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Well guys, I sure didn't mean to come off like I was 'demeaning' the 55 or anyone's choice of it for their needs! Obviously, (and perhaps this was my mistake) I could have talked about the good things on a 55.... I'm sure the build quality is excellent, I'm sure it's a lot faster, brighter, looks darn fine, etc. What I was saying is that the OP was asking re being a full time liveaboard, and for that choice, I thought more along the lines of the drawbacks from other great amels that they might have not considered upgrading to be a perhaps more livable boat, which in terms of bang for buck for me, is the SM or to some extent the 54. I've never sailed one, so I couldnt speak to it's speed or seakindliness (although by observation, it is a bit wider in the stern which some probably wouldn't like in a following sea). I could only have drinks on one and imagine living there full time, which for us, didn't appeal, especially given the purchase price. Regarding the storage in the cockpit and bow, I was talking about dry storage of household goods at easy access to a liveaboard, for which cabinets are essential so you don't spend half the day bent over, cause even at age 40 my back kills me. As for the lazarette being huge, it absolutely is. Still couldn't store the kind of dinghy we use, hard aluminum 3.3m ready to take you to drinks 10 miles away in meter seas if needs be ;) ie the kind of dinghy a liveaboard might appreciate, anchoring farther out on a boat with the kind of draft any amel carries beneath her.  

ok so now where's that white flag emoji..... :D