Seawind 1260. Guided Tour and Review. Good Price to Performance, but is it something we'd consider? 

There is a lot to like.

Yeah. I watch A LOT of catamaran videos, and this one REALLY got my attention.🤯 I’m an old sailor, and the simplicity, utility, and size appeal to me. Even as a liveaboard.

@@magnummax78 Agree. I see absolutely nothing majorly wrong with this boat. The new Seawind 1370 is even better.

Get back to work Ross, you got your own project to worry about! ;)

yeah ozzy back to work.

Like we said, we hear, and assume from its light specs that it sails really well. Jay kept mentioning lightness and performance in everything he said so they are clearly focussing on the performance focussed buyer. So that is what we said. It is a good boat on a performance to price ratio. But, is it the perfect boat for our needs of living for the next 20+ years as sailing nomads, where we will probably spend 80-90% of the time at anchor and only 10-20% of the time doing actual sailing passages? No. Just not enough storage and comfort. Not at the top of our list even if it is reasonably priced.

@@Bowmans-Woods Good points keep up the great work.I appreciate the time and effort in your series.Substantial editing and thinking going into your series.Cheers Ross

We never said it didn't sail well. Quite the opposite. We said we figure it sails really well. What we said is it is a great boat for someone that wants to live on it part time. There just is not enough quality storage areas where we think you would need them. For full time liveaboards, we think there are better options. Sure, could a couple that are true minimalists with few possessions make this cat work for them. Sure, but we are not that couple. We plan to have inflatable SOPs, Dive gear etc etc on our boat, so this boat is just not big enough. No one needs to get upset. Just our opinion for us.

I agree. I could see myself just leaving the door system in the always down position and just opening the side doors when I want more breeze. But If I keep it in the always down position, then I might as well have a good quality sliding door, like all the other cats have. :-)

@@Bowmans-Woods Sliding doors are for charter boats. Imagine these rails got bended or stuck with dirt or something. Keep it simple, keep it stupid. Btw this door can be lifted by hand only.

Good to know. Thanks.

That's good advice. :) I really like the Seawind 1260. The new 1370 is even better.

It is a clean layout. Some would say minimalistic

Be sure to check out the new Seawind 1370. Sorry to sound like and ad, but it strongly improves on the strengths of the 1260 in nearly every way. It's even better.

Yes, the massive opening hatches seem like something more cats should incorporate.

The windows on the new Seawind 1370 are much bigger. Really open and clear sightlines. It's going to sell incredibly well. The 1370 is sort of like a cheaper Balance Yacht.

I fast forwarded and even cut some out of the filming of the door being put down. It was a long and finicky process and it took 2 people to put it down. If I owned this boat, I would just leave it down and then open the side doors for ventilation. I was just saying, if it is a pain to raise and lower and you always leave it down for ease of use, then you might as well just have a big sliding door like every other cat.

@@Bowmans-Woods I guess I'll have to test it out myself when I get the chance because this guy made it look relatively easy. He shares your name too. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-j9EF8EW7Ds4.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_nj3UQKblmk.html

Cruising Off Duty it’s really not a pain at all. I drop the door and raise it in under a minute by myself all the time, and it’s not something that’s dependent on strength. Anyone can do it that quickly. What makes it “finicky” and sometimes challenging at shows is you have TONS of people wanting to come through while you’re demonstrating, and you obviously have to be very cautious around so many people, so that’s why it takes extra time

@@Bowmans-Woods I can't speak for catamarans but in a seaway on both sail and motoryachts I have experienced problems with sliding doors, in badweather conditions, especially at night I wouldn't want to be using a large, heavy, sliding door to go in and out.

@@capnrichard4967 This is an excellent point.

Thanks for writing in and confirming. So you could get a nicely appointed 1260 (or 1190) if you want to pay for all the upgrades. How was the price for upgrades from the factory? Many builders gouge for upgrades. I have been told by many that the best thing to do is buy a boat fairly basic and than upgrade it when you get to the US east coast where vendors will upgrade with the best for cheaper.

Some manufacturers do gouge on accessories, but this was a case of picking components due to preference as the prices were generally fair.

