Just got back from 12 days on a Moorings 43.3. We own a 43.3 and this was our first time on one (not ours as ours is in St. Lucia) but a nearly identical boat.
After having been on Catamaran's all our past trips, it was quite a change, but enjoyable. My wife freaked out when we first heeled, but got used to it as the trip went on. I enjoyed it myself, it added some excitement you don't get on a Cat
I like the layout of the boat. It's 3 cabins and 3 heads. There's very little storage for bags though so we were fortunate we only needed to use 2 cabins. Storage for clothes and provisions were all adequate and the fridge worked well. We were in the forward cabin which I found comfortable and fairly roomy. Only downside is the hatch opening is just over the end of the bed so the breeze doesn't blow right on you. Fan did help solve this problem though and I (who love it cold when sleeping) was comfortable each night.
Aft cabins also have enough room, but as is typical, the headroom over the bed is limited. Storage was also decent. The starboard cabin has head access direct from the cabin as well as the salon. The port cabin only has access from the salon to the head.
Aft heads have just enough room and no more. The starboard one is a little akward entering from the cabin since you have to maneuver around the head - the price you pay for access from the cabin I guess. Forward head is the nicest with a shower door you can adjust to keep things dry. All heads are manual and each cabin has its own holding tank (13 gals I think).
Boat also has shore power A/C, so we made use of that 4 nights. 1 at Scrub, 2 at Leverick and 1 at Soper's hole. Scrub and Leverick are probably a tie as far as the TTOL deal is concerned - they are both good deals. Spending time at Virgin Gorda was probably more fun though.
Boat had dual helms which I liked. Just needed to adjust the instruments as the starboard side only has 1 display and by default only showed heading - I wanted depth too and was able to adjust for this. We were able to motor at about 6 knots and sail at about half the wind speed.
The boat also maneuvered well. Had a tough time backing in at Scrub, but Kurt saved us and I got the hang of it after that. Winds were pretty good and not helping.
The cockpit felt roomy with just 4 of us. Boat can handle 8, but I think 6 should be the max and very doable, but the cockpit would be a little tighter. The salon table could hold 6 well though.
Overall, it's a great boat that accommodated us all well and performed well. Only had 1 service call for a fan that wasn't working but otherwise all worked well. Looking forward to using ours next in St. Lucia <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />
FYI - This boat is also available in a 43.4 with a double bunk replacing the forward head. I think 8 people is way too many, but the 43.4 could be good for more singles where everyone needs their own bed.
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