Best live aboard trawler for <$40,000?

[psneeld]

The absolute biggest mistake experienced boaters make when eyeballing a liveaboard is concerning storage space.

It is easy to look at "rooms" and see yourself performing day to day acts and say to yourself...oh...It's plenty big enough.

But for the average person, if you added up all their closet, drawer, and cabinet space in their dirt dwelling, including wherever they store tools, hobby stuff, spare parts for their engines, etc..... that space alone would probably be bigger than the interior cubic footage of their idea of a great liveaboard.

As long as you have something on land that stores stuff, it's better.....

But most totally underestimate how much stuff tries to stay onboard when you live aboard....and way too many people let it grow to the amount where moving it all around to get underway happens less and less till you have a dock condo.

 

[brian eiland]

.... on the other hand, spent 10 years in an 80 sqft apt (8x10) and loved every minute of it.

.....get the smallest one that suits your needs" i've separated needs from wants, and know that boats are an expense by the foot. i've been a slave to managing and maintaining all my properties most my adult life. it will be a relief for me to be back to a spartan lifestyle.

i'm not looking for opulence. just all the modern conveniences of full bathroom, hot running water, air conditioning, electric, wifi, nice sanitary metal and fiberglass compartments and surfaces are what comes to mind. a mobile studio apt. anything else is a fishing boat.

I thought you were looking for simplicity?

 

[brian eiland]

20 or so years ago i'm sure i was the guy searching for a deal on a 30 year old, 40'-60' castle on the sea. now, this old guy just wants a 5 yr old, 30 footer he can cast a line out just a few miles from the marina.

as i become better informed (a work in progress) what i currently like are the 34' ameilcan and nordic tugs with raised pilot houses. getting exactly what i want won't be possible by local purchase. i got time to learn all i can to accomplish my goal.

They are nice boats, but I don't think you are going to find them in your price range.

 

[nuccifilms]

simplicity in terms of no extra statesrooms, 2nd bathrooms, no flybridge, extra wash sinks or 2nd coolking bbq area. . . simplicity in terms of form following function of a utilitarian tug. i'm sure with a $200k budget, i won't have to cut out hot water.



QUOTE=brian eiland;489079]I thought you were looking for simplicity?[/QUOTE]

 

[Matt500r]

Mainship

I have a good mainship needs some tlc but I bought a new boat and would take $10,000 for the 1986 mklll mainship

 

[brian eiland]

simplicity in terms of no extra statesrooms, 2nd bathrooms, no flybridge, extra wash sinks or 2nd coolking bbq area. . . simplicity in terms of form following function of a utilitarian tug.

i'm sure with a $200k budget, i won't have to cut out hot water.

In that part of the world hot water can often be supplied via a black bag on the coach roof that heats the water via sunlight, and flows downhill to the shower with no need for a pump

Otherwise there are a tremendous variety of instantaneous hot water heaters over there, and propane to fuel them.

 

[boatpoker]

Maybe this will help show you how to look at a potential boat with a critical eye.
Marine Survey 101

 

[swampyankee]

Reviving this old nugget

I'm reviving this old nugget of a thread rather than starting yet another "which boat..?" subject.

We're recent converts to powerboating, and dockside life as well, having had a sailboat on a mooring prior to. We bought an old Silverton 31 Sedan very cheaply from the estate of the guy that had owned it since new. It needs some updates as well as catching up to deferred maintenance, so it'll be a learning experience/starter boat for us. But we can see ourselves living aboard seasonally in the next few years.

Right now I'm targeting the "next boat" in the 34 to 36 foot range, and I'm open to just about anything from trawlers to classic cabin cruisers. I agree with a previous poster that said your boat should evoke passion, and not just be an appliance. I found a couple '70 Bertram Caribe 35's that I've fallen in love with. I don't have any illusions of cruising to far off places, or even the Great Loop. Like the OP from years ago, we'd expect to be living aboard, doing some weekend cruises and possibly a 2 week journey throughout the summer season.

I've done enough cruising so far to know what the expense of twin V8's is like and, to a degree the operating costs are offset by the much cheaper purchase price so it would seem to be a wash in the short term, although if we could find a seaworthy trawler for the money it would be nice.

Thus goes the journey. We're trying to focus on being content to use the Silverton to the max and keep 3 foot-itis at bay until we learn more about what our habits and uses will be, and how we use the space, etc.

