Kinda Newish

[IronZebra]

Hello, all. I have been lurking and posting a few times for the last year or so. But, have never really introduced myself. As we have taken our first "big" step toward retirement (2-3 years out) though it was a good time.

We currently live in Albuquerque, New Mexico and just closed on a second house that we plan on moving to in a couple of years when we retire. Our new to us second home is in Counce, TN (by Pickwick Lake). Short walking distance to Freddy Ts, a bit longer walking distance to Aqua Harbor Marina, and within about 40min drive to parents, aunts, uncles and lots of cousins.

Our next "step" is scheduled for this coming July. While we will be looking at primary motor driven vessel in retirement, we have schedule an week long live aboard sailing class (ASA 101, 103, and 104) with San Juan Sailing in Washington. It just seems that the ASA has more formalized training and our thinking is that some of boat handing skills of the sailing class will have transfer to motor vessels. Also it appears that San Juan Sailing has some very abbreviated power classes as well and we will do those in a charter next year.

Being in the desert my current main vessel in a Hot Air Balloon :lol:. We also have a small day-sailor that we can put on Elephant Butte Lake about 3 hours south. My other boating experience is mainly limited a number of years back on ski boats and pontoons. Oh and of course canoes, kayaks, and SUPs.

I have been looking at yachtword for a while now and have flip-flopped a bunch of times on what we will look for that can fulfill our retirement cruising plans. We wanna be able to cruise the TN and inland rivers, do the loop in future, seasonal down Tenn-Tom cruise FL and Bahamas, and if possible maybe go from FL to Cancun area. Sometimes I really like checking out motorsailers with mast height under 50ft from water (Nauticat 33, Fisher 34&37, and such); sometimes like checking out sedan type trawlers 36-44ft; sometimes the bit bigger motored guys that supposedly get good mileage at trawler speeds (Bayliner 45/4788 and such); lately I like looking for old Chris-Craft, Hatteras, and Roughwater style cruisers that have been well cared. Like the idea of the sundeck style but we are wary of that climb off and on . We are planning to "actively" look around 6-12 months before final retirement. So hopefully we we narrow it down over the next year or so.

I am enjoying the forum!!! Thanks. I do have one suggestion/request. In reading and doing research on motor sailors I have found a good amount of information on this trawler forum spread about in different places. Actually more relevant info here than sailing forums. It would be nice if administrator could add "Motor Sailors" as a heading under Trawler Builders Forums and move some of the various motor sailor threads there.

 

[dhays]

I think you will enjoy the sailing class. You are right, most of the skill they will teach you will be transferable to power. Not to mention that it is a great place to go boating for a week. If they tailor the class to your own needs, let them know that you already know the basics of sailing but could use more info on larger boat navigation, systems, docking etc...

You mentioned the loop, but then you also mentioned motorsailors... I don't think I would put those two ideas together (although I had an uncle that did most of the loop in his sailboat after putting the rig on deck.)

 

[BandB]

I have been looking at yachtword for a while now and have flip-flopped a bunch of times on what we will look for that can fulfill our retirement cruising plans. We wanna be able to cruise the TN and inland rivers, do the loop in future, seasonal down Tenn-Tom cruise FL and Bahamas, and if possible maybe go from FL to Cancun area. Sometimes I really like checking out motorsailers with mast height under 50ft from water (Nauticat 33, Fisher 34&37, and such); sometimes like checking out sedan type trawlers 36-44ft; sometimes the bit bigger motored guys that supposedly get good mileage at trawler speeds (Bayliner 45/4788 and such); lately I like looking for old Chris-Craft, Hatteras, and Roughwater style cruisers that have been well cared. Like the idea of the sundeck style but we are wary of that climb off and on . We are planning to "actively" look around 6-12 months before final retirement. So hopefully we we narrow it down over the next year or so.

.

Welcome aboard. Love the Counce and Aqua Yacht Harbor area (Iuka) as an inland boating jumping off place. You could easily spend several years exploring the TN, the Cumberland and the TN Tom rivers, not to mention the Ohio, MS, MO, AR. Prior to us falling in love with Fort Lauderdale, one of our dream retirement locations was Chattanooga. As much as we love the area you're in, as city folks, we'd have a hard time with the rural life. We've neither one ever lived anywhere with fewer than 2 million people.

Now as to your future boating. One of your big issues will be matching the boat to your use and need. In your list you mention,

Inland Rivers
Loop
FL
Bahamas
Cancun

and

Trawlers
Cruisers/Motoryachts
Motorsailers

Everything on that list works pretty well together except Cancun and Motorsailers. There are so many cruisers, motoryachts and trawlers that can comfortably do the inland rivers, the loop, FL, the Bahamas, and toss in the entire east coast and gulf coast. Literally, decades of wonderful boating with two primary limiting criteria and that is air draft 19'1" and preferably water draft of 5'. I would look for range of 250 nm minimum. None of those areas ever take you far from land, not even the Bahamas.

Cancun takes you about 175 nm from land (350 nm crossing from Key West) and does require a more seaworthy boat and crew than the others, not to mention the current safety issues in Cancun (we love Cancun but today we'd be very hesitant to go there).

Motorsailers sound great but aren't ideal as either and aren't the ideal boat for any of the areas you mention other than the Bahamas and Cancun. You could use them in the Gulf and along the East Coast if you ran outside. But inland rivers, the loop, the ICW, you'd face constant bridges or de-masting.

I would start by looking at boats popular on Pickwick, looking at the marinas there, and for that ideal boat for your home territory, then see how they'd fit with the rest of your cruising plans. That's the type area you'll do the majority of your cruising.

 

[AusCan]

Welcome IZ,


I like your suggestion of a motorsailor heading in this forum. We don't really fit into any category and there are no other current forums that I've found that have a category for us either.
This forum has remained my #1 go-to place for excellent information on almost anything boat related.

