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R. Bush

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2019
Messages
72
Location
Canada
Vessel Name
TBIDO
Vessel Make
Island Gypsy 32
Come spring I hope to be looking for a new boat. Since this will be my first non-sailboat I thought I would turn to the crowd for some advice on what kind of vessel I should be looking at.

There is just usually me and my (large) dog for crew, so I need something smaller and easily single handed. My budget is fairly modest so I know I am looking at an older boat in need of TLC. I need a seaworthy hull and no major structural work, but other than that I'm not afraid of a fixer-upper. I actually enjoy working on an older boat and bringing her back to life. I'm just getting a bit old for major repairs, and I never learned to do decent fiberglass work.

So far I have only actually looked at a couple of boats, and the one that seemed to be a good fit for what I have in mind was an Oceania 30.

I have followed the advice of others on this forum and come up with a start list of wishes and wants which I'm sure will grow and change as I look at more boats. As I am new to the whole trawler scene I'm just looking for some feedback on specific boats that meet my criteria that I can research and try and find for sale. With that in mind my wish list is below.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you may care to offer.


Wants
  • LOA 30 - 35 ft.
  • Single cabin
  • 6’ 4” standing headroom
  • Single diesel engine
  • Easy deck access for single handed maneuvering

Wishes
  • Full displacement hull
  • Draft <= 4’ 6”
  • Air Draft 15’ 6”
  • flybridge
  • Autopilot
  • NO wooden decks

Don’t Wants
  • Wooden construction
 
Hi Ralph from the We(s)t Coast!
Good start on your lists, and you are correct, they might change a bit as you look. Have you considered the Monk 36 or variants of the CHB in the 30's? Not single cabins, but could be good boats for you. However, as you have stated, no screwed down teak decks, and try to minimize exterior woodwork (lots of maintenance).
Good luck in your search
 
Hi Tom;

I'm 6' 4" and not as bendable as I used to be. I did look at a couple of twin cabin designs. They are probably great in a larger boat, but I found it a pain to always be ducking and going up and down cramped stairs to get from one "room" to the next. I like the idea of putting all of the available space into a single living area. The occasional guest will have to make due sleeping on the main cabin settee.

As I stated; I enjoy working on boats, but that doesn't include chasing down deck leaks and rotten core or sanding and varnishing that great looking caprail one more time. I'd rather spend that time actually using the boat.

Thanks for the reply.



Hi Ralph from the We(s)t Coast!
Good start on your lists, and you are correct, they might change a bit as you look. Have you considered the Monk 36 or variants of the CHB in the 30's? Not single cabins, but could be good boats for you. However, as you have stated, no screwed down teak decks, and try to minimize exterior woodwork (lots of maintenance).
Good luck in your search
 
How about the older Mainship 34s? They sound like they might meet your needs.
 
Do you have any preference when it comes to a head with or without a separate shower. I believe when you look at the 30 footers you will see a lot of wet heads. My wife talked my out of a 30 Sundowner and a 26 NT because she insisted on a separate shower. She was right, I would have not been happy with a wet head.
 
Looks like a possibility. I will add them to my growing list of boats to research. One concern I see is access to the exterior for docking or even anchoring. It looks like you could drift quite a ways between the time you leave the helm and the time you can make it to the outside rail to try and snag a dock cleat. That is why I have been looking at the more traditional style of boat with a door by the helm station for quick access to the exterior of the vessel. Also; isn't a full displacement hull somewhat more economical to run than a semi displacement?

Thanks for the reply.

How about the older Mainship 34s? They sound like they might meet your needs.
 
Hello Captain Ron;

A separate shower would be ideal. However at the price point I am contemplating I have resigned myself to the likelihood that an older boat won't have such a luxury.

Do you have any preference when it comes to a head with or without a separate shower. I believe when you look at the 30 footers you will see a lot of wet heads. My wife talked my out of a 30 Sundowner and a 26 NT because she insisted on a separate shower. She was right, I would have not been happy with a wet head.
 
Looks like a possibility. I will add them to my growing list of boats to research. One concern I see is access to the exterior for docking or even anchoring. It looks like you could drift quite a ways between the time you leave the helm and the time you can make it to the outside rail to try and snag a dock cleat. That is why I have been looking at the more traditional style of boat with a door by the helm station for quick access to the exterior of the vessel. Also; isn't a full displacement hull somewhat more economical to run than a semi displacement?

Thanks for the reply.

I ran a single Perkins on a 37' boat for 16yrs. 1.6gph at 8 knots. Run it at hull speed or just under and they are quite fuel efficient.
There is a member here (Jeff) that runs a Mainship single handed between Toronto and Florida including the NY State Canal System and the Trent Severn. We've crossed paths with him several times
 
I ran a single Perkins on a 37' boat for 16yrs. 1.6gph at 8 knots. Run it at hull speed or just under and they are quite fuel efficient.
There is a member here (Jeff) that runs a Mainship single handed between Toronto and Florida including the NY State Canal System and the Trent Severn. We've crossed paths with him several times

Here! I was in a similar position when I went shopping for my first big power boat, and ended up with a Mainship 34. It's a good choice in the older/cheaper range. Have single-handed mine >10k miles. On my loop trip I averaged 4.4 mpg.

OP, are you in Toronto? I'm living aboard downtown. Happy to talk boats if you want a tour.
 
Hello Captain Ron;

A separate shower would be ideal. However at the price point I am contemplating I have resigned myself to the likelihood that an older boat won't have such a luxury.
Our 32 NT is a 1986 model, with a separate shower.
 

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