip on the water.

A Laurent Giles design from 1980-1984, the Westerly Discus utilised the hull of the earlier 33 but with different deck options.

She was offered in aft-, or centre-cockpit format with fin or twin keels. Only the centre-cockpit version was available as a ketch, otherwise they were sloops.

In the 33, access to the aft cabin through the cockpit was inconvenient, especially if you needed the heads on a rainy night.

In the Discus, the cabin was placed under the bridge deck, eliminating the need to crawl along a low corridor.

The boats were ruggedly built to Lloyd’s classification in solid GRP, the hull/deck join through-bolted and glassed over.

They were a little prone to osmosis, but most will have been remedied by now.

Westerlys of this era were well crafted below, had bags of stowage and the materials used were of a high standard.

There is plenty of solid teak trim and every spare void has been put to good use.

The chart table has a corner trimmed to allow access to the corridor aft, but it does have a forward-facing seat.

The L-shaped galley opposite boasts a full-size cooker, fridge and deep sink. Pressurised hot/cold water was standard, as were lockers with dedicated space for crockery and cutlery.

The corridor to the aft cabin takes you into a dressing area with a small seat and a large clothes locker.

The offset berth is roomy and comfortable with good clearance above. Natural light and air enter via two opening portlights.

The layout of the saloon, which has over 6ft headroom, is traditional with two straight settees whose seat backs become lee boards.

The port settee extends into a 1.25m/4ft 1in double berth if needed. The twin-leaf table seats six and has a bottle store and a useful fiddled tray.

The forepeak doorway is offset, creating a heads with standing headroom. Opposite is a generous wet locker.

The forecabin has a good-sized vee-berth; the large forehatch with a built-in mushroom vent provides light and air.

She is a solid, seaworthy boat that stands up to her canvas well in strong winds.

Her 40% ballast ratio allows her to make short work of heavy seas while the knuckle in her bows helps divert any spray.

Being quite heavy makes her a little slow off the mark but gives her the momentum to make headway through rough seas.

From the 1990s, living space became more important as folk became less inclined to put up with basic domestic facilities.

Beneteau’s beamy Oceanis Clipper 351 was particularly adapted for comfort with its sizeable cabins and dinette saloon.

Her maximum beam is carried almost back to the transom, which increases the accommodation space enormously.

Two- or three-cabin models were available, although in the latter the heads were smaller.

The saloon headroom is 1.90m/6ft 3in and numerous portlights and hatches give good ventilation and natural light.

The galley is generous in terms of stowage and work surface. There is also a large fridge, full-size cooker, twin sinks with hot and cold pressurised water and a dedicated gash bin.

While a longitudinal galley isn’t always the best at sea, for living aboard on anchor or in a marina it works well.

Joinery is to a good standard and there’s just enough wood to make her cosy. In the three-cabin boat, the two aft cabins offer good-size double berths.

Both cabins have some dressing space, and room to store clothes; three hatches and a portlight make them airy.

The two-cabin model has one larger aft cabin, a deep cockpit locker, and a larger heads with separate shower.

Opposite the heads is the navigation station with its forward-facing chart table, switch panel and a small area for electronics.

The forecabin is also roomy with a large vee-berth that is squared off at the bottom to give more foot space.

Stowage is plentiful and there’s enough floor area and headroom to get dressed with the door shut. Three hatches let in plenty of air and light.

The 351’s cockpit is wide but divided by a large table with an integral cool box that provides a necessary foot brace and handholds under sail.

The binnacle is vast and carries a compass, engine controls and sailing instruments. Seat cut-outs facilitate access around the wheel.

The helm seat is removable to create a walk-through to the boarding platform. There are two deep lockers under the seats and a very deep lazarette.

Under sail, her low drag underwater shape means she needs little wind to get her going and her shallow aft sections make for exhilarating downwind sailing.

Her masthead rig is easy to handle, and she relies heavily on her large genoa for upwind power.

Stiffness is as much a result of her wide form as her moderate ballast, although pushing her too hard can cause her rudder to lift clear of the water.

Motorboats

Although not unlike the Nimbus 280 style-wise, the extra 4ft of the Finnish-built Aquador 32C packs so much more in, making her a serious family liveaboard motorcruiser for all seasons.

She has a fairly conventional layout inside the large wheelhouse including a raised helm seat with excellent all-round views and easy access to the controls and instruments.

Above is a sliding glass panel for extra light and ventilation.

The sumptuous double nav seat flips over to extend the dinette behind, which can seat up to six around the table.

The galley opposite is well equipped and sensibly organised.

Below, the forecabin has a large double berth and enough locker and shelf space for a long holiday.

The midships cabin is off the same corridor forward and has a seat in the dressing area and a generous transverse double berth under the wheelhouse.

The large sliding glass doors into the cockpit can be left open in fine weather, which opens the whole space out, even though the cockpit is a little compact.

The side decks are easily accessed, and stout handrails guide you safely to the foredeck for anchoring or sunbathing.

