Under $300K: The Best Affordable Cruising Catamarans + What Really Happens at Survey

Yacht brokers Wiley Sharp and Bill Regan are back for episode 5 of Cat Chat Live: Life Between the Hulls, the show about what's really happening in the catamaran market from two brokers who live in it every day. This week: instead of a single make and model, Wiley and Bill zoom out to a whole class of boat — the sub-$300,000 cruising catamaran. As pandemic-era prices finally come back to earth, they break down which older Lagoons, Leopards, and Fountaine Pajots are worth a look, what to budget for standing rigging and refits, and why a smaller boat that's already been upgraded can beat a bigger "bargain" that isn't. They also pull back the curtain on survey day — the single most nerve-wracking day in the buying process. From what a surveyor is actually looking for (and why sellers should stay off the boat), to the haul-out, the sea trial, the full-power engine test, and the findings that show up on almost every survey, this is the closest thing to a field guide you'll get. Naturally, a few war stories come with it — including a mouse in the mainsail and a dock line lesson Wiley won't forget. Plus: their between-the-hulls catch-up on why St. Augustine has quietly become one of the East Coast's best catamaran hubs, and this week's Broker Pick — the catamarans they'd actually buy for under $300K. Topics covered: • Why St. Augustine, FL is becoming a go-to catamaran hub • Affordable cruising cats under $300K: Lagoon 380/400/440, Leopard 38/39/40/46, Fountaine Pajot Mahé 36 and Lavezzi 41 • What to budget for on an older catamaran (standing rigging, engines, refits) • A full walkthrough of survey day, start to finish • What surveyors actually check in the water, out of the water, and under full power • The most common findings on catamaran surveys • Broker pick of the week: best sub-$300K cruising catamarans Have a topic you want Wiley and Bill to cover? Email the show or leave a comment on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.