Cruiser instead of Trawler?

[Captain_Michael]

While I have not looked at Yachtworld for prices, I would give the Grand Banks marque a look. Been in production a long time, a lot of models, all sorts of sizes, semi-displacement so they'll go 15 knots but cruise at 7, many models have fly bridges and indoor helms, etc. Comfortable on a hook.

 

[psneeld]

I don't think a sport fish/convertible would make a good "trawler" destined for a lowly 8 knots. They need dynamic stabilization which only comes at speed. When fishing/wallowing in big swells or trolling, they roll horribly. Plus the tiny itsy bisy rudders aren't very effective at slow speed. No keels either.

However, a good compromise would be a semi displacement moderate speed vessel.

For example, a Hatteras 53 CMY versus a Hatt 53 convertible. Neither is ideal at 8 knots, but one would be distinctly better than the other.

The good thing is that 53CMY's are plentiful and one could pick up a project boat, repower with a couple of 4 cylinder Kubotas, enlarge the rudders (say 50% or more), add stabilizers, and you'd be good to go for long coastal cruising.

I guess it depends on the convertible and the trawler you compare... I didn't find my 40' trawler and my 37' convertible vastly different in seakeeping or low speed handling.

Many times when in sloppy conditions as crossing the Albemarle or lower Chesapeake...I would have hugely preferred the convertible and a bit more speed not only to lessen the rolling but to just flat out make the misery shorter.... fuel cost be damned for those few times. And they were both rolly poly in similar conditions at the same speed...neither worse than the other.

Best to get a good sea trial in if you really aren't sure you can't live with certain design characteristics.

 

[rslifkin]

I'm with Psneeld on this one. Low speed comfort is usually not great on planing hulls, but it's not great on most SD trawlers either. Handling at low speeds varies quite a bit. Some planing hulls have a bit of keel and decent size rudders for decent low speed handling. Others have tiny rudders and both no keel and low dead rise. Those don't tend to handle well at low speeds.

I also agree with the logic that some days the ride sucks at any speed, so it can be worth it to just throttle up and get it over with (on a boat capable of doing so). We've definitely done that at times.

 

[PierreR]

I don't think a sport fish/convertible would make a good "trawler" destined for a lowly 8 knots. They need dynamic stabilization which only comes at speed. When fishing/wallowing in big swells or trolling, they roll horribly. Plus the tiny itsy bisy rudders aren't very effective at slow speed. No keels either.

However, a good compromise would be a semi displacement moderate speed vessel.

For example, a Hatteras 53 CMY versus a Hatt 53 convertible. Neither is ideal at 8 knots, but one would be distinctly better than the other.

The good thing is that 53CMY's are plentiful and one could pick up a project boat, repower with a couple of 4 cylinder Kubotas, enlarge the rudders (say 50% or more), add stabilizers, and you'd be good to go for long coastal cruising.

The Hatteras 53 cockpit and the Convertible have the same hull.
Interesting conversion with the 4 cylinder Kubota's but you would likely end up with ballast because the Kubota's are considerably lighter than the 8-71TI's. That spiral staircase in the 53 YF is a non starter for us. Very tough on the balance challenged.
speaking of Hatteras. The 42 LRC and probably the 48 LRC are well within his budget but forget fast because they are not. Wide open throttle I get a tad over 9 knots.

 

[TBill36]

I am a convertible sportfish guy because I like to fish and snorkle - mostly Bahamas. Other reasons:

Bahamas has lots of shallow water and fortunately clear enough that you can read the water most of the time. The extra height of the flybridge helps a lot.

Maneuverability for fishing and picking up snorklers. Most twin engine boats are fine. But you also want to be able to see the transom from the cockpit if you are picking up snorklers and landing fish.

Dinghy on the boat and on the bow - not in the way hanging off the back. Having to tow has a whole list of negatives. Spend a lot of time figuring out what dinghy you want. It may impact what boat you buy. As mentioned, it is your car. You want shade, comfort, size for at least 4, and seaworthy enough to cross 4-5 miles of open bay waters.

