A new cruiser

[Kharee]

Hello Cruisers. I have joined this forum to get some ideas about cruising and living aboard. I hope to retire in about five years. I have a dream of building a small cruiser for retirement and cruising the islands and maybe to Alaska. I have been a member of the Woodboat forum. I am most interested in best cruising layout for a small power boat of about 32-36 ft. Peace Kharee

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Kharee,
I don't know powerboats but there are others here on the forum who do. Welcome aboard! Good to have you here. I went to the Wooden Boat Festival last year and it was great. Let us know where you are and maybe there will be some local folks you can talk with.
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[johneri1]

Welcome to the board, Kharee. With the price of fuel and all, ya sure you don't want to add a sail or two? Welcome again.

[Kharee]

The logic of a motorsailer is inescapable. A while back I had been looking at motorsailers but could get no info or feedback on the other forums. But just from my first post I have found reference to the Hartley Tahitian series of motorsailers which I had found quite attractive. I will be checking the archives for earlier posts about motorsailers.

[swagman]

Welcome Kharee,
You say a 'small boat' at 32 to 36 feet.
There was a time, not so long ago, when a 30 footer was a big yacht requiring deep pockets to own.
So well done on getting out there, and remember not to ever take your 'small yacht' for granted. It's hopefully going to be the most favoured thing you've ever owned.
Enjoy
JOHN

[Kharee]

Thirty to thirty-six ft. is a small boat for cruising, liveaboard or passagemaking. It is just about the biggest a working man can aspire to posess. I am a wooden boater so I plan to build if I can. Since volume not length is the main variable in cost of a boat, a 30 footer or a little better with a 4 to 1 length to beam ratio, home built , plain but stout is possible if one perseveres until launching. I am on this forum to learn about cruising and living aboard. Things like berthing and waste disposal, storage, heating and cooking and water supply. All those things it take to live simply but comfortably aboard. Navigation and communication and maintenance.

[Therapy]

Start on the "new posts" page and go backwards.
It is all there and then some.
This is truly the best forum for all you want to know.

[Kharee]

Starting with the new posts and working backwards will work for me! Thanks!

[mudnut]

Hartly "Queenslander"35ft,just right.Mind you,the Hartly "Southseas" 38ft and a whole lotta room,sounds luxuary.Then again,for wooden,John Hanna "tahitian" or any of Weston Farmer Ketch's.Both very addaptable in size/volume.Mudnut.

[dcstrng]

If you’re planning to escape in five years aboard a boat you’ve built yourself, time is of the essence… Given fuel prices and the more distant horizons you seem to have in mind, some sort of a trawler style vessel seems worthy of consideration… For some years I was enthralled with the full-trawler style (not the so-called semi-planning trawler, which is a different breed of cat…). Regrettably you won’t find too many plans for these displacement power boats, except among work-boat folks – so you will have an initial challenge of find any stock plans…

One book that might give you ideas (I’ve had a copy in my library for years…) is Beebe’s book, Voyaging Under Power, or as an alternative Buehler’s tome, which I am less familiar with, The Troller Yacht Book.

We had power boats for some years, largely connected to fishing and diving interests, but also as a live-aboard, and moved to sail when I got seriously interested in getting outa sight of land, so I agree with the comment that sail might be a worthwhile avenue to consider as well… but whatever the case, for a do-it-yourselfer, the clock is ticking… Good luck…