Unicorn Boat?

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Sababa said:
I feel the same way about the Beneteaus. You will like the build quality of the Maritimo.
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Having spent hours inspecting an ST42, I agree.
Australian built Maritimo is the third brand vehicle of Bill Barry-Cotter, after Riviera (very similar boats,flourishing in other ownership after a GFC near death) and before that, Mariner. They tend towards sport fisher,with good creature comforts, though sleeping cabins can be tight. The hulls are essentially planing,with lots of engine power, often Volvo, but often operate at modest hull speed. Anchored in a breeze they hunt constantly.The number of boats around reflects longevity of the design and build quality.
We seriously considered a Riv 37(43ftLOA, twin Cummins 370s) but were put off by a crawl space ER, modest water capacity and tight owners cabin. Though Maritimo/Riv popularity is testament to their design and construction standards, they`re just not trawlers. Except Mariner did build some, years ago and even built GB 36 and 42 under license, cabins redesigned, for a period.
 
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WE are not spending his money!
WE are suggesting boats to investigate!
So when and if he finds the elusive Unicorn, will he buy it?
Some folks will never find ‘their’ boat at the price they are willing to pay.
Building a new boat, to fulfill all his demands, will take years. Builders are way to busy building new “standard” boats to consider taking a boats out of production to build a custom boat, without a sizable down payment.
He needs to look at the ‘used’ market and then it will be a compromise.
Sounds like his priorities are 3 staterooms, 2 heads. From that point, maybe he will settle on the rest of his requirements.
We have not heard of his budget. We have not heard of his time frame.
So I suggest he concentrate on the used market and then when he finds a 3 stateroom boat, ‘make it work.’
 
Benthic2 said:
The OP was not specific when mentioning range but 1,000 nm seems pretty good considering this is a pretty restrictive set of requirements. I suppose "fit and finish" is pretty subjective but I've never heard anything bad about Beneteau.
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When I was shopping and looked at a new Swift Trawler at a boat show, the main thing I didn't like was the interior styling. Not fit and finsh per se, just didn't like the "Ikea" feel to it. Very subjective as you say. In general I believe Beneteau builds good boats, just didn't appeal to me at the time.
 
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If your interior feels too white or plastic, a good craftsman can glue some paneling to decrease the ‘feeling’.
 
I know, when you're a hammer everything is a nail, but here goes...


A Hatteras 58 LRC. 3 true staterooms, all with ensuite baths, galley up, salon, aft deck dining area, and huge bridge area. They're called a 58, but they're 52 at the water line. Range with the 4-71s is around 3500nm. Most have stabilizers, wayermakers, and 2 gensets or more (mine has 3). They're heavily built. Mines been to Europe, the Caribbean, thru the ditch, to Canada, Alaska, and now lives with me here in Blaine. I love her.


And you could easily buy one for way less than what you're looking at.


FWIW.
 
Did I mention the giant engine rooms?
 
Juliet 15 said:
I know, when you're a hammer everything is a nail, but here goes...


A Hatteras 58 LRC. 3 true staterooms, all with ensuite baths, galley up, salon, aft deck dining area, and huge bridge area. They're called a 58, but they're 52 at the water line. Range with the 4-71s is around 3500nm. Most have stabilizers, wayermakers, and 2 gensets or more (mine has 3). They're heavily built. Mines been to Europe, the Caribbean, thru the ditch, to Canada, Alaska, and now lives with me here in Blaine. I love her.


And you could easily buy one for way less than what you're looking at.


FWIW.
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Great suggestion. I’d bend on LOA before anything else. For what I’d pay for any of the examples available right now I could do a complete refit and repower and still be a million to the good over a new boat that checks all my boxes.
 
Unless he wants to wait 2-3 years, he is in the used boat market.
 
I would think that a boat like the Hatteras would put you on the right path. Think flush deck trawler. Our GB50 had three staterooms-king, queen and two singles. Three heads, two standup engine rooms, walkaround decks, large covered cockpit, room for two settees, 1200gal. fuel, 2-210hp 3208 Cats, 2-12.5 gensets, plenty of windows and lots of room on top even with the FB. Of course, it was wood but there must be similar designed FBG boats-Choy Lee?

Tator
 
I have come to believe that huge fuel capacity is over rated unless you want to cross oceans. If there are a couple rare instances where you don't have the range you want, fuel bladders are cheap and easy. That said, I bought a boat that holds 1650 gal of fuel. and can go a hell of a long ways on it. Came in handy getting it home from Fiji. This summer I filled the boat up prior to heading up to Alaska. Managed to hit peak Diesel prices. Every fuel dock we passed in Alaska had cheaper Diesel than we had purchased in Anacortes before we left.
I am still looking for the perfect boat too, even though I already have a great boat, but my advice to you is to just use the heck out of the incredible boat you already have. That 37 Nordic Tug is going to be perfect when you have the empty nest in a couple years. Up in Alaska last summer Nordic tugs outnumbered every other brand of boat that we saw going up for the summer. They are perfect for that trip. I was jealous of their speed in my slow displacement boat.
 
