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Need 38-45ft West Coast under $30k

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D

DeliveryCaptain

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Joined
Sep 20, 2023
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Need a trawler, any make or year, fiberglass, twin diesels, anywhere on the west coast (preferably SoCal) for liveaboard. Max price $30k.
 
I hope you realize it will be a total POS at that price. I have a good friend that just bought a 36’ trawler for $20,000 that he “hoped” to cruise the east coast with this spring. He got what he paid for it.

David
 
Greetings,
Mr. DC. Welcome aboard. As well as the "boat" you will need a place to moor/anchor/dock her. If SoCal is anything like the southeast, any of the above is in short supply.
 
I’m aware. I’ve owned several boats and I’m familiar with marinas in Southern California. There’s plenty of slips available.
 
My wife and I like to fix up boats. We missed out on a 72 Californian 38 for 20,000. The title was a **** show. My philosophy is that it’s pretty much always a buyers market for used boats and if you just wait it out and keep looking you’ll find one.
 
Delivery Captain, could you please share a few SoCal marinas with open live aboard slips? That is inconsistent with what others have reported. Slips are generally hard to come by and getting approved for live aboard seems very rare.

I don't disagree with your comment about always being Deals available. But that is assuming having very low expectations for condition if searching for a $30k (max) 38-45 ft trawler.
 
That 1976 Californian looks interesting and has some signs of love over the years. You don't see many bulbous bows on 38' boats.
 
heysteve said:
That 1976 Californian looks interesting and has some signs of love over the years. You don't see many bulbous bows on 38' boats.
Click to expand...

I didn't notice that! I posted from my phone and didn't notice given the black bottom paint and background.

I'm not a fan of bulbous bows. The ones I've been on have made a helluva noise in a decent head sea (Nordhavn 57 being the most notable, an absolute love of mine despite the bulb). Since I've mostly given-up head seas, I probably don't care anymore.

Peter
 
READY said:
Delivery Captain, could you please share a few SoCal marinas with open live aboard slips? That is inconsistent with what others have reported. Slips are generally hard to come by and getting approved for live aboard seems very rare.

I don't disagree with your comment about always being Deals available. But that is assuming having very low expectations for condition if searching for a $30k (max) 38-45 ft trawler.
Click to expand...

I believe some one called around and found that there are indeed slips available in SoCal. They then mistakenly believed that they could just live on their boat and live in one of these slips.

I can’t tell you how many times I have seen some one buy a boat, get a slip, move on and then find themselves getting evicted for being an illegal liveaboard.
 
The evictions of live aboards is happening big time in many B.C. ports here in Canada. Many of these folks have lived for years on their vessel only to be kicked out in 2024. Some have been given a grace period till April 1st, 2024 but that is it. Some of these vessels are of questionable sea worthiness but others are in great shape.

Many vessels have sold over this issue in the last six months for very cheap dollars. Actually about what they are worth, some in even more that they are worth? Too often the folks doing the buying have no idea of what they are getting into?

Why this sudden change in live aboard policy on all vessels I have no idea?

There has also been a major push for every vessel to have liability insurance and wreck removal to berth in some harbours. This too has kicked up low priced sales as many of these vessels won't be able to get either.

A number have been wrecked as they should have been. In my early years I too wrecked one of my wood boats that I would not sell for obvious reasons. I ate the loss rather than selling the boat to someone who was too 'green' to understand what they were buying.
 
Last edited:
Wilmington/San Pedro area has plenty of slips available for live aboards, however also has a reputation for a place where boats and captains go to die. Reality is if you can find a workable fixer that is livable, and put it in that area, which can be sketchy, you can live pretty damn cheaply, which is quite a statement here in So Cal! Those deals are out there! Good luck!
 
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