My next boat - Need Recommendations

My wife and I are long time power boaters, currently located in Albany NY. We now want to experience coastal cruising starting in the North East and eventually moving South.

We have determined two-boat models suit our needs, and with most other considerations in boating there are compromises. We have recently rented several boat styles and have come to the conclusion that we are really interested in a trunk (aft cabin) fast trawler or a sedan fast trawler.

By ‘fast’ I mean two engines and with a cruise in the upper teens with a top end above 20 knots. I don’t want to get into a discussion of single vs twins. We made that decision. Same with the length – has to be more than 40’ and less than 50’.

The other must haves include a fly bridge, 42’-48’ in length, a galley capable of supporting cruising (storage and refrigeration), generator and in good condition – we’re thinking 2003-2009 model year. Budget range is $225k to $270k depending on condition and attributes. We’d like to think we’d keep this next boat for at least 10 yrs.

We prefer to have two toilets, two staterooms and a bow thruster. Helm down below is not a requirement.

We have been on and have read about several Albins (40 NSC and 45 Command Bridge) and have not been impressed with their quality (example – multiple hatch and window leaks causing greater issues).

We have been on several Beneteau 44’ Swift trawlers and there is not enough galley space or storage – just didn’t like the boat.

We seriously looked at a Mikelson 43’ (two heads) which was heavily used (window and wall leaks) and decided not to go in that direction.

We have been on several Mainship 40’ and 43’ sedans and found them well used, but not as durable (broken hardware and excessive cracks at stanchion bases) as we had hoped, but ok – would only consider the 43’. We have been on two Mainship 43’ trunks and they seemed ok, except I don’t know about their cruising speed with the standard 370 HP Yanmars and fully loaded. These also had what we though were excessive cracks at the stanchion bases.

We’re not interested in a Carver or Silverton, no need for that kind of speed and want more of a traditional feel and look. We saw the 2007 Mariner 37 Seville Pilothouse on another forum, like the layout but would have to compromise speed. Any other suggestions along this type, but with a bit more speed?

I’m looking for suggestions and comments on either of the vessels named or recommendations of other manufacturers I should look at. We are ready to buy once we find the right boat. We have spent a small fortune looking for the right boat since last July and would rather spend the money in diesel fuel cruising.

I appreciate any assistance and advice, and I do know some of you have strong opinions. We’re willing to look just about anywhere on the East Coast or Great Lakes.

JimL

If your only concern is leaks, you might take another look at the Mikelson, at least if you can find a well-maintained specimen in your price range. That boat doesn't work for lots of people, but if you are otherwise satisfied with the layout, functionality and looks, I think you will find that leaking walls and windows are the exception, not the rule, with Mikelsons.

I don't like being negative on this forum, but if you are planning on keeping the boat for a few years I would stay clear of the Mainship brand. There is a reason so many are on the market at a reduced price.

Codger's (on this Forum) 42 foot Ocean Alexander fits the bill IMHO. Your pricing structure is a bit low for a quality boat of the size and vintage you are seeking. But, go for a good newer boat and who knows what may pop up.

Cruising at your desired speed will entail a pretty rigorous maintenance schedule (and costs) as compared to what us underpowered slowpokes own.

Pgitug said:

I don't like being negative on this forum, but if you are planning on keeping the boat for a few years I would stay clear of the Mainship brand. There is a reason so many are on the market at a reduced price.

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Dont stop now tell me more before I buy a 390

When you describe a quality aft cabin that has some speed one thinks of the Grand Banks 42. Grand Banks defined that market for decades.

Never owned one, nor would the coastal cruising aspect suit my needs, but they were well made and seem to match what you are looking for.

Ocean Alexander
Meridian
Carver
Beneteau Swift Trawler
Silverton

You want a top end over 20 knots. Don't be too quick to dismiss Carver and Silverton or others with greater speed because that speed may give you a comfortable cruise at the speed you want.

Meridian never sold like it's predecessor Bayliner because of the higher prices. I'd certainly consider it. There are a lot of happy Swift Trawler owners, although I'd be hesitant to go too early in their life.

Then Ocean Alexander just has a solid history.

Pgitug said:

I don't like being negative on this forum, but if you are planning on keeping the boat for a few years I would stay clear of the Mainship brand. There is a reason so many are on the market at a reduced price.

