Wow! So many special features: dishwasher; outside washer/dryer; outdoor showers; live well with window (for fish); workshop; walk-in pantry; and espresso machine next to nav station! Outstanding!
Completely agree. I guess you can see why at $950K we said it was the "best bang for the buck" on the market. $1.2m going forward, is going to dampen our enthusiasm a bit.
I went back on your recommendation and viewed the other video of the Majestic 53 from 2 years ago. My goodness!!!! what an over the top yacht!! the standard features are even customizable. you even get to pick out your dishes?!?!!! I have been watching yacht review channels for a while now and I have never seen a yacht covered so thoroughly. I am TRULY impressed with this CAT. the story about how this Cat was not de-masted in a hurricane is noteworthy to say the least. IMHO it is worth the price tag. work harder and save more money. this is the one for you!!!!!!
this is BY FARRRR, the nicest cat i have seen to date. EVERYTHING IN THE SAILING WORLD COMES STANDARD!!! i cant even imagine how luxurious it would be if you had the 2 cabin layout, not to mention the amount of storage! that being said i think 3 cabins is a nice middle ground though. Dont even get me started on that kitchen, you wont find appliances that size almost anywhere. it is out of my particular price range, but that would DEFINITELY be my pick if my budget would allow it.
The owners side has 2 cabins. So I assumed the minimum wound be 4 cabins. Not sure how it would look with just 1 cabin on each Side. It would be spacious.
I agree. The high gloss maple is quite attractive. That grey was terrible. Around the 22:00 mark I started noticing that the Las Vegas thing on your wall behind you is 'distorting'. It's subtle but, when you see it, it is hard not to be distracted afterwards.
The pulsating back wall. Haha. The camera was in autofocus mode and it has face detection. So when we faced the camera it had our face sharp but when we faced each other it hunted for a face, I guess. In future post video reviews I put the camera in manual focus to avoid that happening.
“I’m doing all the work and Janice is sitting enjoying life” 😂. I agree with Janice, buy Ally’s boat when its available for sale. The maple wood is beautiful. It’s a great boat.
I really like this boat. Agree 100% on the maple! I don't like the nav station. I prefer the one in the Xquisite X5. I like the idea of the pantry and work cabin. I was thinking that from the X5 video that I would rather have all the tools, parts and work area in a cabin I would not use. The glass is a must now :) the cockpit freezer-table was spot on. The exterior W/D where you can also easily hang cloths from the washer is well thought out.
Love the Majestic, really looking forward to the new model, said to have 3 ft. Extra room in the salon. They also offer upgraded motors and props. Great company and great people. We too did not care for last years model which we went sailing on. However we have sailed on another. Sv Come what May. The ease and stability of the sail is amazing. Added bonus is the owners all seem to be wonderful.
@@mitchellhenderson1456 Lagoon are a mass production yacht builder.maybe 7 different boats Majestic are a small buider.I think they only build 3 a year.Not many private buyers.Just seems the only one that has been kept is the sales lady ,the family one
@@t147han I have sailed with another owner on the 530. Maybe you should try and go on a sail. I have been on 3 of these. They are very solidly built. Also very customizable. I am anxious to get on the new design. Another factor for us would be the add on's. Royal Cape includes what you need for blue water. We priced out the production boats to include what the Majestic 530 has from the start. We were shocked at how quickly it added up to more than 400k above the Majestic. We hopefully plan on commissioning a build for ourselves in the near future.
Love the maple! Wood always looks and feels richer n warm n cozy. Maybe a shade darker. Many thanks for vids. Plan to start one when kids grow up, around 46ft.
Your wife had the right idea. The hull change is working for you. No doubt Alley will want to have the latest and greatest and will be upgrading. You can pick her's up reasonably... My budget is a used Hobie 16 and a sleeping bag. I can afford a new sleeping bag though....
@@Bowmans-Woods You could probably use the space, but the price tag is steep. And everything else on a larger boat is more expensive too. Bigger engines need more fuel, bigger sails cost more and require bigger rigging to manage them, and the docking fees are higher as well.
I like the notion of re-purposing some of the staterooms for other things. A workshop that can be either is ingenious. If you have a component that needs rework or testing, you can do it inside, out of the weather with great lighting and all tools handy. I also liked the walk-in pantry. And the outside washer/dryer. And the 2200 watts solar. And the instruments behind the dark glass panel. Big difference between charter or personal. While the maple does look nice, I can imagine it is a. high maintenance and b. tiresome after a while due to lack of contrast? Great job as always. The Majestic has a lot to offer. How is the cabling and mechanical layout? As good as the Xquisite?
Thanks Brian. I agree with what you said. Comparing any Cat to the ISO9000 Quality level of the X5 is tough. I didn't climb into every electrical area to say for sure, but Im guessing the X5 has it beat in terms of attention to detail and quality. Plus I am sure the after sales service, if you do have an issue, with the X5 is top notch. I have never sailed nor spent enough time on the Majestic, to comment for sure on that area.
I used to think, "There's no way I'd ever get a Shoilet." But after seeing that huge pantry I might reconsider that. Another idea is a utility room where you can have separate washer and dryer units plus a workbench with room for tools. Or how about a private office? The list goes on.
Ya. If you have one room that is mainly an office workbench room there is really no need for a separate shower. Or even a bathroom really? Might as well have a huge walk-in pantry.
Again you have created a useful and informative review and I watch all of yours - including binge-watching since I found you lol. Anyway - I touched on this in your last presentation but you didn't directly respond and I am very interested in your personal thoughts about the following: Most long term liveaboard are going to be people of a more "mature" age group and so I guess handling is going to get more and more difficult as the hull lengths get bigger and the general mass gets bigger - is that a consideration for you? Also, do you think liveaboards need so many additional berths? Knowing a few long term boaters and following many of the cruising video's I know that ongoing maintenance (including preventative maintenance) is absolutely crucial for safe, long-term sailing. My closest friend who has been sailing all of his adult life said that if he could want for anything on a boat it would be a workshop with all the tools (custom and stock) that would ever be needed to keep the boat maintained. Would you not prefer a builder or an option where a berth could instead be a permanent, fully fitted workshop?
Hey Tony. Sorry I missed a previous comment? I usually respond to most with questions. As for your comment this time. As sailors get older they will require some things on their boat to allow them to sail until they are quite old. Things like, power winches, perhaps bow thrusters to help them easily pull up to the dock so they don't have to jump too far to get off the boat, All lines going to 1 helm so it can be easily sailed solo, so the other person can get some sleep, etc. This boat and many other modern Cats have all electric winches, so there is no need to be strong to lift sails etc. This Majestic comes with a bow thruster. Somehow Alley forgot to mention that but it was mentioned in previous years shows. Even without a bow thruster most cats can maneuver in tight spaces once you get use to using the 2 motors to spin the boat. All modern cats have all the lines running back to one helm location so a single person can sail this alone. Docking or trying to catch a mooring ball is the only time I really see a need to have at least 1 or 2 other people on board to keep one at the helm to maneuver while the other is tending to lines. A cat has the added benefit for the older sailor that you are not sailing heeled over. It is much easier to walk around on a cat that sails level. Much less likelihood of losing your balance and falling. So I think a modern Cat is the perfect type of sailboat for an aging sailing couple vs a monohull. As for your thoughts on "do you really need so many cabins?", and you are right. You don't. This boat seems to come standard with 5 cabins (which is too many in our opinion). If you were buying one to have as a crewed charter boat I think the best option is to have the 6 cabin version. But, for a liveaboard couple I think the best layout is the duplicated owners sides with just 4 cabins. Then you turn 1 of the 4 into a workshop and 1 could be dual use as an office/3rd guest cabin. Then you have just 2 cabins that are full time ready for lat minute sleep over guest but the office could easily be cleaned up to be the 3rd cabin . Then you can have 2 couples visit your boat at the same time and everyone is comfortable. If you are not chartering your boat there is just no good reason for someone to have 6 cabins with 6 heads. That is just way too many heads to have to maintain and clean. I agree, when you live aboard you are going to try and do most fixes yourself to save money or because you are in such a remote area, there is no good labour around, so you better learn to be handy. So a full time workshop with all your tools organized and a place to work, would be ideal. Hope that makes up for missing your previous comment. :-) Cheers, Craig
Great job Craig and Janice! Nice boat. Like some of the new features but I still like the 2016-2017 model better. Love the fact that this boat come loaded for same price! They won’t be charging for every option. The Company builds an amazing boat! I could move into one in a heartbeat but that was a major jump in price from $945.Grand to $1.2 Mil. That $250,000 increase will turn off a lot of people! What a shame!!! I am still impressed with the Company and their build quality though!!!