A shaft-drive Yanmar diesel engine from 285-460hp could be ordered, the 370hp 6LYA-STE being the most common and offering a top speed of 27-knots and cruising at 20-knots.

Her planing hull shape and twin rudders offer speed and agility with full control even in heavy seas.

Liveaboard boats: 36-40ft LOA

Sailing yachts

You can’t beat the space available on a cruising catamaran, although it comes at a cost in a marina.

While not boasting the interior volume or headroom of a modern cat, a well-maintained Prout Snowgoose 37 can be had today for a sensible price and refitted to suit your own liveaboard needs with a reasonable budget.

There were two layouts. One has a permanent open double berth forward of the saloon.

Though curtained-off privacy is limited, the reward is the view from the large forward windows.

While you lose some dinette space, it’s worth it if there are only two of you on board.

The double aft cabins are compact but comfortable, although has just a single heads, which is across from the starboard hull.

One hull contains a long nav station amidships, the other a well-equipped galley, both with standing headroom.

Outside, her cockpit isn’t massive, but the wheel is bulkhead-mounted and it’s protected by high coamings.

There’s enough seating for six but the canoe-sterned hulls don’t feature any platforms or steps.

The side decks are narrow, although there is a stout coachroof grabrail and the double lifelines and stanchions are well supported.

She has a solid foredeck rather than a trampoline, which gives extra lounging and working area and adds considerably to the strength (and weight).

The mast is deck stepped and most were rigged as cutters.

Under sail, she’s not close-winded, around 50° off the apparent wind is common.

The view forward is restricted by the large genoa but at least all the sheets are led into the cockpit. She’s fastest on a beam reach when she’ll top 7-8 knots in a fresh breeze.

The hulls and nacelle can slam when you’re sailing hard into heavy seas, but if you bear away a little she noticeably calms down.

As standard, she came with a centrally-mounted engine and steerable drive leg.

The lack of prop wash over the rudders is mitigated by the ability to steer the drive leg with the wheel.

One of Moody’s most prolific cruising yachts from the 1980/90s, the Moody37/376 remains extremely popular.

The 37 and the 376 are identical, other than the latter features a transom scoop/platform.

All of Moody’s centre-cockpit designs create a high-volume interior, especially in the aft cabin area, for which they are renowned.

Some feel having a cockpit higher above sea level isn’t ideal, but most long-term liveaboards relish the increased accommodation space.

The 37s are a tad heavy due to their thick layup and solid wood décor, but they are an ideal compromise between cruising comfort and sailing performance.

Below, the U-shaped galley is well organised and easy to use under way thanks to a crash bar and spacious fiddled worktops.

The chart table opposite is also ideal for long passage navigation or for use as a desk. The saloon is warm and woody with straight settees around a dropleaf table.

One settee converts into an additional double berth. The only downside is the non-opening portlights.

The forepeak has a decent vee-berth, loads of stowage and a compact ensuite heads/shower.

The sumptuous owner’s suite aft is accessed via a corridor behind the nav seat, past the crew bunk.

The cabin has seating on one side and a large, offset double berth opposite. It also has a private ensuite heads with a shower.

The 37 was built for cruising, so has ample stowage in bins and lockers.

While the cockpit is a little small, there is deck space for spreading out at anchor, plus a transom platform with a shower on the 376.

A masthead rig with slab reefed mainsail and furling genoa came as standard, with an optional inner forestay for a working/storm jib.

They have a longish fin keel and deep, semi-balanced, skeg-hung rudder that keeps her on course and minimises leeway.

Tacking the large genoa around the baby stay can prove tedious but gets easier once you learn the knack.

At sea, she is a steadfast passage maker, her generous displacement helping her through any steep seas with minimal fuss or loss of momentum.

Motorboats​​

The 1980s Fairline 40 was a big boat in its day and still has a great deal to offer the long-term liveaboard/cruiser wanting to keep the family happy on the water.

Their large saloons offer plenty of lounging space away from the helm station and there’s plenty of drawers and lockers.

Going below takes you to a large, U-shaped galley with enough worktop and equipment to serve a family of six with ease.

The main cabin is in the forepeak and boasts a large, comfy centreline berth, a roomy ensuite and plenty of easy-to-access stowage.

There’s also a spacious twin-berth guest cabin amidships with heads.

Her cockpit is a good size with ample seating around a fixed table and access to a large swimming/boarding platform.

Being half sheltered by the floor of the flybridge, the addition of a decent canvas tent makes the cockpit a great dining area in all weather conditions.

Beneath the cockpit sole is a vast stowage area and very limited access to the engine room, which is more accessible by lifting the saloon soleboards.

Access to the flybridge is via a steep ladder and trap. Here, you’ll find a long, three-person helm bench.

Her deep-vee, single chine hull offers a soft entry in choppy seas making her comfortable in most sea conditions.

Powerful twin 235-300hp shaft-drive Volvo diesel engines give her semi-planing hull a cruising speed of around 18-knots, with around 24-knots flat out with the bigger engines.

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