Good to know. Thanks

@@Bowmans-Woods I am a current owner of an 1160 Lite. I had concerns about price gouging on the options and have been surprised on how in-line the pricing has been on most of the options from the factory. I wasn't disappointed with what we had added on at the time of the build and we have gone back a few times to purchase more options after-the-fact.

OK. Good to know there are some plugs but we really wanted a space for your phone and other things to charge up by our head where we can reach it quickly. Not at the base of our bed. Small gripe but no shelving or plugs where you sleep is something that would annoy us after years of living on it.

We have seen the walkthrough video of the 1600. Again it is very performance oriented. It is clearly competing with the Outremer brand with it super huge trampolines and daggerboards. I'm sure it sails fast, but just not out type of cat.

Fully agree with you they come across as a couple with very limited experience of sailing.

They are Canadian Eh!

Perfect comment as someone who is learning to sail this is the boat I've looked at the most especially if you want to do crossings. I hear all the experienced sailors say you want a quick boat to stay ahead of the weather the best you can and this boat is built for performance. I also agree as an American that they want amenities over performance and what I would think most people heading to live aboard would look at which is downsizing life.

Agree, it's actually the best of both, no downside. If you want a full opening winch it up, if you don't leave it down.

We didn't misunderstand. I just cant see us bothering to use it in any other configuration than having it down with with the side doors open if we want ventilation. If we were always keeping it down then we might as well have a sliding glass door like every other cat. The lowering and raising the doors to the roof was a 2 person job and was finicky. Not a big deal but I just don't think we would bother putting it up.

@@Bowmans-Woods Good to hear. Must have been the editing that made it come across that way. Love your reviews

It had four solar panels on it. Each was 200W, for 800W total.

OK. Good to know. The panels did not appear to be that large. But I will take your word for it. So it had 800 watts. But the older style that they get shaded on they don't work that well so lets say on a good day you get 500 Watt average. That is not enough. Many of the other liveaboard boats we have seen have 2K watts+. I only saw 2 panels but I may have missed the other 2, even so it needs more. I kept asking what solar comes included and he kept answering me with how many watts could fit. So it gave me the feeling that no solar was standard and you could add as much as you want at a price.

Thanks. It will be a big purchase so we want to make sure we see what options and features each has before we take the plunge. When we get closer to the retirement date we will certainly do a deeper dive into the ones we are seriously considering and do some test sails.

You are very welcome Yolanda

Keep in mind that everyone has slightly different priorities. And be sure to check out the new Seawind 1370. It has even bigger windows, even clearer sightlines, more storage, even simpler, more modern design, etc.

I think I agree with what you are saying? Different boat for different purposes.

All the Seawinds look highly practical and sensible to me. Really good combinations of design features. The new 1370 looks nearly perfect.

Thank Brad. Glad to hear it.

Thanks Mark. Glad you found us.

After reading a few other viewers comments it seem the consensus is that this boat comes fairly bare bones for $430K, so if you need all the things a full time liveaboard boat needs, you would be adding to the price to far above the $500K. Yes you could retrofit plugs etc beside your bed but you can't really create space for storage or shelves as the walls are already right up against the bed. If I have to start moving walls to make the boat work for our needs then I just think it is not worth it. Maybe for some. Just not us. A used St Francis or a uses Antares at 600K would be a bigger and better boat for a full time liveaboard couple. IMO.

Cruising Off Duty I agree. A used st frances or antares is an excellent option. There’s a fantastic, fully decked out st frances 50 for sale herein NZ at present for 780usd or offer.

Cruising Off Duty www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-marine/yachts/multihull/auction-1864621501.htm

We did say it is the least expensive boat we looked at. It just felt a little too sparse for what we thought we would need for a full time liveaboard home. Not saying it isn't perfect for other people that may have a smaller budget

Yes, I agree. Smaller and nimble option.

Thanks Tim. Figure we should look over the footage and gather our thoughts of pros and cons of the boat before we speak. No more getting off the boat and instantly giving out opinion.