We agree with you completely Niagra. Great boat (especially the one from 2 yrs ago) and you can't beat the $950K with everything included. It was one of the strong candidates for being our future boat if we wanted something this big. Now at $1.2M, it feels like a bit of a pipe dream. Probably will not be our future boat at that price.
@@Bowmans-Woods If you buying a 950k, an increase of 250k is not bad though, others you will spend 500k just to get what they offer here. Nice yacht, but then I'm South African
Beautiful...Great lay out....Water maker I would imagine is standard....Curious...on the picture of the new design...the waterline clearance to the bridge deck looked a little slim...any idea about the slamming that could become a factor?....Thanks again for All the time and consideration you bring to your videos.
I thought the clearance also looked a little low. The specs didn’t specify the clearance and I have not been given an opportunity to sail it. So I can’t say for sure how much of an issue it will be.
I love the maple and don't care.for the others. Other than the 50+ feet I also love that boat, I wish you could have at least semi-walkaround.beds. It seems that many.builders are going bigger.and abandoning the smaller (40'-50') boats. I am going to see how many and what price I cand find. Great tour.
I always loves ur reviews.. But maybe u should open the cabinet n fridge. Ruby rose r also good n so detail with product finishing but their video took too long n bored.. I want u to review some inexpensive catamarans under 40ft with the pricelist. Will u do that?? Thanks for ur video hope u both may achieve to purchase a boat u dreamt of. Love from Indonesia 🇮🇩
Why don’t you put a link to the first episode? You keep referring to it with the wood interior and I would love to find it. You did the same with your transat series on the exquisite so I endef up watching all those episodes out of order!!! Other than that your videos are the best!
Hey guys great tour of the boat..and definitely the maple is the way to go bright and beautiful..one question does that price include the spinnaker in the sail plan ? cheers
So a quick question, I have watched ur episodes on ur crossing and watched this episode as well, that being said do u still like the xquisite x5 over the Majestic 530 if money wasn't an issue
You get a lot in this boat, but from 950k to 1.2K is 26+%. Perhaps they should have risen the price over 3 years to get people rushing to buy one before the price jumped the next year. This is just a big jump from year to year. Other than the new hull shape, what else could they offer? The boat already came with everything you would need to live on the boat at $950k.
As of today (Oct 29), I couldn't find any info on the new models on their website. I have a picture from the show, but that's not enough. When I talked to one of the reps about the new version, they said with the new hulls it will have even more buoyancy.
I noticed that too. Their website is out of date. Even the specs they show don't show all the solar that is now included and and says the motors are 75HP when they now say the standard engine is 80HP and they refer to a Majestic 500 model and I don't think they even build that model anymore. Someone on their team needs to seriously update the website and showcase the new boat. They have a facebook page that seems to be up to date.
@@Bowmans-Woods Love ur work. New to the channel. I planned on having my loose change as 1.2 million by now, but I'm still waiting on xrp to increase in price. Mabey next year I'll see you at the boat show.
I know this will sound "off the wall" but have these cat yacht builders ever considered of using Yanmar D Torque 50HP Diesel outboards in sponson wells versus either the shaft or saildrive coupled to the yanmar 80HP diesel in each sponson? Probably not as this is way to advanced to engineer though fairly simple to execute.
Looks wonderful, as a floating loft. If that’s what you want then it is probably worth it. Bridge deck clearance looks very limited. Have you been out on it in a messy seaway? What is the performance like, looks heavy and slow? Still love your presentations, thank you. Fair winds.
So what capacity & type of batteries in the battery bank to absorb all those 2200W of solar? Is a genset included in the 53 price? If so what kind & capacity? All these "glittery" amenities are appealing to most but bare bones structure & engineering details are what matters at sea, although most folks get antsy when they lose sight of land.
wonderful boat Craig, so much all included, double sink and dishwasher et. as ex chef I did fall in love with the Galley, the pantry is cool! for me just like small restaurant, wine cabinet and cooler system etc etc. But I like the maple more, makes the total more cozy and warm! Craig if you compare this boat with the X5 what would be your thoughts +-
Thanks Richard. We agree on everything you said. The Majestic is a much bigger, beamier boat. It may only be 3 feet longer but it feels bigger than that. I think this boat would feel more spacious to live on and the place that all the other boaters would want to hang out on when you are at anchor, which we assume would be 90% of the time you are slowly travelling, but when you are sailing, I assume its beamy size would mean it sails slower. Without test sailing it in all conditions, like I did the X5, it would be hard to say that for sure, but I assume slower at sailing. Again, as long as it sails decently, it would be nice to have all that space and included options. So, its a hard choice. I think based on my knowledge I assume the X5 is more solidly built. Again, hard to know without also touring the Royal Cape factory.
@@Bowmans-Woods completely understand that, it's like you ask me this ore that car and never drove the other. but jezzz its beautiful and so much space! love it.
A test sail in multiple conditions, like a week long passage, would answer a lot of the sailing questions. I just need them to invite me (and Janice) and I will make episodes about it. :-)
@@Bowmans-Woods Yeah they should invite the both of you, would be great episode because we also would get a feedback from Janice her point of view 💪😜🌎⛵️
Glossy maple looks absolutely fine but this toned down one is little more restful to the eye and gives a somewhat roomier impression, at least in my opinion, viewing it from a laptop screen. It usually comes down to the emotion of the moment when you make a final choice.
Yes. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and each owner makes their own choices. We love the more "Woody" look. This boat seems to have more of the kink of mat greyer style wood finish that you would see in one of the more Mass production boats. So we prefer the glossy wood, which you never see in the mass production boats because glossy wood takes a lot more time to make. It just feels more richly appointed. But that is just our opinion. :-)
The impression I get of this boat is that the interior looks like you could be in a small apartment. One could forget that they're on a sail boat. That could be a positive or a negative depending on your preference. For me however, I would prefer something that looks and feels more like a sail boat on the inside as well. Otherwise it is just a floating apartment.
Yeah. That is a possibility. When we’re at the show we’re trying to carry as little extra gear as possible and if I’m trying to carry around wireless Lavalley or microphone‘s and all the other stuff it just becomes too cumbersome. Plus most times we are getting on a boat and asking someone spur the moment if they mind giving us a guided tour. If I start bringing out wireless lav microphone‘s and a bunch of other gear it’s just intimidating for the person who is considering giving you a tour.
Love this boat! Great review Craig and Janice! My wife and I are researching the sailboat lifestyle. Since you guys have been doing it awhile and have a mono hull at the present and looking at cats my question is..... Do you think buying a mono hull then upgrading to a cat is wise for the first time sailor or just go ahead and get the boat that you want to live on? Thanks again, Jack never2old adventures
Hey Never2 Old. (Great name by the way) If you have a fair number of years before you retire and want to get sailing experience then there are a lot of solid used monohulls out there that you can buy cheap and get use to sailing and living on board for weeks at a time to see if you really like the sailing lifestyle. If you are retiring soon and are sure you DEFINITELY KNOW you are going to love living on a sailboat then I see no reason your first boat could not be a Catamaran. That is what Gone with the Wynns did. No sailing experience at all and they buy a 46-47' Leopard. And they are sailing the world. What they did was buy the boat and then pay to have lessons on their own boat. Seemed to work well for them. Now they were used to living in a Motorhome so it was much like living on a sailboat, so they were fairly sure that they would love that mode of living. My only concern with jumping right into a Cat is that they can be much more expensive (for good reason) over a Mono and if you buy it and a year later you decide you hate it. You may have trouble selling you Cat in a quick time at a price you like. That is the only risk I see. You lose some money on the sale of your Cat if you hate it. So, if money is not a problem and you are planning to go soon, I say skip the mono and just go find your perfect sized Cat to live on. Good luck! Craig
@@Bowmans-Woods Thanks Craig. Great advice I am pretty handy so we may go down the refit road like some of the other channels we keep up with. I would love to find a refit cat that we could get and fix up. I have fiberglass experience and lots of wood working skills. Actually a jack of all trades. We are on budget so a refit might be the way to go. I can see the value in doing it that way and finding out if we truly love it or not. We do have a newer you tube channel so please check it out and subscribe if you feel inclined. We are certainly learning a lot on our channel for sure. Fair winds and Full sails, Jack
If you buy a total rebuild boat, you have to factor in that although you save money you cost yourself many many many hours of back breaking labour and in the years that it takes you to get it in Bristol shape, you could have been out sailing, exploring and enjoying life. I personally wouldn't want a "Project boat" because I want to explore. Not sit in a yard sweating and toiling for months or years. If you want my opinion, get a boat that needs some cosmetic work but is ready to sail as soon as you are ready to go. Then you can work on improving your boat from some beautiful anchorage and feel like you are still enjoying life. They always say that owning a boat is really just doing constant boat work in beautiful places. I'm OK with that.
