$1,500,000 to Spend . . .

[savoir]

Originally Posted by captainKJ

quick rule of thumb is 10 percent cost of the boat will be the cost of maintenance every year,,working on the mega yachts so the figure is accurate, you can always skimp on the maintenance but you pay more for it in the long run

Care to share the details as they might apply to a privately owned yacht in the 50 - 60 ft bracket ?

Or could your 10% allegation be limited to "mega yacht" vessels with full paid crew ?

[RetSurfer]

Over the past 3 years our option has always been to live on a boat for a while. I am going to buy a small condo, probably in Florida to have a base. Up till lately we were aiming toward a trawler. Now though we feel we’re in good enough shape to travel solely on the boat instead of shipping it to different destinations and then flying to it. We think this opens up a lot more cursing grounds to us. It also, to us, takes the trawler off the table. I know it can be done on a trawler but the simple fact that A LOT more couples make these kinds of trips sailing than on a motor boat just tells me something….
As for finances, we have been planning all along to have an income of 15% a year X cost of boat. It has been the standard in the trawler realm and seems true here also. We have that covered easily, even if the economy goes into the tank, which I suspect will happen.
I have received a good starting point here where to start my focus in the sail arena and for that I thank everyone VERY much…..
Mark

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by captainKJ

quick rule of thumb is 10 percent cost of the boat will be the cost of maintenance every year,,working on the mega yachts so the figure is accurate, you can always skimp on the maintenance but you pay more for it in the long run

Yes, exactly. But there are ways to reduce costs without compromising the boat, such as by finding a good boatyard that won't gouge you, especially on haulouts, storage fees and the like. Exhorbitant storage fees do not help maintain value.

[savoir]

Lots of cursing ground can be a good thing.

[imagine2frolic]

What a nice position to be in, 1.5 mil! If it was me I would go with a boat a couple of years old, or so. One where the bugs have been worked out. We read many times a new boat has issues, and you have to be close to home to work them out. BEST WISHES in spending that fat lump under the matress on a vessel to serve you well.......i2f

[rowingdude]

I have no experience with traditional yachts (50+ft), but I do have financial experience. I know this is going to sound rude and all but I don't see the point of this thread. You don't really care what we say because you apparently know better than we do. With that kind of money, you can buy almost any boat you want... so you would need real professional advice, not just the advice of a bunch of forum rats who are all opinionated one way or another (65 posts, I counted 20+ different "good" choices).

If you're actually for real (it's the internet, who knows), then YOU need to do a crap load of leg work. Travel all around the US and even abroad. YOU need to figure out what works for YOU. You can visit this forum and many like it an get advice on what is the best boat for SOMEONE else, but until YOU get out there and do your own research, you will never know.

I happen to be in the camp that forums make you biased toward boat X, and that is the WRONG mindset.

[savoir]

"professional" advice often consists of a reference to the adviser's cousin, golf buddy etc. Sometimes it means a reference to the boat builder/broker who pays the best spotter's fee to the adviser.

Ugly but true. Happened to me 3 days ago.

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by savoir

"professional" advice often consists of a reference to the adviser's cousin, golf buddy etc. Sometimes it means a reference to the boat builder/broker who pays the best spotter's fee to the adviser.

Ugly but true. Happened to me 3 days ago.

Can be true any time you are using referrals, but they are still your best source. You just have to do your due diligence.

[RetSurfer]

Originally Posted by rowingdude

I have no experience with traditional yachts (50+ft), but I do have financial experience. I know this is going to sound rude and all but I don't see the point of this thread. You don't really care what we say because you apparently know better than we do. With that kind of money, you can buy almost any boat you want... so you would need real professional advice, not just the advice of a bunch of forum rats who are all opinionated one way or another (65 posts, I counted 20+ different "good" choices).

If you're actually for real (it's the internet, who knows), then YOU need to do a crap load of leg work. Travel all around the US and even abroad. YOU need to figure out what works for YOU. You can visit this forum and many like it an get advice on what is the best boat for SOMEONE else, but until YOU get out there and do your own research, you will never know.

I happen to be in the camp that forums make you biased toward boat X, and that is the WRONG mindset.

I needed a STARTING point for my research and future leg work. I am on here JUST for that “starting point”!
I have carefully reviewed each post and will do so as they come in. I have looked at several manufactures and liked some of what I see. It does give me a starting point and I so appreciate all the responses.
I know nothing of this realm like I do the trawler side. I have been to 6 shows, numerous brokerages and have gone out in several trawlers I was interested in. Not to mention the month I spent at Chapman’s. There are some similarities between the two and I do know certain “goodies” I would expect to carry over.