Thanks Philip. The next episode is the Maverick 440

Thanks Jon. Glad you appreciate that. People take offence sometimes that we don't love a Cat that they own or planned to own. It's just a personal choice. Some want a "go fast" performance Cat with Long thin hulls with little storage and daggerboards. We are clearly going to say we are not a fan of that type of cat. Different strokes for different folks. The episodes are really just us window shopping for our next boat (most likely a used Cat) and we will be brutally honest. If we love it we say it, if we don't, we say it. :-)

Yep. This boat has a budget performance person in mind.

No, it has sailors in mind. Built by sailors for sailors is the catchphrase of Seawind. It’s no floating condo,that’s for sure.

www.atlantic-cruising.com/good-cat-bad-cat/

We love sailing. We just don't care if we are sailing at 8 knots or 7 knots (We are in no rush) Especially if the 7 knot boat is way more comfortable.

@@Bowmans-Woods If only it was the difference between seven and eight knots... Anyway, enjoy your floating home...

Yes. That was our thoughts exactly!

In real life the folding doors are easy to use and very clever.

Thanks Richard. Glad you enjoyed it and again saw the humor with her 2 sink fixation. I have to laugh too.

@@Bowmans-Woods 🤣 I did laugh again so much when I did read your comment! I just could imagine your ore both your faces reading my comment🧐 let's check and you did see it and did shout out for laughter😆🤣. just like when I worked in kitchen as chef and you in your profession some times just small details give lot's of clues and make difference to make it perfect😉

The 3 big mass production boats always seem like decent prices until you start adding all the extras on that you would need to live on and the price they charge for each upgrade or option is steep. By the time you are done, it is not such a great deal. Better to get them to build the basic boat and do the upgrades later at better prices.

@@Bowmans-Woods The biggest add-on that the guide told my party about was solar. There was next to none on the base model which I could definitely see driving up the price. We were also told that with it fully loaded it was around 1.2 mil but with basic QOL features like lazy jacks and the bimini top, it stayed just under 750k. That is quite high for most people but I think it is a great price for the layout and customization especially.

Dont attempt to take a Lagoon or any other floating brick into an actual ocean, look up "Lagoon Bulkhead issues", testing out a life raft in the central Pacific wont be much fun.

OK. Thanks. Not sure how a door that swings down and latches is any more water tight than a sliding door. I think if either of those door options got slammed hard with a big wave it would leak at the bottom. Not enough to be dangerous, but it water it getting right up to your door through the back cockpit, you have to be in some crazy big waves.

Agree. clearly built for speed. So with a performance cat, you can't load them down like you can with a cruising cat.

@@Bowmans-Woods they have a 6000 lb payload. Its not bad. fully loaded itll do 19 knots in 25knot wind. Thats fast.

Thanks Gionvanni

Performance on a budget is its selling feature.

I've been on one. The door is very secure

Sliding doors would not work with the rest of the bulkhead design. The tri fold door is brillliant.

Hi Patrick. Next year if you see us, say hi. We spoke with a ton of viewers.

Agree that it has its merit and a good rep for durability. Just a bit small for what we think we would need. I’m sure other people would love it.

The 1260 was the biggest they had. Before releasing this video we watched a video on the 1600, thinking people might say it would be more to our liking. But, no. It is a Outremer substitute. All about performance with HUGE trampolines with little storage and thin hulls with daggerboards. So the 1600, although bigger than the 1260, by far, would not be something we would consider either. All performance focussed Cats, is just not what we are looking for. I'm sure the same people that hate our "Condomaran" choices, will love it. ha ha

Yes! Those opening front windows were huge. Probably the breeziest boat I've seen. Maybe that is why they call it a Seawind? ha ha

Also real glass so won’t craze. Thought that was pretty interesting.

Yes, the larger 1370 might work for us. Have to see one. Too bad no shows open to go to. We will film it when we do see one.

@@Bowmans-Woods Thanks, would enjoy seeing your review of it! Main downside is Seawind has a large backlog of orders, so boats may take a while to get delivered. But that's also a good thing in a way: many buyers think they're good. The 1370 seems a bit like a less fancy Balance Yacht, and they seem to be reasonably well built. Other Seawinds get good reviews.