Low access to the water provided by the cockpit.

You can get most of these features in a semi-displacement boat also. I say "semi-displacement boat" because I really don't know what a trawler is. The real definition is a large commercial fishing boat that trawls nets, I think.

I have a friend that has a 40ish power cat. The flybridge area is huge with lots of shade. It has a table with seating around it in addition to the helm with bench seating if front of that. Absolutely the best feature I can think of for the Bahamas. But he can't see his transom. My flybridge is pretty nice, but nowhere near like his and I'm 10 feet longer. When anchored, your boat faces into the wind and the cockpit is about the hottest place on the boat.

 

[Mambo42]

Having lived in the Caribbean for over 20 years I know that the heat is something to get used to.
Yes you can have an airco running all the time, but that will drain your fuel tank just as fast as a fast cruiser can. Expect to burn at least 20 - 30 gallons per day for the generator. Per month you would be looking at 600 - 900 gallons and to me that is a lot of money. Heard fuel prices are around 6 USD per gallon in the Bahama's, so you are talking 4000 - 5000 USD per month just for the generator.
So if you have the chance, invest in a large aray of solar (2 Kwp minimum) and some LiFEPO4 batteries. You will earn the investment back in no time if you spend a lot of time on the water. If you plan to spend a lot of time in marinas then it won't be necessary.

Instead of airco you can also look for a boat with a lot of natural ventilation. There is always a nice breeze in the Caribbean, which you can use for cooling purposes. Only problem is that it is salt air, so keep that in mind.
A boat where you can block direct sunlight will help cool down the boat a lot.

A watermaker is a must, but it is not necessary to get a heavy one. If you can make around 40 - 50 gallons per day in 2 or 3 hours time you have more than enough to satisfy your needs. A smaller water maker can also run off the solar panels, thereby not draining your batteries.

Another must would be, at least for us, stabilizers. Having stabilizers will enable you to stay out on anchor with much rougher weather than without them. However, you will need zero speed stabilizers and a gyro is not the best option. A gyro guzzles electricity and has a long spool up time.
If the boat has a mast you can use flopper stoppers to keep the boat a bit calmer at anchor.

Enough cooling capacity is a must. It will save you tons of money if you can stock up in an affordable supermarket with no need to go shop in the Bahama's for at least one month or more. We have 2 freezers and 2 fridges, plus converted one of the heads into a wine cellar/storage area. As a result we can carry almost 2 months in supplies. Meat and frozen vegetables, plus prepared (plus portioned) pasta's and rice dishes with the fresh vegetables (now frozen of course) in the freezers. One fridge for drinks and vegetables, other one for open milk, butter, cheese as well as vegetables etc. Fresh vegetables you can keep fresh (with some tricks) for up to 3 weeks. We are lucky to be able to find good fresh vegetables for a good price, but good quality meat can be a problem so we stock up. Always buy frozen meat, you never know what happened with the so called fresh meat (perhaps was already frozen once).
We also have a bread maker onboard, so we make our own bread if we are far away from a village. Wheat needs to be kept in the freezer if you want it to remain usable in the hot climate.

As for the shower I would think about compromising. We have both a shower and a wet head. Wet head is now our storage room, shower in the other head only gets used in winter time.
You are going to spend a lot of time in the Bahama's, it is always warm, so if you are not too shy you can use the transom shower. In case of rain it is not going to be cold, so you can still shower that way or you just don't shower for a day. In the morning I usually stumble out of bed, climb up the stairs, stumble to the side of the boat and drop into the sea. Instant wake up and ready for coffee

If you want to keep the wife happy think about a washing machine and small dish washer. You will also be happy since they use less water than if you would be doing it all by hand.
If you spend a lot of time on anchor think about a trash compactor and in any case throw remains of food overboard. Fish will love you and the boat won't start to smell. Also makes fishing a lot easier when the fish know you will feed them every day.

