Opinions on boats

[Veroelectus]

Hi all! My name's Jason. So here in the near future I'm planning on going down to texas and going full time live aboard. I'm looking to stay below 200k for the purchase price of my future home. I've poked around for boats in my price range and I've found two I really like. The 44ft defever trawlers. And the 53ft hatteras motor yachts. I like the rugged build and longe cruising range of the defever, aswell as sea worthyness of it. But I much prefer the living space of the hatteras. I was wondering what you guys think? Also it will be my wife and on living aboard while also having guest relatively frequently (at least a few people every 3-5 months.) I don't plan on doing any crazy voyages. Probably just around the gulf. The Bahamas, keys, and maybe parts of mexico and south america. Planning on staying near the coasts as much as possible. Really curious to see if anyone has experience with the hatteras and being on the sea with it. But yeah if anyone could give some insight I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you and have a good rest of y'all's day.

[HopCar]

I suggest you ask that question over on the Trawler Forum. You’ll find more folks familiar with the boats you mentioned. Bunch of blow boaters here.��

[Veroelectus]

For sure, I appreciate it.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Jason.

[skipmac]

Actually there are plenty of power boaters aka stinkpot drivers on this forum as well.

Regarding the OPs question, both boats are excellent and should handle any normal sea state. I wouldn't take either out into a major storm.

I would choose the one that has the accommodations and features you like but would focus seriously on condition especially the engines. A boat that size could cost you the purchase price to repower or to repair any significant structural problems.

Not only check condition of the engines but also what engine is installed and the availability of parts.

[valhalla360]

If you can afford the care and feeding, either of those should be quite suitable for bouncing around the Caribbean.

Assuming you plan your routes, there will rarely be a need for more than an overnight passage, so you should be able to get a decent idea of the weather before heading out. This is different from someone setting out from Mexico for the S. Pacific on a small sailboat where it could be a month or so and the weather forecast more than 2-3 days out is anyone's guess.

Only real advantage to the longer range would be the ability to stock up on fuel in cheaper locations.

[Veroelectus]

Thanks for the responses guys! I'm starting to lean more towards the defever. The accomodations are plenty and it seems to have alot more out doors space. Plus I can't help but fall in love with the classic trawler look. Plus its at a lower cost which mean I can sink more money into making more homely.