New St Francis 50 Catamaran. Guided Tour / Review. Is this our future floating home?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ต.ค. 2019
- We took a guided tour of the new St Francis 50' Catamaran at this year's Annapolis Sailboat Show. We have always liked this boat but it was not at last year's show. So we were glad it made it to the 2019 show, so we could remind ourselves why we liked it so much.
Could this be our future boat to cruise the world? Well, yes! As long as we could find a used one at a decent price. The $1.2m price new is a not so tiny bit above our budget. But a gently used one may be perfect for us.
![Is This the PERFECT BLUEWATER Cruising Catamaran? [Full Tour] Learning the Lines](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ei7lzeOS6T0/mqdefault.jpg)
My gosh, Craig! On behalf of all the men and women at St Francis Marine, we thank you very much for this exposure of the SF50.
It was a pleasure to meet you and Janice. Thank you for all of your helpful and entertaining videos.
Here is another great walkthrough of this amazing boat by Captain Rorke. Thank you Captain for allowing us into your home and sharing this magnificent yacht. th-cam.com/video/u55PtqyCXQ0/w-d-xo.html
Great job with the tour Rorke!
It was great meeting you as well. You seem like a fun guy that would be someone we could hang out and have a beer at Anchorage one day. Hopefully we cross paths again. Thanks for the awesome tour.
Great video - The owner was awesome and this walk-thru really introduced the boat. Thanks
Thanks Vertical.
Thanks for not saying, "Tons of storage!" even once. I hope you are starting a trend!
Fantastic new style of boat tours. Love the guided tour, less crowded, more information. Keep 'em coming!
Thanks. Glad you like.
Beautiful boat! built in a beautiful country! Just down the road from where I live.
Agreed. Very cool.
Thank you for posting this so soon! I became a huge St Francis fan from your video two years ago. I really liked it then and happy with the improvements now while still keeping things simple. You can't beat the helm position with the hard dodger. Plus it's Janice approved and no Shoilets! 👍👍👍
Ha ha yes it is Janice approved.
Great job Craig. It’s great you’re streaming the selection.
Thanks again.
Fantastic stuff mate , well done once again.
Thanks Kim
Nice Job Craig!
Thanks Chase
Great job guys as always!
Beautiful boat with some great ideas. Looking forward to the Majestic 530! I love the older model (2017)? With the medium colored wood. Lets see what the new model has to offer.
Thanks Niagra. The 530 review is coming out tomorrow.
LOVE THE ENGINE LOCATIONS!! SAFE, EASY ACCESS, ROOM TO WORK! Would like to see the washer/dryer in the cockpit.
It is a great option. Hopefully one gently used, when we are ready to buy.
Really Nice..
As always a great walk-thru. I miss your analysis after the tour of your likes and dislikes, especially now that you have two crossings in catamarans under your belt.
We actually did record our thoughts but we really didn’t have anything to pick on. We pretty much liked everything about this boat. And it added another 10 minutes to the video. So I just did a voiceover at the end saying that we really like the boat and that pretty much summarized everything. When We have a boat where we have pros and cons we will definitely record our thoughts at the end.
Very Nice Cat!!!
Agreed.
Great episode Craig. While partial to the X5, I did get to go on Hugh Howey’s St. Francis (think it’s called Wayfinder) a few years ago. Spectacular vessel. Funny part is that it was at the exact same marina where Sean’s X5 just stayed at in Wilmington.
Thanks Kevin. Yes both of the boats are very nice but in slightly different ways. I don’t think you could go wrong either way. The protected helm on the St. Francis is a big selling feature to us
Thanks 👍👍👍
Youre welcome.
very nice boat ! double sink 😜 etc. great review!
Or a big single sink.
@@CaptainRorke I did say that because Janice LOVES double sink 😊
Rorke is fairly new to our channel. He probably didn't know that was a "Thing" that Janice thinks is important. ha ha. "One is for washing and one is for rinsing!" :-) . Or we could just get a dishwasher. LOL
@@Bowmans-Woods 😂 that's what I was thinking to lol
Hey Craig and Janice! It's nice to see you two back together again and back on YT! We've missed you guys! What are your YT plans for the winter once you get all the Annapolis stuff up online?
Thanks. You know what? We have absolutely no plans for this winter. We are thinking of going to Vegas because Janice has never been there before and maybe possibly going on a cruise ship. We have to get away from winter somehow. Otherwise it’s just way too long.
