So what were our key attributes:
1. An increased waterline length (mandatory):
While 40' (our old Lagoon L400) was great for coastal cruising, offshore the pitching was a little too much. After much chat and debate, our research picked the sweet spot to be between 42' - 55'. We also found that over 50', everything appeared to take the next step on the ladder, with costs escalating from marina fees, to component sizes such as winches, gypsies, sheets and halyards. The maintenance and replacement costs too were the next step up for a couple who were not full-time offshore cruisers.

2. Maestro 3 bedroom (not mandatory):
We were very happy with 4 bedrooms, our wish list was however for a Maestro version (3 bedrooms). They are more difficult to find and come with a higher price tag. The plus is that they are much easier to sell. And the obvious being plenty of space for the owners...and a washing machine...and double hanging space...etc.

3. Solar and Lithium (not mandatory but a HUGE advantage):
Being solar and lithium nuts, this area is not negotiable. It either comes with this, or is priced down appropriately for us to install solar and lithium, or a mix of both. The Lithium/Solar converts are the same as Apple converts or Electric Vehicle converts...you either embrace it or find a reason to hate it.

4. Production catamaran (mandatory):
Why production catamarans? They can be on-sold quickly, and if maintained well (even from a charter background), it's a sure bet from a business financial perspective in our opinion.

5. Less than 5-years old (not mandatory):
Yacht age - this is a wish list item for us, it's based on your budget.

6. Offshore ready (mandatory):
The times of hauling out and spending hours rebuilding are now past for us. Given our age, we needed a yacht ocean ready, to be able to tackle 5-10 days offshore head-on. If you have not tasted offshore sailing, this may be difficult to understand. It is vastly different to coastal sailing.