Funny to hear someone else tell us it is the perfect boat for us. ha ha. For a bunch of reasons it doesn't match our needs.

They plan to be at anchor most of the time, like most cruisers. That said, I agree with your comments about a passagemaking couple. During actual passagemaking, the cabins would not be used.

Ya, we watched a video of the 1600 before we posted the 1260 video just in case someone said we should consider it as a more suitable option. We agree with you. Compared to the 1260 it has tiny portlights for ventilation. A total shame they didn't use the huge opening windows as a "Seawind" iconic feature on that boat. It is built with no hard dodger and is clearly all about performance with its huge trampoline and daggerboards. It reminded us of a Outremer. We were not a fan of that. So in a way we can cross that off our list of options, just from that video alone.

@@Bowmans-Woods That's how different tastes can be. Top my list is the Arrow 1500. It's got opening hatches basicly full beam of the saloon, but the total space offered would barely suit for your lasarette.

Thanks Rene. Always nice to hear.

I would hope that they crank down and seal well. In that case the one big hinged piece of glass is just as safe as any other Cat. I do love the way it opens the entire glass for ventilation. If there is one thing most cats suffer from is the all those windows on a sunny day cause the inside to really heat up and there is often a lack of good ventilation. Hence why most cat owners spend most of their time sitting in the covered cockpit. This cat seems like it would be just as cool to sit in the indoor salon. Rare.

It may be perfect for some. Just a bit to spartan for our full time home. I could easily see a boat like this for us if we kept our house and were coming to a boat to escape the winter. So, yes. Sort of a cottage boat. Ha Ha. Just our opinion.

Well said and fully agree you.

I agree, but often they get a new owner to agree (for a cut in price) to be available to be at the boat show. But then they have to show the boat the way that owner paid to have it made. Some scrimp on extras and then it doesn't show as well at the show. Then the sales guy has to tell you what options could (for a price) be there. The small boat builders don't have the budget to have a fully stocked boat that they own at every show.

Thanks Clay

Glad you like it.

Ya was my guess $500-600K. But I wasn't sure on what the upgrades would cost so I gave them the benefit of the doubt by saying $500K in the episode.

Ruby Rose says to be a cruiser it would be 500k.

@@justincruz8352 for 500k you won't get it to live aboard standard if you ask me. you don't even get an oven with the standard boat but its a great quality boat. iff you want lithium and air-con and washing machine its at 600k.

@@anic6559 549999.95*

Gally up I'm too attached to the dirty dishes!

I like the galley down on small boats because the salon is too small otherwise. Also in a seaway the down galley is more comfortable as it is lower and generally tighter. Above 50 ft, particularly in a boat which moves less, I would probably move it up

@@jameshobbs6092 Very true!

I agree with a lot of the points from all the commenters below. On a smaller boat I do see some value in Galley down. It allows for a decent sized indoor salon for eating and entertaining. I do see that having a galley down could also have value in bouncy seas because you are in a tight space and can easily brace yourself. But, on a bigger cat, I see the value of a main floor galley because, let's face it, The cook wants to be part of the party too. And, how often does a house party end up being mostly congregating in the kitchen where all the food is laid out. Galley up may be where everyone ends up hanging out. And even if it is in the back cockpit, going to the kitchen to whip up more food, does not exclude you from the group conversation. Janice also likes galley up because she wants the beautiful 360 degree views from there, while cooking or cleaning. Who am I to argue with that? :-)

I noticed they were high but some would say that it is due to high bridge deck clearance, which would be a plus. But, I get what you are saying. Getting out of a tall bed day in and day out could get old. :-)

If they do, it was not included or mentioned. I am sure you could get something built after market to protect you from the wind.

Thanks Tom. I see what they were trying to do by keeping it "open and airy" but I just couldn't see Janice and I (and it is clearly a 2 person operation) raising and lowering that door every day. I am sure it would just be left in the down position and we would open the side doors for ventilation. But, in that case we might as well have a beautiful glass sliding door (like almost every other cat) for better visibility from the cockpit through the front salon windows.

It varies in different parts of the boat.