@@Bowmans-Woods that is some sailing veteran wisdom. Thanks for your input. That is an idea for sure. I would definitely like it better to be sweating in a beautiful anchorage then on the hard in a not so beautiful boat yard. Thanks again, Jack
Hey dudes! Not a particular fan of the LOOKS of this boat..however, her list of standard features are impresssive. You know..in 4-5 years many of the boats ( 2018, 2019) that are out of your range will slip right into reach. Nice job( have you silenced Janice..lol)
Very nice yacht! I do prefer the maple over the composite, though. Your tour hostess resembles Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Does she sing whilst giving tours? Lol, just kidding. I'd opt for less cabins and more space on the boat.
Thanks Buck. I agree. We could would do less cabins and more space for each cabin. maybe one huge master on one side. But they often say you may lose some value in resale because if it was to be chartered, they want more cabins.
How high up were all those windows. Was it just your camera angle or did you not have a line of sight to outside. Unless Ally is very short, it seems like she couldn’t see outside. And I like the modern look, and not the 70’s old wood look, and shiny is worst.
She is short. I could see out but I am 6'. The chair has raised foot rests so I am guessing if Ally needed to boost herself higher, she could easily do that to see. If need be.
Beautiful boat. Well thought out. Actually, 1.2 million seems like a great value considering they include everything. One concern: The position of the winches looks like the lines would overhang the electronics. At the show all the lines are neatly tied up but you know under sail this isn’t always going to be the case. Any thoughts on this? ... Nice review.
I really need to take this out a test sail. A patron we met at the show bought a 570 flybridge. He says as soon as he gets it we are invited to go sailing, so at some point I will be able to sail the new model and see what I do and don't like about it's sailing capabilities and layout.
Hi - at about the 18 minute mark you asked about the gloss finish. Maybe high gloss is good for furniture like a chair. But not for primary finishes like walls and full height cabinets and such. High Gloss shrinks the room - makes the room feel more harsh...Smooth flat or satin finishes makes the room feel more calm and open. Using High Gloss finishes in small rooms on a boat only makes the room feel MORE smaller. Using Gloss finishes to finish out a space is very much the wrong interior design path.
Beautiful boat. But I noticed many sharp corners, especially in the cockpit. Would look better and be safer if they were rounded. Otherwise, a great boat.
@@Bowmans-Woods Nope just what you told me us , the market is falling lets hope Exquisite dose not, they do have more then a few on their website unspoken fore if those kids can do it{Sailing La Vagabonde} I would like to think you 2 could as well Too Too the little train that could ps Don't cry so much when your with the boys the music being loud lol Ambient noises thats nice and all if your trying to go to sleep and your like 70
Ya. Hard to do unless you put a wireless LAV mic on the guide. Some may be OK with that but some probably not. Some are not confident on camera and then you ask to wire them up with a Mic and they may decide not to do it.
Definitely prefer the maple wood but I find there is too much wood on the model from two seasons ago. I would break up the wood a bit with some other colour like maybe an off white.
Many people buy new cats without really every living on a boat before. People often sail for a few years and they think it is a "Bucket List" thing to travel full time on a sailboat but then as time goes on, the motivation to live on a boat wanes, people's priorities change or they have a health concern and they have to back to Land life. But that just means more cats on the used market which brings down the prices for people like us that will be looking to buy (most likely used) in the future. Bucket list item checked off for them and Win for us. :-)
@@Bowmans-Woods Yes i know.Not sure about build quality in South Africa.I see a lot more than you do.But not seen them close hand.You would not want me reviewing them.When i was younger man i worked on small and large boats.Im a carpenter and joiner.Ive worked for mivan marine and MSC.
Ya, that was what I was saying to Janice at the end. When do you ever complain that your house is too big? ha ha. The only time extra space is not good is if you ever try and get a slip in a marina and have to pay for the extra length or beam. We plan to anchor out as much as possible. I am sure the upkeep cost on a 45-50' boat is not much different than a 53' boat.
"Rule" RE Costs: For each 10' of length the maintenance hours required double (2x) and the total operating costs increase by 3 times (3x). Even a 5' additional length on a 40' boat can add up quickly. These numbers become unmanageable for many if they are not handy with repairs or not open to alternate solutions with repairs eg Dyneema (also with this complex a boat I wouldn't be surprised if the maintenance hours were 3x instead of 2x.)
No one has done a performance review of the 530. Seems it would be a poor sailer at 20 ton and low in the water almost 5’ and low belly clearance. Where are the sailing performance stats? The freshwater and diesel capacity is nice.
I also would like to see a series on a blue water passage on this boat. If we ever get offered to come and film a short passage, we would be up for it.
It may be. I have yet to get invited to do a test sail of this boat. I can only say for sure after sailing it in some chop, if there is a slapping problem
i don't normaly like cats, but the included options as standard is VERY impressive. is it ally? seriously think about the wifes idea of buying her boat :-)
Ya. Her boat would be perfect. It is something I would seriously consider. What are the chances her boat will be for sale in 3-4 years when we are ready to pull the trigger though? If the stars are aligned, I would take a serious look. :-)
What are the specs on the boat, no doubt it's very heavy, especially with the talk of increasing the hull size on new models. Not sure why you like it so much. Likely very slow, too big for the two of you, the stove and oven proximity to the stairs looks a bit hairy, and a substantial price increase makes it a deal breaker don't you think? Best suited for charter, stuff as many cabins in and make it a floating tiki bar.
I threw the specs on at the end of the video. It came from their website but it seemed out of date. The engines said 75HP but they say the standard engine is now an 80HP. The solar listed on the specs is far lower than what they say is standard now. The specs sheet is dated 2014. So clearly their website needs to be updated. It also shows nothing about their new shaped hull that has already been produced so clearly who every in in charge of their website, needs to be fired. ha ha. They have a Facebook page that shows up to date photos etc of the new boat. If you want nitty gritty details on their boats, I suggest you email them. I am just a normal guy that likes to look at possible future contenders for our next boat. I don't work for any of these companies. The stove and Oven is too close to the stairs? This is not a Mono. It is not going to heel over to the point you fall down the stairs while cooking. If the seas are that violent, I guarantee you will not be cooking anyway. ha ha. It probably is too big. We agree on that point. We say that at the end when we say what we like and dont like. Did you watch to the end? But if one of these came on the market used at a great price and was in good condition, we could live with it being a bit too big. Better something that is a bit too big than something that is a bit too small if this is the boat we are going to spend the next 20 years on. We would just convert one room into an office and one room into a work shop. Living full time on a boat, I am sure we could find good use for the space.
I notice no one ever talks about the ongoing costs of these large and WIDE cats, berthing costs a lot more, haul out issues and availability at limited locations costs a lot more. A wise man once told me, a boat displaces water, it makes a hole on the water, and the bigger the hole the more money you need to throw in it constantly. 😉
Agree. But we don’t plan to spend much time ever in marinas. Anchorages cost the same no matter your boat size. Upkeep on 48 won’t be much different than this boat.
well sometimes a person has to adjust their expectations because the larger the vessel the higher the refit/repair costs involved. Seems like I see vessels for sale when they mature to the 10 - 12 year mark especially if they have been utilized more than occasional/seasonal use. A proper survey can only detail so much to eliminate the glaring discrepancies but engine oil analysis can be beneficial to eliminate some possible problems. Proper maintenance records will tell if the vessel has been properly cared for.
Maybe, but, a mat grey finish like last year, will also get scratched and then it looks even uglier. I'd take my chances with glossy wood. Worse case scenario, you sand it and re-stain and varnish it back to it's previous beauty.
