Advice on the perfect Liveaboard cruiser

[kidfromsocal]

Hey Everyone, as some of you know I just joined this forum and I really appreciate the warm welcome I have received. Now I have been talking to some boat brokers but it feels like they may not tell you the whole truth since they are trying to sell the vessel as fast as possible.

So I would like some advice from the wealth of knowledge that all of you possess.

We want a Power Boat not a Sail Boat(just personal preference)
We are able to afford within 100k-150k.
Dont want to exceed 40 ft.

We really just need one berth, so we really wouldnt look at one with bunks since we wont need that. We dont expect to boondock. We may go out for a weekend but nothing longer than a few days.

Preferably something reliable. We are prepared to pay maintenance costs so there will be no shock there.

So what do you guys think?

Thanks

[sailvayu]

Imagine that a broker not telling the whole truth!

Before anyone can really help you we could use more information such as where you want to keep the boat, do you plan full time liveaboard, do you plan to do some cruising? The more info the better your response will be.

Right off the bat i am thinking motor yacht like Hatteras but might not be what is really best

[kidfromsocal]

Originally Posted by sailvayu

Imagine that a broker not telling the whole truth!

Before anyone can really help you we could use more information such as where you want to keep the boat, do you plan full time liveaboard, do you plan to do some cruising? The more info the better your response will be.

Right off the bat i am thinking motor yacht like Hatteras but might not be what is really best

Yes we plan to live aboard fulltime. We want to keep her up in Oregon, not sure where yet. But we love it up there

We also will be doing some cruising.

[sailvayu]

A boat is a very personal thing but based on location I might think trawler. Given your budget you might be able to find a older Grand banks 42 in decent shape, those are great boats, might be on the higher end of your budget though. Here on the east coast prices are still down and I am surprised what you can get for not a ton of money. Lots to choose from out there right now. i suggest you do some looking and jot down what you like on each boat you look at and try to find one that best fits what you like

[RainDog]

Do you know if you want a trawler (better gas milage but < 10 knots top speed) or a planning boat (fast, but way more gas)?

If the trawler I would also look at the Grand Banks. I would look at a one more like 35' personally.

If you want a planning boat, I like the Cabo fly bridge. Personally I would rip off the fishing gear and add a hard top to the back. Put a dinghy on top of the hard top and use the back as a nice patio.

[kidfromsocal]

Thank you both for your input. I havnt really given much thought to a trawler

[tmiller1116]

we have been living aboard a Catalina 30 sailboat for 1.5 years now... just bought a Californian (somewhat trawler like)... **MUCH** more elbow room!

You could look at models like this, Grand Banks, Viking, etc... also depending on if you are talking coastal use, or just up the Columbia near Portland... some models are better suited for one or the other.

Research, research research!

[SkiprJohn]

My friends are selling their 44' Hi-Star Convertible. Look at the photos and see if you're interested. It might be way more than you want but it is absolutely gorgeous and in great condition.

Banana Belt Boats Yacht Sales in Anacortes 877-588-9208

Good luck in your search.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by kidfromsocal

We want a Power Boat not a Sail Boat(just personal preference)
We are able to afford within 100k-150k.
Dont want to exceed 40 ft.

We really just need one berth, so we really wouldnt look at one with bunks since we wont need that. We dont expect to boondock. We may go out for a weekend but nothing longer than a few days.

Just as there are several different sailboat configurations... powerboats come in various flavors, too. And the names are sometimes more of a marketing concept, rather than cast-in-concrete design types.

Identifying the features you want can lead you to the right powerboat style (trawler vs, motor yacht vs. sportfish vs. express, etc.) and sometimes eventually to the right brand/model.

For example, do you need an inside heated steering station? Do you want a raised cabin (saloon) or can you live with fewer windows like in sailboats? If you have a flying bridge, can you do ladders, or do you need stairs? Do you need to go fast (get there) or slow (enjoy the trip)? Or somewhere in between? Do you anticipate occasional overnight family visitors or guests?

And so forth.

It helps to walk some docks, too. Look at boats you like (and don't like), make some lists... and if you can name some style that are attractive to you, it'd be easier for folks to jump on the bandwagon with more concrete suggestions.

There's a bunch of technical stuff about hull forms and propulsion systems and so forth... yaddy yaddy yadda, for now. Important for some, but it's difficult to waste much time on that first, at least until you can hum a few bars about basic lifestyle preferences.

-Chris

[RainDog]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

It helps to walk some docks, too.

+1. Walking the docks is the best part of boat shopping.

[kidfromsocal]

Thoughts on this?

2001 Bayliner 4087 Aft Cabin Motoryacht Power Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

[ranger58sb]

Could be worth a look. Depends on whether features meet your needs. I think there are a few owners on trawlerforum.com (sister site) who have Bayliners like that and seem to like them. (FWIW, I'd take the 20-knot cruise with a grain or three of salt; that may not impact your decision about the boat, might be a "who cares?")

Bayliner has a bad rep for their smaller boats, but their larger ones seemed to be built much better... Eventually Brunswick re-tooled the larger Bayliners into the Meridian line, probably because of that.

If that style of boat rings your chimes, check out yachtworld.com for other similar offerings that would be labeled "Motor Yacht" or "Tri-Cabin" or "Aft Cabin" or maybe "Cockpit Motor Yacht" and so forth.

Diesels at that Bayliner price point can be good (assuming mechanical survey says so). Diesels in general are good -- if you're going to drive the boat enough to benefit from their more expensive advantages. Gas engines are generally MUCH less expensive for entry costs... but then cost of fuel, and consumption, is higher. OTOH, if you're gonna stay at home most of the time, underway less often, gas can be fine.

-Chris

[David_Old_Jersey]

No such thing as perfect with a boat .

You won't find any boats with just one berth - berths sell boats, you just need to pick one where the wasted (for you) space is not so wasted.

With a power boat it comes down to how fast you want to go - slower is cheaper and also what you want the boat to look like!

with a s/h power boat the most important thing are the engine(s), especially when older - google up replacement costs and horror stories! - the trick is not to buy someone else's problems unknowingly, at least not too many of them!

Walking the docks will get you into your own ballpark on looks / style - google will fill in the blanks.

The easy part is deciding what you want - the hard part is finding one for sale, in the right condition, at the right price, in the right location at the right time - and for that the wider your choices are the better. That and not being based somewhere off the edge of the map .

[kidfromsocal]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

No such thing as perfect with a boat .

You won't find any boats with just one berth - berths sell boats, you just need to pick one where the wasted (for you) space is not so wasted.

With a power boat it comes down to how fast you want to go - slower is cheaper and also what you want the boat to look like!

with a s/h power boat the most important thing are the engine(s), especially when older - google up replacement costs and horror stories! - the trick is not to buy someone else's problems unknowingly, at least not too many of them!

Walking the docks will get you into your own ballpark on looks / style - google will fill in the blanks.

The easy part is deciding what you want - the hard part is finding one for sale, in the right condition, at the right price, in the right location at the right time - and for that the wider your choices are the better. That and not being based somewhere off the edge of the map .

Thank You for that info. Maybe we can convert the other berths into storage.

Not sure what you mean by edge of the map, there are a crapload of boats on the west coast.
Thanks Again

[SkiprJohn]

Did you compare it to the Hi-Star? Same price.

http://bananabeltboats.com/