As for cruiser or trawler ?
It is nice to have the speed to outrun bad weather. We don't have that, so we have been caught in some horrendous storms, whereas others were able to make it to safety in time. However, a trawler is also capable of handling that bad weather better than a cruiser.
Fuel economy is important to us, we don't want to be burning 300 or 400 or even 1000 euro per day. Most fast boats do around 100 - 200 ltrs per hour (30 - 50 gallons per hour) at 20 kts, we burn 1.8 gallon per hour on 1 engine at 5 kts. 20 miles will take us 4 hours instead of 1, but we only burn 7.2 gallons instead of 30 to 50.
Yes you can throttle down with a faster boat, but planing hulls at low speed tend to be more unsteady due to lack of weight.
Best would be something like a Fleming, but they are expensive. Don't know how the Bayliner performs at low speeds, but sounds like a good option.

Lastly, lots of storage space is a must, but if the boat does not have it you can always convert 1 cabin and 1 head into storage. I assume you will not be having friends and family onboard all the time, so no need to keep that cabin empty.
If friends show up they will have to accept to share a head and perhaps have some stuff stored in their cabin. If they complain they can always rent their own boat.

Good luck

 

[Mako]

I had to reread the OPs opening post, but it doesn't look like he's interested in speed. In any case, I believe that one of the best values would be found in a Bayliner 4788. Every marina I go to has one or more. They are available in all sorts of conditions and prices, depending on how much of a project someone is willing to take on. A lot of bang for the buck. Sure, you'll have sole-buried engines but most boats do anyway. Easy to remodel the interior and refresh it. Doubt he'll find an affordable one with stabilizers, but there is a recent thread about fixing fixed rolling chocks/ bilge keels to the hull for a affordable option.

 

[Sharked]

I had to reread the OPs opening post, but it doesn't look like he's interested in speed. In any case, I believe that one of the best values would be found in a Bayliner 4788. Every marina I go to has one or more. They are available in all sorts of conditions and prices, depending on how much of a project someone is willing to take on. A lot of bang for the buck. Sure, you'll have sole-buried engines but most boats do anyway. Easy to remodel the interior and refresh it. Doubt he'll find an affordable one with stabilizers, but there is a recent thread about fixing fixed rolling chocks/ bilge keels to the hull for a affordable option.

Speed was never a consideration, as I always planned to buy a trawler, even with my current 30ft searay we mostly just go slow on weekend trips.

I had my eye on a Helmsman 38 for years, but with the markets how they are the past couple years I have taken a beating and I don't want to stretch myself too far.

So I have been looking at cheaper options, I see there are some choices in the low $200K range:

https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/1983-hatteras-55-convertible-9092039/

https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/1988-viking-48-conv-sport-fisher-9178679/

I assume Hatteras & Viking are top quality brands? as in that price range the age is in the 80/90's where as a Silverton or Ocean's Yachts for the same money is 2000's:

https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/2002-ocean-yachts-43-super-sport-9068887/

https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/2001-silverton-42-convertible-9105309/


If I can find a cheaper option that has most of everything I was looking for in a trawler, and also the ability to go fast on occasion in order to beat the weather that is only a plus I suppose.

Another unknown factor is comfort at anchor: From what I can see so far almost all sportfish or convertibles have the owner's stateroom in the bow, how noisy would that be at anchor?

That being said, there is obviously a reason most liveaboard power boats are trawlers, and I need to figure out if a sportfish or convertible style would work for us as a long term liveaboard home in the Bahamas.

 

[PierreR]

Speed was never a consideration, as I always planned to buy a trawler, even with my current 30ft searay we mostly just go slow on weekend trips.



Another unknown factor is comfort at anchor: From what I can see so far almost all sportfish or convertibles have the owner's stateroom in the bow, how noisy would that be at anchor?

