SO440 or SO519 for charter use in SF Bay sailing club/school

[S/Y MAKAI]

Hello all,

new member here with an interesting problem: I have an opportunity to purchase a 2019 SO440 or a 2018 SO519 for charter use in a sailing club & school in the San Francisco Bay area.

Our primary goal is to maximize charter income, and, as added bonus, enjoy the boat occasionally with the family.

Here are the main specs for comparison:

2019 SO440
3 cabins, 2 heads
preference pack, excellence pack
convertible cockpit package
cockpit galley package
electronic ocean package
electric winches
AC
generator 7.5kw
bow thruster

2018 SO519
4 cabins (+skipper cabin in sail locker), 4 heads
charter version
electronic ocean package
electric winches
AC
generator 7.5kw
bow thruster

The SO519 is offered with a sweet discount so it's essentially the same out-the-door price as the SO440.

Again, our primary goal is to maximize charter income, but also keep in mind how this boat will be used once it's no longer in the charter fleet in a couple years.

What do you think? Discuss away!

[S/Y MAKAI]

OK, so to complicate things even further, we're now also considering an SO490 (same specs as the SO440). With year-end manufacturer incentives in place, this might be within reach.

I'd really appreciate the wisdom of the crowd. There are pluses and minuses for each of the three models. Which one would you choose?

[MartyB]

SO349 SM

[Fabrice-Erta]

SO440 but I may not be impartial

[NZL50505]

Economic perspective: If all 3 are within a shout of the same price then the bigger boat offers both attraction of bigger returns (capacity for more paying guests) plus bigger residual value come sale time. But against that marginally higher running cost. But overall, if you're a fit & able sailor and someone is offering you a 51ft foot boat for a similar price to a 44ft or 49ft boat then I'd say go bigger.

Practical perspective: Out on the open water bigger is nearly always nicer (more comfortable) but the bigger boat will be noticeable more of a handful for close quarters maneuvering, notably marina berthing. Even if it comes with all the aids you've got lots more tonnage to handle with a 51 footer than a 44 footer. But again if you are fit, able and confident and especially if sailing with crew then the 51ft is obviously do-able. But if you'll be a solo sailor then it's more daunting.

Apologies if this is all blindingly obvious - it's hard to gauge from your recent arrival how familiar you are with boating!

[S/Y MAKAI]

Thanks all for your replies so far.

NZL50505 : Great perspectives. In all fairness, the 519 comes with a much bigger discount as it's a 2018 model (and previous generation SO, since discontinued). The boat design goes back several years, and you can tell by its rather traditional design. The 440 and 490, on the other hand, are Jeanneau's 8th generation Sun Odysseys (walk-around deck, contemporary interior, etc). Both boats scored a ton of awards both in Europe and the US. That's why, from a longer-term residual value, I am pretty much ruling out the 519.

Between the 440 and 490, I'm probably ending up drawing straws...

As far as my boating experience, I've skippered boats in the mid-40s range, so pretty comfortable from that standpoint.

[optimystic]

Go for for the 519. Superior interior and sails well. Less gimmicks and I’ll guess easier to resell.

[S/Y MAKAI]

Oct 8, 2019 21:59:47 GMT optimystic said:

Go for for the 519. Superior interior and sails well. Less gimmicks and I’ll guess easier to resell.    

Hear, hear! Why do you think it'll be easier to resell an older generation boat? Proven design, no gimmicks - ok. But in a couple years, aren't we going to look at that generation and be like "Wow, look at that classic boat. Looks/feels/sails like an old lady". 

[ds42]

SO490 without a doubt. Configured with a forward master. I’d sell my ds42 in a heartbeat if I could justify the difference in cost.

Id venture a guess that the 490 would be a very popular charter boat as well.

The walk around deck plus the cockpit amenities is a huge plus.  How nice it would be to simply walk forward instead of moving guests out of the way so I can step over the seats. 

I believe that for coastal cruisers, this design will start to take over the market.

[optimystic]

From those I’ve discussed it with the new scow bow and spartan interiors are not popular. Also those walk around decks are neat but a royal pain if crew needs to go forward in a hurry. It’s a big leap over those seat backs.  I’ll guess that beating against a tide under the bridge is much more comfortable in the 519. Just an opinion. 

[S/Y MAKAI]

Oct 10, 2019 14:49:04 GMT ds42 said:

SO490 without a doubt. Configured with a forward master. I’d sell my ds42 in a heartbeat if I could justify the difference in cost.

Id venture a guess that the 490 would be a very popular charter boat as well.

The walk around deck plus the cockpit amenities is a huge plus.  How nice it would be to simply walk forward instead of moving guests out of the way so I can step over the seats. 

I believe that for coastal cruisers, this design will start to take over the market.

For what it's worth, this is the direction we chose. Signed the paperwork today and secured bank loan. We're super excited and can't wait to see her in the fleet. Stay tuned for a proper introduction. In the meantime: Thanks for everyone that chimed in!