The answer to this question is simple: what is more important for you, speed or range? Unfortunately it’s almost impossible to have both at the same time on the same boat! A trawler will take you and your family or guests places far away, sometimes several thousands nautical miles away… A planing boat will take you places as well, much faster, but you may have to limit your journey to a few hundred nautical miles. Speed or range, a very old debate within the power-boating community… A question of lifestyle also…

Most good brokers will tell you « buy the yacht that will satisfy your needs and don’t buy the largest boat you can afford… » A wise owner or captain would be well inspired to follow this rule ! Luckily, Selene Yachts have models from 36 to 108’’… For those who intend to live aboard, a 36 or 42 footer is a minimum, like our Selene Archer with its two comfortable cabins and two heads…

Beside the length of the boat, you will have to take into account the air draft which can be critical under some bridges… Most Selene Yachts have folding masts.

Look at the “12-point Selene Chart“, it says it all… Robert Beebe, the guru of passage-making with a motor-yacht, has replied to this question and has crossed oceans with his famous trawler Passagemaker. In 1936, even before the “passage maker” concept was invented, Captain Marin Marie, a famous French painter, writer, naval architect and sailor brought single handed the Arielle, his wooden power yacht from New York to Le Havre without a mishap. Marin Marie has the indisputable record of being the very first captain crossing the Atlantic Ocean under power on a leisure yacht! In 1936 he received the Blue Water Medal Award from the Cruising Club of America. All Selene trawlers can cross an ocean, with good planning and organization of course.

Once again, be conservative and buy the boat that can satisfy your needs. If you intend to do the Great Loop, one extra cabin for occasional guest or relatives will be more than enough, especially with a watch berth in the pilot house. If you have family gatherings in mind, a three-cabin layout is better obviously. But always remember that what is important on a yacht is « spaces », more than « space », and Selene Yachts are designed with the cruising couple or a family in mind, with many different places where one can have privacy…

This is a personal choice. Island beds can be the ultimate luxury on a yacht. But during a passage, one may be happier with a single berth… Single berths also have the advantage of accommodating more single guests…

It’s a safe walkway behind the foredeck, in front, and to the sides, of the pilothouse, separated from the foredeck by a waist-high bulwark. The purpose of the bridge is to deflect green water from the foredeck. It gives also a sheltered area outside the pilothouse while underway in inclement weather. All Selene trawlers have one…

Well, with well behaved guests, one should be enough… Two is a very nice little luxury in the morning and three can easily become a captain’s nightmare unless you remind some basic rules to your crew…

This is the most difficult part of the liveaboard life… But the cruising life has so many benefits that I have never heard of mariners who regret to have changed their landlubbers habits…

An Englishman said « Six for cocktails, four for dinner, two for breakfast ». I cannot say that I disagree fundamentally, but on the other hand I have had up to ten guests on my 55’ yacht… And it was good fun…

My real answer would be: « learn how to live simply… » That would be the ultimate comfort! But on a Selene Yachts, you may have all sorts of creature’s comfort that most people like… Wine cooler, washer and dryer, TV display, air conditioning, micro-waves oven, deep-freezer and even a bath and a jacuzzi… We know how to install that and we have done it 400 times already… Don’t worry.

Yes! This is a big fat yes! It will take some time « to learn your boat », but the learning curve is not that steep, believe me, and you will soon realize that most of the routine tasks can even be exciting. Selene Yachts are well built with crystal-clear drawings and schematics, and most of the Selene Yachts are maintained by their owner…

Once again, yes! But with good planning and preparation like on any other vessel. Selene Yachts are real passage-makers.

As long as you have fresh water and food… and good books. I spent ten years on my last yacht and the longest stay without setting foot ashore was four months’ and I loved it…

A wife and husband couple can handle any Selene Yacht… Most of them can even be operated singlehanded…

Yes, of course, you would not be the first one…

Most owners like to have a flybridge… It contributes to the the feeling of spaciousness that many Selene Yachts have. It’s one more place where the crew can relax and enjoy the cruise. In some places it is a very practical observation deck before dropping the anchor…

This will be closely related to your needs in terms of comfort. If you want a fully air-conditioned boat, the answer is definitely yes… If not, you can probably rely on the main engine alternator and a couple of solar panels to keep your battery bank afloat. Our electricians and engineers can help you decide what will be best.

I would say that the simplest boat is the happiest boat. Air conditioning or heating means more systems on the boat, and more maintenance. But in cold climates, it would be impossible to eliminate a good Diesel furnace… In the tropics, the air conditioning will keep your crew smiling. It’s always a give and take! Rule number one would be to keep the first mate and your passengers happy…

You said it – the minimum… A good chart plotter with GPS, a depth sounder, radar, an auto-pilot and a fixed VHF. That will be more than enough! In some countries an AIS transponder will be mandatory. Check your local regulations.