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I'd like to hear any specifics to support your statement. I've been aboard a few, read a great deal on this forum as well as the Yahoo Mainship site and I'm left with a different impression. What did I miss?

jimL said:

My wife and I are long time power boaters, currently located in Albany NY. We now want to experience coastal cruising starting in the North East and eventually moving South.

We have determined two-boat models suit our needs, and with most other considerations in boating there are compromises. We have recently rented several boat styles and have come to the conclusion that we are really interested in a trunk (aft cabin) fast trawler or a sedan fast trawler.

By ‘fast’ I mean two engines and with a cruise in the upper teens with a top end above 20 knots. I don’t want to get into a discussion of single vs twins. We made that decision. Same with the length – has to be more than 40’ and less than 50’.

The other must haves include a fly bridge, 42’-48’ in length, a galley capable of supporting cruising (storage and refrigeration), generator and in good condition – we’re thinking 2003-2009 model year. Budget range is $225k to $270k depending on condition and attributes. We’d like to think we’d keep this next boat for at least 10 yrs.

We prefer to have two toilets, two staterooms and a bow thruster. Helm down below is not a requirement.
JimL

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I'm not sure if second hand ones of these would be in your price range, but it certainly hits all your must-haves...

https://www.grandbanks.com/images/editorialreviews/43EU_PMM_Apr2013.pdf

https://www.grandbanks.com/yachts/heritage/43eu/index.cfm?pid=86264706

For the speed you desire take a look at the many high quality sport fish.

Most do not have an enchanted forest below , but are very livable , and for in season traveling the huge cockpit (with an awning) is a delight.

Pgitug said:

I don't like being negative on this forum, but if you are planning on keeping the boat for a few years I would stay clear of the Mainship brand. There is a reason so many are on the market at a reduced price.

Click to expand...

gaston said:

Dont stop now tell me more before I buy a 390

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Jamup said:

I'd like to hear any specifics to support your statement. I've been aboard a few, read a great deal on this forum as well as the Yahoo Mainship site and I'm left with a different impression. What did I miss?

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My impression: Mainship built a solid Chevy. Expecting a Rolls Royce, look elsewhere. Expecting a decent boat at affordable prices, Mainship could work. Surveys for each individual candidate should guide... as would be the case for most any other brand (including Rolls Royces).

The boats Luhrs Group companies built were all pretty much systems-of-systems, so a Cummins, Jabsco, Atwood, Attwood, MarineAir/CruiseAir, Princess, etc etc etc in one is about the same as the same product in any other brand of boat.

Luhrs Group went bankrupt, and sold off their brands. The new companies may or may not provide wonderful support for earlier versions... but generally the owner's groups can do a pretty good job of self-support.

-Chris

Check out the Bayliner 4788. Just might fit your needs-don't let the wife see it before you have a look, though-

If you are eventually headed south for extended cruising there perhaps include capable A/C units and the genset to support them in your needs list. That and maybe reconsider that lower station for the ability to run in heat/humidity/and rain easily at any time you like.
So your future needs list might be a bit different than your current needs list.

A read of the OP's opening finds he desires build year and boat type different than most suggestions.

Possibly some narrowing down JimL or a few Tollycrafts will get tossed up. Speaking of which ----- T48 would be just perfect except it is 10 15 years too old

Jim - I might be a bit biased, but check the Navigator 42, 46 and 48s if you can find any on the market. 2 staterooms, 2 heads, lots of storage and decent living space. Economical at trawler speed but can get up and scoot when needed. Biggest complaint the captain has is that the shower is too small.

FF is on the money with this post, the market is very soft for these boats and therefore plenty of good ones out there:

FF said:

For the speed you desire take a look at the many high quality sport fish.

Most do not have an enchanted forest below , but are very livable , and for in season traveling the huge cockpit (with an awning) is a delight.

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I'm always looking for my next boat it seems, so I enjoy learning from others going through the process.

If you want speed, why not look at a power catamaran? You can get a PDQ MV34 in that price range. Nice flybridge. Fast when you need it. Economical when you don't. Good living area room-- not a 40 footer but probably has the room of a 40' monohull. . Not very "traditional-looking" however.