Ha Ha. Glad this one was less tortuous. Thanks for the compliment. It was a basic boat with lots of fiberglass everywhere so it would be easy to maintain. Not much wood to take care of, so for those viewers that say they don't want wood because it means more work. This might be the boat for them. Simple and easy to maintain. :-)

Forgot to say thanks. I love watching your catamaran videos. They do us a great service to understand the differences in the brands. A lot of fun to watch.

1260 does not have daggerboards

Seawind 1190 sport is the entry level cat with daggerboards

Hey clint. Thanks. I didn't mention it because there were no daggerboards. If there were daggers I would have mentioned it because it would have further cut down on the interior volume, which would have been a minus, in our books. We don't want daggerboards on our boat. We watched a video of the 1600 and it did have daggerboards.

Ya. We looked into that. That was an Old boat built under previous company owners. Issues have been explained to my satisfaction.

@@Bowmans-Woods Good to hear they've moved past that. Hate to see a great idea ruined by poor execution.

@@Bowmans-Woods I just saw youtube video about Maverick 400 Andando. I don't know what to think now..

@@Bowmans-Woods Really you're actually gullable enough to believe that it is still owned by crooked Rudi.

Sounds like we agree. Good for a performance focussed buying that isn't planning to live full time on it and therefore doesn't care as much about storage around beds etc. So it would have it's fans for sure.

Ya. I caught it fairly early but I missed the regular intro where Jay introduced himself. Just thought I'd say why it just starts abruptly with no guide intro.

The room has to come from above or below. If you make more room below, you reduce clearance and make the boat slam. Too much on the top, and the boat is too tall.

@@maldwindrummond6158 Thanks Maldwin but the headroom I was referring to is the actual room to sit up in bed. It looks to me like some beds are so close to the ceiling that you would struggle to sit up comfortably, lets face it you do do more than just sleep in a bed and wacking your noggin on the roof ain't fun.

Ya the transverse beds are higher so you clearly lose some headroom. It is a sleeping area only. You have enough room to sit up in bed but that is about it. You really can't walk beside your bed.

It is a great boat if you want a light, simple to maintain performance minded boat.

The tri fold door is well proven in actual service and works well.

Totally agree Macel. You need to keep them light or they stop being a performance cat and can be dangerous if you overload them. They are just not designed for carrying a big load. That's why we are sure we want wider, more comfortable Cruising Cat. So we can live without concern for every pound we bring on boat. It will sail slower but it will carry us safely everywhere.

It is a good price, for sure.

Well, not many extras are needed on some boats like the Antares, Xquisite, Majestic etc etc. Many boats that are built specifically for liveaboard come with almost everything you would need or want.

Ya. Can't expect too much. But then again, it is still 1/2 a Million ! Most places you can get a really nice house for that.

No that’s not it at all. They spend 90+% of the time at anchor because its all about the destination. It takes a while to really explore a new area. You meet new people and you make new friendships. That is what exploring the world by sailboat is all about. It is not a race around the world.

Most of the production boats use similar Yanmar diesels. You often have a choice of engine sizes if you are buying new as well.

We agree. But it is a 53' vs a 41' and it is now $1.25M vs $500-600K well equipped. Big size and price difference.

Dumb might be a strong word because I know what they are thinking .... you are protected from the elements there, but it would be hard to get good lines of sight (especially at night) from there. So not an optimal position IMO.

You can actually see very well in this boat.

OK. I hear what you are saying. It is set up as a basic boat. Best suited to being a vacation boat (which we did say). If you add everything that we would need to live full time on it, it could add to the price significantly. I just wasn't sure by how much, so I erred on the my lower estimate of $500K. It would probably be more.

Yes. Performance is it's selling feature.