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard. Just a caution about falling in love with older boats. Before you commit to buy, make sure you can get insurance and if needed a loan.

 

[STB]

I am a big fan of the trunk trawlers. My last one was a 42' Californian. The 38' ones are also nice and closer to the size you were mentioning. The Grand Banks, CHBs, Bristol's, etc, all have similar layouts. Really nice, comfortable AFT cabin with a nice sized head, shower, etc. Tons of storage. Forward cabins usually have their own efficient heads with small stall showers or "just showers". Many liveaboards seem to use the forward cabins for storage. I was a cruiser and liked it for occasional guests. The 42' had a huge salon/galley. The 38' tend to be a little more modest in that respect, but plenty useful. One of my favorite features of the style is that the salon/galley often have windows on all 4 sides, so it is bright and sunny. If you have guests often (I didn't), having the cabins on opposite ends of the boat also leads to more privacy.

My current boat is a beautiful Europa-style trawler. It has nice curb appeal. And, I like the huge flybridge, since it extends over what would otherwise be the trunk of the aft stateroom. I also like that it has a sliding after door that leads right into the salon, which is very social. But, the galley is huge, which is a waste. And, the biggest compromises are that the cabins are both forward and "efficient", not like the huge, luxurious aft stateroom of the aft cabin trawlers. And it has only one head, which is more cramped.

The tradeoffs work well for me. But, if I were part of a full-time liveaboard couple, or wanted to have a couple of couples cruising for extended periods, I'd probably prefer the trunk trawler style.

Note: I sold the trunk trawler and bought this one because I wanted to cruise around Florida vs SoCal for a while. I didn't change styles just to change styles.

 

[swampyankee]

Welcome aboard. Just a caution about falling in love with older boats. Before you commit to buy, make sure you can get insurance and if needed a loan.

Well, the theory would be, bought cheap (<$40,000).

 

[STB]

Well, the theory would be, bought cheap (<$40,000).

Well, you've probably heard this before, but...

It is really hard to find seaworthy boats in that size range for less than $40k. When you do, it is probably behind the power curve for maintenance and will cost you significantly to get squared away.

Even doing the work yourself, so much costs money. Marine paints and varnishes can be dozens to hundreds of dollars a gallon. Marine wire can be dollars per foot. This part. That part. Etc. It just adds up.

I just bought one for $33500. It looked beautiful inside and out. Newly rebuilt engines. Newly rewired. New bottom paint. New HVAC units. Etc.

But, it is, as was expected, taking tons of money. Thousands of dollars into it since buying it -- and it probably looks little different to a buyer (or, sadly, to many surveyors).

Some were obvious things. Thousands on the generator (needed stator), inverter (didn't have one), hot water heater (bad), radar (not working), windlass (reported working, but not)

But, some didn't stand out -- even on the survey. The things between the big things still needed done. Hundreds on wiring and related things to get it (to code(-ish). Batteries and battery boxes. More than $1k on strainers and related plumbing parts for the engines. A thru-hull or two. Various water valves. Portholes and hatches. Gauges. Senders. Decks/non-skid. Pumps. Throwables. Life jackets. Fire extinguishers. Smoke/CO alarms. Refrigerator thermostat. Etc. Etc. Etc. You get the idea.

I have come to the idea that there are basically 3 classes of boats: Those that are used dock-size (liveaboards, weekend condos, entertaining boats, etc), those that cruise very locally (around the bay/harbor boats), and those that are used in open water. If I was looking at sail boats, I probably would have added a 4th category for those that are used for truly long-range/global travels.

I came to the conclusion that boats are most often not maintained for their design purpose, but for their present purpose. So, it is likely to be relatively modest to buy a boat and continue to maintain it for the same purpose as the prior owner. But, it is going to be very, very expensive to get it up to a more intense class of use, and even more so, the longer it has been used however it has.

For example, a liveaboard probably doesn't worry much about the engines. Maybe they run them once in a while. But, they don't get loaded. The coolers don't get checked. The fluids rarely get changed, etc.

The local user makes sure things run. But, if something leaks a bit, well tightens it up or cleans it up. Etc. If something actually breaks, they'll fix exactly that dockside, later. No big deal. If in it was an important part, that's what towing service is for, right?