Snapdragon III said:
I have come to believe that huge fuel capacity is over rated unless you want to cross oceans. If there are a couple rare instances where you don't have the range you want, fuel bladders are cheap and easy. That said, I bought a boat that holds 1650 gal of fuel. and can go a hell of a long ways on it. Came in handy getting it home from Fiji. This summer I filled the boat up prior to heading up to Alaska. Managed to hit peak Diesel prices. Every fuel dock we passed in Alaska had cheaper Diesel than we had purchased in Anacortes before we left.
I am still looking for the perfect boat too, even though I already have a great boat, but my advice to you is to just use the heck out of the incredible boat you already have. That 37 Nordic Tug is going to be perfect when you have the empty nest in a couple years. Up in Alaska last summer Nordic tugs outnumbered every other brand of boat that we saw going up for the summer. They are perfect for that trip. I was jealous of their speed in my slow displacement boat.
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The NT 37 really is perfect for us at this stage in our lives. But our specific need is that when our younger one leaves the nest our older one will age out of her residential school for children with disabilities and we will want to be able to take her along with us for long trips and still have room for other guests on board. Thus three cabins, which none of the Nordic Tugs offer except potentially the 54, which they aren’t building any more.
 
Sababa said:
The one more affordable older boat that we really like along these lines is the Tolly 53, but I don’t like those big fuel guzzling Detroits they pack. If one ever comes along in good cosmetic shape with high hours I’ve thought about repowering with some de-rated Cummins or John Deere engines.
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My wife and I had considered just that actually, a few years ago on a big Tolly. I was willing to pull the old Cats and replace with smaller motors. Would have also required enlarging the rudders. Couldn’t reach an agreeable price with the seller however.
 
Tator said:
I would think that a boat like the Hatteras would put you on the right path. Think flush deck trawler. Our GB50 had three staterooms-king, queen and two singles. Three heads, two standup engine rooms, walkaround decks, large covered cockpit, room for two settees, 1200gal. fuel, 2-210hp 3208 Cats, 2-12.5 gensets, plenty of windows and lots of room on top even with the FB. Of course, it was wood but there must be similar designed FBG boats-Choy Lee?

Tator
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For example the Island Gypsy 51 Motor Yacht built by Kong and Halvorsen is a similar design and the later ones are FBG. But these boats seam to be rare. Since i was searching there were only three on the market, one in Australia, one in the US and one in Europe, which is now mine.
 
Gypsy Island said:
For example the Island Gypsy 51 Motor Yacht built by Kong and Halvorsen is a similar design and the later ones are FBG. But these boats seam to be rare. Since i was searching there were only three on the market, one in Australia, one in the US and one in Europe, which is now mine.
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Very handsome looking boat from some of the sold listings I was able to pull up. Looks to be 58 LOA, so more than ideal, but still under 60.
 
North Pacific 49. No pods to worry about. Fuel efficient and can be built with 3 cabins
 
Dream boat

We have a 42’ Nordic Tug. Great in all ways, except she can get very uncomfortable in beam seas. We are looking at a Fleming for a retirement, longer-term cruising boat. More stable and more redundancy in systems. They occasionally show up at the Seattle boat shows - Mr. Fleming was there with his personal boat last year. Downside is that they don’t come on the market very often.
 
Unicorn boat

check out the 50' Fleming Pilothouse trawler on YachtWorld
 
DeFever 49-52's

Although a limited quantity since no longer made, DeFevers might tick all your boxes, especially the tri-cabins or pilothouse Alaskans. They are offshore-longrange, well-equipped cruisers with spacious, bright saloon, 3 cabins, 2 full heads, lots of storage, comfortable U-shaped up galley, usually a dining settee with easy chairs or 2nd settee, walk-around decks with spacious cockpit and roomy bridge. Tour some when you can. Good luck with your search!
 
Unicorn

Might sound crazy but a beautiful fresh water Hatteras 53 checks all those boxes with a large enclosed aft deck (if you get the right one) 3 full cabins with 3 full heads, a real galley with dinette. Separate dining on enclosed aft deck.
Slow down and she'll comfortably get 2MPG + with Detroit 8-71's with walk-in engine rooms. Simple engines you can get repaired anywhere. Dishwasher, washer and dryers were standard.
Not new, but you won't find a better built boat for the money they're going for now. Many are meticulously maintained and completely updated inside.
Plus you're driving a Classic.
 
OldDan1943 said:
I suspect want the boat now, not 2-3 years from now.
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Actually, 2-3 years is our time frame. We’d prefer to buy something about 10 years old for under a million. It’s conceivable we might buy something new for up to $2mm, but I’d really need to run some numbers on depreciation and total cost of ownership to get there.
 
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