New boaters, lots of advice needed

[Lorgrad]

The family is ready for a retirement vessel. I have a lot of experience with small craft( 20' and under), but we're looking for a retirement liveaboard for the Caribbean. Two adults in their early 50's and a 10 y.o. Through extensive searching, I'm comfortable in saying we will most likely end up in a 60 to 80ft. with an aft cabin. We're not into frills, just comforts. Also, we seem to be drawn to older Vikings and Bertrams. We plan to be on the hook most of the time or mooring balls. I don't get offended easily, so any advice/ criticism is welcome. Thank you in advance.

[tkeithlu]

Welcome to the forum, Lorgrad and family.

You are talking about a lot of boat. Remember that volume goes up by a power of three from length, so a 58 foot boat has three times the volume of a 40 footer.

If you are looking for internal space, visit a few catamarans.

[TBill36]

Originally Posted by Lorgrad

The family is ready for a retirement vessel. I have a lot of experience with small craft( 20' and under), but we're looking for a retirement liveaboard for the Caribbean. Two adults in their early 50's and a 10 y.o. Through extensive searching, I'm comfortable in saying we will most likely end up in a 60 to 80ft. with an aft cabin. We're not into frills, just comforts. Also, we seem to be drawn to older Vikings and Bertrams. We plan to be on the hook most of the time or mooring balls. I don't get offended easily, so any advice/ criticism is welcome. Thank you in advance.

Think about how you are going to use the boat. I personally like a convertible layout, as most of the time when at anchor, we're sitting in the cockpit enjoying what's going on. In the Caribbean a flybridge is nice for height and visibility when cruising. A larger flybridge than a typical convertible is even better with sitting and lounging areas.. That's where the cool wind is. The cockpit can be hot as there is no wind there when anchored. We also snorkel and fish so a cockpit is nice for that and when fishing and snorkeling you need to be able to see your transom, so again the convertible wins for me. My neighbor has an aft cabin and what a PITA it is to get in and out of the boat or loading stuff on and off when not at a dock. Yeah, it's a personal preference, but best to think through that sort of stuff before you commit.

[Creedence]

Living aboard an 80’ Viking in a mooring... not impossible, but certainly the road less traveled. I have to wonder if there’s a reason for that.

[mvweebles]

An older 60+ foot motoryacht has a lot of systems. Ar least 4 zones of AC, often twin generators. More plumbing and electrical lines than imaginable. These are almost always all-electrix boats so you'll run a genny 24/7 for weeks on end.

You've probably heard the old joke that "boat" is actually an acronym that means "but only another thousand." If only....At that size, minor repair bills start at $5k and go up from there. An engine/generator oil change/service is easily $2k for basics. By the time you're done with a bi-annual bottom job, you might get out for $8k of that's all that needs doing.

I'm not saying this to scare you off, but since you're new to this, a dose of reality. You didn't ask about the money part so maybe that's fine. If so, all good.

If you're into YouTube channels, you may want to checkout Sailing Doodles who swapped a CY56 sailboat for a 60-ish foot Hatt. And Searching for C-Shels, a Canadian couple on a 45-ish Tollycraft in the Bahamas.

I used to deliver boats like these. For my own personal use, I strongly prefer smaller, simpler vessels. Even those will keep you busy. As small as you need, not as big as you can afford.

Peter

[Scott Berg]

I captain several boats in the 60-80' range including a big Hatt. It's doable but you'll need a captain for the first year or two until you are cleared to be an owner operator. Insurance companies will want to know how many boats you've owned and for how long that are within 10' of the one you buy. When the answer is zero they'll insure you only when the boat is under the command of a captain they approve of. Just keep this in mind as it's both an additional cost AND a hassle from time to time. My clients and I do well together but I know I'm under foot from time to time

[Adelie]

Welcome.

I would suggest updating your profile with your general location and your boat make & model or “Looking” in the "Boat" category. This info shows up under your UserName in every post in the web view. Many questions are boat and/or location dependent and having these tidbits under your UserName saves answering those questions repeatedly. If you need help setting up your profile then click on this link: https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ml#post3308797

I would happily help more if the link above is not enough.

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by Lorgrad

Through extensive searching, I'm comfortable in saying we will most likely end up in a 60 to 80ft. with an aft cabin. We're not into frills, just comforts.

That is a huge boat!

I echo all responses that reference multiple systems, needing a captain to get insurance and so on, and so on.

When I was a kid, my family had a 43' Gulfstar trawler that we happily spent months on, going up and down the Eastern Seaboard of the United States from Mystic, CT to the Florida Keys. There were 5 of us onboard: my dad and 4 kids in age from 8-14 years. I don't ever remember thinking that we lacked for space. Even in retrospect now, that boat still seems huge. In fact, it was the biggest boat we ever had.

Have you physically been onboard these 60-80' boats that you've researched?

Best of luck with your plans, but from my perspective, that is an excessive amount of boat and you don't know what you don't know.
LittleWing77

You've taken a Power Squadron course, or some basic navigation-and-seamanship course, yes...?

[Sailmonkey]

You either have deep pockets, or are intimately familiar with the maintenance requirements of this size of boat?

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Lorgrad.