Hey Gryl, you and I have similar ideas, but I need to haul a motorcycle, not a car.
When I introduced my ideas about 6 months ago, I got basically the same response....LOL
You have a big problem. A
boat suitable to cross an ocean will not likely be a shaol
draft suitable for rivers or beachable. Two different worlds.
The Higgins will be rather expensive to
cruise in, IMO, and depending on what living standards you expect, you could have room for a bear bones cruiser, closely akin to camping or shatyboat standards.
There are several shatyboats that might be built a little longer and hold a Mini or better yet the micro mercedes thingy. But I'm not an
engineer or
designer.
I wanted my dual sport 650 Transalp on board. Cruisers that stay in the mainstream cruising world are accustom to
renting cars, taking a taxi or hauling a folding bycycle. They usually don't get out in the
remote inland rivers where you are stranded with no Avis signs around....
Catamarans are usually light crafts, especially if they are sailed, but a
catamaran barge might be a solution. In my case, I have determined that I need at least 14' length for living space and that's small with an 8' beam. Using the hulls in a large cat could provide more living space, like the
head and
galley, maybe the berth as well, but I'm stuck on a queen sized bunk for at least two. (LOL)
Anyway, that's my thing, to address yours, we need some more info for your statement of requirements, mainly the
budget.
Unless you're in mega bucks, I'd suggest you pick ocean capable or river crusing as your primary needs. To be safe off shore you need a good heavy
keel for a
monohull or wide beam for a
multihull, both can be a problem on rivers. So, I'd suggest you pick one.
How long are you staying aboard?
Liveaboard or a few weeks at most? All
weather cruisng, needing heat and airconditioning or
cruise for better
weather?
What's the cruising
budget, can you go with a pair of detriot diesels or does the budget dictate you use a small
outboard and sail when you can. Must it sail? And where, besides off shore in the Atlantic, are you doing any rivers in the states and if so where? Getting into
remote areas means having a greater cruising range, at least 400 miles on the lower
Mississippi for example.
I'd suggest you learn to ride a motorcycle if you really need transportation in remote areas. But really in
Europe, all ya need is a bicycle or moped type as all the major rivers and canals have sufficient areas to get out and you're close to something. Not like that in the states, getting 100 miles away in a national forrest....