Best Way To Go: Rebuild or Ready to Go

[Wavewacker]

Am I expecting too much from a boat with my preceived liveaboard requirements?

Allow me to drop back and punt concerning the M-26X. As I mentioned I did come close to buying one, an ebay deal but the owner failed to disclose the age of the motor which was a significant issue!

If I were by myself or had one or two others on board for a couple days I think it would be a good one, I'm sure it would do what I need to do. If my cruising horizons changed later on, I'd be more restricted, not sure it would be one to head off to the Bahamas.

But, as to living aboard, (related to this thread);

When you are in a slip, how much time do you really spend inside the boat, seems if I had been sailing/motoring for 6 or 8 hours, I'd want to get off and return to go to bed. Just bum around, sit on the banks or hit the shops. Or, if fair weather, on the hook in a remote area, are you just sitting out in the cockpit or on deck? I'm kinda picturing being inside, at the dinette, getting on the net or entertaining ourselves....that's where the I'm thinking I'd like comfotable space. It's difficult to imagine even from being on my boats for the weekend.

We are not four course dinner types, rarely, usually meat and potatoes with some green beans. Mostly quicker meals, sandwiches and chips or soup. Grill out. We eat out 2 or 3 times a week, not counting the drive-thru.

Saying living aborad for a year I guess really means cruising for no longer than a year. 8 months is probably sufficient for the great loop, maybe 6 would be a long time out.

I see that Luger as being larger than the 26X but it may not have that great king size aft berth in the 26X, that is a nice feature even though I'd have to slither in.

We could get by with a coleman camp stove, a hot plate, fridge. It would not take long to put the headliner up in the luger, cover the walls, trim off the ply edges of those settees, cover the bulkhead and get some cushions. I'm sure that missing port can be installed in less than an hour. That would be a workboat or camper finish and make improvements along the way, if needed at all. Just use it.

OTH, there is also a 27' Erickson at the same yard that just needs cleaning, maybe a touch of paint or cosmetic stuff. It is probably a better boat.

Again, my mind is not made up on the Luger.....not sure 3' will make that much difference cruising.