Noise strongly depends on the manufacturer and the hull design. A big flat strake in front tends to slap in the waves.
This year we have what we think is the perfect dock but not to many were jumping for the chance to have their boat there. Our dock is wide and the closest to the handicap parking, Its also the closest to the rest rooms, laundry and the bar. Considered a very noisy dock. One thing about the Hatteras LRC's at least. They are dead quiet inside the staterooms even with a party going on at the bar or a thunderstorm. Hatteras is heavy and rides like a heavy boat. I pay for that ride and comfort in fuel. Mine is a full displacement boat that gets semi displacement economy. I burn 11.5 lph at 7.2 knots.

 

[Slo-Mocean]

I don't think a sport fish/convertible would make a good "trawler" destined for a lowly 8 knots. They need dynamic stabilization which only comes at speed. When fishing/wallowing in big swells or trolling, they roll horribly. Plus the tiny itsy bisy rudders aren't very effective at slow speed. No keels either.

However, a good compromise would be a semi displacement moderate speed vessel.

For example, a Hatteras 53 CMY versus a Hatt 53 convertible. Neither is ideal at 8 knots, but one would be distinctly better than the other.

The good thing is that 53CMY's are plentiful and one could pick up a project boat, repower with a couple of 4 cylinder Kubotas, enlarge the rudders (say 50% or more), add stabilizers, and you'd be good to go for long coastal cruising.

My buddy has a 58 Hat with the 12-72s. Be a great boat with some 5.9s in it and a 2.5 reduction to swing the original props and cruise at 8-9 knots. Big job for a non mechanical individual, I would have to perform open boat surgery.

 

[Mako]

“Big job”

True. My wife and I had looked at a Hatt58 yacht fish. My intention was to repower. I recall it seemed like a nightmare to pull the engines and snake them out. In the end we just couldn’t come to agreement on a purchase price.

 

[psneeld]

Lot's of people say speed isn't an issue...then like me after many years on sailboats and trawlers.... some change their minds about boats that can be run slow, but can speed up past 10-12 knots when they want.

The biggest problem there becomes size. To keep the speed option and carry a LOT of food and gear AND modern luxuries like laundry, dishwasher, lots of solar and batteries, etc..... yes a larger boat is needed which means bigger engines and fuel bill. I posted earlier of how important operating and maintenance budgets are aside from initial purchase.

I meet lots of happy people on small sailboats with few luxuries enjoying the crap out of their time sailing around Florida and the Bahamas. One thing I learned early in life, the more simple it is, my enjoyment quotient seemed to be higher. Not because I was happy about what I had when I couldn't afford much, but often making do is less stressful than stretching my budget. Especially into areas that I really couldn't afford easily and if I could, if/when major problems arose, the stress quickly skyrocketed.

 

[ranger58sb]

I guess it depends on the convertible and the trawler you compare... I didn't find my 40' trawler and my 37' convertible vastly different in seakeeping or low speed handling.

Many times when in sloppy conditions as crossing the Albemarle or lower Chesapeake...I would have hugely preferred the convertible and a bit more speed not only to lessen the rolling but to just flat out make the misery shorter.... fuel cost be damned for those few times. And they were both rolly poly in similar conditions at the same speed...neither worse than the other.

Best to get a good sea trial in if you really aren't sure you can't live with certain design characteristics.

I'm with Psneeld on this one. Low speed comfort is usually not great on planing hulls, but it's not great on most SD trawlers either. Handling at low speeds varies quite a bit. Some planing hulls have a bit of keel and decent size rudders for decent low speed handling. Others have tiny rudders and both no keel and low dead rise. Those don't tend to handle well at low speeds.

I also agree with the logic that some days the ride sucks at any speed, so it can be worth it to just throttle up and get it over with (on a boat capable of doing so). We've definitely done that at times.

Yep. All that.

FWIW, I prefer an aft-mounted helm on the flybridge so the transom is visible... especially when docking.... and sportfishers and convertibles are usually set up that way. A few "sedan bridge" (or some other similar designation) boats -- generally with more bridge overhanging the cockpit -- like ours have that too.