RIP Duncan Lethbridge Sr, such a sad, tragic and unnecessary death, St Francis bay has lost a great man, his son Duncan jr and I go back 20 years, Duncan Sr was a great hobie sailor, he and the owner of the Simonis 64' ocean racer that I crew on used to race Hobies together 30+ years ago. Angelo Lavranos is a great naval architect, his monohull designs of the late 70's early 80's are some of the most sought after and highly
regarded of South African designed and built cruising yachts, particularly the L36'. He did his apprenticeship under Angus Primrose at marine projects in Plymouth. Do not mess with South African designed and built yachts......be it monohulls or cats (Discovery and Gunboat)
A great heritage of strong seaworthy boats built for some of the most challenging sailing conditions in the world. Just to emphasize the point, last weekend we flew an asymmetric spinnaker in 25 to 34 knots true and had a partial knockdown gybing the spinaker while racing Simonis designed Robertson and Caine built Fast 42's... Good fun. We don't generally speaking put up canvas in under 10 knots true, 15 and upwards is a bit of breeze down here. Hehehehe
Yes. Sad loss. SA makes some of our favorite boats.
Agree, definitely you need 3 showers in the boat when you are living aboard as a couple🤣🤣
Wow this Tops the list for me! No wonder I just saw the price.
It is something we would seriously consider for our future home, should we have the budget for it or find a gently used one on the used boat market.
There are a few things i would change. One has been mentioned earlier, and Rorke has responded to it, regarding the beds. I prefer an 'island' or 'diamond' bed for ease of getting in and out without disturbing my bedmate. Love the articulating TV mount and the large chest freezer.
Yes. Best TV viewing options of any boar I’ve seen. Very cool!
I like how they improve the boat over time. Reminds me of the Porsche 911
I agree. It’s time tested but seems to slightly improved with each new year.
Lavranos designed. St Francis Marine refined.
There have been some very experienced owners who have each brought clever ideas to their models.
I love the StF50. I believe it’s what I will be ordering when I’m ready.
You mentioned afford it used...... If you shop around and do find a few St Francis not to that this brand has a much higher resale value in percentage compare to some of the larger manufacturers.
You may also note that somewhere I read that St Francis has one of the highest percentage of circumnavigations per boat. Compared to Antares 44 which looks like a miniature copy of thebStF50.
Yes this does feel like a larger version of a Antares. I would much rather circumnavigate on a 50" than a 44". :-)
wow.
Yes. Wow indeed.
I do like the helm location. There is a lo more sun protection there, which to me is pretty important. The rounded corners are great too!! The salon seems to have a lack of cross ventilation like most catamarans. Which I might add I was really impressed by the Bali and the salon ventilation. Oh my goodness the front large opening window on the Bali series. Not to mention the garage door on the back of the Bali. The price of the Bali series is a bit too much considering they are not in the category of build quality like this boat. The Bali 40 for instance was quoted at about 800k. I am sure the 50 was in the 1.2 million range of this cat.
Yes, the Helm location on this boat is perfect. Lots of protection from the sun. Which is very important to me and Janice. You get enough sun just bouncing off the water as it is.
Sun exposure kills. But, before then it will just burn and dehydrate a helmsperson.
The ventilation is good. In most conditions, we open the hull hatches and just crack the saloon hatches. This cuts down on the direct wind but keeps the air moving.
Thanks Dude, This vessel is one on my list. How fast does it go compared to the X5?
Keep the videos coming. I have St Francis, Privilege, X5, Majestic 530 on the list. Your thoughts? I appreciate the videos. I had tickets for the boat show but had to cancel last minute. I will sell the passes for cheap. lol. Can't wait to see the new Royal Cape.
Thanks. I did not get to test sail this Cat. So I can't say how it would sail in comparison to the X5 or the Discovery 50' that I did Ocean crossings in. Maybe a test sail will happen in the future.
Barney, I believe that the SF is the fastest out of the vessels you listed.
Privilege has a carbon fiber model that must be faster (for the price!), their current models aren's fast or even claiming to be.
Majestic has a new hull, which must make it faster than their previous models.
Xquisite has a tall rig, but it's a lot of boat. It seems fast for what is being pushed...a lot of yacht. The principals at Xquisite were surprised by our speeds on the St Francis.
We did 239 miles in 24 hours without a lot of current.
22.9 knots as a top recorded speed.