I never once implied nor feel I know more than ANYONE on here about the sailing world.

All I did in my original post is asking for “direction” which I have been given…..
Mark

[RetSurfer]

Originally Posted by imagine2frolic

What a nice position to be in, 1.5 mil! If it was me I would go with a boat a couple of years old, or so. One where the bugs have been worked out. We read many times a new boat has issues, and you have to be close to home to work them out. BEST WISHES in spending that fat lump under the matress on a vessel to serve you well.......i2f

This is what I was going to do with a Trawler, and likely will do here. I do believe if a boat has been used for several years and the “kinks’ were worked out I would feel much safer 1000 miles in the middle of nowhere. Still I will learn a lot more about diesel engines, more so than the rudimentary classes I’ve already taken.
One thing that does concern me a little is the LACK of engine time on a sailboat. Everything I have seen so far in the trawler world is these things work best when used….
Thank You for your post.
Mark

[Joli]

We sail a 61 foot boat and figure annual maintenance of 1/2 to 2% of new replacement cost. This seems to work out about right since we simply cruise the boat.

To reach a maintenance figure of 10% per year we would have to change our sailing operation to include a very busy racing schedule or a become a yacht for hire with a paid crew.

As an example: Sails for racing: we were quoted a full suit of racing sails (main, jibs, kites, staysails) for about 4% of new replacement cost. If we were to race this boat (East Coast/Caribbean) sails would be an annual requirement and gear upgrades could easily push annual maintenance to or above the 10% mark.

Yachts for hire and racing boat costs are altogether different then a cruising boats maintenance costs.

Good luck with your search.

Originally Posted by savoir

Care to share the details as they might apply to a privately owned yacht in the 50 - 60 ft bracket ?

Or could your 10% allegation be limited to "mega yacht" vessels with full paid crew ?

[speciald@ocens.]

Hate to say it because I'll probably get my head chopped off, but alot of the advise you you have recieved came from people with no real big boat experience. My boat, 60 feet overal, was a semi-custom built (standard hull and deck with custom interior) built in Taiwan by Ta Shing - builder of Norhavn. In 2004, the base boat was 1.5m. If you look to build a full custom boat like Senator Kerry did - it would be way out of your price range and probably not buildable in the states any more. As I said in an earlier post, my boat motors to it water line length speed on a lot less fuel than an equivalent size trawler and sails much faster than the Nordhavn motorsailer. Cost of maintenance depends on how much you do yourself but my costs over the last seven years never approached 10% of the purchase cost per year. Including bottom painting, sail replacement, engine work, and other stuff done by professionals - it was more like 3%/yr, this on a boat sailed mostly off-shore in salt water. As far as goodies - we have three zone A/C, sat TV, ice maker, trash compactor, fresh water toilets (water maker makes 40 g/hr) and all the other goodies a trawler would have. I would much rather have a well made sailboat than a similar size full displacement trawler as even if the trawler has stabilizers, it would not be as stable as a sailboat flying 2000 sq ft of sail. We looked at trawlers as my wife says I have to stop sailing because of failing health, but have decided to go smaller and faster and keep a boat in the Caribbean but I will miss my sailboat. I've been sailing since 1976. Private message me if you want to talk further about my experiences - By the way I like the Amel 54 but it is TOO French for me.

[DannySt]

Mark, if you can tell a bit of where you dream of going - chasing the sun and the warm weather, or going to spend some time in cold water, it will help people here help you.
I would second the Antares44i just because I love its lines

[DannySt]

BTW, if you plan on surfing a longboard, you might want to consider the space needed to store it.

[Brian Russell]

A couple of cents tossed into the pot:
If you don't like the looks of a boat, no matter how she sails, you're never going to be really thrilled with her; thus my inability to ever own a cat, even though they are very practical for some kinds of cruising.
Form should follow function, but there are choices to be made as to how to best achieve the functions which don't necessarily rule out pleasing form. One of the things that makes boats so attractive to us is that they are so much about function: just about everything on them is there for a reason, not just decoration. And that work-aesthetic, when carried out well, can mean that components work better because they have been very well thought out.
Also, don't just look at plastic boats. Metal boats, particularly aluminum, have many advantages ( and certain disadvantages, too, granted) and a custom build may be more affordable than you think.
For what it's worth,
Brian