• Consider joining our crew on Patreon by CLICKING HERE: www.patreon.com/NavalGazingatCampDavid for ad free videos and downloads of the specification and layout comparison files. We appreciate your support! • To receive my FREE GIFT to you, CLICK HERE: www.navalgazingatcampdavid.net/ . The e-book "19 Fatal Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Your Dream Catamaran". Save yourself charter holiday heart ache and tens of thousands of dollars when making your yacht purchase. CLICK HERE: www.navalgazingatcampdavid.net/ to receive your copy and learn more about the latest online sailing skills training available today.
In full transparency, please note that the links in this video description may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links. You don't pay more when using these links, and any earnings help to support this channel. I only recommend products or services I believe will add value to my audience. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." Thank you for your trust and support!
Hey Stackasaurus. Good news. I have a second look at a Nautitech 44 Open with the new beautiful walnut interior coming up. Stay tuned! Thanks for watching!!
@@stackasaurus I will certainly try for you. They are a bit of a rare item so it is not often that I have a chance to get on board. I will certainly try.
Very nice review and comparisons. The Excess helm positions are great what concerns visibility, they are also out of the way and take no space in the cockpit. But they are very exposed in increment weather. I would prefer protected positions as on the Seawinds or even better as on the Balance cats. Also I would like to have a forward pointed helm station in the saloon. OTOH it seems like real good value for money in comparison.
Hi Pierre. Thanks for watching and especially for commenting. You are describing the HH52 with a forward helm and aft tiller chairs. Now all we need is a winning lottery ticket. Lol! If you are happy with just nicely sheltered helms that can swing to fully exposed for fun and fully onboard for shelter at a more modest cost , you want the HH44. I have episodes on both. Enjoy!!
@@navalgazingatcampdavid Yeah, those are two of my favorites. I will watch your videos. Too bad they are priced out of reach for most. I have never tried a center cockpit. But it looks really enticing for cruising.
Great review as ever! Love this channel!! As for the the Excess, I think this is an interesting boat at a good price point, but it always looks a bit 'Ikea' compared to the Lagoons. This makes the boat look cheap in my opinion - I appreciate that they are creating this to a price point, but a 'luxury' pack would be a great option to add more shiny bits for a bit more money. What puts me off - I am not keen on the layout of the galley, nor am i keen on the salmon coloured fabrics (small thing I know, but cream would look a lot nicer). I would like to understand how this compares against the Aventura 44 or 45, because I see that as closer competition (Why they canned the Aventura 44 after just 3 years is concerning).
Hey Al. What a wonderful comment to wake up to. You made my day. Thanks!! The Aventura 45S is just such a better design than the 44! Per hay they had a design epiphany lol. Re the Excess, I completely understand you points. My thought is that they are appealing to a specific group, and if you assume that, then the uniformity of the design esthetics make complete sence. It’s not my taste, but I admire how it all comes together. Thanks again for the comment.
Hey B. You know, that is an excellent point. I’m going to do a second look at the 50 in the future and I will bring it up. Leopard is not the best at boasting about their build. They now use a full foam core, but you are hard pressed to find anything online that says that. Thanks for the comment!!
For the price the Excess is good choice for a entry level catamaran. If solar electric weren't so expensive or the price come down would you consider one? I would consider the Zen 50 with the windsail.
Hey Genry. Thanks for watching and commenting. I would consider solar right now ( VAAN R5, Windelo 50 ) but not for the reasons you probably think. The one thing that they would need to win me over is deployable, steerable rim drives. The benefits would then tip the scale for me: extremely low maintenance, completely maneuverable, low fouling probability, high reliability.
I'm getting old and not having to deal with line would be nice. Solar electric yachts are so expensive and not sure if a solar electric would be ideal for a Circumnavigate since it's limited to 4-6 knots to charge the battery. With the Kite system and windsail like in the Zen you can increase speed by 4-5 knots under the right condition.
Great review as always Dave! The Excess 14 is quite a yacht. My wife and I debate between the Excess 11 and 14 quite a bit (as well as the Nautitech 40 and 44), looking at sail away price and interior space and storage being the our key drivers for evaluating a live aboard for us in retirement. We were looking at the Dave Score and we were curious if you have the complete list to show sometime?
Hey Castro. Thanks so much for watching and especially for commenting. I’m interested to hear more about the laminated/glued plywood bulkheads. I would also love to hear a counterpoint from the audience (if there is one). Thanks again!
Not much of a performer with those balloon hulls + a portly 13T (Nautitech 46 Open, the closest comparable to what this wants to be, is 11T). Looks like they just repurposed some Lagoon 450 molds. The hulls on the FP appear to be, and the Leopard definitely are finer...Interior looks cheap like they scoured the Lagoon shelves. I don't want those helms in the middle of an ocean when autopilot breaks. Balance and Outremer have much better designs for bulkhead helms, HH does for aft helms, and they all have light and crisp cable steering. Really, helms like that when there are better options, in my eyes are just cost cutting excuses. Boat presents itself as a 'more sporty' Lagoon option rather than something to eat ocean miles with.
