Alaska/boating newbie seeking info

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Scary- I have gone back and forth in my mind many times with this since I moved here. I get a 6 day stretch off every 4 weeks or so, and we really like the idea of loading up the kids and going out for a few days at a time. Think of it as camping without the bears. Plus there are so many really great places to go, and getting to a lot of them at 12+ GPH gets expensive fast. Our biggest priorities include safe, reliable, affordable, fishable, and enough room for us all to go out and sleep on. A Sea Sport or Osprey that size costs a lot more than I plan on spending. Most of the charters are much faster but they get paid a lot of money- a lot of which goes right back into their gas tanks. Until my kids can afford $300 a day, I'm on my own for that. I need to get a multi-purpose boat that checks the most boxes on the list. Thanks
 
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Having been in your shoes with kids and limited time I cruised extensively with a 28' Bayliner. In fact I logged more miles over the water with that boat than both of my next two,a 4788 Bayliner and my Hatteras 48 LRC. Fuel burn is the least of the expense in boating. The 28 burned about 16 gallons per hour at 22 knots loaded to cruise. Slept four comfortably. Think about it in two hours your 44 knt miles from launch, in four hours your in 88 knt miles out. You want to to stay longer and come back in at 34 knts it's your dime. As to rough weather if it's too rough for a 28 it'too rough to be enjoyable in anything. Current is a much smaller player at 22 knts, there will be times you just have to wait for slack water with a slow boat. In fact Peril Straights can be impassable on an ebb as the current and whirlpools are just to dangerous with a displacement boat. The only place a larger boat is better is at anchor or at the dock. If you like to go out and just hang out and exploring new places isn't important, on a tight schedule, than go with the larger boat. Just bear in mind the the berthing and maintenance of the larger boat will more than offset the cost fuel in a smaller boat that sits on a trailer.
 
check this out:

Pacific Boat Brokers Inc.

They even have 5 pages of US registered boats.
Many of the Canadian listings are located at French Creek, a Vancouver Island location that will cut some time off of your travel plans.
 
When I lived in Sitka full time I had a 23' Olympic with an outboard, cabin and dickinson stove. It quickly got me to Peril Strait, Goddard and the Forest Service Cabins when I could coordinate time with my kids or guests and my son and I would overnight aboard too. Nice thing about those boats, i.e. Sea Sport, Olympic etc. is you can turn them over pretty easily there, cost less for moorage and upkeep. You can cover a lot more territory faster and learn the area perhaps faster. I do understand the draw for a bigger boat. I have one now and when I'm there I enjoy living aboard as I no longer have my house there. I think that if I had the bigger boat AND my house there as residence that I would not spend the full time aboard her that I get to when I go for the summer and that would change it for me. I understand both perspectives and understand that you WANT a bigger boat and pure logic of the situation does not always apply. So, get what you WANT and make the best of it. I really wish you well with your pursuit!

Glen
 
robs523 said:
Hello, we recently moved to Sitka, AK and I plan on getting a boat sometime in the next 3-9 months.
Click to expand...
Rob; I know you set a limit of 36' but you might want to think about this one. Though I have seen it, I link it only as a suggestion with no personal connection.

I would be surprised it you could not get it for US 75k or less.

38' Californian Sedan Bridge Trawler
 
thanks Hawgwash, that is a nice boat but bigger and more expensive than we are looking for. Trying to stay closer to the 40-50k range and under 36'. At this point I'm sold on either the Byliner 32xx or a 34' Californian. I'd prefer the Californian but there are a lot more Bayliners available to choose from
 
Marin, hope to find you here, I have a wndlass question that only you can answer...
can you message me?
Rowglide
 
Rowglide said:
Marin, hope to find you here, I have a wndlass question that only you can answer...
can you message me?
Rowglide
Click to expand...
Hard to imagine that, but maybe, if you take the risk of publishing your email.
 
He hasn't been here for quite a long time. Check the Grand Banks forum maybe.

No offense but I guarantee you are wrong about the windlass question unless you want to know the serial number on his particular one.
 
Marin removed an old windlass in 2008. He posted a picture of it at the time. I am trying to learn anything I can about that windlass as I own an identical and equally mysterious (though fully functional) one.
 
