Responding too your thread.
I always had some sort of
boat , generally
fishing, walk around small
cabin
Wife & myself are retired living central
Florida
We were discussing a larger
boat too enjoy life,
cruise, doing something together . My smaller
fishing boats she does not enjoy
Checking out boats within state of Fl I became discouraged with the false adds , old pictures, time &
fuel wasting, dealers flipping not knowing or caring , just want too sell making a buck
In my travels I stumbled across a 2006 Regal 28.60 sitting at a consignment shop .
Not used in a year, seller was eager .
Some back & fourth between consignment shop/ seller/myself we agreed on a great
price. . Great
price slowly turned into about average cause I had too do
repairs.
Came totally equipped ,
canvas galore, Never seen a boat with so much
canvas including a total outside
winter cover that covers entire boat from arch too pavement . Must have 10 grand in covers alone.
Came with a 3 axle
trailer . I
trailer when need too but leave at a in/out marina. Too much boat too move
Inside is beautiful rosewood cabinets, cold air, comforts of home
The down side, for my own tastes, areas of space not uses such as aft
cabin. Hate going into it. Feels like a coffin . Outside seating but no
storage, limited fishing convenience, they packaged every bell & whistle into 30 ft .
Steering actuator had a leak and they thought
engine had too be removed cause they could not get a rusted pin out. Thankfully they removed .
Twin gas 4.3
Volvo packages . Impossible too preform general
work .
I am the type I like too do my own work , but find I cant . Engines packaged so tight that changing a spark
plug or anything you have too bend impossible . Forget about getting too
generator or hot
water tank
.
After a year of
ownership we have shifted our love from fishing too cruising boaters.
Loving the adventure , marina life, meeting nice people
Wanting too
cruise the
Florida coast and eventually Caribbean
Gas engines burn so much gas that any voyage is not practical
Gallon a mile , 100 gallon tank you don't go far.
Just yesterday I said too wife, would be nice too take the
dogs and go away for a month lets say the Keys , but cant with our boat.
I am turning 70 soon , good
health , and in my
head still think I am 25.
We are listing boat with
broker at marina this way we don't have too be there.
Next boat ?? Practical too fit our needs, room, fuel efficient
I have sailed number of times, not by myself but I am leaning towards a 38 ft sail . Not sure. Wife is not in any physical condition too assist with
sails etc.,
I don't care about speed , under power sail can move at a brisk pace. just the journey
Then thinking
Trawler .
Real nice sport fisherman Luhrs, Carvers,
diesel engines, but not totally
sold on that style .
I can on and on, but will end .
Good luck with your search
Keep me posted on what you find .
Quote:
Originally Posted by msdj69
I've searched the forums here looking for answers to some of my questions. Many of the threads start on the right path and then veer off into political discussions of sail vs power. If I've overlooked a relevent thread, please point me in the right direction. Otherwise, here's my story...
Some background: I'm a 44 year old father of two. My oldest son is 18 and my youngest son is almost 16. In other words, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I've done reasonably well in my career and I'd like to stop the current grind at age 50 (work an alternative job on MY schedule). My wife and I would like to spend a significant amount of time cruising the Caribbean when we 'retire'. Neither of us are sailors. I do own a small sailboat that my son and I play around on during the summer but our primary boat has always been ... and will always be ... a powerboat. Currently, I own a Regal 3060. I'm a fairly experienced power boater with an active US Coast Guard '6 pack' license.
My plan: I'd like to purchase my 'retirement' boat a few years before we actually decide to cut our lines and go cruising. The idea is to have some time to play with the boat, learning the ins and outs before I'm under the gun in foreign territory and/or open water. Once we're ready to go cruising, I'll take/ship the boat from my home port (TN) to a South Florida destination. From there, we'll head over to the Bahamas and start our journey. Around June 1 or so, we'll moor the boat at a marina outside the hurricane zone and head back to TN until November when we resume cruising. The boat I'd like to purchase will be in the 38-42ft range with diesels.
My questions: What kind of boat do I need for this type of cruising? I have no desire to cross oceans. Our cruising will be confined to the Caribbean, the US coast line, and (maybe) the Loop. If the answer is a Trawler, I'm ok with it. However, I've looked at the BoatTest numbers of several 40ft (ish) diesel-powered Trawlers and Sedan Bridge boats and they have similar fuel consumption numbers at low speeds. For example, the Beneteau Swift 44 with 300HP D4 diesels gets about 2.16 NMPG at 8.1 Knots and 3.74 NMPG at 6.7 Knots. The Meredian 391 Sedan with 380HP Cummins diesels gets about 2.10 NMPG at 8.4 Knots and 3.59 NMPG at 7.2 Knots. Pretty darned similar. Will the Meredian do the same job for us (durability, sustainability, manageability, etc)? When do you cross the 'line' where you need a Trawler? Trawlers are sturdy vessels (obviously) but you do lose some interior space compared to the same size Sedan cruiser. Also, they tend to be noticably more expensive -- even used. If the final answer is 'You need a Trawler', then I'm ok with it. I just don't want to pay more money for something I don't need and I don't feel like I know enough to make that decision.15009.28.03.702.492.16
If any of you fine, experienced cruisers can help answer my questions, I'd really appreciate it. I'm also looking for ideas on locations to keep my boat during hurricane season (Atlantic coast of FL, Gulf coast of FL, GA, SC, etc).
Thanks much... |
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