-Chris

 

[sjisailor]

One thing I would recommend is to read this book: Mid Size Power Boats: A Guide for Discriminating Buyers https://a.co/d/3YJvySs

It is a bit dated (2000) but OTOH most things about boat hulls, designs, and mechanicals - and of course water and physics - have not changed much since then and of course there are lots of boats from that time still in heavy usage. It's well worth the read and learning about things to consider!

 

[RonR]

We have been doing the Sport Fish thing for 3 years now on this boat, 6 total including the last sport fisher.

The good:
Lower price than most for a boat this big
Packs 800 gallons of fuel
130 gallons of water
60 gallon gray
25 gallon hot water
Two stand up good size showers
Can do 25 no problem
Can go in some really rough water
Room for 4 in two rooms, 6 if you want to use the salon pull out sofa.
Full size fridge
Ice maker
Lots of kitchen storage
Lots of batteries! Can go about 3/4 days before running the gen.
Can spin on a dime & easy to manipulate/dock
Nice area on the back to set up chairs. (Or fish)
Upper helm/easy to see everything!
Beautiful teak everywhere!

The not so good:
Two huge engines that are not that easy to access
Very very noisy under way (even at 8)
Very HOT inside while underway (no AC in this boat)
Not much room for personal clothes unless you use the v-birth as a storage area.
Lower helm is useless (can’t see much/takes up room)
The bed is only accessible from one side ( I don’t care, but the wife dislikes it)
Ladder to the upper helm is becoming problematic as I age.
Beautiful Teak everywhere!
Everyone thinks you know how to catch fish.
Getting to the bow is difficult, as you need to access on the sides/grab handles

It has a 5’ draft and does swing around a bit while on the hook, just drop a sea anchor off the stern. Problem solved.

A few other folks we run with have 4888 Bayliners.
In my opinion, probably one of the best layouts of a boat this size/cost.

Our next boat will be another sport fisher, but I will go down to 40’ or less and no more teak.

 

[Delta Riverat]

If you are planning extended time on boat make sure there is enough room. Tight quarters will cause problems with extended stays.

For a quarter mill in this market you should be able to get a lot of boat.

Mine was less than a hundred grand bought during the "covid times"

 

[Sharked]

If you are planning extended time on boat make sure there is enough room. Tight quarters will cause problems with extended stays.

For a quarter mill in this market you should be able to get a lot of boat.

Mine was less than a hundred grand bought during the "covid times"

Problem I am running into is for $200K USD and a real "trawler style" I need to go much older, and almost always they have lots of wood which I don't want to deal with. So I am considering other styles now, such as sportfish & convertibles.

Primary concern is seaworthiness, as this will be our home in the Bahamas, I need something safe that can handle the waves/weather both on the move and at anchor and also comfortable enough that we don't kill each other!

I want to be in the 50 foot range, 40 or less will be too small for 24/7 living (my current weekend boat is a 30ft cuddy cruiser) and over 60 will just be too expensive to operate and maintain.

Now, trying to narrow down the make and model that would suit us best in that 50-60ft length, and then try to find one that meets our requirements and nice to have list.

 

[mvweebles]

Sharked - my 2-cents is to not get too hung up on hull form. I've seen old beat up houseboats in the Bahamas.

Find a boat that makes sense for you and your family. In my opinion, folks get too infatuated with interior and galley/kitchen and then find out they eat and live much differently in warm climates so all bets are off for freezers and such. The stuff you buy in Florida will freezer burn before it gets eaten (at least that's our experience)

Sport fish, motoryacht, whatever. Find something in good condition that will hopefully not be too difficult to maintain. My final bit of advice is to go as small as you can, not as large as you can. While I would not recommend a 36 foot boat for extended cruising (especially a W36 which is small for its size), my wife and I are perfectly comfortable on it. The main compromises are speed and comfort in standard chop.

Peter.

 

[Delta Riverat]

Yeah, dollars vs wants...

The whole story eh?

