New peep ?s

[MakingMoves]

We are planning on liveaboard in the near future. We have a budget of 150k US purchase with some money for upgrades. 35-48' we think. Plan to cruise east coast and then get to the Keys and over to the Caribbean. We have a list of wants and likes. We are just curious if you all could recommend boats that you like and boats that you would just steer clear of? I know we are not giving a lot and I promise our questions will get better as the process moves on. Thank you

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard. Boat recommendations in that price range won’t be of much help, rather the condition of the individual boat is what is more important. I would start making two lists, one a must have list and another a must not have list. Then go look at as many boats as you can. You will learn something from each boat. Set aside about 1/3 of your budget for repairs and upgrades, and hope that, it is enough…

 

[PierreR]

the list is very long until you add in the Caribbean. Then you eliminate 95%+ of all boats in your price range. Far cheaper to charter a boat in the Caribbean. The problem is not so much cost in the Caribbean but seaworthiness against the trade winds to get there. The Bahamas are not the Caribbean.
The minute you utter the words "Liveaboard" you have eliminated 95% of all marinas except on a transient basis. A full time cruiser does not have a 9-5 physical location land job and somehow is not a liveaboard.
A 48' boat is roughly 2.5 times larger and more complex to maintain than a 35' cruiser. Try narrowing down what you are looking for by defining how you will really use a boat and what comfort level you will have to have. You will get much better suggestions from the forum by doing some soul searching first.
Welcome to the forum.

 

[slowgoesit]

First, Welcome Aboard! As to your question, we need more info, such as:

• Do you plan on marina to marina, or do you intend to anchor much of the time?
• How many total people? What about occasional guests?
• Area of navigation. Bahama's, for instance, the less water you draw the better. Also, if you want to do the Great Loop, "Air Draft" is a consideration, no higher than 15.5' if you wish to do the Erie Canal. If you want to the Rideau Canal in Canada, draft is a consideration. 22 ft Air Draft with a water draft restriction of 4' 11".(boats drafting over 3 ft 11 in are asked to contact the Rideau Canal Office of Parks Canada prior to their trip.
• Are you physically fit? Reason I ask, can you handle stairs.
• Are you mechanically inclined?
• Do you have animals? Cats generally not a problem, but large dogs can be difficult to get on and off boats.
• Are you big energy users, ie; do you require air conditioning in the Bahamas, that will decide whether you need a generator, or could possibly get by with large batteries and solar. Some boat models/styles lend themselves to solar, some don't.
• Full time usage, or only part year? Sounds like you are looking at full time.
• What is you comfort level on the water, ie; sea sickness. If prone, stabilizers are handy.
• Do you like to frequent well traveled areas, or find the "wilds". This will impact fuel capacity needed. Some boats typically carry a lot, some much less.

Lots of items to consider. If you share your own wants/desires/don't wants, it will help people respond more on point.

 

[mvweebles]

the list is very long until you add in the Caribbean. Then you eliminate 95%+ of all boats in your price range. Far cheaper to charter a boat in the Caribbean. The problem is not so much cost in the Caribbean but seaworthiness against the trade winds to get there. The Bahamas are not the Caribbean.

While I understand your point, I do not entirely agree with it. I can name several people who have comfortably cruised the Caribbean with typical trawler/motoryacht style boats who have covered the Caribbean from So America/Panama to Florida. Top of my head I know of a couple on a Monk 36, a family of four on a GB42, and a couple on a Defever 40. It's a slower trip to wait for weather, but definitely doable. And of course many KK42s have done the trip as have a handful of Willards. And if I understood correctly, Nordic Tug did a rally of some sort with plenty of 37 footers (a bit over the budget, but a similar boat).

However, I will add that in my opinion the boat needs some form of active stabilization. If long passages are in the future, stabilization is a game changer. That will definitely narrow the field.

I also think you need something with a good decent range. Can be done with 600 nms range, but that will influence your trip. 1000nm is comfortable.

Good luck.

Peter

 

[PierreR]

With those boats and your comments you made my point Peter.

 

[MakingMoves]

I’ll try to answer as best I can.
We would like to start part time and then go full time.
Wife and I full time with kids and family occasionally.
I’m retired LEO and Wife is soon to be retired Guidance Counselor.
Both in good shape. Not worried in that department.
I’m ok with motion in the ocean, wife gets a bit uneasy.
I currently flip houses with the wife and we are both very handy.
Not marina to marina. Find us the WILDS!!!
We both have no real interest in ICWs
Love to start cruising the east coast. Work our way to Keys. Then cross the Gulf and just explore. No real destination just want to explore.
We want to be comfortable but when we go camping throughout the year we both still prefer the tents.

