Quote:
Originally Posted by plumqik
This boat will be solo'd by myself and I have been told 50-55 feet is about max size for one person to dock and maneuver safely.
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The above is not exactly correct. It is not the size, rather the experience that matters more. For a
novice, 25 feet is probably a better benchmark. Many other factors also contribute such as the number of drives, windage, freeboard,
displacement, and how long does it take to get from the
helm to the mid-ship cleat (and whether you can reach the cleat on the dock from there).
You can visit
Miami boat show in February, and check out different models and different sizes. A 55 foot
power boat appears the size of a mansion. Even a 40 foot
trawler or a
motor yacht is huge when you need to leave a dock or return to it.
At
Miami boat show you can also see used boats presented by brokers; there used to be a separatevsection, a “brokerage raw,” on
Miami Beach. There is another venue with new and used large powerboats called TrawlerFest. They used to have one in Ft. Lauderdale, but the location changes.
Once you narrow down what suits you, see if you can find one to charter (rent) with a
captain. Some charter outfits offer boat handling instructions as a part of a charter. It may be difficult, however, to locate a particular boat in a charter fleet, so you may need to substitute with something similar.