I bought the smallest boat I could find with a real queen bed and 2 heads that didn't stink (odor wise)

Has lots of deck space, a good view from the saloon and the hull and mechanicals are good. I think it's the smallest boat wifey and I could cruise on.

 

[Mambo42]

If the OP is on facebook I can recommend a facebook group called
Trawlers for Sale - Buyers, Sellers and Brokers

You will find lots of boats there, in different price categories, but today I saw quite a few good looking boats.

Also understand that at the end of February there should be a festival called Trawler Fest in Ft Lauderdale. Apparently there will be quite a few boats for sale.

Perhaps there is something for you as well.

 

[PierreR]

One of the things that I found surprising is the number of skippers who are intimidated by the size of their boat in handling the boat and keeping up with it.
The percentage of dock queens and queasy skippers is very high. So high in fact that you are complimented on your boat handling if it is spot on because that does not appear to be the norm.
Be careful how much boat you sign on for and how comfortable you will be anchoring in winds and skinny water. 30 ft to 50+ feet is a huge jump. To get an idea of how big all you have to do is compare the displacements of each boat. A 30 footer might be 7,000-8,000 lbs where a 55 footer might be closer to 60,000+ lbs.
Its very easy to buy more boat than you are prepared to handle in complexity, worry and stress. It isn't just about the money. Bigger boats don't go as many places.
A 30 footer is a pool toy in comparison to a 42-44 footer and a 42-44 footer is almost adequate but really cramped compared to a 55 footer.
I am saying all of this because I have found that people really do not know what size boat they will enjoy the most before they have been out there and experienced it. You may find that indeed, you want more than 50 ft but equally likely is that you will much more enjoy something smaller.
After 50 years how am I doing? Everyone else's boat is always in bluer waters. I am quite satisfied with what I have now for the Great Lakes but I might think differently about my boat in the tropics. I know I would have a much different boat if I was single. I hate the compromises one must choose to own any boat.

 

[Jeff F]

A few have mentioned it, but system access is really important. Can't say I've been aboard a Meridian 481, but the engine rooms, access hatches, and lazarettes of most cruiser boats I've poked my head into look really cramped. Spend some time down there voluntarily before you have to involuntarily.

Yep. And if you're living aboard storage becomes critical. I think in general these types of boats are not designed for long-term liveaboard, particularly off the dock. A big lazarette is really nice when you want to bring your scuba gear.

I can see the case for a sport fisherman. You're not traveling vast distances.

 

[Jeff F]

Sport fish, motoryacht, whatever. Find something in good condition that will hopefully not be too difficult to maintain. My final bit of advice is to go as small as you can, not as large as you can.

Good advice. I'd add that finding a boat that's actually being used the way you expect to use it goes a long way. An awful lot of stuff that you might not consider is related to equipment rather than boat type. Robust electrical and fuel systems, dinghy, ventilation, storage, spare parts, good ground tackle - these are all independent of boat type but all will contribute to your success and satisfaction.

 

[psneeld]

Not sure why people think you need such a "seaworthy" boat for cruising the Bahamas.

It's a short sprint over if well planned and if you understand weather/winds and can read a chart you can anchor up comfortably and safely in lots of places. Hurricanes a different story.

I have seen houseboats that have crossed and spent many years, maybe many decades, over there. Many a time I considered a houseboat as the perfect boat to have there.

As to bigger boats meaning you can't get into more places.... that's a function of just how big and if you need to stay in a marina.... if anchoring out most of the time, draft not size is the issue.

I also know that many owners find bigger boats more intimidating, but also a great many that find handling the larger boat easier to handle in most situations. Especially true once they learn that you just don't push/pull it into position like a smaller boat and learn to put it where it needs to be.

 

[slowgoesit]

Going from a 30' boat to a 40' boat is not just adding 25% to the "size" of the boat. The beam is probably 1 to 2' wider, and honestly, you at least DOUBLE the livable space inside!

We were looking for something in the 42 to 48' range. We wanted two full heads, more because we wanted a "spare" than because we though we'd need both of them used at the same time.

