Family Boat ...

[Ranger06]

I know, you’re all probably thinking, “Here comes another, what boat should I buy? thread.”

I’m on a 5-year plan and have really been inspired by some of the blogs out there. My family is fully on-board and we are beginning the planning. Thing is, I’m stuck in Afghanistan for a while longer, so you guys are what I have access to for now, no marinas, no brokers, no Barnes & Nobel, etc...

Just wondering where to begin my search. We want a “bullet-proof” (not literally, just solid) boat as safety is our number 1 concern. We would live aboard it and want to be able to go anywhere. I have little ones, 2 girls and a boy. We would have regular visitors so we would need a boat that could regularly take a couple with a kid or 2. I’ll have a retirement that will net me around $5,000/month to live/cruise on and a budget of about $100k to purchase/upgrade.

If you were in my shoes, where would you begin your search? I have looked at s/v Blue Sky;s Downeaster, which is a beautiful boat. I have no preference, old vs. new, bwg vs. small. I understand how personal a decision this is, just want to know where to begin my search. Thanks!

I do have 5 years to figure it out, so I'm not in a rush, just need some direction...many questions

[Entlie]

Welcome, Ranger. You'll get a lot of good information here. Have fun in your search!

Entlie
Sailing Catamaran Sunspot Baby

[Phisher]

www.sailboatlistings.com
Boats for Sale, New and Used Boats and Yachts - YachtWorld.com

Ranger,

Search these sites. I spent hundreds of hours on them looking at boats.Find something you like a do your research.

That is how I found my boat. It took a year and was not a boat on my radar. You have internet so have at it!!

Good Luck!,

Brian

[Loquat]

My father had a CSY 44 for about ten years. It is a solid boat and a lot of room. They had the separate aft cabin layout which was perfect for guest/kids because there is some degree of privacy when needed. They range from 50k-130k on yachtworld right now. What is really impressive is the tankage, 400g water 100g fuel.

[Ranger06]

Thanks Phisher... But, therein lies the dilema, they ALL look good to me and I'm sure every owner will explain in detail why theirs is the perfect boat for me. Been looking at bluewaterboats.or as well. seems to be a great deal of information there about older boats as well.

Loquat, that CSY is impressive!

[aboutgone]

We bought our CSY 44 walk over for 55K. put another 30 K in her,did all the work ourselves. now we have a rock solid Cruiser able to take us any where. We love the room and storage she has. And most of all she is really stable in winds above 30Knts ........PM me if you want more biased Imfo.....LOL.....Ed

[Phisher]

The perfect boat for you will find you. Spend time on CF reading all the different threads about boats and sailing. There are many knowledgeable and veteran sailors on CF and most of them are willing to answer your questions. You are land locked so educate yourself and continue to dream!

CSY is a nice boat Harryrezz has his up for sale.

[captain58sailin]

With kids aboard, I would look at the 45 to 60 foot range. Depending if you are looking for a long term run with the vessel. Lots of water tankage and fuel capacity. If you are looking at a Cat. then the length requirements change slightly. Most electronics on a used vessel will have to be replaced eventually, especially with an older vessel. I am in the middle of upgrading an older vessel and the electronics are going to have to be replace, they still function, they are just outdated. Unless you are looking at a 5 year old or less vintage vessel. Yachtworld.com has a lot of vessels to choose from. Your proposed area of operation can effect your choice as well, if you are going to focus on an area, like the Caribbean then a shallower draft will be more attractive etc... Swans, C&Cs, are nice. Nothing will take the place of trying out as many vessels as possible before putting down your hard earned money, they will teach you as much about what you don't want as what you do. Given your current area of deployment that will prove to be problematical. Perhaps you can R&R in Florida or Hawaii?

[Ranger06]

There will be kids aboard! When I retire in 2016, they will be ages 11, 8 and 6. We plan on keeping them on-board until college, so...I'd say the long-term. Being landlocked right now certainly does suck. But, I will be returning home next month, then deploying to Miami to run operations for another mission set in September. I'll be there for 11 months doing that, so I should have ample time to crawl all over peoples boats.

I appreciate the advice, helps to have a starting point, keep it coming!!!

[hummingway]

You will need some size with the herd but there are factors other then length to consider with regard to size or percieved size. Additional beam gives you more space then additional length. What are your children going to be comfortable in the way of personal space? What about you and your partner need for privacy? What areas are you spending most of your time?

Using my own boat as an example, it's 41.5 in length with a 14 ft beam and a pilot house. It has a lot of interior space but a very small cockpit. Up here in the PNW most of the year interior space is more valuable then cockpit. Peoplpe in the caribean tell me they spend most of their time in the cockpit so a big one is desirable. I have excellent deck space though so if someone wants to bake they can.

I can sleep six but the two cabins are doubles, one berth is a quarter and one a settee. So if I had your family it might not work, depending on you children of course.

Can you get by with one head, or are you going to need two?

You have lots of time to work out the details but I'd make a list if I was you. Read some books and blogs from people who've done this with their children and see where they ran into friction.

[Charlie]

Ranger
First off thanks for your service! Mahina Expedition - Selecting A Boat for Offshore Cruising When I used this site and went thru all of the boats there and looked at them on the internet. I then began to get a feel for what it was I was looking for in a boat. I wanted a bluewater boat. I ended up buying a Sceptre 41 which I love but I think now I would look at Beneteau's. I could get a newer larger boat for less money. The interiors may have 4 cabins and would be good for your family size. I would not consider them go anywhere boats but certainly capable of a circumnavigation. (See MarkJ) I really don't feel that the extra money spent on a bluewater boat is worth it unless you are planning a RTW trip via the five capes or something like that.

[ejdarling]

Hi Ranger
I'm on my 3rd year in Mosul, Iraq, and have about the same dream as you do. I'm a little concerned about your purchase/upgrade budget of 100,000 for a boat big enough for two adults and 3 teenagers as permanent living space. Let alone entertaining visitors. I'm looking at catamarans, and it sounds like you need a 50-ft cat or a larger monohull. I've been shocked by the prices of cats I've seen. What do other people think about this?

[Ranger06]

Mosul...ouch. I did 19 moonths between Mosul and Baghdad during OIF IV. An initial 12-month ride followed by a 7-month extension to take our Strykers to Baghdad...that stung.

A Cat would actually be my boat of choice because of the space. Knowing what I know now and still being 5-years out, I may be able to squeeze more out of the budget. I wouldnt be opposed to doing 6 more years if it meant sliding into a Cat. I dont want to do it over here though, I'm so done with these deployments...I've missed too much already.

2 adults and 3 pre-teens couldnt live comfortably under 40 feet? I'm sure it would have its moments, but I think it would be doable with at LEAST 3 seperate rooms. We could get by with 1 head.

How hard is it to convert an older boat with 2 cabins to 3 cabins? Is it even possible?

[Dkdoyle]

You will see many pros and cons and opinions. Start thinking about what type of sailing you want to do. Friends of ours had a halsey 6ft draft full keel for safely crossing oceans. When they decided to become gunkholers in fla and the keys they sold that for a fin keeled shallow draft for the area they are sailing now.

[captain58sailin]

I don't recommend trying to revamp an older boat to fit your needs, that usually entails a lot more money and time than trying to find a vessel that will fit your family better. We sailed as a family with 4 teenagers and 2 adults on a 47' mono, and things got tight. You do learn to give each other their space, but there are times when no matter how large the vessel is you can't get far enough away from each other. I would definitely say under 40', will not be workable. I would go at least 45' , even with a Cat. As your family grows up they will need more individual space. It will not take as long as you might think.