She sails very efficiently under short sail. So she can still put on miles at times when it makes sense to be conservative - overnight, or with inexperienced crew, or between squalls, etc. I think the other boats listed would suffer more under short sail.
Before watching this I know you love this boat! Correction😊 Ruby Rose love this boat!
You were right. :-)
We had a chance to tour this cat at the boat show as well. It's a very nice cat!
Yes. Very nice changes to the new model.
Nice catamaran very practical for circumnavigation. Several St Francis 50 have done circumnavigations
Yes they have a long history of blue water cruising. I would feel very secure in this make and model.
Nice review as expected..nice boat also. Helm position and opening glass dodger is top quality. Owner is super "valium chill"...someone you would definitely want to hang with. Do you know what HR monohull he came from?
Thanks Peter. He was nice. No idea what HR. We just met at the filming.
Haha. My mom asked what "valium chill" meant. I think she was just wondering if I was getting complimented or teased. I told her I didn't know. Ha.
I restored a HR Rasmus 35 Ketch. Great little motorsailer. The glass was huge on that model. We sailed it hard through very rough, cold Great Lakes conditions.
Normally, only power boaters get a windshield. Why?
@@CaptainRorke Hey! It definitely was a compliment....was just my way of saying that your demeanor was cool and calm..very likeable ( is that better Mom? Lol) Btw..have actually seen one of those HR motorsailors..very rare. Love the glass on all HRs..I think they have patented their design. May I ask...why did you go Cat?
@@petertorrey236 Nice.
Cats provide ultimate privacy through separation of living space.
Easier for older people and people with special needs.
No rolling at anchor.
Can handle a bigger dinghy.
Won't sink.
My girlfriend likes it more.
If I ever win the lottery twice in a week, I would build a 60' mini wooden tall ship.
Hello Craig and Janice, it's a beautiful boat, but I'm not convinced by the system to go up the dinghy. And the engines under the beds must bring smells of gasoline and oil, and if one day it is necessary to change the engines, it will be very difficult to take them out without damaging the inside of the boat. For a little more expensive, I much prefer the X5.
For now, my favorite catamaran in a reasonable price, a good quality is the Lagoon 450S.
The retractable gantry optional. Manual davits and power crane style have each been employed.
No smells at all in the engine room or staterooms. It is a great place for engine work because of shelter and air conditioning. Engines are installed through the lazarettes as usual.
X5 is very cool.
@@CaptainRorke
Thank you for reply.
Thanks Rorke. Glad you tackled that question of engine smells. It didn't smell in your boat but I really cant answer the heat or smell question. Janice and I really need to get invited on test sail or short passage to be able to give a detailed video on it's sailing capabilities. ;-)
I find your video’s really informative 👍. I do have a question though... it seems to me that many retiree’s who make the move to live aboard are going to find cat’s in excess of 45 feet or so, to be needlessly large with berths that will hardly ever be used and difficulties with handling and manoeuvring simply on account of size. Are there not live aboard cat’s where the space available has been optimised primarily for the owner with just one additional berth and the other space used for say a workshop/studio or similar? In my mind, a live aboard cat for a couple needs to be of a size to make handling very easy and a configuration that is not wasteful on space and so will not just add unnecessary longer term cost of maintenance and upkeep.
An Owner's Hull option is available. The forward stateroom berth becomes storage behind an entertainment area facing outboard toward a sofa, which converts into a desk. In this configuration, the aft bed is bumped out to be a diamond bed slightly larger than a queen.
Why go as big as 50'? It is faster, more comfortable, and can better take a payload.
I think the main reason is that lengths offers speed and stability at sailing and stability at anhcor in choppy weather. When you need length why not use the space, even though a lot of people do not use it, i think is the thinking.
Kristoffer Palmhøj Sminge my philosophy is that the more there is to maintain - the more unnecessary burden of cost there is. What is the point in four heads on a live aboard? I see that as four times the number of things to maintain when only two are ever going to really need to be used.
@@tonyhalsall3170 Antares Cats.
Nice review, as usual! Love hearing the owner’s perspective. Given the engine location underneath the berths are they shaft drives? The more I hear about sail drives the more I want to avoid them.
This is also available with shafts. However, I must say that the sail drives have had no issues for 800 hours.
Thanks Robert and thanks Rorke for answering. I hear this a lot that shaft drives are more "bullet proof" but I have also heard that Sail drives have gotten a lot better in the last few years than they were when they first started showing up in sail boats. I do lean toward thinking the shaft drive (an older technology) has far less things that can go wrong so if I had a choice I'd go shaft.