Hey Healer. Our friends at Lagoon certainly have a bit of a mess to climb out of. Absolutely agree. I have only ever heard of window complaints on Leopard, and from what I heard, they found the issue and resolved it. (too much dust on the seal at that point on the assembly line). On the flip side, I have chatted with several ecstatic long term, blue water Leopard owners. I wouldn't write them off your list. D
@@navalgazingatcampdavid OK, sounds like you are quite certain haha. Tell me what your pick would be for a ~50’ cruising cat. Owner layout. Prefer comfort over speed, but a little speed would be nice.
@@Passport-Bro Easy-peezy: Balance 482, Leopard 50 or Portofino 47 (This is third only because we have not seen hull#1 yet). Close behind would be Outremer 52, NEEL 52 and Nautitech 48. Thoughts?
@@navalgazingatcampdavid Ok, nice list. But Sylvia wouldn’t green light a Neel, would she?! I’m liking what I see from Xquistit. But I don’t like the cuved arch design. Too futuristic. I’m waiting to see if the design will get a little sharper and less rounded. If Xquistit doesn’t work out, IDK what’s next.
@@Passport-Bro Totally agree with the Xquisite. Tamas is planning a new X5, based on the 60 Solar Sail, but not for about 5 years. You could always find a nice used Discovery 50!
• Consider joining our crew on Patreon by CLICKING HERE: www.patreon.com/NavalGazingatCampDavid for ad free videos and downloads of the specification and layout comparison files. We appreciate your support!
• To receive my FREE GIFT to you, CLICK HERE: www.navalgazingatcampdavid.net/ . The e-book "19 Fatal Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Your Dream Catamaran". Save yourself charter holiday heart ache and tens of thousands of dollars when making your yacht purchase. CLICK HERE: www.navalgazingatcampdavid.net/ to receive your copy and learn more about the latest online sailing skills training available today.
In full transparency, please note that the links in this video description may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links. You don't pay more when using these links, and any earnings help to support this channel. I only recommend products or services I believe will add value to my audience. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." Thank you for your trust and support!
At the last Miami Boat show this was my wifes fave. I quite like it too
Hey Rusty. I just got back from Annapolis and have a NEW fave! The Knysna 500 SE is a whooollle different boat in person.
Great content as usual, I really like to see your comparison with NAUTITECH 44" OPEN CATAMARAN ❤⛵⚓☀️
Hey Stackasaurus. Good news. I have a second look at a Nautitech 44 Open with the new beautiful walnut interior coming up. Stay tuned! Thanks for watching!!
@@stackasaurus I will certainly try for you. They are a bit of a rare item so it is not often that I have a chance to get on board. I will certainly try.
Very nice review and comparisons. The Excess helm positions are great what concerns visibility, they are also out of the way and take no space in the cockpit. But they are very exposed in increment weather. I would prefer protected positions as on the Seawinds or even better as on the Balance cats. Also I would like to have a forward pointed helm station in the saloon. OTOH it seems like real good value for money in comparison.
Hi Pierre. Thanks for watching and especially for commenting. You are describing the HH52 with a forward helm and aft tiller chairs. Now all we need is a winning lottery ticket. Lol!
If you are happy with just nicely sheltered helms that can swing to fully exposed for fun and fully onboard for shelter at a more modest cost , you want the HH44. I have episodes on both. Enjoy!!
@@navalgazingatcampdavid Yeah, those are two of my favorites. I will watch your videos. Too bad they are priced out of reach for most.
I have never tried a center cockpit. But it looks really enticing for cruising.
@@pierre.a.larsen Hey Pierre. Also check out my video on the Windelo 54. That helm position is surprisingly good.
Great review as ever! Love this channel!!
As for the the Excess, I think this is an interesting boat at a good price point, but it always looks a bit 'Ikea' compared to the Lagoons. This makes the boat look cheap in my opinion - I appreciate that they are creating this to a price point, but a 'luxury' pack would be a great option to add more shiny bits for a bit more money.
What puts me off - I am not keen on the layout of the galley, nor am i keen on the salmon coloured fabrics (small thing I know, but cream would look a lot nicer). I would like to understand how this compares against the Aventura 44 or 45, because I see that as closer competition (Why they canned the Aventura 44 after just 3 years is concerning).