I think I got most the answers.

Our ideal plan. Live in our Air BnB her in NH for the warm months. Head out west to hunt in the early fall. Then get on the boat and head out for the cold months. Eventually just living full time. We are aware we may want to upgrade at some point (May)!

Thank u again a

 

[MakingMoves]

Peter where did you find this chart?

 

[mvweebles]

Peter where did you find this chart?

I made it. Goal was an approachable depiction of cruising. I'm a past delivery skipper and well built for it. I loved going until fuel or weather forced me to stop. My wife is not down with that (and frankly, I'd like to stop and see some of the places I blew past), so i made this chartlet to show we could hop down the coast from Southern California.

BTW - if your plan is to buy a boat and take off immediately, well, that would be difficult. There is so much that has to be done just to get yourself and boat ready to be relatively self sufficient. Honestly, I would say it takes the better part of a year once you have a boat until you can comfortably leave. Just takes time to figure out what type of work is needed and get it done. It's not like house construction or flipping where you walk through with a clipboard and make a list, throw some time and labor at it, then put it on the market in 12 weeks.

Peter

 

[mvweebles]

With those boats and your comments you made my point Peter.

The boats I listed are barely $100k and there are hundreds of them in the trawler market right now. Finding the right one would take time but not because of any special requirements (except stabilization).

Ksanders, TF contributor, has started a couple threads about how a modest boat can make long cruises. Recall, he's currently sitting in a remote anchorage off La Paz (Baja) after journeying something like 3000 nms from his home in SE Alaska in his Bayliner 4788. TF member Akdoug in his Willard 30 buddy boated with him down the coast. I also know of several people who have made long cruises on the west coast - one guy, a retired airline pilot, took his Uniflite 48 (essentially a 42 with 6-foot cockpit extension) from San Francisco to Puerto Vallarta and back which has to be 3000 nms round trip. Like KSanders, he had to finagle fuel a bit, but doable.

There are a LOT of boats that can do what thr OP wants. Budget is always a choke point no matter what it is. A recent TF member was quite transparent in his quest for a bluewater trawler and his frustration that he couldn't find a decent example in his budget that was apparently close to $500k.

Peter

 

[mvweebles]

Oh......if I were in the general market the OP states, this boat "Sylphide" just came on the market. I know nothing of it except the owner has been an active TF member for several years and was very transparent about the work done it. It's a one-off boat which are often priced below a comparable production boat as they are more difficult to market.

https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66575

Peter

 

[psneeld]

When saying not interested in the ICW but interested in the "wilds"....not sure what that means.

Unless you stay at sea for long periods, you wind up in the same place as the ICW takes you.

Some stretches, the ICW is actually just as fast or faster depending on the cruise speed and sea keeping of your boat.

So I am guessing that you would prefer anchoring versus marinas and relying on solar or genset for any power requirements and are willing to spring for water making capability in the wilds vetsus civilization and piped water.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Welcome aboard. Read: https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s3/boat-search-101-a-14905.html

 

[PM]

It's funny. Your budget actually covers a lot of boats. In fact with the exception of new boats and premium brands like Nordhavn and K.K. your budget covers most boats out there.

Even when you narrow it down a LOT by what you think you want.

Then two points eliminate almost every boat in your price range. Long Range Cruising meaning you need stabilizers and living on board, which generally means an extra few feet of length.

It can still be done but not so easily.

Welcome Aboard,

pete

 

[PierreR]

MakingMoves you did narrow it down quite a bit and yes limited your choices quite a bit. The are perhaps a hundred or more boats available to meet your specs and you have eliminated many thousands of prospects. You are probably going to have to travel some distance to get the boat that you want. I wanted a similar boat and bought one 2,300 miles away by water. I get to bring it back this spring. Before I pulled the trigger, I had looked at a lot of boats to know what I wanted and bought it. With your skiils there is nothing wrong with a boat that needs TLC. You are already in the sweat equity business. I bought a boat that showed very poorly but was not clapped out.
The bigger the boat the fewer places you can work on it yourself. The one place you can is at anchor with a generator. There are also a number of do-it-yourself yards.