Tortuous? You mean too many thing being filmed in a short time? Well, that is just what you get with a guided tour. They move along quick without factoring in the time it takes to get your camera focussed on things and they point to one thing after another. I just try and keep up. Occasionally I had her slow down and repeat things and you can see a few cuts in my edit because of her repeating things. eg) I'd just start filming point A and she would already be pointing and explaining about point B. It can also be tough when it is an open boat show and there are tons of people around talking and making the audio very loud, along with sometimes getting in the way of our filming. So it is the best I could do with the situation I had. Not really happy to hear you use the word "tortuous". Seems like a bit of an exaggeration, but, you are welcome to make negative comments, and as long as they are constructive, I will leave them in.
Hey Craig, I always make very positive reviews about your videos, and English is not my language, I'm French and it's sometimes hard for me to find the right expressions. I do not criticize your way of filming, but I find the boat with too many corners and rather complex and I can not get an exact idea. It is only the design of the boat with the positioning of the cabins that disorients me. You have talent to film and I do not miss any of your videos. Sorry, I did not really want to make bad criticism towards you, because I appreciate enormously what you do. I understand that all these videos require a lot of work and I respect your work. I think it's a bad understanding because of my bad english. I hope you will not hold me against it.
No problem Jacques. I misunderstood. Saying something is torturous to watch Implies the camera was moving around too much and it was hard or disorienting to watch. I took that to mean my camera work was poor. I understand you now. The boat is quite large and has a lot of cabins all throughout and I can understand that it would be hard to follow what part of the boat we are in. No issues. All the best.
Very happy that we understood each other Craig. Your video work is not criticizable because it is professional and I was sad that you think I criticized it negatively. I sometimes watch some videos several times for fun. And hello to Janice.
Agree. As I've said earlier, if anyone do their homework on the "architect" thoughts/inputs behind this boat, you will be shocked. I've delivered this model from Cape Town to Durban 5 years ago, we've sailed/raised sails for 30min the total 900nm. This is NOT a sailing vessel, it is a motorboat, with a mast as a after thought. Amazing how potential buyers get caught up in all the luxuries, without checking the basics:-(
Big, heavy , slow. Good if you never want to go anywhere. Low bridgedeck clearance. This would be a pig for long distance and require motoring everywhere.
Why would you want such a big catamaran? Why deal with all the big loads, heavier equipment, fewer haul-out facilities, fewer suitable docking spaces, more expenses all around, more maintenance and so and so forth. stick to between 44 and 48 feet if its just you and some occasional friends/kids. Spend 600K on a new boat and live care free or spend 400K 2nd hand and live luxuriously seem like much better deals.
I hear ya. I really doubt the upkeep on this boat would be much higher than the a 45'-50' boat. Same number of winches, water-maker, engines, etc, etc. The only time a bigger boat is noticeably more expensive is when you are trying to get a slip in a Marina. We plan to avoid marinas and anchor out whenever possible. We will go to shore by using our dinghy. We plan to get a good dinghy because that is like your car and your Cat is your house. At $950K, it use to be cheaper than smaller boats. Now that it is $1.2m it just got way out of our price range. So probably not a future option.
@@Bowmans-Woods No that's a common misconception. On a big catamaran almost everything is bigger. The winches are bigger. the sails. the rigging. the lines. The aircon units. the generator. the engines. its all bigger, heavier, more expensive, uses more oil, more fuel, more expensive parts and labour and so on. And indeed the watermaker is usually just as big.
@@Bowmans-Woods See my other reply RE "rule" for costs vs. boat length. You are forgetting that with size comes bigger: rigging, winches, sails, windlass, chain, anchors, motors, etc, etc..... Replacement/repairs are ALL more expensive and labor associated is more expensive. Size & complexity = 5x to 6x total expense increase. Check what avg marinas (non USA) can actually haul out a 50'+ catamaran; they are few & far between=ALL costs @ premium marina are higher. The other problem is sourcing the "bigger" parts. Most shops are focused on the average sailors needs; your parts would be considered "premium" parts/repairs. (I see circum navigation posted much the same while I was posting my comment)
Wow! So many special features: dishwasher; outside washer/dryer; outdoor showers; live well with window (for fish); workshop; walk-in pantry; and espresso machine next to nav station! Outstanding!
Completely agree. I guess you can see why at $950K we said it was the "best bang for the buck" on the market. $1.2m going forward, is going to dampen our enthusiasm a bit.
I went back on your recommendation and viewed the other video of the Majestic 53 from 2 years ago. My goodness!!!! what an over the top yacht!! the standard features are even customizable. you even get to pick out your dishes?!?!!! I have been watching yacht review channels for a while now and I have never seen a yacht covered so thoroughly. I am TRULY impressed with this CAT. the story about how this Cat was not de-masted in a hurricane is noteworthy to say the least. IMHO it is worth the price tag. work harder and save more money. this is the one for you!!!!!!
Thanks Carey. We did love that boat. And for the price you can't expect to get more. Shame the new hull shape comes with a much bigger price tag.
I have been a subscriber for over a year and allways give a thumbs up for a video thanks for sharing them on here
Thanks Simon and extra thanks for the thumbs up. It is always nice to see.
this is BY FARRRR, the nicest cat i have seen to date. EVERYTHING IN THE SAILING WORLD COMES STANDARD!!! i cant even imagine how luxurious it would be if you had the 2 cabin layout, not to mention the amount of storage! that being said i think 3 cabins is a nice middle ground though. Dont even get me started on that kitchen, you wont find appliances that size almost anywhere. it is out of my particular price range, but that would DEFINITELY be my pick if my budget would allow it.
The owners side has 2 cabins. So I assumed the minimum wound be 4 cabins. Not sure how it would look with just 1 cabin on each Side. It would be spacious.
I love the drop down swim and tender platform works gret for me when I come back from a dive
I agree. The high gloss maple is quite attractive. That grey was terrible.
Around the 22:00 mark I started noticing that the Las Vegas thing on your wall behind you is 'distorting'. It's subtle but, when you see it, it is hard not to be distracted afterwards.
The pulsating back wall. Haha. The camera was in autofocus mode and it has face detection. So when we faced the camera it had our face sharp but when we faced each other it hunted for a face, I guess. In future post video reviews I put the camera in manual focus to avoid that happening.
“I’m doing all the work and Janice is sitting enjoying life” 😂. I agree with Janice, buy Ally’s boat when its available for sale. The maple wood is beautiful. It’s a great boat.
The work for this channel is clearly lopsided. ha ha. But she is a pretty sidekick so I am willing to let that slide. ;-)
Definitely the honey maple! That finish is just beautiful!
(I hope they have a more functional substitution for that live well at the stern)
I really like the glossy honey maple. This is a fantastic boat.
We agree with both your points
I really like this boat. Agree 100% on the maple! I don't like the nav station. I prefer the one in the Xquisite X5. I like the idea of the pantry and work cabin. I was thinking that from the X5 video that I would rather have all the tools, parts and work area in a cabin I would not use. The glass is a must now :) the cockpit freezer-table was spot on. The exterior W/D where you can also easily hang cloths from the washer is well thought out.
Glad you liked it Richard. I also liked the boat in so many ways.
Love the Majestic, really looking forward to the new model, said to have 3 ft. Extra room in the salon. They also offer upgraded motors and props. Great company and great people. We too did not care for last years model which we went sailing on. However we have sailed on another. Sv Come what May. The ease and stability of the sail is amazing. Added bonus is the owners all seem to be wonderful.
That’s great to hear.
Maybe taking people on a short sail.Hoping to get a buyer.Seems the owners are trying to sell them.This one is up for sale.
@@t147han try and find how many are for sale vs. Lagoon or FP. I have been watching very rarely does one come up for sale.
@@mitchellhenderson1456 Lagoon are a mass production yacht builder.maybe 7 different boats Majestic are a small buider.I think they only build 3 a year.Not many private buyers.Just seems the only one that has been kept is the sales lady ,the family one
@@t147han I have sailed with another owner on the 530. Maybe you should try and go on a sail. I have been on 3 of these. They are very solidly built. Also very customizable.
I am anxious to get on the new design.
Another factor for us would be the add on's. Royal Cape includes what you need for blue water. We priced out the production boats to include what the Majestic 530 has from the start. We were shocked at how quickly it added up to more than 400k above the Majestic.
We hopefully plan on commissioning a build for ourselves in the near future.
