Novice Liveaboard Wannabee Dreamer

[laroo22]

Hello!

I was surfing the net looking for floating homes when I noticed a 42' Carver that struck me as a dandy place to call home. I grew up on boats and am comfortable with the lifestyle, but have very little experience with the practical aspects.

My fanciful self thinks maybe I should buy the thing, move in and learn the nuts and bolts as I go. It's a good deal cheaper than a floating home and I like the idea of being able to move easily...once I learn to pilot the thing.

Am I nuts for thinking about this, nuts for asking a group of liveaboards for advice or both?

Any words of wisdom would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Laura

[boatman61]

Hi Laura... Welcome to CF..
No crazier than the rest of us..

[sailorchic34]

Might want to check the GPH rating on that carver. Seems it's around 30 GPH or so. For live-aboard it would be pleasant luxury. The fuel dock folks will love to sell you the fuel to run it.

That's one of many reason I live on a dinky sailboat that gets 12 MPG, instead of 1.2 gallons per mile.

But if you can afford the fuel, go for it. It is a grand life, well to me it is anyway.

[FamilyVan]

Carvers have good interior space- length ratios, even amongst their power boat piers.

However most have limited outdoor space, narrow walkways etc. Make the outdoor space difficult to use.

All in all they make a decent budget live aboard though. The construction quality tends towards the lower end of average- but I wouldn't say it's bad.

Sent from my SGH-I547C using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[laroo22]

Thanks Sailorchick!

I'm thinking I could afford the fuel because I wouldn't take it out often. My last water dwelling was a floating home and it's a huge hassle to move those!

I'm happy just being on the water and tooling around on my paddle board and kayak. Once I got comfortable behind the controls, I'd probably do a two week trip and a couple day cruises a year.

What other stuff should I be thinking about?

[laroo22]

Yes, most of the space is interior or covered. I live in Portland, Oregon where it rains a lot so that may turn out to be a plus.

The Carver isn't nearly as nice as some of the other boats I've been looking at. There's a trawler that would make me smile ear to ear every time I walked down the dock, but no way could I afford it.

Here's a bit more about the boat I'm looking at. 1986 was a while ago but my understanding is that if it was well cared for it shouldn't be a problem.

More thoughts?

42' Carver 4207 Aft Cabin Motoryacht

Year: 1986
Current Price: US$ 74,999
Located in St. Helens, OR
Hull Material: Fiberglass
Engine/Fuel Type: Twin Gas
YW# 60410-2686223

[PortClydeMe]

Originally Posted by laroo22

Hello!

I was surfing the net looking for floating homes when I noticed a 42' Carver that struck me as a dandy place to call home. I grew up on boats and am comfortable with the lifestyle, but have very little experience with the practical aspects.

My fanciful self thinks maybe I should buy the thing, move in and learn the nuts and bolts as I go. It's a good deal cheaper than a floating home and I like the idea of being able to move easily...once I learn to pilot the thing.

Am I nuts for thinking about this, nuts for asking a group of liveaboards for advice or both?

Any words of wisdom would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Laura

Welcome. No, you're not nuts, and hands-on learning gives you the real-world experience. Only so much can be learned from textbooks and Internet sites.
Someone mentioned fuel use, yet you want a powerboat, so obviously that's not a big concern for you. Keep the tanks & fuel clean.

The Carver is a nice boat. Personally, I'd prefer a clean used Grand Banks 42' trawler, but to each his/her own. The GB 42' gives you more useable deck space, and it comes with a well-earned and distinguished pedigree.

I could easily relax in the tropics and forget about time on something like this:

1996 Grand Banks 42 Classic Power Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

Have fun! That's the most important advice.

[laroo22]

Oh that was cruel, portclyd. I'd grab that Grand Banks in a heartbeat!

[PortClydeMe]

Originally Posted by laroo22

Here's a bit more about the boat I'm looking at. 1986 was a while ago but my understanding is that if it was well cared for it shouldn't be a problem.

More thoughts?

42' Carver 4207 Aft Cabin Motoryacht

Year: 1986
Current Price: US$ 74,999
Located in St. Helens, OR
Hull Material: Fiberglass
Engine/Fuel Type: Twin Gas
YW# 60410-2686223

Oooops. Just noticed your post about year and price. But, you mentioned you like a nice trawler. Here's a 42' GB trawler. Ten years older, yet similar price range. I'd take it over a 10-year newer Carver, but that's just me. I love GBs.