 

[Jmarsh203]

Kady krogen 42 is the east option, find one of the stabilized models with bow thruster. Should be possible to find on the upper end of your price range with a little time. May not be one on the market currently but usueally see on or two a year around that price range. Hatteras 42 lrc MK1 would also be a good option if you prefer twins. Also find a stabilized one, that’s been upgraded to hydraulic instead of pneumatic actuated. Honestly a sport fisher/ convertible also fits the bill easily when you look at models from the 70-80s. Out of the full/ semi displacement model boats you will want something stabilized for your wife, will make the whole experience more enjoyable for her, she will thank you later lol.

 

[Jmarsh203]

Easy*

 

[Jmarsh203]

Those two boats would also give you the options of crossing gulf to Panama Canal and running up west coast into Alaska comfortably. A few kk42s have crossed the Atlantic as well so that is possible.

 

[ksanders]

The boats I listed are barely $100k and there are hundreds of them in the trawler market right now. Finding the right one would take time but not because of any special requirements (except stabilization).

Ksanders, TF contributor, has started a couple threads about how a modest boat can make long cruises. Recall, he's currently sitting in a remote anchorage off La Paz (Baja) after journeying something like 3000 nms from his home in SE Alaska in his Bayliner 4788. TF member Akdoug in his Willard 30 buddy boated with him down the coast. I also know of several people who have made long cruises on the west coast - one guy, a retired airline pilot, took his Uniflite 48 (essentially a 42 with 6-foot cockpit extension) from San Francisco to Puerto Vallarta and back which has to be 3000 nms round trip. Like KSanders, he had to finagle fuel a bit, but doable.

There are a LOT of boats that can do what thr OP wants. Budget is always a choke point no matter what it is. A recent TF member was quite transparent in his quest for a bluewater trawler and his frustration that he couldn't find a decent example in his budget that was apparently close to $500k.

Peter

Thanks!!!

Too many people get caught up in "what boat" when in reality they need to get their lives straightened out for cruising as the most important thing.

When we tire of the Sea of Cortez we will probably set out for a canal crossing, and the Caribbean in the Bayliner.

 

[Cold Duck]

I don't want to be a downer as I have lived aboard for over 5 years and cruised SF to Panama and back, plus 5 years in the Caribbean. First time really in the ocean was when we left under the Golden Gate and turned left. After a few days I wondered if I could get my old job back and sell the boat. After a month, the whole thing came together, and we loved it. In fact, the experience formed the basis for the rest of our lives. The point, if you can, try chartering for a week or so to get the feel of what's important to you in a boat. It's different for everyone. It took us over a year to prep the boat to what we felt was needed. Many decisions were great, some were well off the mark. The first cruise there were no docks from San Diego to Panama, the second had many dock options in the Carribean. There are so many options to consider that you need to do more studying and definition as to what you really want to do and then find a boat that will most fit your needs. Every boat is a compromise, but you should find one that best fits your needs as you think they are at the time you leave. Later you will find your needs will change. For the Bahamas and ICW shallow draft is a requirement. We had 6ft and it kept us from a lot of anchorages or required anchoring way out. Don't be discouraged, Good Luck.

 

[ranger58sb]

BTW - if your plan is to buy a boat and take off immediately, well, that would be difficult. There is so much that has to be done just to get yourself and boat ready to be relatively self sufficient. Honestly, I would say it takes the better part of a year once you have a boat until you can comfortably leave. Just takes time to figure out what type of work is needed and get it done. It's not like house construction or flipping where you walk through with a clipboard and make a list, throw some time and labor at it, then put it on the market in 12 weeks.

I'll add some emphasis to this. We will have taken two years to get this current boat squared away... assuming I ever DO get the punch list down to manageable length.

This is starting with a 2006 boat, seemingly in decent shape... with lots (!!!) of little things the marine surveyor just might have missed along the way.

To be fair, some of that is also because this boat just began reaching time when many systems are reaching end of life... and the previous owner, at least (possibly previous ownerS), didn't do that whole maintenance things. Freshwater pump, microwave/convection, two ACs (three still to go), about half of the remaining original electronics, TVs, freshwater pressure regulator, cockpit shower, hydraulic lift platform controls, windlass, batteries, etc.

Plus some optional improvement. Add Inverter. Add some nav redundancy, etc.

Replacing stuff is actually sometimes the line of least resistance, but it's also often the case that it takes time to learn the system that needs attention, work out what the best fix might be, work out how to get access to the bits and pieces, work out what tools will be necessary, etc...

Buy the boat, spend a year (at least) learning it and getting it ready for the mission... or at least get it to the point where further repairs can be done on the move.

-Chris

 

[PierreR]

I'll add some emphasis to this. We will have taken two years to get this current boat squared away... assuming I ever DO get the punch list down to manageable length.