Could be faulty memory, but I think Lofrans and Marin go together. Mind you, that may have been the replacement.
He liked the word "wildcat", I remember debating it with him, and that time he was right.
 
robs523 said:
Hello, we recently moved to Sitka, AK and I plan on getting a boat sometime in the next 3-9 months. The biggest problem is that I don't have any idea what I'm doing! We're not new to tackling the unfamiliar, but since I started researching a few months ago, the task has become overwhelming. I know very little about the ocean, and even less about boats, but some things I have narrowed down a few things so far.

In the interest of keeping this post as short as possible, I think we want a trawler, 27-34' in length (is that crazy for someone that's never had a boat?), preferably diesel for efficiency, reliabilty, and less blow-up-ability than gasoline

Our budget will probably limit us to something older but reliability is a must. I'm fine with cosmetic issues that I can eventually fix myself, but until I learn a lot more I would like to avoid sinking or a dying motor, especially with my family onboard!

Some brands I'd love to hear feedback on based on what I have seen for sale include Mainship, specifically the late 70s to early 80s 34', Carver, Tollycraft and Chris Craft. We need a strong hull, and I have been warned by many to avoid Bayliner and Sea Ray.

Primary uses- Fishing, hunting on nearby islands, exploring Southeast Alaska several days at a time

I realize everyone has an opinion and boats are money pits, and I plan on continuing to expolore the forums extensively. But if anyone is still reading and has any advice to offer, I would love to hear it. Thank you!
Click to expand...

An earlier post mentioned walking the Sitka docks to see what boats the locals use. When in Rome, do as the Romans do is good advise - they've already done the learning curve for you. As a general boat type if you go the planing hull route, aluminum boats are big in SE AK, and in British Columbia too. At under 30', literally all water taxies, charter and work boats are aluminum. Rugged and very low maintenance. Fast with diesel/inboard outboard drive, just about all Volvo. Talk to some owners. They know the environment up there, as well as parts and service issues.
 
robs523 said:
Hello, we recently moved to Sitka, AK and I plan on getting a boat sometime in the next 3-9 months. The biggest problem is that I don't have any idea what I'm doing! We're not new to tackling the unfamiliar, but since I started researching a few months ago, the task has become overwhelming. I know very little about the ocean, and even less about boats, but some things I have narrowed down a few things so far.

In the interest of keeping this post as short as possible, I think we want a trawler, 27-34' in length (is that crazy for someone that's never had a boat?), preferably diesel for efficiency, reliabilty, and less blow-up-ability than gasoline

Our budget will probably limit us to something older but reliability is a must. I'm fine with cosmetic issues that I can eventually fix myself, but until I learn a lot more I would like to avoid sinking or a dying motor, especially with my family onboard!

Some brands I'd love to hear feedback on based on what I have seen for sale include Mainship, specifically the late 70s to early 80s 34', Carver, Tollycraft and Chris Craft. We need a strong hull, and I have been warned by many to avoid Bayliner and Sea Ray.

Primary uses- Fishing, hunting on nearby islands, exploring Southeast Alaska several days at a time

I realize everyone has an opinion and boats are money pits, and I plan on continuing to expolore the forums extensively. But if anyone is still reading and has any advice to offer, I would love to hear it. Thank you!
Click to expand...
Rob,
To mitigate the 'fear of the unknown', (and lack of experience) getting formal education will work great for you and your family. You and your wife (at least) could attend as many motorboat certification courses as you can find in your area.
Coastal Cruising
Navigation
Diesel Maintenance
Boat Maintenance
Weather
We're in a similar boat as you are (no pun intended). Moving from southern CA to liveaboard in PNW Puget sound. Wife has never spend more than a night or two on a boat decades ago. I lived aboard in a sailboat 3.5 decades ago in warm caribbean waters, but never been responsible for a stink tub. Simple reading the curriculum in those courses offered by a local community college has done wonders to build our confidence in this next adventure.
People here are experienced, knowledgeable...and above all, GENEROUS and happy to share both.
Enjoy!!
 
GANDK2PNW said:
Rob,
To mitigate the 'fear of the unknown', (and lack of experience) getting formal education will work great for you and your family.
Click to expand...

Couple that with some on board training with a captain or friend and you'll be amazed how much the fear is reduced and converted to just a healthy respect.
 
" stink tub."????::confused::flowers:

Al-Ketchikan
 
There is a TFer in Sitka, he raised engine issues not long ago, had big problems getting engine service and bringing in parts etc. I`ve walked the town dock in Sitka, big variety of boats.
 
Maybe I'm confused, but didn't Robs523 (the OP, starting this thread in December 2014) already buy a Californian last May?
 
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