Asking $87K:

1976 Grand Banks 42 Classic Power Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

A little "less cruel"?

[FamilyVan]

86 carver in a damp environment- I would definitely spend the $1000 or so for a quality marine survey. They are very spacious inside.

I had a master mariner just a few docks down from me who had a 55' carver. He liked it. It did exactly what he needed it to, and he knew boats.

Sent from my SGH-I547C using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[sailorchic34]

Any boat you put a contract on, get a surveyor and a engine mechanic. The surveyor for the hull and tankage, though he'll not be able to tell you much about the tanks without opening an inspection port, and that's outside a normal survey. The mechanic to go over the engines to make sure all is good. You'll need the survey to get insurance too. BTW the insurance folks really like to see some boating experience.

If you single hand, a 42' can be a hand full to dock if winds are blowing. A boat with a working bow thruster would be a bonus. good batteries are a must and odds are the house batteries on the boat may need replacing.

Of course if your anchored then your most likely running the generator for power, cooking, heating and cooling.

Oh before you buy a boat, make sure you have a liveaboard slip to put it in if you want to liveaboard right away. Generally liveaboard slips can sometimes be hard to come by depending on area. Though less of a problem with a nice well kept boat.

When you do buy the boat, have the fuel filters and all raw water impellers changed. Myself, unless the hoses and belts on the engine are new, I would replace them too. If gas engines, change the spark plugs too.

Boats also need the bottom painted every 2 or more years. For a 42 foot boat thats about $2500+ every two years.

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by laroo22

Oh that was cruel, portclyd. I'd grab that Grand Banks in a heartbeat!

Note all the exterior teak on the GB that needs to be varnished twice a year to keep it looking good. Plus teak decks can be a maintenance nightmare. Mind you I love the look of the GB, but for a woman, its a bit too high maintenance to me, unless you really like to varnish.

The Carver actually looks pretty nice, engine room is clean and that is good. Gee the boat is pretty clean and would make a good liveaboard. Plus no teak deck or varnished teak on the exterior. That gives a lower cost to own. Varnishing is a pain in the butt.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Laura.

[SniperSailor]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

Any boat you put a contract on, get a surveyor and a engine mechanic. The surveyor for the hull and tankage, though he'll not be able to tell you much about the tanks without opening an inspection port, and that's outside a normal survey. The mechanic to go over the engines to make sure all is good. You'll need the survey to get insurance too. BTW the insurance folks really like to see some boating experience.

If you single hand, a 42' can be a hand full to dock if winds are blowing. A boat with a working bow thruster would be a bonus. good batteries are a must and odds are the house batteries on the boat may need replacing.

Of course if your anchored then your most likely running the generator for power, cooking, heating and cooling.

Oh before you buy a boat, make sure you have a liveaboard slip to put it in if you want to liveaboard right away. Generally liveaboard slips can sometimes be hard to come by depending on area. Though less of a problem with a nice well kept boat.

When you do buy the boat, have the fuel filters and all raw water impellers changed. Myself, unless the hoses and belts on the engine are new, I would replace them too. If gas engines, change the spark plugs too.

Boats also need the bottom painted every 2 or more years. For a 42 foot boat thats about $2500+ every two years.

Not an owner yet, I want to learn before investing, but thanks for all the practical info.

[Scout 30]

For that kind of money you can get a trawler with a diesel that's better quality, more seaworthy, more reliable & much cheaper to run. Searching craigslist Portland I came up with 71 trawlers for sale under $80,000. Most were well under that price. With the right trawler you could run up to Puget Sound, cruise the San Juan Islands or run the inside passage to Alaska.


Grand Banks are my favorite too but they are more expensive than most. A 36' GB would be hard to find this cheap unless there is a problem with condition. Pre '74 they have wood hulls. The teak decks & iron tanks can be a problem. I'd look for one where that's been addressed already.


Most of the trawlers from the 70's & 80's were built in Hong Kong or Taiwan. Watch for bad decks, rot around the windows & bad fuel tanks. Most had Ford Lehmans which can still be running well. A good survey is key.


If you don't need to go fast get a boat designed to go slow.