Completely Overwhelmed

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by GalaxyGirl

Love the idea of a houseboat, but they don't really move- No good.

Looks pretty much like a houseboat to me and I'd be happy enough to do miles in them coastal and island hopping through the Caribbean.


Used 2006 EAGLE 49 POWER CAT Boat For Sale - boatpoint.com.au


Used 2004 INNOVATION 55 FLYBRIDGE CATAMARAN Boat For Sale - boatpoint.com.au

[rgscpat]

Since you say that you're not in a hurry, you might save money, frustration, and your sanity in the long run by buying a "learner boat" that's much smaller, older, and less expensive than what you're thinking of now, and making experiments, mistakes, and train yourself and your crew on this boat. If you keep the boat maintained and sell it in a better market in a few years, you wouldn't lose a whole lot of money and you'd get hugely valuable experience. You could take the whole crew out for shorter voyages and have the family take turns on longer trips. With this experience, you'd then do hugely better at buying the right boat for you.

[carstenb]

As someone noted further up. This is looking like a Disney movie. Mom and group of kids move on board boat, have fantastic adventures etc etc etc. Hubby (loaded with cash) shows up once in a while. Happy days and happy ending.

Let's face this. It is an extremely improbable scenario. The OP has -0- water experience and wants to buy a 65+ footer. Someone tell me just how she expects to sail, let alone dock this damn thing?

What happens to her and her kids the first time the weather blows? Right now she is incapable of realizing if she can sail in force 3 or force 8 winds. hell she doesn't even know what that means.

Not to mention maintenance.

This lady is gonna need really deep pockets. 65+ foot boats do not come cheap. Hiring a crew is also not cheap and maintaining the boat is not cheap.

Ok maybe she has the bucks, but so far her modus operandi is typical of those who know no better. "I have a some money and want to sail around the world. What boat should I buy?"

The fact that she's asking about motorboats and not sail boats only makes it a little easier. Living aboard in New England can be done, but is tough. At the very least, she's gonna have to install a mega sized heater and probably will have to reinsulate.

If she thinks her teenagers are gonna be happy in the crews quarters - she's never seen typical crews quarters. a bunk, a chair and and a writing shelf. End story.

[maytrix]

Originally Posted by carstenb

Living aboard in New England can be done, but is tough. At the very least, she's gonna have to install a mega sized heater and probably will have to reinsulate.

Miserable is the word that comes to my mind. My wife and I have thought of living aboard here in NE, but dismiss it because we think it would be miserable. Dealing with the ice, cold..etc. I love the winter, but not on a boat - especially in a cold winter - a mild one, might not be that bad.

[goboatingnow]

she's never seen typical crews quarters. a bunk, a chair and and a writing shelf. End story.

A chair, what luxury.


I agree fully carstenb, its a fantasy movie

Dave

[carstenb]

To complete the manuscript she should have a couple of sheep dogs

[category4jay]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

GG, you still haven't told us your budget. I know that this is kinda private info, but without some idea of your general price range it is pretty hard to give concrete advice.

Cheers,

Jim

Ditto Jim! Like pulling teeth here. She seeks reliable advice and info from very qualified people on this forum but won't provide the information people need to make accurate and reliable assessments and advice. Budget is EVERYTHING...yes EVERYTHING. Geez. I'm shocked this gal hasn't been lampooned more by this forum. I mean I wish her luck and all but come on.

[RabidRabbit]

Lets get some more info or wrap up this dog and pony show. Dont be offended by our bluntness but living on a boat is a different move than say going from a 10th floor NY apartment to a country house on a dirt road.

[rgscpat]

Vague memory: Didn't GG perhaps post a cost idea on one of her earlier threads?

[GrowleyMonster]

Houseboat. If you want to live aboard, and aren't able or interested in cruising, you want a houseboat, for max room and most comfort.

Have a look in "Boats and Harbors". It is like the Auto Trader of the maritime world. Here is something you could live aboard comfortably:
100 FT UTILITY SUPPLY Vessel. Great inter-island cargo vessel. USCG Certified 63 tons on deck. 20 berths in 12 staterooms. Twin 12V-71’s/10 kts @ 28 GPH. $165,000.

A commercial vessel for less than you might pay for a motor yacht half that length and 1/4 as much living space. You will have a full galley, a BIG deck for entertaining and for the kids to play, a serious air conditioning system, full time 110VAC, real toilets instead of dollhouse yacht heads, and other anemities. Need more room? Put a trailer on deck LOL! You will find other goodies in Boats and Harbors like that. I have seen old coastwise freighters go for $100k, probably less than scrap value.

Oh, but in the above example, I think those 12-71's are gonna burn a little more than 28GPH. But that's okay. With your experience level, I do hope you aren't planning to actually take it out for a while.

A vessel that size would allow you to keep a "learner" boat onboard in cradles. It probably doesn't have a crane but you might find an old knuckle crane cheap that you can have installed, so you can have a small day sailer that you lift aboard or lift off when you want to try your hand at sailing.