Hey Al. What a wonderful comment to wake up to. You made my day. Thanks!! The Aventura 45S is just such a better design than the 44! Per hay they had a design epiphany lol. Re the Excess, I completely understand you points. My thought is that they are appealing to a specific group, and if you assume that, then the uniformity of the design esthetics make complete sence. It’s not my taste, but I admire how it all comes together. Thanks again for the comment.
Low free board between hulls says noise from slapping waves.
It will be the same as any Lagoon. So probably not awful but not the best.
You probably should have mentioned that the Leopard has steel reinforced bulkheads
Hey B. You know, that is an excellent point. I’m going to do a second look at the 50 in the future and I will bring it up. Leopard is not the best at boasting about their build. They now use a full foam core, but you are hard pressed to find anything online that says that. Thanks for the comment!!
For the price the Excess is good choice for a entry level catamaran. If solar electric weren't so expensive or the price come down would you consider one? I would consider the Zen 50 with the windsail.
Hey Genry. Thanks for watching and commenting. I would consider solar right now ( VAAN R5, Windelo 50 ) but not for the reasons you probably think. The one thing that they would need to win me over is deployable, steerable rim drives. The benefits would then tip the scale for me: extremely low maintenance, completely maneuverable, low fouling probability, high reliability.
I'm getting old and not having to deal with line would be nice. Solar electric yachts are so expensive and not sure if a solar electric would be ideal for a Circumnavigate since it's limited to 4-6 knots to charge the battery. With the Kite system and windsail like in the Zen you can increase speed by 4-5 knots under the right condition.
Great review as always Dave! The Excess 14 is quite a yacht. My wife and I debate between the Excess 11 and 14 quite a bit (as well as the Nautitech 40 and 44), looking at sail away price and interior space and storage being the our key drivers for evaluating a live aboard for us in retirement. We were looking at the Dave Score and we were curious if you have the complete list to show sometime?
Hey Ike. I’ll be happy to send it to you. Drop me a note at. Dave@NavalGazingatCampDavid.com.
@@navalgazingatcampdavid Thnx Dave, much appreciated!
It's not so much the balsa core on the Excess 14 (and Lagoon), it's the laminated/glued plywood bulkheads that worry me. I can hear them creaking now.
Hey Castro. Thanks so much for watching and especially for commenting. I’m interested to hear more about the laminated/glued plywood bulkheads. I would also love to hear a counterpoint from the audience (if there is one). Thanks again!
When we make an observation, you fire them
@@richardweil854 Hi Richard. Sorry, I don’t understand.
Polycarbonate windows or glass?
Hey Scott. Poly.
Not much of a performer with those balloon hulls + a portly 13T (Nautitech 46 Open, the closest comparable to what this wants to be, is 11T). Looks like they just repurposed some Lagoon 450 molds. The hulls on the FP appear to be, and the Leopard definitely are finer...Interior looks cheap like they scoured the Lagoon shelves. I don't want those helms in the middle of an ocean when autopilot breaks. Balance and Outremer have much better designs for bulkhead helms, HH does for aft helms, and they all have light and crisp cable steering. Really, helms like that when there are better options, in my eyes are just cost cutting excuses.
Boat presents itself as a 'more sporty' Lagoon option rather than something to eat ocean miles with.
Hey Burddog. You nailed it. It’s a “More sporty” Lagoon. I think that is exactly what they were targeting. D
Lagoon and Leopard have more complaints on their build.
Hey Healer. Our friends at Lagoon certainly have a bit of a mess to climb out of. Absolutely agree. I have only ever heard of window complaints on Leopard, and from what I heard, they found the issue and resolved it. (too much dust on the seal at that point on the assembly line). On the flip side, I have chatted with several ecstatic long term, blue water Leopard owners. I wouldn't write them off your list. D
Don’t live your life trying to convince a woman to do something. Do what YOU want. If she doesn’t want to join you, someone else will.
lol. The issue is that she is the ONLY one I want to do the adventure with. Have faith in my sales skills my friend.
@@navalgazingatcampdavid OK, sounds like you are quite certain haha. Tell me what your pick would be for a ~50’ cruising cat. Owner layout. Prefer comfort over speed, but a little speed would be nice.
@@Passport-Bro Easy-peezy: Balance 482, Leopard 50 or Portofino 47 (This is third only because we have not seen hull#1 yet). Close behind would be Outremer 52, NEEL 52 and Nautitech 48. Thoughts?
@@navalgazingatcampdavid Ok, nice list. But Sylvia wouldn’t green light a Neel, would she?! I’m liking what I see from Xquistit. But I don’t like the cuved arch design. Too futuristic. I’m waiting to see if the design will get a little sharper and less rounded. If Xquistit doesn’t work out, IDK what’s next.
@@Passport-Bro Totally agree with the Xquisite. Tamas is planning a new X5, based on the 60 Solar Sail, but not for about 5 years. You could always find a nice used Discovery 50!