We wanted at least one other cabin/room for guests. We ended up getting two additional small rooms, one a bunk room, and one the forward "V" berth. Guess what? In three years we've had two couples visit, and one single visit. . . . That's it. Size the boat for YOU, not for others.

In reality, we would probably have been perfectly content with a 44 footer. But when you add the extra 6 feet, we go from a 14' beam to a 16' beam, and again, almost DOUBLE the interior space! Two of us (and three cats) rattle around in our boat!

Attached is a spreadsheet we did when we were boat shopping. Feel free to modify, spindleate, massage, or delete parts as necessary
Delete lines, etc. Change the "weights" or importance of individual line items to suit your style/needs.
I've left three boats info in the spreadsheet for examples.

This method helped us to take some of the emotion out of the shopping experience. We had over 20 columns/boats shown in the spreadsheet when we finally pulled the trigger on our current boat.

We actually wanted to buy another boat, but the timing didn't work out. Now that we've owned this boat, we're glad that we bought her.

Also in the spreadsheet is a travel log that we use. We looked at all sorts of commercially available logbooks, but either they had too much information, not enough, or just stuff that we'd never use. I removed the watermark that we had on the pages with our boat name. When we need more sheets, we print more, and we periodically pull completed sheets out of the active 3 ring binder logbook and file them.

Next item in the spreadsheet is a maintenance log we use to keep track of critical maintenance and improvements on the boat. Pretty self explanatory.

Last item is the Watermaker usage/maintenance sheet. Our first gallon of water from our Seawater Pro watermaker cost us $4,724.00! Now, almost 6000 gallons later, we are down to $0.79/gallon. Barring major issues, we figure that by the time we get to Florida the end of the year, we will be down to about $0.35 a gallon. And that original cost includes the two spare membranes we have on hand as well. Our watermaker isn't about saving money, it's all about convenience and quality of life! If we want to take three fresh water showers a day because we don't to remain sticky every time we get out of the water, no problem! If we want to use the fresh water wash down to spray off the windows and solar panels after a passage, again, no problem!

Enjoy, and Best of Luck in whatever boat you decide to buy. Remember, the best boat in the world is the one you actually own and can use! Then you just have to get out there and actually USE IT!


Edit: Hmmmm, it appears that Trawler Forum doesn't like excel . . . . I'll play with it later, and hopefully get it to load . . .

 

[TBill36]

I had a 36 convertible with 2 staterooms for over 20 years and thought I'd own it forever. Even as my 2 kids got older and married it worked. It is always cheaper to rent hotel rooms for additional guest than buy and maintain a larger boat.

Then grandchildren happened and I wanted a larger salon area for cooking and lounging. I still pay for the hotel room if there are more than one extra family (2 adults and 2 grandchildren). When both of my kids and their 2 kids each show up, the 36 was just too cramped in the salon for eating and cockpit started getting cramped also.

If it were just me the wife and our 2 golden retrievers, I'd still be on the 36. Probably the most economical size range that gives you adequate room and seaworthyness for anything the Abacos and most of the Bahamas will demand.

 

[rslifkin]

Yep. And if you're living aboard storage becomes critical. I think in general these types of boats are not designed for long-term liveaboard, particularly off the dock. A big lazarette is really nice when you want to bring your scuba gear.

I can see the case for a sport fisherman. You're not traveling vast distances.

That's a big one to watch out for, and it'll often come down to individual boat models, not a general style. Some boats make tradeoffs a bit too far in one direction or the other between living space, tankage, storage, etc. The 2 big things about my boat that fall into the downside category are a lack of on-deck wet storage (like a big lazarette) and needing to climb down a ladder to the swim platform and dinghy. Neither is something we can easily change.

 

[Mambo42]

I am saying all of this because I have found that people really do not know what size boat they will enjoy the most before they have been out there and experienced it. You may find that indeed, you want more than 50 ft but equally likely is that you will much more enjoy something smaller.