You really need to start small if you are going to teach yourself to operate a motor boat or sail a sailboat. I strongly suggest that whatever you do, you get a daysailer as a learner boat before you start messing around with anything in the 60'+ class. It isn't like getting in your car, turning a key, slipping the automatic transmission into "drive", stepping on the gas and then stepping on the brake to stop. You are in a fluid (literally) environment with a lot of dynamic and static forces to deal with and consider, and I have to close my eyes and cringe at the though of anyone learning to be his own captain in a large motorboat. YIKES! Starting small you will still make mistakes but the consequencies will generally be smaller. If you know an old retired tugboat or oilboat or fishing boat captain you might get him to skipper for you for a while on your big boat and take the conn under his instructions, and learn a lot of tricks that you won't find in books.

[GrowleyMonster]

Another oldie but goodie... probably around 150K but maybe less

http://www.boats-and-harbors.com/con...=displayAdFile

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by GalaxyGirl

I can't even figure out what I should be looking at. I have been at this since the summer. Every time I narrow it down somewhat, I realize that I have missed something or wrong about something. I must be doing something wrong here. There has to be a better way to figure this out. Maybe I need the assistance of a yacht broker. I have spoken to a few, but it seems that they just push what they are trying to sell, not necessarily what I need.

Have you not yet actually viewed any boats? That will be key; considering a list of features can be useful to give you a starting point, but the way everything is integrated into an actual boat is what will help you decide. View boats. (Yes, some brokers push what they have; it's their job. Your real estate background will have prepared you to deal with that.)

Originally Posted by GalaxyGirl

I think what is confusing me the most at this time is range capabilities. I know that I want to be able to go to the Caribbean at some point, even if it is a captain getting me there. Confused about whether I need to get a "long range" boat to be able to do this or just a trawler with a large fuel capacity. How much fuel would I need?

I think it's only something like 46 NM from somewhere around Ft. Lauderdale to the nearest landing in the Bahamas. Once you're looking at boats in the size range necessary for a family of 7, it'll have enough tankage. Don't sweat it.

Originally Posted by ohdrinkboy

Just because it has sails, doesn't mean you have to sail. Have you considered something like a Privilege 585? 5 staterooms and lots of space. Plus the twin engines make it easier to handle. If you decide to go to the Caribbean you can hire a sailing captain and sail it for less $$ on fuel.

Something like this is still an idea you should consider, even if only to eventually continue to reject it. At that point, you'll know more about WHY you think what you think. Same for sailing cats (and some DO have a sort-of flybridge). And power cats. View some.

Originally Posted by GalaxyGirl

Teddy, thanks, this was the best advice. I have been doing this and I have a few items on the list that I know for sure:

trawler
4-5 staterooms
clean interior
not too dated and stinky
flybridge
aft deck
the ability to travel to the Caribbean comfortably (enough fuel and stability)

That's it. That's my list.

A useful start. As you actually view more boats, you'll be able to refine this, probably with more nautical (good sight lines?) or living (convenient galley?) criteria.

Originally Posted by GalaxyGirl

Can some of these electronics be added to the boat that I purchase. I know that it would be an additional expense, but can it be done?

Absolutely. Almost anything currently on almost any boat can be replaced, including engines and fuel tanks (at some obvious expense). If you were to buy a 5 year old boat, all the electronics are likely "obsolete" (in the marketplace sense) anyway, although that doesn't mean they won't work well enough for your purposes. In any case, it's quite common to completely replace a whole electronics suite.

Originally Posted by GalaxyGirl

Kids are 13, 12, 12, 11 and 3. Plus my mom and maybe hubby accompany at times.

Have you started kids and mom on boating safety course, piloting or nav course, CPR course, etc.? Useful to do as prep. USCG Auxiliary or local US Power Squadron...

BTW, I see some have again said a large boat is unrealistic for a newbie. I still believe most folks can be taught to handle a boat, and in fact believe docking a 65-footer can be easier in some cases than it is to park a 27' cuddy cabin with a single IO. (Especially since boats that size are often docked side-to a pier.) Not on Day 1, of course; something to work up to, with help. Assuming some aptitude. Assuming training. Assuming practice. Assuming at least a sufficient trained crew (2 can be enough, 1 can work, depending... and family members can apply). Assuming time to assimilate and integrate all that. And in most cases, you'll be docking at marinas with dock hands swarming all over the place.

-Chris

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by category4jay

Geez. I'm shocked this gal hasn't been lampooned more by this forum. I mean I wish her luck and all but come on.

It's because folks on CF are nice .

...at least to start off giving the benefit of the doubt, even when one suspects that nothing will come of the dreams - and IMO that can also be a good thing to happen, will save a lot of heartache and cheques! later.

[chris_gee]

The reality is that I need to purchase a boat as a liveaboard at a marina for a while and I have 5 kids. I do have a small condo that we will also use, but neither full time.
I find this a bit odd. The poster mentions 13 years in real estate investment. In NE prices have been falling for 7 years.
She may have made a lot or depending on market timing and leverage lost a lot - no information there.
However she says she is looking at a 65' Hatteras. They list used at just under 500,000 to 1 million.
I imagine that motoring from NE to the Caribbean would take quite a while - at a rough guess 25 days. Probably more because it would be coastal hopping. Schooling and having 5 young children would influence that.
Many posters seeking liveaboards seem to be being seeking a cheap option having run into housing difficulties. Not all obviously but there is a cluster.
In this case it seems a bit more upmarket, but many of the same factors apply. That it sounds fun does not mean that it is very practical.

[Cheechako]

Since when is cruising ever practical?