The members don't usually knock the fact that I have a mast sticking up. (I think there may even be a couple who are envious - although no real trawler-man would openly admit it )


I'm not sure how a mast would affect a Loop trip but in my application, I have never had any regrets of purchasing a motorsailor. With a good tabernacle system, lowering & raising the mast can be done fairly easily.

 

[BandB]

Welcome IZ,


I like your suggestion of a motorsailor heading in this forum. We don't really fit into any category and there are no other current forums that I've found that have a category for us either.
This forum has remained my #1 go-to place for excellent information on almost anything boat related.

The members don't usually knock the fact that I have a mast sticking up. (I think there may even be a couple who are envious - although no real trawler-man would openly admit it )


I'm not sure how a mast would affect a Loop trip but in my application, I have never had any regrets of purchasing a motorsailor. With a good tabernacle system, lowering & raising the mast can be done fairly easily.

Loop requires de-masting. You do so before starting the Erie and you can put it back up after Chicago. Now, you could put it up on the Great Lakes and take it down again.

A motorsailer is not very usable and a major pain on most inland waters and on the ICW's. Outside for coastal cruising and to and from the Bahamas it would be great.

You cruise in far more open waters than the majority of TF'ers.

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard. Look at attending a Trawler Fest and a Great Loop Rendezvous. You can see a wide range of boats and talk to lots of people that are doing what you are thinking of.

 

[cardude01]

I recently converted my “trawler” to kind of a motorsailor (40’ mast). My boat was basically a motorsailer built without a mast— rounded hull, big rudder, full ballasted keel, so it worked out well. I really like the stability it gave the boat, and it is fun/zen playing around with the sails.

I would also like the idea of a “motorsailer” heading, but the other members don’t give us too much grief for being different so it’s cool. [emoji41]

 

[South of Heaven]

Mazel Tov! Oh, wait....Newish

 

[Peter B]

I do have one suggestion/request. In reading and doing research on motor sailors I have found a good amount of information on this trawler forum spread about in different places. Actually more relevant info here than sailing forums. It would be nice if administrator could add "Motor Sailors" as a heading under Trawler Builders Forums and move some of the various motor sailor threads there.

Very fair comment, and I will raise this with my moderator colleagues. Oh, and yes, welcome to the forum.

 

[Bay Pelican]

Could make sense. Even when a normal trawler manufacturer (such as Nordhavn) produces a motor sailor she is quite different from the rest of the line.

 

[ranger58sb]

I have been looking at yachtword for a while now and have flip-flopped a bunch of times on what we will look for that can fulfill our retirement cruising plans. We wanna be able to cruise the TN and inland rivers, do the loop in future, seasonal down Tenn-Tom cruise FL and Bahamas, and if possible maybe go from FL to Cancun area.

You might have a look at the AGLCA site, consider joining... if you haven't already... for more insight into boats suitable for The Loop.

We always liked the older pilothouse Nauticat motorsailors, but decided sailing is too much work, heeling isn't easy for the cripple in our family (and wifey didn't like it either), and there's all that clutter on deck to work around. Just not for us. But we still like those Nauticats.

In any case, the Loopers can give you all manner of ideas for your inland and coastal boating venues...

-Chris

 

[IronZebra]

I would start by looking at boats popular on Pickwick, looking at the marinas there, and for that ideal boat for your home territory, then see how they'd fit with the rest of your cruising plans. That's the type area you'll do the majority of your cruising.

Thanks for all the welcomes.

Walking the dock at Aqua Harbor I saw mostly faster cruisers and a few trawler type boats. Is that because most of the folks there are doing day and weekend trips or is that a reason to have a faster boat when doing longer inland river cruising?

 

[BandB]

Thanks for all the welcomes.

Walking the dock at Aqua Harbor I saw mostly faster cruisers and a few trawler type boats. Is that because most of the folks there are doing day and weekend trips or is that a reason to have a faster boat when doing longer inland river cruising?

The cruisers on the whole are less expensive than trawlers, do everything the trawler can do on inland waters, have less draft, and then the added speed is an extra benefit. Full displacement trawler type boats just aren't called for.

Mainship and Bayliner would be about as close to trawler as you'd widely see. By far, the most common boat will be Sea Ray, with some Carver and Marquis.

You'll also see more gas fueled boats there than you would on the coast. That's also due to original purchase price.

 

[healhustler]

I recently converted my “trawler” to kind of a motorsailor (40’ mast). My boat was basically a motorsailer built without a mast— rounded hull, big rudder, full ballasted keel, so it worked out well. I really like the stability it gave the boat, and it is fun/zen playing around with the sails.

I would also like the idea of a “motorsailer” heading, but the other members don’t give us too much grief for being different so it’s cool. [emoji41]

Now be careful, Dude. We know how you motor-sailor guys tend to be competitive about mast length & thickness (latent compensation for fly-bridge envy).:

 

[cardude01]

Ha! Well with my stubby mast I better not enter any competitions.

 

[OldDan1943]

These are just suggestions.
OAL about 40-45ft. 2 staterooms, 2 heads. Once you buy a boat, you will discover you have 'friends' and 'undiscovered relatives.' I have a 34ft and lemme tell you that 'magical' convertible in the saloon is does NOT make a comfortable spare bed. Next time, my guests get to sleep there.
I am not familiar with the storage space on sail boats but, even on a motor sailer, gotta have a place to stow the sails when not mounted on the mast. I had a 46N. Consider the replacement of the sails too. When you stow the mast on deck, something else to stumble over in the
dark.
I personally do not want a fly bridge. I like being inside with the A/C or heat.

 

[siestakey]

Welcome sounds like you have good plan put together