smallest, MOTOR boat you would cruise long distanc in?

[Lt.]

What type is the smallest motor boat would you take coastal cruising? What is the smallest you would take outside coastal waters? How about long distance trip or even livaboard? Also, what is the IDEAL motor boat size IYO, for the previous questions? Multi hulls included, actually preferred.

[unbusted67]

34 Feet maybe? Semi-displacement, with some kind of ballast. My only real my only experience with going off shore in a power boat is in a vessel of this type. There are plenty of 30-40 ft vessels going fishing in rough waters off of Nova Scotia etc.

[Tony B]

That is 4 different questions requiring 4 different answers. I'm too tired to write tonite. Maybe tomorrow. G'nite dude.

[NewMoon]

Originally Posted by Lt.

What type is the smallest motor boat would you take coastal cruising? What is the smallest you would take outside coastal waters? How about long distance trip or even livaboard? Also, what is the IDEAL motor boat size IYO, for the previous questions? Multi hulls included, actually preferred.

Ideal depends on your particular objectives. Ours included that it can be kept at our home in Utah and trailered to where we want to launch, and that it not break the bank.

As for coastal cruising, we've spent as much as 2 months cruising BC and SE Alaska in a C-Dory 22. Small, but very well designed and seaworthy. Up to 3.5 months in our current much heavier diesel-powered 26-footer. 2000 to 4000 nautical miles in a typical summer's cruise.

Either one sleeps three adults, but the 26-footer has longer range, more adequate storage, and a full complement of equipment and creature comforts. It does a better job of keeping us warm and dry, and rides more comfortably in choppy water.

Even a small boat that's designed well for cruising can be affordable and yet delightful, if a little compact.

[cat man do]

Where and what climate?
What speed and what comfort level?
What budget?

[AnchorageGuy]

Lt, What works for others may not work for you. There are so many variables that your questions are difficult to answer. When we sold our sailboat and moved to the dark side we looked at lots of boats. Instead of buying the largest boat we could afford, we bought the smallest boat we felt we could comfortably live on. This boat may be too small for some, but not for us and it works perfectly for the areas we plan to cruise in the future. So that is what determined the size of the boat for us. Chuck

[Ataraxia]

you might be interested in this mini trawler: Mayrik Yacht Design

[ranger58sb]

LT, the question is probably too dependent on personal tastes...

One of our dock neighbors travels from the Chesapeake to Man O' War Key on a 25' Carolina Classic cuddy cabin, with diesel, jackshaft, and outdrive. No way I'd do that, but not because of the boat's capabilities; more because I disliked living in a cave when we had a larger but similar boat, and because there's no elbow room (in the cave) during bad weather.

Generally, smallish boats can do well enough for coastal work, especially if you have control over schedule, can wait for weather windows, be a litle sensible in picing your travel times, etc. Fishermen take some of those things out to the canyons (60-80 miles offshore) all the time. But they tend to pay lots o' attention to weather, and they usually don't live aboard 'em, either.

-Chris

[ksanders]

Originally Posted by Lt.

What type is the smallest motor boat would you take coastal cruising? What is the smallest you would take outside coastal waters? How about long distance trip or even livaboard? Also, what is the IDEAL motor boat size IYO, for the previous questions? Multi hulls included, actually preferred.

LT, I see you're from Alaska. Glad to see someone else here from The arctic.

The question(s) asked depend on how many people you plan on bringing and the comfort level expectations of those people.

For coastal cruising you can really take almost any boat that has the fuel capacity to make it port to port. You just have to plan on waiting out the weather.

For non coastal cruising (passagemaking) you need a boat with fuel capacity and the ability to withstand larger sea states since running for cover is not possible. In that case the smallest passagemaker I've heard of was the 36' Willards.

Liveaboard is really subjective, again based on your expected comfort level. I've known of guys living on a 28' boat pretty happily.

What specifically are you looking to do with a boat. That would help choose what would fit your needs.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Lt.

What type is the smallest motor boat would you take coastal cruising? What is the smallest you would take outside coastal waters? How about long distance trip or even livaboard? Also, what is the IDEAL motor boat size IYO, for the previous questions? Multi hulls included, actually preferred.

No one can answer this question without knowing how much money you have to buy the boat, and how much money you can spend per month keeping her up.

When I was your age, my budget on my savings accumulated from summers of mowing yards and flipping burgers at Shoney's was enough for something like this:



if I really stretched.

Maybe you have an inheritance? If not, maybe you shouldn't burden all these people with bare fantasies?