Replacing stuff is actually sometimes the line of least resistance, but it's also often the case that it takes time to learn the system that needs attention, work out what the best fix might be, work out how to get access to the bits and pieces, work out what tools will be necessary, etc...

Buy the boat, spend a year (at least) learning it and getting it ready for the mission... or at least get it to the point where further repairs can be done on the move.

-Chris

This is golden.

 

[Shrew]

I don't want to be a downer as I have lived aboard for over 5 years and cruised SF to Panama and back, plus 5 years in the Caribbean. First time really in the ocean was when we left under the Golden Gate and turned left. After a few days I wondered if I could get my old job back and sell the boat. After a month, the whole thing came together, and we loved it. In fact, the experience formed the basis for the rest of our lives. The point, if you can, try chartering for a week or so to get the feel of what's important to you in a boat. It's different for everyone. It took us over a year to prep the boat to what we felt was needed. Many decisions were great, some were well off the mark. The first cruise there were no docks from San Diego to Panama, the second had many dock options in the Carribean. There are so many options to consider that you need to do more studying and definition as to what you really want to do and then find a boat that will most fit your needs. Every boat is a compromise, but you should find one that best fits your needs as you think they are at the time you leave. Later you will find your needs will change. For the Bahamas and ICW shallow draft is a requirement. We had 6ft and it kept us from a lot of anchorages or required anchoring way out. Don't be discouraged, Good Luck.

What vessel did you do this in? Was it the Mainship 350 in your signature??

 

[MVDarlin]

I have been cruising the Sea of Cortez for over 10 years. Great area. I have a very comfortable 1982 Ocean Alexander 43 Tri Cabin. The recent survey valued the boat at $95,000. There are many good purchase opportunities here.

 

[dutch-barge]

We are planning on liveaboard in the near future. We have a budget of 150k US purchase with some money for upgrades. 35-48' we think. Plan to cruise east coast and then get to the Keys and over to the Caribbean. We have a list of wants and likes. We are just curious if you all could recommend boats that you like and boats that you would just steer clear of? I know we are not giving a lot and I promise our questions will get better as the process moves on. Thank you

35-48 ft for fulltime live aboard is quite small, we have a 61 ft and even feel that is small

a larger boat wil not have more complex systems, you make the systems as complex as you want. Many 'automated' processes/ task can be done just as easy manually

 

[slowgoesit]

35-48 ft for fulltime live aboard is quite small, we have a 61 ft and even feel that is small

a larger boat wil not have more complex systems, you make the systems as complex as you want. Many 'automated' processes/ task can be done just as easy manually

Interesting comment. Our boat is 50', we're fulltime, and it's freakin' HUGE.

Can't possibly imagine thinking a 61' boat is small for fulltime live aboard (I'm assuming two people?).

What type of boat do you have anyway? If it's a canal boat, I can definitely see how it's too small, but I suspect it's not!

 

[ksanders]

Interesting comment. Our boat is 50', we're fulltime, and it's freakin' HUGE.

Can't possibly imagine thinking a 61' boat is small for fulltime live aboard (I'm assuming two people?).

What type of boat do you have anyway? If it's a canal boat, I can definitely see how it's too small, but I suspect it's not!

Agreed!!!

I live on my Bayliner 4788 full time and think that it has more than enough room for two people to live, and have their own space when need be.

 

[tiltrider1]

What ever size boat you start with it will shrink over time and eventually become to small. This is one of the facts of life.

I would like to say that 35' is good for one, 40' is necessary for two and 50' is necessary for true long term couple liveaboard. However, this statement is so general that while true on average, it is almost not true for any one person.

What is longer term liveaboard. For some its 9 months for others its 5 years and for a few of us its 20 years. As a couple we could easily live on a 35' boat for 9 months but not for 5 years.

 

[slowgoesit]

What ever size boat you start with it will shrink over time and eventually become to small. This is one of the facts of life.

I would like to say that 35' is good for one, 40' is necessary for two and 50' is necessary for true long term couple liveaboard. However, this statement is so general that while true on average, it is almost not true for any one person.

What is longer term liveaboard. For some its 9 months for others its 5 years and for a few of us its 20 years. As a couple we could easily live on a 35' boat for 9 months but not for 5 years.

I never considered what is defined as a long term liveaboard. . . . Interesting. When I apply that to us, I would say it means "At a minimum 5 years, at a maximum, as long as we are physically able to stay aboard, and still enjoy the lifestyle!