Cruising Off Duty good responses both. These catamarans are already very complex machines, I like to KISS wherever possible. Another thing I would avoid if at all possible are turbos in my diesel. Turbos are expensive, complex machines spinning at very high rpms. Bad things happen when they fail. I’ve worked for Cummins, and have been in the auto industry for 25 years. Even ‘reliable’ turbos fail. I would ask yourself if you really need that extra 20 hp or so a turbine engine upgrade gets you. Cause you will have to carry around an expensive spare turbo and wastegate even if it never fails.
Robert Weiss Of all the things that could go wrong,turbo’s are the least to worry about!
They do not fail suddenly,the whistling noise is the early sign of worn out turbos,and they continue to function even after that.Refurbishing them is also the option.
Diesel is not a engine without turbo!
Vlado Petrovski I would have to research that more; my experience seeing warrAnty returns on automotive Diesels paints a different picture. Hearing my turbo bearing start to whine in the middle the Atlantic is not something I would consider reassuring. Regarding „real“ diesels, didn’t realize sail drives needed stump- pulling torque, or were hauling 80,000 lb of logs....;-)
kewl cabinet closures; wonder where they came from...
Not sure. Even Ikea has the non slamming doors, so it is not a new tech but few boat builders (especially the mass production builders) would take the time, effort and time into adding this feature to every door and drawer. It's a nice touch.
After 2 trans Atlantic crossings, how has it changed the way you look at these boat? What's more important and what is not as important as you once thought?
A quality built with everything over engineered to take the abuse of crossing oceans is my #1 criteria. This is why we have gotten a lot less enthused about the mass production Cats as a future possibility. I am just not confident that the build quality matches up to the more customer focussed boutique builders.
Hey Craig! With no disrespect to this amazing yacht, you’ve sailed across the Atlantic on both the Discovery 50 and the Exquisite 50, which did you prefer? Thanks
Both nice. X5 wins, IMO. It costs less and I have utmost confidence in the quality build and after sales service of X5.
Did you see the other St. Francis 50 that was at the end of the dock to the starboard of the one you were on. It was my favorite boat at the show. The owner let my daughter and I peruse his boat. LOTS of wood, it was gorgeous!
No we did not get on the other St. Francis. Once we got on this one and saw that it was a very new model we didn’t really go looking for a different version. But it sounds like it was well worth seeing.
That is Paradigm Shift. Owned by Bonnie and Steve.
th-cam.com/video/kmZ2Woo_MjY/w-d-xo.html
love the video, only problem you have to slow down when panning too much out of focus and almost feel dizzy watching.
Well. I have to turn to what he is pointing at and the camera is on a powered gimbal, so it’s as smooth as your going to get. 😜
I was just giving a tour without any consideration for the camera. Also, it was pretty loud at the show and I couldn't hear Craig who was so close to the camera mic that he couldn't be loud enough. If I get a chance to do it again, I will go much slower and not talk as much.
Very Nice Boat and Review ! wondering if electric motors are available or would need to be refit ?
Thanks. Electric propulsion. Hmmm. I have not heard them say anything about having electric motors. That is something you would need to ask them directly.
Totally doable. A 3 cabin boat would be best for that. This way the large generator required for such a system could be mounted in a converted forward stateroom.
In a 4 cabin layout, the big generator would have to be mounted aft in a lazarette. Maybe a bit heavy to put back there. You would need to roll with a smaller dinghy I suppose.
I looked into the systems for the next hull. It was a no for me because the electric motors have no torque when you want it in high winds. We will see what the future holds for that technology.
Totally doable. A 3 cabin boat would be best for that. This way the large generator required for such a system could be mounted in a converted forward stateroom.
In a 4 cabin layout, the big generator would have to be mounted aft in a lazarette. Maybe a bit heavy to put back there. You would need to roll with a smaller dinghy I suppose.
I looked into the systems for the next hull. It was a no for me because the electric motors have no torque when you want it in high winds. We will see what the future holds for that technology.
@@CaptainRorke Thank You , very Informative.
Thank you. What is the build Quality of the rigging and mechanicals?
St Francis has a great reputation for being a blue water boat with a long history. Seems solidly built, but I have not had a chance to test sail one to say my full thoughts on it's sailing Capabilities. Maybe in the future.
you need a recap video of all the cats and put a VOTE option in the video. That would be cool.