Love the maple! Wood always looks and feels richer n warm n cozy. Maybe a shade darker. Many thanks for vids. Plan to start one when kids grow up, around 46ft.
Thanks. 45-50’ is a perfect size. IMO.
Your wife had the right idea. The hull change is working for you. No doubt Alley will want to have the latest and greatest and will be upgrading. You can pick her's up reasonably...
My budget is a used Hobie 16 and a sleeping bag. I can afford a new sleeping bag though....
Ha ha. You have to start somewhere. Perhaps you are right on the used Majestic. But, I still think it is probably too big for what we need.
@@Bowmans-Woods You could probably use the space, but the price tag is steep. And everything else on a larger boat is more expensive too. Bigger engines need more fuel, bigger sails cost more and require bigger rigging to manage them, and the docking fees are higher as well.
Agreed. Bigger does tend to mean everything that needs to be repaired, costs more down the road.
I like the notion of re-purposing some of the staterooms for other things. A workshop that can be either is ingenious. If you have a component that needs rework or testing, you can do it inside, out of the weather with great lighting and all tools handy. I also liked the walk-in pantry. And the outside washer/dryer. And the 2200 watts solar. And the instruments behind the dark glass panel. Big difference between charter or personal. While the maple does look nice, I can imagine it is a. high maintenance and b. tiresome after a while due to lack of contrast? Great job as always. The Majestic has a lot to offer. How is the cabling and mechanical layout? As good as the Xquisite?
Thanks Brian. I agree with what you said. Comparing any Cat to the ISO9000 Quality level of the X5 is tough. I didn't climb into every electrical area to say for sure, but Im guessing the X5 has it beat in terms of attention to detail and quality. Plus I am sure the after sales service, if you do have an issue, with the X5 is top notch. I have never sailed nor spent enough time on the Majestic, to comment for sure on that area.
I realy love the lowering swim platform for re entry to the boat with scuba gear on , also the tender sits on this while sailing
Wow, that's an amazing boat. Loved it!!! Thank you so much for the video.
No problem Hector and thanks for writing in.
I used to think, "There's no way I'd ever get a Shoilet." But after seeing that huge pantry I might reconsider that. Another idea is a utility room where you can have separate washer and dryer units plus a workbench with room for tools. Or how about a private office? The list goes on.
Ya. If you have one room that is mainly an office workbench room there is really no need for a separate shower. Or even a bathroom really? Might as well have a huge walk-in pantry.
@@Bowmans-Woods Oh very true! :)
Again you have created a useful and informative review and I watch all of yours - including binge-watching since I found you lol. Anyway - I touched on this in your last presentation but you didn't directly respond and I am very interested in your personal thoughts about the following: Most long term liveaboard are going to be people of a more "mature" age group and so I guess handling is going to get more and more difficult as the hull lengths get bigger and the general mass gets bigger - is that a consideration for you? Also, do you think liveaboards need so many additional berths? Knowing a few long term boaters and following many of the cruising video's I know that ongoing maintenance (including preventative maintenance) is absolutely crucial for safe, long-term sailing. My closest friend who has been sailing all of his adult life said that if he could want for anything on a boat it would be a workshop with all the tools (custom and stock) that would ever be needed to keep the boat maintained. Would you not prefer a builder or an option where a berth could instead be a permanent, fully fitted workshop?
Hey Tony. Sorry I missed a previous comment? I usually respond to most with questions. As for your comment this time. As sailors get older they will require some things on their boat to allow them to sail until they are quite old. Things like, power winches, perhaps bow thrusters to help them easily pull up to the dock so they don't have to jump too far to get off the boat, All lines going to 1 helm so it can be easily sailed solo, so the other person can get some sleep, etc. This boat and many other modern Cats have all electric winches, so there is no need to be strong to lift sails etc. This Majestic comes with a bow thruster. Somehow Alley forgot to mention that but it was mentioned in previous years shows. Even without a bow thruster most cats can maneuver in tight spaces once you get use to using the 2 motors to spin the boat. All modern cats have all the lines running back to one helm location so a single person can sail this alone. Docking or trying to catch a mooring ball is the only time I really see a need to have at least 1 or 2 other people on board to keep one at the helm to maneuver while the other is tending to lines. A cat has the added benefit for the older sailor that you are not sailing heeled over. It is much easier to walk around on a cat that sails level. Much less likelihood of losing your balance and falling. So I think a modern Cat is the perfect type of sailboat for an aging sailing couple vs a monohull.
As for your thoughts on "do you really need so many cabins?", and you are right. You don't. This boat seems to come standard with 5 cabins (which is too many in our opinion). If you were buying one to have as a crewed charter boat I think the best option is to have the 6 cabin version. But, for a liveaboard couple I think the best layout is the duplicated owners sides with just 4 cabins. Then you turn 1 of the 4 into a workshop and 1 could be dual use as an office/3rd guest cabin. Then you have just 2 cabins that are full time ready for lat minute sleep over guest but the office could easily be cleaned up to be the 3rd cabin . Then you can have 2 couples visit your boat at the same time and everyone is comfortable. If you are not chartering your boat there is just no good reason for someone to have 6 cabins with 6 heads. That is just way too many heads to have to maintain and clean.
I agree, when you live aboard you are going to try and do most fixes yourself to save money or because you are in such a remote area, there is no good labour around, so you better learn to be handy. So a full time workshop with all your tools organized and a place to work, would be ideal.
Hope that makes up for missing your previous comment. :-)
Cheers,
Craig
Hard to argue with the customization and the price. I’ll have to look more into these.
Hull has changed and the price went up. A lot!
Great job Craig and Janice! Nice boat. Like some of the new features but I still like the 2016-2017 model better. Love the fact that this boat come loaded for same price!
They won’t be charging for every option. The Company builds an amazing boat! I could move into one in a heartbeat but that was a major jump in price from $945.Grand to $1.2 Mil. That $250,000 increase will turn off a lot of people! What a shame!!!
I am still impressed with the Company and their build quality though!!!
We agree with you completely Niagra. Great boat (especially the one from 2 yrs ago) and you can't beat the $950K with everything included. It was one of the strong candidates for being our future boat if we wanted something this big. Now at $1.2M, it feels like a bit of a pipe dream. Probably will not be our future boat at that price.
945k to 1.2Mil, where do you get 2,5Mil increase. Asking for a friend. LOL
I think he meant 250K. It was just a typo. Janice also did the math wrong in her head in the video, which made me laugh.
@@Bowmans-Woods If you buying a 950k, an increase of 250k is not bad though, others you will spend 500k just to get what they offer here. Nice yacht, but then I'm South African
Alfred Pike
Sorry! I made the correction.
Cant wait to see the 570!
Yes you could go Maverick, it would totally depend on your comfort level. Myself would prefer the length as it helps with the pitching.
I agree. Assuming you could afford the Majestic, the bigger the boat, generally, the more comfortable the ride.
Beautiful...Great lay out....Water maker I would imagine is standard....Curious...on the picture of the new design...the waterline clearance to the bridge deck looked a little slim...any idea about the slamming that could become a factor?....Thanks again for All the time and consideration you bring to your videos.
I thought the clearance also looked a little low. The specs didn’t specify the clearance and I have not been given an opportunity to sail it. So I can’t say for sure how much of an issue it will be.
I love the maple and don't care.for the others. Other than the 50+ feet I also love that boat, I wish you could have at least semi-walkaround.beds. It seems that many.builders are going bigger.and abandoning the smaller (40'-50') boats. I am going to see how many and what price I cand find. Great tour.
We agree with everything you said. Walk around beds would be preferred.
hello thanks for the review i think the majestic is the best cat now, great job thanks
It was one of our favorites, for many reasons. Too bad the price went up 24%. Priced it right out of contention for us. Sad.
Thanks for doing these videos, I prefer the lighter wood finish it seems more modern and will hold its value longer.
I like this design.
We agree
So is it the 530 or the Exquisite X5 that you like best?
That is one big beautiful boat and I love that everything is included in the price. Are you concerned it's too big for you and Janice to handle alone?
It is a bit too large but I think we could handle it. FYI. It comes with a bow thruster.
Awesome. Can someone tell Me the model name of small CAT in this Beginning and a large one in the end??
I always loves ur reviews.. But maybe u should open the cabinet n fridge. Ruby rose r also good n so detail with product finishing but their video took too long n bored.. I want u to review some inexpensive catamarans under 40ft with the pricelist. Will u do that?? Thanks for ur video hope u both may achieve to purchase a boat u dreamt of.