@@Bowmans-Woods to be a liveaboard comfort and space is very important

Ha Ha. I wish Thomas. RU-vid is not going to pay the bills when we start sailing full time so we have to stick it out a few more years to get our full indexed pensions. Golden handcuffs as they would call it. We will be seriously scouring the used Cat listings in about 3 years, ready to buy. Until then we will do the odd passage on other people's boats and we will continue to film the boat shows looking at new boats now that will be perfect used boats for us down the road. We have to be patient, and smart. :-)

Ah ha gotcha "Off Duty" very wise and prudent good for you!!!!Best of Luck

Andrew Labat Not really important for living at anchor (probably a negative for this) but performance is one of the most important safety factors. The ability to outrun storms or spend 2-5 fewer days on an exhausting ocean crossing with rough seas (especially when short handed) is more important than anything else, IMO.

Also, for sustainable/quiet travel performance doesn’t only mean top speed but probably more importantly is light wind sailing ability. Not having to use the engine as often is probably the main feature that draws me to a “performance “ boat.

The difference between a Cat that sails along at a 8 knot average vs a faster boat that averages 10 knots is not going to allow you to outrun a storm. The "outrun a storm" reasoning is always what I hear for performance lovers. It alway bugs me when I hear that. Modern technology allows us to see big storms many days in advance so if you get so close to a storm that you are trying to "outrun" it then you were being stupid and taking unnecessary risk in waiting that long. Even the slowest Cat can get out of the way of a big and dangerous storm by sailing, given enough warning. Worse case scenario a Slower Cat could motor sail and easily do 10+ knots, even with almost no wind. So, please stop with the "you want a performance cat for safety". Go watch my interview of Steve May on the X5. He is a performance Cat owner and he even admits that a performance cat is way bouncier and uncomfortable at sail and at anchor and the noise that the performance cat makes when it sails at those faster speeds, makes it hard for the off watch person to sleep. So they often get done a passage and they are exhausted and their friends on slower cats get to the anchorage a day later and are well rested. He also says his performance cat was way more likely to flip over than a heavier cruising cat. He thought the X5 (a Cruising Cat) was bulletproof. You could accidentally leave up too much sail in a squall with high winds and the boat could take it. His cat, he would be worried it would flip. So, performance does not equal safely or comfort. Quite the opposite. It only equals more sailing speed at the trade off of less comfort and less storage and most likely a higher price.

@@sphynx098 Uhhh... No. Modern sailing myth..

@@Bowmans-Woods I'm not talking about avoiding hurricanes or once-in-a-decade storms that will likely destroy a boat no matter what kind of boat it is. As an example: I'm talking about a pressure system that comes from behind you more quickly than expected when you are in the middle of an ocean crossing, and there isn't anywhere to motor or sail to within 24-48 hours. This is very common, especially in the North Atlantic and Pacific. A more performance orientated cat that can do 14-20 knots at the front of it and not get overtaken by it is far more pleasant than being overtaken by it and spending 72+ hours in 45+ knots. As someone else pointed out as well you aren't going to be doing much sailing in a cruising cat until you are getting 10-12 knots TWS, especially if it's not at the perfect angle. A performance cat will happily sail at or near the TWS in 6-8 knots. Not arguing at all about the "luxury" disadvantages - of course there is a cost to the performance. I'm also not saying that any of the cruising cats you clearly prefer are a bad choice - just saying that it depends what you want and both choices are valid. If you are more minimalist and prioritize the way a boat sails you should go for a boat like this. If you prefer to have every creature comfort with you on passage then obviously a cruising cat is a better choice. I've sailed on numerous lagoons as well as 2 or 3 performance cats and things like hull slap, bounciness etc. felt the same. Perhaps the fact that people are in a performance cat makes them sail faster but 10 knots in the galley or hull of an Outremer 51 feels very similar to a Lagoon 52.

True

Agree with your thoughts.

I am not sure why you think it would be noisier than other boats, as it is generally well built, without extra bits and pieces to give a “Benetau squeak”

Ya. I agreed but maybe not with the noise part. I can't see why this boat would be noisier.

It was just my impression. Actual results may vary.

Ya. Us too. But if you have a tight budget, it could work.

@@Bowmans-Woods The new 2020 Aventura 44 (built in Australia) is slightly less yet looks like you're living in a nice apartment rather than the bottom of a pool. The only downside is the exposed helm station. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JwB4MKaXJKU.html

OK. Thanks for the heads up. We haven't seen this boat at a show, yet.