Newbie to boating on large scale

[slydragon]

Hello ,
I have sailed a small day sailor when a kid, canoed up crystal river,as a kid, rowed a dinghy on lake Milton, drove a john boat on lake Erie,and drove power boat on alligator lake, as a teen I always stood on the shore looking out on the ocean and dreamed of living on a boat in the middle of it. Now I am ready for my next adventure. My husband and I are looking to buy a motor yacht probably in the 42 to 55 foot range. I looked at a choey lee 46 and liked it. I looked at a carver 4207,neither boat had a cockpit for loading groceries or anything else, is this a needed requirement? Can anyone tell me anything about these two types of boats or is this a sailing forum only?

[Celestialsailor]

Not sure what those boats look like but somebody here will. Try the "Powered Boats" portion of the forum. Welcome.

[JayCall]

Sly-Well, I am a power guy and they let me hang around here, there is lots to learn. As to your direct question-No, a cockpit is not absolutely necessary. Both the boats you mentioned have doors in the gunwales for access and it is not difficult even with groceries etc.

That said, you might take the time to define exactly what kind of cruising you want to so before looking at specific boats. The two you mentioned are distinctly different type boats with very different characteristics and capabilities.

If you truly want to be in the middle of the ocean, there are very few boats (brand and type) in the size range you mentioned, and those at the very upper end that are capable.

Once you define how you want to cruise and what layout/amenities, etc. you desire, you can at least narrow down the choices available to you.

Good Luck

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
I've been aboard a few powerboats but never anything quite that large unless it was Navy or made to catch Tuna. Kind of liked the old Grand Banks I was aboard for a party and to help on race committee.
Nothing to add except a big welcome.
kind regards,

[Paul Annapolis]

Well, again at the risk of pissing off everyone, I will try to inject some candor and simple, basic advice. I professionally operate and consult on power and sailboats and I think you re getting into something way over your head--and in a major leap if your first concern is should it be a 42' or a 55' boat. That's a huge difference in all respects. Second, you don't just jump between Carver-arguably the worst and ugliest boat out there and a much finer Cheoy Lee. They are very, very different kinds of boats. And please, let's not kid ourselves, if your major concern is about a cockpit and the convenience of loading groceries, well, it just makes me shake my head. But if you have plenty of financial resources, get the biggest and fanciest boat you wish and then hire a professional crew to operate it for you for a long time until you can safely and reliably operate it yourself.
Jaycall raises a lot of the same issues as I would. It;s fine to have a dream--a fantasy and sure go for it--but how much are you willing to lose? How risk averse are you? How much are you willing to risk your life and that of others? There is a LOT to learn...get professional advice..that will be money well spent.

[maxingout]

There are power cats out there that can perform nicely as well.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, slydragon.

[JK n Smitty]

Welcome to CF. You will learn to ignore the negative people after a while. Some seem to think you have to be born on a boat and your not allowed to come here later in life with honest questions

As one poster said earlier, the first key thing is to identify the type of cruising you want to do: is it island hopping or ocean crossing?

My Bride loves island/harbor hopping cruising but has no interest in ocean crossing. So our plan is to sail down the east coast then hop to the Bahamas and follow the islands all the way down to South America. This is referred to as the Thorny Path. You can search that for more info.

A lot of power boaters also like the Inter Coastal Waterway (ICW). You can search that for more information.

You may also just want a boat to sit in a local marina and take it out on weekends. There are lots of people that do that. Hell, some leave the dock only a couple times a year.

Once you know what kind of boating you want to do there are lots of good people here that will help you.

Fair winds,

Jesse

[tbodine88]

There's a Gate in the life lines on the port side of the carver 4207 in this picture
, that when you are tied to a dock of sufficient height would give good access for loading groceries. I saw one of these in Florida. The captain had just returned from the Bahamas so at least in that area this boat would be capable.

The Cheoy Lee offers similar access, but if the dock is lower than the deck as in this picture then you'll need help getting groceries aboard. I saw a few of these in the Carribbean as well.

[haw1961]

Welcome to Cruisers Forum Slydragon. A cockpit makes boarding, loading,and handling lines easier. It is also great for fishing, diving, and all other watersports. It also is a great place for a table and chairs to enjoy meals or drinks in the sunshine, or sunbathing for that matter.

[slydragon]

Thanks to you all, I understand the commitment I am about to take. So you are saying the choey lee is much more sea worthy? And what makes it so?

[Dave0549jv]

Carvers aren't built for the same sort of cruising as a Cheoy Lee. The Carver will be built more lightly, and the Cheoy Lee will be much more sturdy. The Carver has more of a planing or semi-displacement hull for higher speeds on calmer waters. The Cheoy Lee is a full displacement hull, meaning she'll handle rougher seas more comfortably, but she'll likely be slower. Speed also relates to range and efficiency, meaning the faster Carver will be more of a gas hog, and the slower CL will have a longer range.

For doing the loop, the Carver would be fine, but for anything on the ocean, you'd be glad you had the Cheoy Lee

[slydragon]

Dave,
Thanks that answers my question more fully.