Love from Indonesia 🇮🇩
We have done a few under 40' cats but we often find they feel too small for full time liveaboard use.
Why don’t you put a link to the first episode? You keep referring to it with the wood interior and I would love to find it. You did the same with your transat series on the exquisite so I endef up watching all those episodes out of order!!! Other than that your videos are the best!
I want people to watch the whole series. ha ha. I hear what you are saying.
@@Bowmans-Woods I enjoyed your videos, very informative. What about steel? Seen any steel cats?
Hey guys great tour of the boat..and definitely the maple is the way to go bright and beautiful..one question does that price include the spinnaker in the sail plan ? cheers
Yes, I believe everything you see on the boat is included. Not sure about a spinnaker. That’s usually extra. You need to email them that question.
@@Bowmans-Woods Thanks for the response and will do again thanks
So a quick question, I have watched ur episodes on ur crossing and watched this episode as well, that being said do u still like the xquisite x5 over the Majestic 530 if money wasn't an issue
I think so but I’d need to go sailing on this and the St Francis 50 to give a full opinion on overall rankings.
Thank you for doing these reviews
You are very welcome Posey.
I like wood in a sailboat!
The Honey Maple is nice.
Agree.
Glossy maple, definitely!
Actually, although the price is steep, the price jump isn't all that much for what you get.
You get a lot in this boat, but from 950k to 1.2K is 26+%. Perhaps they should have risen the price over 3 years to get people rushing to buy one before the price jumped the next year. This is just a big jump from year to year. Other than the new hull shape, what else could they offer? The boat already came with everything you would need to live on the boat at $950k.
All good points.
@@Bowmans-Woods criag you know you can have a custom 52 cat built in capetown for approx 950k usd.
As of today (Oct 29), I couldn't find any info on the new models on their website. I have a picture from the show, but that's not enough. When I talked to one of the reps about the new version, they said with the new hulls it will have even more buoyancy.
I noticed that too. Their website is out of date. Even the specs they show don't show all the solar that is now included and and says the motors are 75HP when they now say the standard engine is 80HP and they refer to a Majestic 500 model and I don't think they even build that model anymore. Someone on their team needs to seriously update the website and showcase the new boat. They have a facebook page that seems to be up to date.
With this new model, Xquisite with a new model, Privilege with a new model, in 5-6 years you can get a fantastic used boat.
That is probably very true. 👍
Love this boat now I just need the 1.2 mil
Us too. 😁
@@Bowmans-Woods
Love ur work. New to the channel. I planned on having my loose change as 1.2 million by now, but I'm still waiting on xrp to increase in price. Mabey next year I'll see you at the boat show.
Not a fan of the maple personally. Maybe it's just because I'm not a Canadian :-) Another great video, thanks Craig and Janice!
It's a personal choice thing. We like the darker woods too. Just don't like the painted surfaces vs a glossy wood.
Love the boat, which do you prefer sail drive or shaftdrive, keep making great videos
We’ll shaft drive tends to have less breakdowns. So I prefer shaft drive.
I know this will sound "off the wall" but have these cat yacht builders ever considered of using Yanmar D Torque 50HP Diesel outboards in sponson wells versus either the shaft or saildrive coupled to the yanmar 80HP diesel in each sponson? Probably not as this is way to advanced to engineer though fairly simple to execute.
Looks wonderful, as a floating loft. If that’s what you want then it is probably worth it. Bridge deck clearance looks very limited. Have you been out on it in a messy seaway? What is the performance like, looks heavy and slow? Still love your presentations, thank you. Fair winds.
Have never test sailed it. So not enough knowledge to know how it performs. Present owners email me. They say it sails respectably.
So what capacity & type of batteries in the battery bank to absorb all those 2200W of solar? Is a genset included in the 53 price? If so what kind & capacity? All these "glittery" amenities are appealing to most but bare bones structure & engineering details are what matters at sea, although most folks get antsy when they lose sight of land.
You need to email the company to get the nitty gritty specs.
Ilike the position of the life raft as I realy would not want to be lugging a raft from a locker
wonderful boat Craig, so much all included, double sink and dishwasher et. as ex chef I did fall in love with the Galley, the pantry is cool! for me just like small restaurant, wine cabinet and cooler system etc etc. But I like the maple more, makes the total more cozy and warm! Craig if you compare this boat with the X5 what would be your thoughts +-
Thanks Richard. We agree on everything you said. The Majestic is a much bigger, beamier boat. It may only be 3 feet longer but it feels bigger than that. I think this boat would feel more spacious to live on and the place that all the other boaters would want to hang out on when you are at anchor, which we assume would be 90% of the time you are slowly travelling, but when you are sailing, I assume its beamy size would mean it sails slower. Without test sailing it in all conditions, like I did the X5, it would be hard to say that for sure, but I assume slower at sailing. Again, as long as it sails decently, it would be nice to have all that space and included options. So, its a hard choice. I think based on my knowledge I assume the X5 is more solidly built. Again, hard to know without also touring the Royal Cape factory.
@@Bowmans-Woods completely understand that, it's like you ask me this ore that car and never drove the other. but jezzz its beautiful and so much space! love it.
A test sail in multiple conditions, like a week long passage, would answer a lot of the sailing questions. I just need them to invite me (and Janice) and I will make episodes about it. :-)
@@Bowmans-Woods Yeah they should invite the both of you, would be great episode because we also would get a feedback from Janice her point of view 💪😜🌎⛵️
Glossy maple looks absolutely fine but this toned down one is little more restful to the eye and gives a somewhat roomier impression, at least in my opinion, viewing it from a laptop screen. It usually comes down to the emotion of the moment when you make a final choice.
Yes. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and each owner makes their own choices. We love the more "Woody" look. This boat seems to have more of the kink of mat greyer style wood finish that you would see in one of the more Mass production boats. So we prefer the glossy wood, which you never see in the mass production boats because glossy wood takes a lot more time to make. It just feels more richly appointed. But that is just our opinion. :-)
The impression I get of this boat is that the interior looks like you could be in a small apartment. One could forget that they're on a sail boat. That could be a positive or a negative depending on your preference. For me however, I would prefer something that looks and feels more like a sail boat on the inside as well. Otherwise it is just a floating apartment.
I hear what you are saying. It is big, for sure. Probably too big for just a couple like us.
7:47 you can always lav up the person talking so the background noise isn't as noticeable.
Yeah. That is a possibility. When we’re at the show we’re trying to carry as little extra gear as possible and if I’m trying to carry around wireless Lavalley or microphone‘s and all the other stuff it just becomes too cumbersome. Plus most times we are getting on a boat and asking someone spur the moment if they mind giving us a guided tour. If I start bringing out wireless lav microphone‘s and a bunch of other gear it’s just intimidating for the person who is considering giving you a tour.
Love this boat! Great review Craig and Janice! My wife and I are researching the sailboat lifestyle. Since you guys have been doing it awhile and have a mono hull at the present and looking at cats my question is.....
Do you think buying a mono hull then upgrading to a cat is wise for the first time sailor or just go ahead and get the boat that you want to live on?
Thanks again, Jack
never2old adventures
Hey Never2 Old. (Great name by the way)
If you have a fair number of years before you retire and want to get sailing experience then there are a lot of solid used monohulls out there that you can buy cheap and get use to sailing and living on board for weeks at a time to see if you really like the sailing lifestyle. If you are retiring soon and are sure you DEFINITELY KNOW you are going to love living on a sailboat then I see no reason your first boat could not be a Catamaran. That is what Gone with the Wynns did. No sailing experience at all and they buy a 46-47' Leopard. And they are sailing the world. What they did was buy the boat and then pay to have lessons on their own boat. Seemed to work well for them. Now they were used to living in a Motorhome so it was much like living on a sailboat, so they were fairly sure that they would love that mode of living. My only concern with jumping right into a Cat is that they can be much more expensive (for good reason) over a Mono and if you buy it and a year later you decide you hate it. You may have trouble selling you Cat in a quick time at a price you like. That is the only risk I see. You lose some money on the sale of your Cat if you hate it. So, if money is not a problem and you are planning to go soon, I say skip the mono and just go find your perfect sized Cat to live on. Good luck! Craig
@@Bowmans-Woods Thanks Craig. Great advice I am pretty handy so we may go down the refit road like some of the other channels we keep up with. I would love to find a refit cat that we could get and fix up. I have fiberglass experience and lots of wood working skills. Actually a jack of all trades. We are on budget so a refit might be the way to go. I can see the value in doing it that way and finding out if we truly love it or not. We do have a newer you tube channel so please check it out and subscribe if you feel inclined. We are certainly learning a lot on our channel for sure.