The cruiser who wants everything to be reliable. It has to be reliable. Who wants to be stranded between Ft Lauderdale and the Bahamas? Or half way to Catalina on a windy day? If something overheats because a cooler is clogged, that's a problem. Same if coolant leaks out half way. Diesel leak? Can't close the valves when underway. And don't want any fuel in the bilge when checking into a new marina or the USCG says hello for an inspection. All these things need to be right. The coastal cruiser who is going to be far from home? Even more so. Things are harder to fix when you don't have the local knowledge at the home port.

So, that bargain $25k boat that has been a liveaboard for years? It might be a bargain for another liveaboard. But, it likely isn't a good deal if the intended use is coastal cruising. One would do better to buy a boat that is already cruising the coast.

Basically, I'd strongly advise against buying a boat currently in one "class" of use and trying to upgrade it to another "class" of use. And, more strongly so the longer it has been used as it has.

I think the best idea is to buy a boat being used the way you intend to use it, and pick up where the old owner left off on maintenance in the life cycle, or (as I am) make upgrades within the "class" of use.

I'm doing much better financially w.r.t. money being put into the boat vs boat value, and the predictability of the budget this way than I did on my last boat which was a "bargain" liveaboard when I bought it, but left me with, well, some surprisingly large bills on the way to making it a reliable coastal cruiser.

 

[jeffnick]

~~~~

Basically, I'd strongly advise against buying a boat currently in one "class" of use and trying to upgrade it to another "class" of use. And, more strongly so the longer it has been used as it has.

I think the best idea is to buy a boat being used the way you intend to use it, and pick up where the old owner left off on maintenance in the life cycle, or (as I am) make upgrades within the class of use.

~~~

Perfect!
And also - Dreaming about how you'll use the boat and how you'll actually use the boat can make a huge difference. Most have seen my link before, but for the dreamers, here's some incite from an old fart.
My evolution in boating

 

[swampyankee]

Well, you've probably heard this before, but...

It is really hard to find seaworthy boats in that size range for less than $40k. When you do, it is probably behind the power curve for maintenance and will cost you significantly to get squared away.

Even doing the work yourself, so much costs money. Marine paints and varnishes can be dozens to hundreds of dollars a gallon. Marine wire can be dollars per foot. This part. That part. Etc. It just adds up.

I just bought one for $33500. It looked beautiful inside and out. Newly rebuilt engines. Newly rewired. New bottom paint. New HVAC units. Etc.

But, it is, as was expected, taking tons of money. Thousands of dollars into it since buying it -- and it probably looks little different to a buyer (or, sadly, to many surveyors).

Some were obvious things. Thousands on the generator (needed stator), inverter (didn't have one), hot water heater (bad), radar (not working), windlass (reported working, but not)

But, so didn't stand out -- even on the survey. The things between the big things still needed done. Hundreds on wiring and related things to get it (to code(-ish). Batteries and battery boxes. More than $1k on strainers and related plumbing parts for the engines. A thru-hull or two. Various water valves. Portholes and hatches. Gauges. Senders. Decks/non-skid. Pumps. Throwables. Life jackets. Fire extinguishers. Smoke/CO alarms. Refrigerator thermostat. Etc. Etc. Etc. You get the idea.

I have come to the idea that there are basically 3 classes of boats: Those that are used dock-size (liveaboards, weekend condos, entertaining boats, etc), those that cruise very locally (around the bay/harbor boats), and those that are used in open water. If I was looking at sail boats, I probably would have added a 4th category for those that are used for truly long-range/global travels.

I came to the conclusion that boats are most often not maintained for their design purpose, but for their present purpose. So, it is likely to be relatively modest to buy a boat and continue to maintain it for the same purpose as the prior owner. But, it is going to be very, very expensive to get it up to a more intense class of use, and even more so, the longer it has been used however it has.

For example, a liveaboard probably doesn't worry much about the engines. Maybe they run them once in a while. But, they don't get loaded. The coolers don't get checked. The fluids rarely get changed, etc.

The local user makes sure things run. But, if something leaks a bit, well tightens it up or cleans it up. Etc. If something actually breaks, they'll fix exactly that dockside, later. No big deal. If in it was an important part, that's what towing service is for, right?

The cruiser who wants everything to be reliable. It has to be reliable. Who wants to be stranded between Ft Lauderdale and the Bahamas? Or half way to Catalina on a windy day? If something overheats because a cooler is clogged, that's a problem. Same if coolant leaks out half way. Diesel leak? Can't close the valves when underway. And don't want any fuel in the bilge when checking into a new marina or the USCG says hello for an inspection. All these things need to be right. The coastal cruiser who is going to be far from home? Even more so. Things are harder to fix when you don't have the local knowledge at the home port.