I think it would be great for the Loop, Bahamas, and maybe the Caribbean? The only thing that gives me pause is working on the engines down in a hole, but maybe they are more accessible than I'm imagining.

if the OP wasn't looking for a aft cabin I would point him towards the Bayliner/Meridan or the Navigator boats.

Here's a link to a YouTube video of the interior of my Bayliner 4788

sunchaser said:

Codger's (on this Forum) 42 foot Ocean Alexander fits the bill IMHO.

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Thanks, Tom....I was thinking the same thing! Except for no aft cabin, my 42 Ocean Alexander pretty much meets the OP's specs. (Our galley could be bigger but my wife loves it.)
Here's a short video that I've posted before but is a sister ship to our boat.
(We have the hard top which I heartily recommend. BTW, check Yachtworld, there are several for sale in your area.


Our Boat (No down helm...dinette instead) Click on the Codger2 avatar, go to public profile then "Sandpiper Album for a more complete look at the OA 42.

Going back to your first post I picked up on some of yourcruising goals...

"My wife and I are long time power boaters,currently located in Albany NY. We now want to experience coastal cruisingstarting in the North East and eventually moving South. coastal cruisingstarting in the North East and eventually moving South"

We have done a bunch of this and although many stops havefloating docks there are tons of nice places to visit that do not. With thelarger tides we have in most places in the Northeast this opens up the simpleissue of how you are going to get on and off the boat. Sounds simple but youwill do it a lot and if you have some issues with knees as my wife does thisissue will become something to consider with NE and other coastal cruising.

On our boat we can get on and off at 4 different levelswithout using the 2 step platform that we sometimes carry along. This makes itvery sturdy, easy and safe to get on and off docks at differing levels due to thelocal dock heights and/or the tides. All these levels are available to usewithout climbing an open ladder or using the steps : at the swim platform, atthe cockpit molded steps, at the Pilothouse, and at the fly bridge.

So many of our favorite stops are much easier to make dueto these levels and one of the better examples is Mystic Seaport.

Reviewing your list for what you need and want is a goodthing to do. I know we did a bunch of listing and changing when we went throughthis process ourselves.

Make a list but continue to refine it. Determine which items are deal breakers and which just preferences. Be willing to change based on more observations. For instance, you say a lower helm isn't important. Not for a summer afternoon on the lake. However, either the upper needs to be enclosed or you need a lower if you're going to cruise into more seasons of the year and more areas of the country.

Also, think who will be on the boat and what each person will be doing at different times. Think too of personal preferences at home. Does one of you like to cook in privacy and without the other around or is meal preparation a social time and would you like one to be able to prepare meals while the other was at the helm within view and talking distance. Some couples like to spend their time together while having separate areas is very important to others.

Also, don't reject an entire boat line because of one model. As an example, maybe the extra 6' in a Beneteau Swift Trawler 50' makes up for the shortcomings of the 44'.

Off topic, but I really enjoyed the video of Kevin's boat. There ought to be a thread where folks post a video tour of their boat so that those looking can quickly get an idea of what different models look like. I know you can see pics on sale sites, but a guided video tour from the owner really gives you a sense of the boat. Thanks for posting it.

clynn said:

Off topic, but I really enjoyed the video of Kevin's boat. There ought to be a thread where folks post a video tour of their boat so that those looking can quickly get an idea of what different models look like. I know you can see pics on sale sites, but a guided video tour from the owner really gives you a sense of the boat. Thanks for posting it.

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Thanks!

Nice boat Kevin - I love that style boat!

Probably because I own one, I recommend looking at a Sabre Fast Trawler. I have owned 5 large power vessels including Grand Banks, Stephens, Bayliner and a Meridian pilothouse. Of all, I prefered the Stephens (alas a wood boat which I could not maintain myself today) but the Sabre has really grown on me.