I agree with you on that point, but I guess one of the reasons is that many people have no idea what they really want to do with that boat and what level of comfort or ability they want to have.
For most of the time, while living in Curacao, we had smaller boats like console types to go out in the weekend. Bit of skiing, BBQ, hanging around with friends in the bay with a beer in hand. And in the evening back to the marina. Basically never going anywhere. Even the West side of the island was already too much 'travelling'.
Then we bought a Sea Ray with a small cabin. We could still do all the things we were doing before, but now we could stay overnight. So out on Saturday, stay overnight, come back on Sunday in the marina. But that was about all.

When I lived in Croatia started thinking about visiting all the islands, so was looking at boats of around 30 - 35'. Fully capable of going everywhere, but it was like camping out and i did not see us doing that for 3 or 4 months in a row (or longer). We wanted something on which we could live with a nice degree of comfort, not having to come into port every evening or other day because of lack of amenities. Because here in the Med that will cost you several thousand euro's every month if you have to pay daily fees.

So made a list of where we wanted to go, what we wanted to have on the boat and in the end we came to 45 - 50'. Bigger would be nicer, but also more expensive and much more cleaning and maintenance required.
Then we ran into our current boat (1979), needed a lot of work, but the basics were there. It was big enough for the two of us and our 4 dogs.

We never thought about the comfort for guests, never influenced our decision. If they want to stay onboard, they can, if it is not good enough for them, it is their problem, not ours. We are buying a boat for ourselves, not for guests. Even had guests who were afraid to sleep onboard, so they stayed in an apartment and we would simply go on day trips with them. Great fun.

Although our boat is 49' over the waterline, in reality it is more like 60' overall length (luckily in the Med you get charged for what it says on the registration).
We have a ton of outdoor space, enough storage after converting the extra cabin and head into a storage area, plus it has everything we need to stay out for long periods of time. Not having to stay in a marina enormously brings down the running cost, saves us thousands each month.
Bought the boat cheap, added solar, lithiums, stabilizers and did all the other work ourselves. Unfortunately had to buy new engines, thanks to an angry mechanic who could not screw us out of money. So he destroyed our engines, that was a set back.

In any case that was our thought process. My nr 1 tip for OP is then to really define for yourself how long you want to live onboard and what level of comfort do you want to have in relation to cost.
Smaller might look cheaper, but if that means having to come into marinas a lot of times it may turn out actually to be more expensive.

 

[Sharked]

My nr 1 tip for OP is then to really define for yourself how long you want to live onboard and what level of comfort do you want to have in relation to cost.

It will be our home for at least 6 months of the year if not longer. We are used to spending weekends on our current 30ft and it does feel like camping on the water.

Our new boat I was looking in to the 50ft range, I don't want to go much bigger then that, and I think smaller then 46ft would be too small for us to live on long term.

I know most trawlers are designed for long term liveaboards, from most of the research I have done with people liveaboard in Bahamas, its Fleming, Nordhavn, Tollycraft, Grandbanks.

I haven't found any Youtube or blog posts about couples living on Searays or Meridians in the Bahamas. Lots of them doing the Loop but, I don't think that is comparable, as its mostly marinas, and sheltered cruising.

While I don't think I need a true bluewater ocean crossing capable boat, I want it to be safe and comfortable for island hopping.

I am not so sure about sportfish or other cruiser style boats, that is what I am trying to figure out.

 

[mvweebles]

......I am not so sure about sportfish or other cruiser style boats, that is what I am trying to figure out.

My hunch is there are more sport fisher's transiting the Panama Canal than all other types of recreational boats combined. These boats get used in all sorts of conditions - whatever it takes to get to the fishing grounds.

In the 45-60 foot range, I see more Vikings than anything else. But I don't know much about these boats. But I have to observe, few sights are more breathtaking than watching a sportfisher come in at night with deck lights aglow as she backs-down into her slip. My wife thinks it's sort of a guy thing though.

Peter