So, that bargain $25k boat that has been a liveaboard for years? It might be a bargain for another liveaboard. But, it likely isn't a good deal if the intended use is coastal cruising. One would do better to buy a boat that is already cruising the coast.

Basically, I'd strongly advise against buying a boat currently in one "class" of use and trying to upgrade it to another "class" of use. And, more strongly so the longer it has been used as it has.

I think the best idea is to buy a boat being used the way you intend to use it, and pick up where the old owner left off on maintenance in the life cycle, or (as I am) make upgrades within the "class" of use.

I'm doing much better financially w.r.t. money being put into the boat vs boat value, and the predictability of the budget this way than I did on my last boat which was a "bargain" liveaboard when I bought it, but left me with, well, some surprisingly large bills on the way to making it a reliable coastal cruiser.

Good illustration of classes of boat use and condition/fitness for intended use. I heartily agree, and the best situation could possibly be buying from a fastidious old salt that is ready to hang up his skipper's cap.

 

[swampyankee]

Perfect!

And also - Dreaming about how you'll use the boat and how you'll actually use the boat can make a huge difference. Most have seen my link before, but for the dreamers, here's some incite from an old fart.

My evolution in boating

After sailing off a trailer, and later a keel boat or 30 years, I've developed some pretty modest expectations. Plenty of coastal cruising here in southern New England, but I think my most ambitious dream would be reaching the Erie Canal from the Hudson.

 

[STB]

Oil filled heater to keep the ambient temps up when it's really chilly and a diesel heater for the in betweens.

This part of the thread isn't really related to the OP's question, and my suggestion might get me some "feedback", but in milder climates with nights in the 30s and 40s, I am a huge fan of electric blankets.

The ones I have are the "cheap" Biddeford's from Target. Amazon sells them also. I think $50 or less, each. They've saved me more than that on the boat and, especially at home (where I lower the thermostat a ton because of them).

I usually use a twin size at a setting of 3/10. I think I measured the power use at about 45-55W (even though at 10/10, full setting, it is listed as 180W).

At that level of consumption, I can have two of them (2x50W = 100W) overnight (9 hours) and be looking at a battery drain of 900WHr. If I call that 1200WHr to account for inverter efficiency and round up (a lot) to an easy number, that is 100AH.

With 400AH of capacity in my 2x4D house batteries, and a willingness to routinely take them down to 50%, I am still in good shape. I've got plenty left to make it through the day and then run the generator for a little bit while cooking dinner at night to get everything charged back up.

It isn't even unreasonable to have a queen and two twins in use each night. Or, at a higher setting, if one is willing to go lower on batteries. (But, I normally just have one in use -- for me).

If we weren't talking about the short days of winter, the energy usage wouldn't be that far from what solar can recover in a day.

 

[Seevee]

Welcome aboard. Just a caution about falling in love with older boats. Before you commit to buy, make sure you can get insurance and if needed a loan.

Why would you worry about insurance or borrowing on an old boat?

Personally, I could argue STRONGLY for a smaller, less capable, but newer boat without all the maintenance issues of an old boat. Only exception is if you find one that some diehard rebuilder wanted to make a perfect boat out of it, which is rare.

 

[Simi 60]

Why would you worry about insurance < snip > on an old boat?
.

Responsible owners have insurance, can you afford to pay for repairs to others if you damage them or worse, kill someone?
Some parts of the world won't let you in a marina or come out of the water without insurance.
Some parts insist you have it for wreck removal and cleanup instead of leaving your wreck for others to clean up.

 

[Seevee]

Responsible owners have insurance, can you afford to pay for repairs to others if you damage them or worse, kill someone?
Some parts of the world won't let you in a marina or come out of the water without insurance.
Some parts insist you have it for wreck removal and cleanup instead of leaving your wreck for others to clean up.

If one is a marina queen or private slip, and operate reasonable, the risk is almost zero. But if you feel that you're in a risk situation that you can't cover, a cheap liability policy works.

I could argue that we all be responsible owners.