That would be a good idea. Unfortunately we’re about to head off for a cruise and will be gone for a couple of weeks. Maybe when we get back I will put together a compilation video of just a short clip of each boat and then we can vote on which ones better. The problem is they’re all at different price points. So it’s kind of hard to compare apples to apples
Thanks. Very nice. Improved. Must compliment you, beautiful wife. She is stunning!
Thanks Zarih. Janice is always happy to get the compliments too. :-)
Looks nice. Do you know if you can have the galley down as an option ? This gives you more social or party space upstairs & no need for a parents retreat or wasted storage space as there is obviously plenty of storage room. Also what size engines are they ?2 ft 8’’ is a little low & it will slap
I believe the galley down has been done as an option in the past. So, I assume so, but you need to ask them. I show the specs at the end. All info including engines size is there
The galley can be down. I was just in a galley down version for the first time a few weeks ago. It was pretty cool. It had 4 state rooms with a bit less storage. The aft heads had no separate showers. Wonderful saloon as you can imagine.
Slaps more than some, less than some. Doesn't bother us or slow us down.
Thanks Rorke. You keep monitoring the comments and if there are questions that you would know the answer WAAAAAY better than me, you can answer. You own and live on a St Francis, so who would know better than you? Cheers! Craig
@@CaptainRorke can you please share the layout? Many thanks
that looks tight for a 50'
Was a very nice boat. It would be a contender if we can find a used one at a good price
I would like bed to have side entry exit rather than climb on off front to back. Also it’s a shame the helm windscreen has than centre blind spot from steps to top deck
A diamond bed can be done aft. A few cabinets get eliminated though.
The steps are not that bad when you are at the helm. You just have to lean forward a little to peek forward and lean back a little to peek aft. It isn's a big deal, but it does requires shifting forward and back.
There you go. You heard it straight from the owner. Beds can be changed and Blindspot’s arent so blind. Ha ha
Thanks for your point here. I have been talking to Rob at the factory. We have discussed the idea to make the steps see through. Our fear is that the acrylic material might haze or craze. The other idea is to continue the glass all the way across and make up for the strength loss by using carbon fiber stiles. We also have to think about where the steps would be positioned.
Anyway, just wanted to let you know that these comments here are being taken seriously. Thanks
It's about $1,150,000.00 more than what I'm planning to spend on a boat🙂🙂
Ha Ha. Ya, I hear that.
I'll keep looking until a used one comes up for less than $400K,
Best of luck. We have a slightly higher budget but would also need to find one on the used market to be able to afford it. :-)
One sold in Corfu Greece a few months ago listed for 350,000 euros.
Here is a very nice upgraded Saint Francis 50 that is for sale. www.multihulls4us.com/forums/showthread.php?11313-Suliere-is-now-for-Sale-St-Francis-50-with-huge-spec
Thanks.
@@Bowmans-Woods You're Welcome.
You hardly ever start or finish with the price... the most vital Question in my opinion...
I'm with you completely, but seems like their motto here in this channel is
"You can't afford it if you ask for the price"
It's a no from me, purely for the engine locations, (noise, smell, vibration under a bed) otherwise great boat.
To each their own.
Jim, there is zero smell in the engine space. I guess you would have to smell it to believe it.
Vibration is nil. And the noise isn't bad. Maybe one of the magazines will do a decibel test like in the good old days.
I think that the electric motors will be the first time that a significant reduction in noise will happen. Until then, it is splitting hairs between having a 60hp motor under you vs one meter aft of you. What does make a big difference is weight distribution. Therefore, the further forward the engine is mounted, the better.
Besides the other replies!
Pro’s on inboard engines is maintenence/repair while on the way!
Never underestimate this,and no matter what other says about accessibility on aft mounted engines,its just not feasible while on the way!
Vlado Petrovski I've seen some boats who sensibly reverse the hatch for rear engine access. So with some boats it is safe under way. But agree under way many have virtually the whole sugar scoop rising up forwards to get engine access. In middling seas I would be petrified to access and worried about sea ingress into engine compartment.
Rorke Miller thanks, my experience is from an old leopard 46, noisy yes smelly not really. Agreed, Elec engines the way forward with massive amounts of solar & lithium battery bank. Really think the main Cat companies should copy the car companies and have at least one eco model.
Hmmmm a Sailing show without a Sailboat. That's Like a CAR SHOW with NO CAR.
Ummm, not sure what this means? No sailboats?