Fair winds and Full sails,
Jack
If you buy a total rebuild boat, you have to factor in that although you save money you cost yourself many many many hours of back breaking labour and in the years that it takes you to get it in Bristol shape, you could have been out sailing, exploring and enjoying life. I personally wouldn't want a "Project boat" because I want to explore. Not sit in a yard sweating and toiling for months or years. If you want my opinion, get a boat that needs some cosmetic work but is ready to sail as soon as you are ready to go. Then you can work on improving your boat from some beautiful anchorage and feel like you are still enjoying life. They always say that owning a boat is really just doing constant boat work in beautiful places. I'm OK with that.
@@Bowmans-Woods that is some sailing veteran wisdom. Thanks for your input. That is an idea for sure. I would definitely like it better to be sweating in a beautiful anchorage then on the hard in a not so beautiful boat yard. Thanks again, Jack
Hey dudes! Not a particular fan of the LOOKS of this boat..however, her list of standard features are impresssive. You know..in 4-5 years many of the boats ( 2018, 2019) that are out of your range will slip right into reach. Nice job( have you silenced Janice..lol)
Let’s hope. If we are buying during a recession, boat prices to tend to drop far.
Very nice yacht! I do prefer the maple over the composite, though. Your tour hostess resembles Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Does she sing whilst giving tours? Lol, just kidding. I'd opt for less cabins and more space on the boat.
Thanks Buck. I agree. We could would do less cabins and more space for each cabin. maybe one huge master on one side. But they often say you may lose some value in resale because if it was to be chartered, they want more cabins.
How high up were all those windows. Was it just your camera angle or did you not have a line of sight to outside. Unless Ally is very short, it seems like she couldn’t see outside.
And I like the modern look, and not the 70’s old wood look, and shiny is worst.
She is short. I could see out but I am 6'. The chair has raised foot rests so I am guessing if Ally needed to boost herself higher, she could easily do that to see. If need be.
Beautiful boat. Well thought out. Actually, 1.2 million seems like a great value considering they include everything.
One concern: The position of the winches looks like the lines would overhang the electronics. At the show all the lines are neatly tied up but you know under sail this isn’t always going to be the case. Any thoughts on this? ... Nice review.
I really need to take this out a test sail. A patron we met at the show bought a 570 flybridge. He says as soon as he gets it we are invited to go sailing, so at some point I will be able to sail the new model and see what I do and don't like about it's sailing capabilities and layout.
Cruising Off Duty , look forward to your report.
I like most wood grained interiors glossy for boats. Perhaps not for knotty pine. The glossy maple did look rich.
Yes, We like glossy wood as well.
Do you know the weight limit on the platform..just as a comparison the Leopard 50 platform can take a max of 350kg
I think it's somewhere around 1 ton
You should be glad they have a new model out, it will bring the prices down for the older model... I suppose it would be better for YOU.
Yes, that is the silver lining. Older model will now clearly look like the "Older Model".
Hi - at about the 18 minute mark you asked about the gloss finish. Maybe high gloss is good for furniture like a chair. But not for primary finishes like walls and full height cabinets and such. High Gloss shrinks the room - makes the room feel more harsh...Smooth flat or satin finishes makes the room feel more calm and open. Using High Gloss finishes in small rooms on a boat only makes the room feel MORE smaller. Using Gloss finishes to finish out a space is very much the wrong interior design path.
OK. Personal choice, I guess.
what do you like more the majestic 530 or the st francis 50?
Hmmm. It’s close. We’d need to test sail each to say for sure.
Every time I see these videos, I want to sell my house (Vancouver BC) and buy one of them.
That's exactly what my wife and I are planning on doing!
It is a dream a lot of us have. Looking forward to that day.
You and me both!
Beautiful boat. But I noticed many sharp corners, especially in the cockpit. Would look better and be safer if they were rounded. Otherwise, a great boat.
We agree, on a sailboat, every corner should be rounded.
Love this boat in hunny maple
Us too. 👍
You two will get the X5 let be open here lol
I wish. Do you know something we don't? Do we have a long lost relative that is going to bequeath us a boat load of money? ha ha
@@Bowmans-Woods Nope just what you told me us , the market is falling lets hope Exquisite dose not, they do have more then a few on their website unspoken fore if those kids can do it{Sailing La Vagabonde} I would like to think you 2 could as well Too Too the little train that could ps Don't cry so much when your with the boys the music being loud lol Ambient noises thats nice and all if your trying to go to sleep and your like 70
Luv your videos, but one thing, I wish you could hear the tour guides better when there is a lot of background noise.
Ya. Hard to do unless you put a wireless LAV mic on the guide. Some may be OK with that but some probably not. Some are not confident on camera and then you ask to wire them up with a Mic and they may decide not to do it.
Definitely prefer the maple wood but I find there is too much wood on the model from two seasons ago. I would break up the wood a bit with some other colour like maybe an off white.
I'm sure they could do that for you.
Makes me think.Why is this yacht for sale.?..Xquiste x5 was put up for sale as well.Seems those not put in charter being sold.???
Many people buy new cats without really every living on a boat before. People often sail for a few years and they think it is a "Bucket List" thing to travel full time on a sailboat but then as time goes on, the motivation to live on a boat wanes, people's priorities change or they have a health concern and they have to back to Land life. But that just means more cats on the used market which brings down the prices for people like us that will be looking to buy (most likely used) in the future. Bucket list item checked off for them and Win for us. :-)
@@Bowmans-Woods Yes i know.Not sure about build quality in South Africa.I see a lot more than you do.But not seen them close hand.You would not want me reviewing them.When i was younger man i worked on small and large boats.Im a carpenter and joiner.Ive worked for mivan marine and MSC.
I imagine the first time you have crew aboard, the boat size will shrink proportionally to the number of bodies on board.
Ya, that was what I was saying to Janice at the end. When do you ever complain that your house is too big? ha ha. The only time extra space is not good is if you ever try and get a slip in a marina and have to pay for the extra length or beam. We plan to anchor out as much as possible. I am sure the upkeep cost on a 45-50' boat is not much different than a 53' boat.
"Rule" RE Costs: For each 10' of length the maintenance hours required double (2x) and the total operating costs increase by 3 times (3x). Even a 5' additional length on a 40' boat can add up quickly. These numbers become unmanageable for many if they are not handy with repairs or not open to alternate solutions with repairs eg Dyneema (also with this complex a boat I wouldn't be surprised if the maintenance hours were 3x instead of 2x.)
No one has done a performance review of the 530. Seems it would be a poor sailer at 20 ton and low in the water almost 5’ and low belly clearance. Where are the sailing performance stats? The freshwater and diesel capacity is nice.
I also would like to see a series on a blue water passage on this boat. If we ever get offered to come and film a short passage, we would be up for it.
Bridge deck clearance seams to be a problem!
Yes it does and in none of their literature / specifications do they list or state what it is. Looks real low, can you imagine the slamming...
It may be. I have yet to get invited to do a test sail of this boat. I can only say for sure after sailing it in some chop, if there is a slapping problem
MAPLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Agree !!!!!! :-)
The woods is very american, i believe. I'd love the subtle grey / whites, but i'm a scandi, so what to do... Lovely boat though.
It may be a North American thing. Maple is a Canadian thing. 😁. The flat grey looks IKEA to us. But that is a scandi thing. 😜
i don't normaly like cats, but the included options as standard is VERY impressive. is it ally? seriously think about the wifes idea of buying her boat :-)
Ya. Her boat would be perfect. It is something I would seriously consider. What are the chances her boat will be for sale in 3-4 years when we are ready to pull the trigger though? If the stars are aligned, I would take a serious look. :-)
@@Bowmans-Woods ah well keep it in mind :-) talk to her.
Nice if you want a house boat, but for that money you can get a very nice large seaworthy monohull with global reach.
Not interested in living on a lean.
Freeboard????
Freeboard seems tall. Bridge deck clearance may be shorter that I’d like though.
@@Bowmans-Woods sorry, that what I meant :-)
I bet Next yrs 53 is going to be a smaller version of the new 57
You might be right.