The same as for coastal cruising, with some reasonable redundancy…

If you have a generator you may consider an electric stove. If not, you have no options but LPG or alcohol stoves… Some mariners don’t like LPG on a boat. This could be an endless discussion… If you opt for LPG, have a safety device installed. On all Selene Yachts we install one…

The size of your fridge will be related to the size of your battery bank more than to the capacity of your stomach! One realizes very quickly how to keep food on a boat without stuffing the refrigerator with things that can be stored at ambiant temperature like eggs…

After hundreds and hundreds of nautical miles, many yacht owners will have a very different vision than the one they had when they bought or designed their vessel… And it’s not very rare to hear on the docks funny comments about home appliances, “If I don’t have it, it won’t break and I don’t need it…” An ice-maker can definitely make your life easier, as long as it works… Well, once again it’s your choice…

The answer is simple, the captain who is considering long range cruising without a water maker is looking for trouble… On the other hand, a water maker is probably the most capricious piece of equipment you will ever have on your boat… I have also seen people collecting rainwater on the foredeck with a tarp and filling 500 gallons in their tank in one hour during the monsoon in Asia… Think twice.

In principle, any thing which doesn’t draw more power than the capacity of your battery bank, inverter or generator! But why have so many appliances on a yacht? Are we not looking for freedom when we go cruising? Do we need that powerful central vacuum-cleaner, or an espresso machine and a home cinema when an old classic broom, a good book and a coffee plunger can do the job? Well, once again, I don’t know… Think twice.

With less appliances! Or with energy savers like LEDs lights… Installing timers on fans or interior lights can also be a smart solution. On my previous yacht I had a timer which would switch off my fridge at 11 pm until the next morning 7am… It worked very well. The batteries and my generator loved this cheap little timer…

Do you really want to start World War III? In fresh water you will haul-out less often than in the sea or the ocean for sure… But usually every 18 to 24 months will be reasonable. I also used to dive and scrub the bottom of my yachts, the propellers and the rudder once a month. It helps a lot and saves fuel…

It’s a one million dollar question… No one has your answer. Beside your normal personal expenses you will need to add the cost of the insurance premium, the monthly cost of your slip, spare parts, fuel and lube, etc… But if I remember well, I spent much less money when I lived on my boat than since I am a landlubber… It will cost what you can spend.

No… A big fat no! And it’s the way it should be. Don’t you think so? But if you ask, it’s because you have already decided that you can… Then, your answer is yes. Welcome!

You will need two things to be a captain: 90% common sense and 10% humility… and vice-versa. Yes, you can be a captain!

A lot. Unfortunately, not all boats are designed with a lot of storage space. One of the good things about boats is that you can’t buy or get anything new unless you make room by getting rid of something else! The space limitations can make it simple and better! But luckily, all Selene Yachts have plenty of lockers and drawers in every nooks and crannies, and most of them have a commissary…

Of course. A good Diesel furnace in the lazarette and you will enjoy a toasty atmosphere… We have installed hundreds of them on our Selene Yachts…

Usually 1.5% of the value of your boat. But you may bargain…

Some people have pets. Some pets love boating. It’s not forbidden at least…

The one adapted to your sailing plans, and to the size of your crew. When you buy your Selene yacht, we will help you find out the perfect tender, not too heavy, not too light, not too big, not too small… On a yacht everything is always a matter of balance… I would say that the best tender I had over twenty years was a 12’ Hypalon RIB with an aluminium hull rigged with a 15HP Yamaha Enduro outboard. The worst one was a 10’ jet tender… Most of the time a central console uses a lot of space; rather make sure you have oars and a locker with a chain and a small anchor…

Simply because we know how to build yachts; we have built more than 400 over twenty years… All Selene Yachts are well designed and well built, and they sell at a competitive price. When you buy a Selene Yacht, you don’t pay for ten or twelve offices all over the world and a huge marketing staff. You pay for what you get: a very good yacht with a bullet-proof reputation…

Yes, your may do that, within reason although you may find difficult to change something you don’t like on a Selene Yacht! But we will always listen to something which makes sense if it improves your comfort, safety or happiness…

Look at the prices of pre-owned Selene trawlers on several brokerage websites! Selene Yachts hold their value! After ten years a Selene Yacht looks as good as it was when it was launched. Why? Because we have very high standards, and because a Selene owner always takes best care of his yacht…