 

[Mrwesson]

Good questions!
1) Single
2) It will be used as a boat as well as a home. I have three-day weekends, so it'll go out often, plus probably one two-week trip per year.
3) Mostly Puget Sound, the inside passage to Alaska would be as serious as it got.
4) What would best suit my needs?
5) Loves me some flybridge.
6) Houseboat won't get me from Tacoma to Orcas Island.
7) Single is OK, twins are nice.
8) Cash/Springsteen/Bonamassa (yes, I know you're talking about anchors)
9) The boat is a live-in project. Brightwork doesn't bother me.
10) I'm in the research phase right now. It's why I'm asking!

IMO you're looking at a semi-displacement hull as it's more difficult to find a true trawler in that budget but not impossible.

Smallest boat that'll work IMO would be a Mainship 34 but living space can be tight even for a 34. The trade off is a large cockpit/outside space. It's very economical,Popular(many to choose from), responds well to increased hp(if 7 knots gets old/need to run), seaworthy(within reason), easy to handle single handed(bow thruster is nice) and most importantly you're budget of 40k will buy you a very nice one that'll need very little work.

That being said i'm not a fanboy just spouting BS about the Mainship 34 as it has many drawbacks.

Bayliner 3870 has a nice layout, twins, economical(many diff engines installed so depends), built in furniture which can go either way I like being able to custom my mainship with furniture I like/blank slate but my wife doesn't agree. Bayliner has a larger and better laid out flybridge, island bed(huge +), better engine access, and an extra stateroom. This of course comes at a cost both in $$, complexity(more boat/more systems) and weight.

Don't confuse this Bayliner with the cheaply made bowriders of the 80s. They are well regarded as coastal cruisers like the mainship.

There's tons of boats that will work but I'd be careful going larger than the Bayliner since you're single and will have to handle it alone. I'm pretty confident after having a mainship 34 without a bow thruster and a heavy Grand banks 36'er(also a single) is much harder for me to handle.

If you can find a Grand Banks in your budget i'd jump on it but its unlikely.

Do you want space or a boat that's easier to use? Another thing I wish I did was to use Airbnb and other sources to rent a boat for a night or 2. You can't take it out(usually) but it'll give you a good idea of what to expect and typically under $100 a night. For example heres a 38' for $64 a night(no affiliation). https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/27089?s=51

 

[Mrwesson]

Responsible owners have insurance, can you afford to pay for repairs to others if you damage them or worse, kill someone?
Some parts of the world won't let you in a marina or come out of the water without insurance.
Some parts insist you have it for wreck removal and cleanup instead of leaving your wreck for others to clean up.

High liability insurance is very cheap and I think he's asking about comprehensive on an old boat. Liability policies also cover cleanup costs as well(obviously depends on company/policy).

I have gone back and forth on my old mainship but always carry a very high liability policy. I want to say it's under $200 a year. Agreed value comprehensive bumps that number up almost 10 fold.

Just about any marina will require you to have liability insurance and for good reason.

 

[Simi 60]

Lucky you.
Haven't found anyone down here who does liability only.
Would be on it if I could.

 

[Seevee]

Lucky you.
Haven't found anyone down here who does liability only.
Would be on it if I could.

Simi,

Just be broke and you're covered.....

 

[Mrwesson]

Simi,

Just be broke and you're covered.....

 

[geoleo]

Well, you've probably heard this before, but...

It is really hard to find seaworthy boats in that size range for less than $40k. When you do, it is probably behind the power curve for maintenance and will cost you significantly to get squared away.

Even doing the work yourself, so much costs money. Marine paints and varnishes can be dozens to hundreds of dollars a gallon. Marine wire can be dollars per foot. This part. That part. Etc. It just adds up.

I just bought one for $33500. It looked beautiful inside and out. Newly rebuilt engines. Newly rewired. New bottom paint. New HVAC units. Etc.

But, it is, as was expected, taking tons of money. Thousands of dollars into it since buying it -- and it probably looks little different to a buyer (or, sadly, to many surveyors).

Some were obvious things. Thousands on the generator (needed stator), inverter (didn't have one), hot water heater (bad), radar (not working), windlass (reported working, but not)

But, some didn't stand out -- even on the survey. The things between the big things still needed done. Hundreds on wiring and related things to get it (to code(-ish). Batteries and battery boxes. More than $1k on strainers and related plumbing parts for the engines. A thru-hull or two. Various water valves. Portholes and hatches. Gauges. Senders. Decks/non-skid. Pumps. Throwables. Life jackets. Fire extinguishers. Smoke/CO alarms. Refrigerator thermostat. Etc. Etc. Etc. You get the idea.

