Search results

As an owner of two one-offs - one power and one sail - I could offer lots of reasons. Obviously diligence is required in getting a boat that's right, but that's true of any large older vessel, regardless of the name plate.

I think that's premature. A NA may be able to offer professional assurance that the boat is suitable for intended use as is. That's the ideal outcome, and is not unlikely. I'm wondering whether this might be increasingly common as a bit of a CYA for surveyors. I'm in Chicago and there's a...

I've kept track of approximate costs over 3+ loops. http://boatingadventures.ca/2020/09/14/mazurka-total-cost-of-ownership/ http://boatingadventures.ca/2022/11/04/loop-two-costs/ http://boatingadventures.ca/2024/06/04/great-loop-3-notes-and-costs/ Dockage and fuel are typically the big...

Any further investigations should be done by a naval architect. That's their job. A couple of recent threads might be of interest https://www.trawlerforum.com/threads/coronial-inquiry-sinking-of-eliza-1.70445/ https://www.trawlerforum.com/threads/rolling-rolling.70642/

Right. My 700w array has produced just over 1,800 kwh in 3 years. On the 'diesel is cheap' comparison, I think we have consensus here that generators and alternators yield about 10 kwh per gallon of fuel used. By that measure I've replaced about 180 gallons of fuel with my solar so far...

Found some. Marine DC Generators - Polar Power

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/150217.shtml?cone#contents This one doesn't look good.

If you have space for new batteries forward it's not a particularly expensive proposition. A couple of small starting batteries, a small dc-dc charger and a few short cables are all that's required. My boat was wired like the OP's when I got it. This was one of my first upgrades.

Agreed. The two cases have different risk profiles, from a scoring point of view. In one you presumably have a fixed address. In the other you don't. Have you considered the impact on your access to credit as a declared liveaboard? There is no shortage of prejudice against liveaboards...

Yep. The electric only propulsion range gets extended with a bigger genset as well. I've wondered about 48 VDC gensets. It seems that this use case is all about feeding the batteries when required.

For reference, your thruster motor is 4.4 kw. I think a typical diesel starter is < 2 kw. Are your three house batteries connected in parallel? The thruster will draw more than 400 amps. I agree that the cable length is problematic, but essentially using the thruster is a load test on the...

The Blue Spin looks interesting. There has been a lot of cool stuff done on retractable drives and thrusters for sailboats lately. I think a generator still makes sense, maybe even more so with electric propulsion, when it extends get-home range. Having a generator also makes the 48v...

I would expect that there is a shear pin in the coupling that attaches the motor to the lower unit. The motor can be lifted off for access to the coupling without hauling the boat. The p/n you provide is for the motor on an early 5512 thruster. It should be easy to find online resources for...

What sort of input is your friend looking for? I've looped 3 times solo, and there are always a few folks doing it in various types of boat. Joining AGLCA is probably a good start.

I don't think you're crazy. I use a pair of Optima Red Top batteries for my forward bank which has similar use. They're 850 CCA and 50 ah IIRC. They've given good service for 4 years. In this application CCA is much more important than AH.

That's good. So there is no issue with having to claim it back. FYI for most private sales in Ontario neither the broker nor the seller collect the HST. It's the purchaser's responsibility to report the sale and pay the HST to the Ontario government. If you import the boat to the US within...

Is the broker or seller potentially collecting HST? I don't think that's normally the case. According to this government web site you have 60 days to export and claim the HST back, if you have to pay it.

Sick of GRP? What do you like about unpainted AL?

The lobster fishers I've talked to in Nova Scotia all love them. They say they're much more stable pulling traps, and the deck space for stacking traps is remarkable. I think there are LOA restrictions on the Maritime lobster fisheries, which explains the evolution.

I have a newer Smartguage on my sailboat and haven't been impressed. I use a Victron Smartshunt on the trawler and Bluetooth to my phone. That's been entirely satisfactory. You could easily replace the shunt.

I think the original 34 should be a top contender. It's true that the 350/390 are widely regarded as "better" choices, but they're also much higher priced and likely out of range for the OP. The challenge as usual is finding a 40+ year old boat that's in decent shape and doesn't need major...

I've gone through several dinghies. Current one is a Highfield 340UL hypalon with a Tohatsu 20 hp, and it works well for me. The total weight of < 250 lbs makes hoisting and beaching feasible when solo, and the boat will plane with 3-4 people aboard, or allow me to travel long distances at...

Yep. Ask a local broker which service they use/recommend. Does the buyer have any concerns? I think typically the buyer engages the service. You just need cleared funds 😔

I had a chance to get aboard this boat yesterday. The listing broker is an old friend. Seller is a professional boat builder who built it for personal use and has maintained it well. It's got a lot of charm.

Your question is a reasonable one. I think the answer is to buy whatever boat suits your short-medium term use case and budget.