We own a 35' Senator Futura with a stern thruster and a single Perkin 135. At this point, there is very little in the same class or price range that I have seen that I would be remotely interested in trading it for. It's the perfect boat for two. Interestingly enough, Senator isn't a custom yacht, but I've never seen any two that are alike. Ours is a rare galley-down. The V-berth is really just for people from Munchkin Land. There is no forward stateroom per se and just the single aft stateroom head. It REALLY feels like more boat than 35' because with the galley down, the salon is nothing but living space. Also, with just the single head and single Perkins, maintenance and repair costs are quite low. Plus there is a good amount of room around the engine to work.
Eleven months ago, we paid $75,000 for it, it was on the higher end of the scale, but the previous owner was very good at keeping her up and it was worth it based on the work he had done.
As for the stern thruster... I like it a lot. Boats drive from the stern anyway. All stern thrusters do is enhance that maneuverability you already expect. I have as much, if not more, maneuverability as a single-screw with a bow thruster. I also don't consider it as much of a crutch as a bow thruster. Still, if I fell into a pile of money, I would consider getting a bow thruster as well. Just to show off at the marina
Look out for spongy decks (PO has replaced them all). The hull will have blisters (we have loads of them), but as long as they are cosmetic, there shouldn't be a problem. Your surveyor will be able to confirm that for you. We aren't afraid of them, but will monitor for years to come. We also have a teak sundeck floor. Pretty sure we'll have issues with this in the future. We'll deal with that when the time comes.
Please, let me know if you have any questions. I'm glad to tell you what I know. It's a lot of boat without alot of the problems of bigger boats in it's class. I, of course, highly recommend one.
-- Edited by GonzoF1 on Friday 11th of June 2010 10:57:31 AM