Sabre made this boat in a variety of sizes starting at "36" in 1989 and later added some bigger editions. I have a 1994 36, with twin CAT 300s with ZF/Hurth reduction gears. The boat LOA is right at 43--bow pulpit to swim step and is 12'4" in the beam (plus gelcoat) and draws about 3 feet. It has a flybridge that is actually quite large, with significant space to store gear, and the aftcabin trunk deck. It has wide walk-around decks with stout stainless railings. The boat is entered either port or starboard into the salon/galley with lower helm station. It has a down aft cabin with head and shower , a forward down cabin with head and shower. The joinery and finish work are as nice as any boat I have been on. I added a bow thruster (Sidepower 100S) and have rigged it to single-hand. It is fast--22 kt in the right conditions but very enjoyable at 8 kt as well. I added a Raymarine auto-pilot/depth/speed unit to the existing Raymarine 120C. On a trip down from the San Juan Islands to home in Seattle, I just dialed in the course and the boat tracked just right. You will find that there aren't a lot of them on the market right now and Sabre stopped making them and now only makes express cruisers. You should be able to find something in your price range. Sorry if I have gushed on too long, but it's a great boat.

As someone else said in this thread it's condition and equipment, not year that counts. Make a list of what you want. Shop a lot--both online and out kicking fenders and keep refining your list. Have fun with whatever you get. The nice thing about buying a boat is that do-overs are possible.

smitty477 said:

Nice boat Kevin - I love that style boat!

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You've owned what two, or three 45 & 47 Bayliners?

Thank you all. This has been very helpful.

Here’s a bit more information that I didn’t initially post due to the length of the initial post.

We have considered Carver, Silverton and Meridians. They are spacious, faster and seem to be more available. We are thinking they may not have the durability to last another 10 years coastal cruising and an occasional cruise to the Bahamas – in time. Primary consideration is galley workability and stores storage.

We rented a GB 36 aft cabin Classic trawler and feel we need greater speed. The GB 43’ Heritage EU is outside my price point at time.

We did find the Navigator very interesting although there are very few (1) for sale and that one in the the Pacific NW. We would welcome an opportunity to visit one.

We have spent some time on and reviewing Sport Fisherman style boats We have a degree of familiarity with these boats as we have friends who have them in NY and FL. The accommodations are fine, but we found the fly bridge setup – not quite what we are looking for. We’re not ruling them out.

We have taken into account accessibility on and off the boat, as well as bringing supplies and a dink. That is important We have not been considering a Sun Deck for this reason.

We have seriously considered a catamaran, and even rented a power cat in the BVI. The boat is huge but at 22’ wide (or slightly less) dock space availability would be limited. Haven’t ruled it out, but it’s not on our short list.

We’ll further check out the Ocean Alexander & Tollycraft. We’ll consider the Carvers, Silvertons and Meridians as well. I’d really like to see a Navigator, now that I’ve been aboard a Mikelson.

I am not familiar with Sport fisherman manufacturers. Does anyone have any recommendations of makes & models to review – still looking for a different fly bridge layout.

I know this may sound like excuses to your suggestions, but the reality is we think we know what we want and don’t want, and have been spending a great deal of time looking. I understand this is all a compromise. This will be our 5th boat, and our cruising requirements have matured as we have.

I appreciate your collective comments.

Jim

Poach, We have also looked at the Sabre. My brother has a 2014 Sabre 38' and loves it. I even went to the plant and toured the facility with the CEO in ME The newer ones are a bit out of my price range, but the older Sabrelines are pretty much what we're looking for. We'll continue to look.

Thanks,

JimL

jimL said:

Thank you all. This has been very helpful.

Here’s a bit more information that I didn’t initially post due to the length of the initial post.

We have considered Carver, Silverton and Meridians. They are spacious, faster and seem to be more available. We are thinking they may not have the durability to last another 10 years coastal cruising and an occasional cruise to the Bahamas – in time.

I appreciate your collective comments.

Jim

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Jim

Regarding the question of durability...

I would not overlook any of the brands you mentioned based on long term durability. If you maintain it, it's going to outlive you.

I would pick what you like, or better yet what your wife likes.

There is a reason my boats name is "Lisa's Way"

But then again we have four seasons in this boat, and last season we spent a little over 60 nights onboard, and my wife (Lisa ) still likes to go, so that says something.

BTW you are at the same point we were at in early 2011 when we started looking for our next boat. Like you we have had five ocean going cabin cruisers, and our budget at the time was the same as you indicated.

Some of these will be outside of your price range or too slow but my top 4 would be (in no particular order):

OA 48
Navigator 48
Mikelson 48
Bayliner/Meridian 4788/490