I have come to the idea that there are basically 3 classes of boats: Those that are used dock-size (liveaboards, weekend condos, entertaining boats, etc), those that cruise very locally (around the bay/harbor boats), and those that are used in open water. If I was looking at sail boats, I probably would have added a 4th category for those that are used for truly long-range/global travels.

I came to the conclusion that boats are most often not maintained for their design purpose, but for their present purpose. So, it is likely to be relatively modest to buy a boat and continue to maintain it for the same purpose as the prior owner. But, it is going to be very, very expensive to get it up to a more intense class of use, and even more so, the longer it has been used however it has.

For example, a liveaboard probably doesn't worry much about the engines. Maybe they run them once in a while. But, they don't get loaded. The coolers don't get checked. The fluids rarely get changed, etc.

The local user makes sure things run. But, if something leaks a bit, well tightens it up or cleans it up. Etc. If something actually breaks, they'll fix exactly that dockside, later. No big deal. If in it was an important part, that's what towing service is for, right?

The cruiser who wants everything to be reliable. It has to be reliable. Who wants to be stranded between Ft Lauderdale and the Bahamas? Or half way to Catalina on a windy day? If something overheats because a cooler is clogged, that's a problem. Same if coolant leaks out half way. Diesel leak? Can't close the valves when underway. And don't want any fuel in the bilge when checking into a new marina or the USCG says hello for an inspection. All these things need to be right. The coastal cruiser who is going to be far from home? Even more so. Things are harder to fix when you don't have the local knowledge at the home port.

So, that bargain $25k boat that has been a liveaboard for years? It might be a bargain for another liveaboard. But, it likely isn't a good deal if the intended use is coastal cruising. One would do better to buy a boat that is already cruising the coast.

Basically, I'd strongly advise against buying a boat currently in one "class" of use and trying to upgrade it to another "class" of use. And, more strongly so the longer it has been used as it has.

I think the best idea is to buy a boat being used the way you intend to use it, and pick up where the old owner left off on maintenance in the life cycle, or (as I am) make upgrades within the "class" of use.

I'm doing much better financially w.r.t. money being put into the boat vs boat value, and the predictability of the budget this way than I did on my last boat which was a "bargain" liveaboard when I bought it, but left me with, well, some surprisingly large bills on the way to making it a reliable coastal cruiser.

Good and accurate article. I bought a 34dc trawler for 28K 9 months ago. It was a very active cruiser - but half maintained. Maintained mostly to keep running -cosmetics were very poor.Since then Ive spent 14k on it. Last surprise expense was having the glorious flybridge top and side curtains re-stitched with Tenara Goretex thread for $600. The Canvas was only 5 years old and looked great but started falling apart under Florida sun. Looking back I could have bought a far better maintained boat for 40k. Its just that after searching for 3 months this boat "seemed" much better that the junk we had looked at. Oh well its mostly fixed now. Lesson is DONT BE IN A HURRY!

 

[boatpoker]

I am currently in the process of researching and transitioning to a live-aboard lifestyle. After researching all different types of boats, I decided on a full-displacement trawler,

Thanks,
Dan

A true "full displacement" trawler is much more rare than the commonly found semi-planing Taiwan trawler hulls in your price range. Tough to find.

 

[jaybonner]

This is the common malady of all liveaboards! I think every trawlers surname should be......4 more feet!

That made me laugh.

 

[swampyankee]

That made me laugh.

I thought the term was "Three-foot-itis", which is about right in my case. We currently own a 31 foot flybridge cruiser and we imagine something about 3 feet larger.
Trouble is, we're used to sailboats with their fixed, built-in furnishings, and our 31 foot boat's interior is completely built-in, in a very workable layout. I look at 34 footers and up, and see that wide open salon like on a Mainship 34 Trawler with nothing in it, and think "having to furnish it with loose pieces is not as efficient a use of space as if it were all built in".

 

[Baker]

I have a buddy that just bought his first boat....a Selene 53. I think he will be ok for awhile...hahaha.

And I always say....I guarantee you the guy with the 300 foot megayacht is slightly irritated that he doesn't have more space!!!!

 

[ben2go]

I have a buddy that just bought his first boat....a Selene 53. I think he will be ok for awhile...hahaha.

And I always say....I guarantee you the guy with the 300 foot megayacht is slightly irritated that he doesn't have more space!!!!

I wouldn't know what to do with the space in a 53'. I would feel lost in a 300' boat.