Newbies from Michigan

[catalinadreamer]

We haven't purchased our first boat yet... still in the dreaming/planning phase. We're hoping to live on Lake Michigan by 2010, probably somewhere between South Haven & Holland. We know a couple that already does this but would like to meet others and learn more about being a liveaboard, especially if anyone has experience living on Lake Michigan.

Thanks so much!!

[BadFish]

Welcome, this is definitely the place to learn from people who are doing it. Now you just need to get out there and do it.

Cheers

Bill

[catalinadreamer]

Thanks Bill. I'm very anxious to get out there and do it. We're saving up money for the down payment currently. How do you like your Carver? We've looked at a lot of boats, mainly looking for power, and primarily like the Carver's and Chris-Craft's. What are some of the pro's and con's that you know of?

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Catalina,
Welcome aboard! I take it you are more interested in powerboats and a bit more than half of us are rag toppers. There are a fair amount of folks who are familiar with Carvers and Chris Crafts. I hope they reply soon.
Kind regards,
JohnL

[BadFish]

I love my Carver. When researching, I found that they really make a great boat. The biggest draw for me was their layouts. IMHO, Carver has the best interior layouts out of boats of comparable size and price. They do a great job of optimizing usable and liveable space, while still providing a ton of storage space. You can really find some great deals on late 80's through 1990's Carvers, and they are quality boats.

The only complaints I've ever heard about Carvers is their weight. They are heavy, and depending on your engines (I have twin 350 Merc I/O's), you can really burn through some gas. But then again, that's the downside to owning any powerboat.

I'm not all that familiar with Chris Crafts, but the ones I looked at seemed a little outdated and overpriced.

IMHO, for 30'-38' powerboats, you can't beat the value and liveability of Carvers, but I'm sure there are others who would like to argue that point.

Cheers

Bill

[Huey2]

I'm on the other side of Michigan, but enjoy having live aboards at my marina in the summer time. They invite each other to cookouts, social events, and help with any boat problems that come up. If they can't fix a problem they know someone who can. I find they are great ambassadors for the marina.
If you want to be a live aboard find a marina that has parking close to your boat, grass and shade trees, clean bathrooms, washer/dryers, one that provides free wi-fi, free pumpouts, hopefully a heated pool, no extra for the electric or city water, protected harbor regarding wave action, 4 way tie up pilings, and a social calendar that gets the whole marina envolved ( hopefully free).
Don't buy a boat without a survey ( you will have to have one for your insurance company anyway and I would write it into any purchase agreement that if it doesn't pass they pay for the survey & if it does you agree to pay.) Right now I would probably offer 40% to 50% less than what they are asking. You can always raise your offer. You can get great deals from the business people that handle repos for the banks. Living aboard during the winter is another story. Good luck, Terry