I've looked at a lot of boats in that price range, but I have not found one that I would even consider
buying. Running away from, yes.
But I obviously am thinking along similar lines (that's why I've wasted so many days looking at crummy trawlers).
Here is what I've discovered:
1) You won't do it for $50K. $100K or $150K maybe but only if you are clever. $800K to $5M yes.
2) There is nothing existant that is even close to what I want, and what you've said you want. It just is not out there.
3) The cost to build a one-off
fiberglass boat (hull,
deck, structure, painted) is shockingly inexpensive. Its so cheap that I won't print it, because nobody will believe it or admit it. But you can talk to a real yacht
builder about it, and you can explore the two papers by Richard Downs-Honey on this page:
IBEXSeminarsasArticles
4) The cost of a new custom boat is essentially entirely driven by the stuff installed in the boat. Its not the boat itself.
5) The cost of a new production boat also includes the
marketing and sales costs, which are in the same ballpark as the cost to build and equip the boat.
6) If you want all the systems on a boat that you have at home (A/C, TV,
internet, many bathrooms, ...) you will have a) an expensive boat to buy, b) an expensive boat to own, c) a boat where some or all of those systems don't
work, and therefore d) a boat you'll be happy to sell at a huge loss.
As one world renowned
builder told me, "On a customer's yacht, we'll put in everything they ask for. For my personal yacht, I don't start to build until I can't figure out what else I can leave out. I recommend you do the same as I do."
For one concrete example, this builder's own boat simply uses a day tank for a single
diesel. The day tank is a box that is about 3 feet high, and a foot ling and wide. The fuel goes in the top via a
pump from one of the main
tanks. The fuel goes to the
engine from the middle of one of the sides. This means he can have 12 gallons of
water, and/or 12 gallons of crud in the 25 gallon day tank before anything can get to the
engine. Windows into the tank make it easy to stay on top of that kind of problem without using an expensive and intricate fuel polishing system.
Just like a day tank, are many well proven, simple, and cheap approaches to doing things on boats. These approaches are nothing like you will see on a house or car, therefore the typical boat buyer doesn't ask for them, the builder wants to install something easy and expensive, and so the boat builders don't include these well proven inexpensive and reliable approaches.
If you want to learn what a boat NEEDS in order for you and yours to actually have fun, rather than hemorrhaging
money on a boat that seems to never work, you will need to put in some time. Time ABOARD not on these bulletin boards.
Pretty soon you'll totally understand why your previous boats have been torture. Almost every boat is designed to be
sold, and not to be used, not to be easily and inexpensively maintained. To end the torture, you need to discover what you like about boats, and what you hate about boats. And then pursue what you really like. Not like for an hour, as with a jetski, or maybe a day (or as long as it takes before you need to refill the fuel tanks) as with a high speed powerboat. But for the many years that you should enjoy owning a boat.
And I'll absolutely guarantee, all the boats advertised will be boats you'll hate to own.