What are the specs on the boat, no doubt it's very heavy, especially with the talk of increasing the hull size on new models. Not sure why you like it so much. Likely very slow, too big for the two of you, the stove and oven proximity to the stairs looks a bit hairy, and a substantial price increase makes it a deal breaker don't you think? Best suited for charter, stuff as many cabins in and make it a floating tiki bar.
I threw the specs on at the end of the video. It came from their website but it seemed out of date. The engines said 75HP but they say the standard engine is now an 80HP. The solar listed on the specs is far lower than what they say is standard now. The specs sheet is dated 2014. So clearly their website needs to be updated. It also shows nothing about their new shaped hull that has already been produced so clearly who every in in charge of their website, needs to be fired. ha ha. They have a Facebook page that shows up to date photos etc of the new boat. If you want nitty gritty details on their boats, I suggest you email them. I am just a normal guy that likes to look at possible future contenders for our next boat. I don't work for any of these companies.
The stove and Oven is too close to the stairs? This is not a Mono. It is not going to heel over to the point you fall down the stairs while cooking. If the seas are that violent, I guarantee you will not be cooking anyway. ha ha. It probably is too big. We agree on that point. We say that at the end when we say what we like and dont like. Did you watch to the end? But if one of these came on the market used at a great price and was in good condition, we could live with it being a bit too big. Better something that is a bit too big than something that is a bit too small if this is the boat we are going to spend the next 20 years on. We would just convert one room into an office and one room into a work shop. Living full time on a boat, I am sure we could find good use for the space.
I'm bias as I love real wood I have 2 table tops made of pure oak ( not machined to death just made true and beautiful
I notice no one ever talks about the ongoing costs of these large and WIDE cats, berthing costs a lot more, haul out issues and availability at limited locations costs a lot more. A wise man once told me, a boat displaces water, it makes a hole on the water, and the bigger the hole the more money you need to throw in it constantly. 😉
Agree. But we don’t plan to spend much time ever in marinas. Anchorages cost the same no matter your boat size. Upkeep on 48 won’t be much different than this boat.
Based on the price escalation of new boats, I am not sure you’ll see this big of a drop in 5 years. Unless the boat is not well maintained.
I know. That’s why we are disappointed. Too rich for our budget.
well sometimes a person has to adjust their expectations because the larger the vessel the higher the refit/repair costs involved. Seems like I see vessels for sale when they mature to the 10 - 12 year mark especially if they have been utilized more than occasional/seasonal use. A proper survey can only detail so much to eliminate the glaring discrepancies but engine oil analysis can be beneficial to eliminate some possible problems. Proper maintenance records will tell if the vessel has been properly cared for.
The new 53 is 1.1 mil, old hull style $950K.
1.2 is fully kitted out and counts commissioning
@@Bowmans-Woods DUH, My bad.
Go for it, you only live once.
Yes. But you don’t want to have no money to cruise
Glossy maple does look better but maybe prone to scratch's more than the others.
Maybe, but, a mat grey finish like last year, will also get scratched and then it looks even uglier. I'd take my chances with glossy wood. Worse case scenario, you sand it and re-stain and varnish it back to it's previous beauty.
I like the grey best
Really? From last year? Seriously? 1st person I have heard to say that. Beauty is a personal choice. I get that.
Not crazy about the maple. :-(
Craig, very nice boat, but very tortuous, difficult to get a good idea even with all your talent to film.
Tortuous? You mean too many thing being filmed in a short time? Well, that is just what you get with a guided tour. They move along quick without factoring in the time it takes to get your camera focussed on things and they point to one thing after another. I just try and keep up. Occasionally I had her slow down and repeat things and you can see a few cuts in my edit because of her repeating things. eg) I'd just start filming point A and she would already be pointing and explaining about point B. It can also be tough when it is an open boat show and there are tons of people around talking and making the audio very loud, along with sometimes getting in the way of our filming. So it is the best I could do with the situation I had. Not really happy to hear you use the word "tortuous". Seems like a bit of an exaggeration, but, you are welcome to make negative comments, and as long as they are constructive, I will leave them in.
Hey Craig, I always make very positive reviews about your videos, and English is not my language, I'm French and it's sometimes hard for me to find the right expressions. I do not criticize your way of filming, but I find the boat with too many corners and rather complex and I can not get an exact idea. It is only the design of the boat with the positioning of the cabins that disorients me.
You have talent to film and I do not miss any of your videos. Sorry, I did not really want to make bad criticism towards you, because I appreciate enormously what you do.
I understand that all these videos require a lot of work and I respect your work. I think it's a bad understanding because of my bad english. I hope you will not hold me against it.
No problem Jacques. I misunderstood. Saying something is torturous to watch Implies the camera was moving around too much and it was hard or disorienting to watch. I took that to mean my camera work was poor. I understand you now. The boat is quite large and has a lot of cabins all throughout and I can understand that it would be hard to follow what part of the boat we are in. No issues. All the best.
Very happy that we understood each other Craig. Your video work is not criticizable because it is professional and I was sad that you think I criticized it negatively. I sometimes watch some videos several times for fun. And hello to Janice.
the mapel is much nicer than the grey
We agree.
At 53 feet long I’m very surprised that it’s not 30 feet wide instead of just 28 feet wide.
Agree. As I've said earlier, if anyone do their homework on the "architect" thoughts/inputs behind this boat, you will be shocked. I've delivered this model from Cape Town to Durban 5 years ago, we've sailed/raised sails for 30min the total 900nm. This is NOT a sailing vessel, it is a motorboat, with a mast as a after thought. Amazing how potential buyers get caught up in all the luxuries, without checking the basics:-(
Good to know Chris. I have never been invited to do a test sail. I would be interested to see how it sails in various wind conditions.
Big, heavy , slow. Good if you never want to go anywhere. Low bridgedeck clearance. This would be a pig for long distance and require motoring everywhere.
$ 1.25 million / $1.45 million it better have a g/f that comes with it . But the rich may do as they please
It’s not cheap, for sure. More in line with the competition.
first lol 😜🌎⛵️
You are this video's winner. Congrats. Your Trophy is in the mail. ;-)
@@Bowmans-Woods already received it !!! " a big smile that this video gave me " !!!
Ha Ha. Great. That saves me on shipping.
Nice interior, Sorry, but boy oh boy, that is one ugly looking boat from the outside. The aardvark of catamarans.
Probably why they have changed the mould to make a a more modern shape. It does look a bit dated, I'll admit that.
Why would you want such a big catamaran? Why deal with all the big loads, heavier equipment, fewer haul-out facilities, fewer suitable docking spaces, more expenses all around, more maintenance and so and so forth. stick to between 44 and 48 feet if its just you and some occasional friends/kids. Spend 600K on a new boat and live care free or spend 400K 2nd hand and live luxuriously seem like much better deals.
I hear ya. I really doubt the upkeep on this boat would be much higher than the a 45'-50' boat. Same number of winches, water-maker, engines, etc, etc. The only time a bigger boat is noticeably more expensive is when you are trying to get a slip in a Marina. We plan to avoid marinas and anchor out whenever possible. We will go to shore by using our dinghy. We plan to get a good dinghy because that is like your car and your Cat is your house. At $950K, it use to be cheaper than smaller boats. Now that it is $1.2m it just got way out of our price range. So probably not a future option.
@@Bowmans-Woods No that's a common misconception. On a big catamaran almost everything is bigger. The winches are bigger. the sails. the rigging. the lines. The aircon units. the generator. the engines. its all bigger, heavier, more expensive, uses more oil, more fuel, more expensive parts and labour and so on. And indeed the watermaker is usually just as big.
@@Bowmans-Woods See my other reply RE "rule" for costs vs. boat length. You are forgetting that with size comes bigger: rigging, winches, sails, windlass, chain, anchors, motors, etc, etc..... Replacement/repairs are ALL more expensive and labor associated is more expensive. Size & complexity = 5x to 6x total expense increase. Check what avg marinas (non USA) can actually haul out a 50'+ catamaran; they are few & far between=ALL costs @ premium marina are higher. The other problem is sourcing the "bigger" parts. Most shops are focused on the average sailors needs; your parts would be considered "premium" parts/repairs. (I see circum navigation posted much the same while I was posting my comment)
It’s got uglier
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
@@Bowmans-Woods thats like saying, " some poeple might like donald trumps hair"