Good By Commodave

[Bud]

Not that I have been pricing them lately...but I just saw 300hp Mercury outboards that are something around $23,000 and long block marine engines over 400hp can still be had for around $15,000.


But it really depends on what size boat,desired cruising speed, etc...etc....


Smaller outboards are the ticket...but over 200hp and I think it inverts quickly.

Thats not an accurate comparison, The outboard includes the transmission the shaft the propeller the rudder and usually the steering ram.

 

[Art]

If you get a twin engine gas powered "fast" boat... and... plan to cruise in the mid 20's to 30's - Keep Your Plastic Cards Handy! For that configuration/speed 1 OL mile per gal is really good mileage. 1/3 to 1/2 mile per gal is not unusual.

Whatever you end up with - Have FUN! Glad you're staying in tune with TF!!

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,


Who?

 

[rgano]

Definitely sounds like it's time for a faster boat and no more diesels. Beyond the express cruisers, there are some fast enough gas motoryacht types at 40 feet and under out there. And those are usually cheap too, as not a lot of people want the gas ones. They're not quite as fast as a lot of the express cruisers, but they also give more space and comfort, sometimes on par with a similar size trawler. A lot of the express cruisers are also pretty bad at going slow when you want to save gas.

As an example, my boat with twin gas 454s will happily cruise at 17 - 18 kts all day without beating on the engines. Some of the motoryacht types are even a bit faster depending on hull design, weight and engine choice. But by not having a fast express cruiser hull that would be happy cruising at 25+, it's also quite well behaved at 6.5 - 7 kts.

Then there's my MS Pilot 30 or a 34. Diesel, reasonably quick compared to a trawler, BUT maybe not for the faint of back.

 

[koliver]

Dave:
Now for something completely different: Axopar 37
There are several of these in my YC. When the first one arrived, I spoke with its new owner. He was giddy with excitement, having come to Saltspring from Vancouver in under an hour. It is over 40 nautical miles!!!
His is equipped with a pair of Yamaha 350s. 6 or so years later, he is now my shelter neighbour and is no less in love with his boat.
Maybe not what you were looking for, but once you look at one of these you may change your aims.

 

[Comodave]

We are looking for about a 25 mph cruise. So the Mainships are out. Also not enough interior room.

 

[Comodave]

Dave:
Now for something completely different: Axopar 37
There are several of these in my YC. When the first one arrived, I spoke with its new owner. He was giddy with excitement, having come to Saltspring from Vancouver in under an hour. It is over 40 nautical miles!!!
His is equipped with a pair of Yamaha 350s. 6 or so years later, he is now my shelter neighbour and is no less in love with his boat.
Maybe not what you were looking for, but once you look at one of these you may change your aims.

This is way out of our price range.

 

[koliver]

This is way out of our price range.

Too bad. Still worth a day to go look, if there is one for sale near you. You might change your mind or make this what you are looking for when it is time for boat #25.

 

[rslifkin]

We are looking for about a 25 mph cruise. So the Mainships are out. Also not enough interior room.

That's somewhere around 22 kts, so that'll definitely limit your options a bit. Definitely far more choices that cruise in the high teens vs in the 20s, but faster ones are out there (many will be express cruisers or diesel, however).

 

[Art]

That's somewhere around 22 kts, so that'll definitely limit your options a bit. Definitely far more choices that cruise in the high teens vs in the 20s, but faster ones are out there (many will be express cruisers or diesel, however).

"GULP" - Good name for a boat of size that cruises at or above 22 knots!

 

[backinblue]

Dave:
Now for something completely different: Axopar 37
There are several of these in my YC. When the first one arrived, I spoke with its new owner. He was giddy with excitement, having come to Saltspring from Vancouver in under an hour. It is over 40 nautical miles!!!
His is equipped with a pair of Yamaha 350s. 6 or so years later, he is now my shelter neighbour and is no less in love with his boat.
Maybe not what you were looking for, but once you look at one of these you may change your aims.

I'm sure it's a blast to drive, but Dave did say he needed some interior room, which is pretty limited on the Axopar.

 

[psneeld]

Older sportfish/convertibes with gassers up to around 40 feet are still around but getting long in the ear. They all can cruise around 22 knots or 25mph.


Just depends on how much and kind of interior space one desires....get above 35 feet and gas engines thin out in recent models as diesels gt smaller and lighter after the 1990s.

 

[Seevee]

We did a sea trial and survey Monday on a Formula 34PC with 7.4 MPIs in it. They wouldn’t turn over 3100RPMs and then we found the entire engine room bulkheads and stringers would peg the moisture meters. That deal was toast. We are going to look at a 36PC tomorrow. It has 502s in it. I hope it is in better condition.

I had the 31PC Formula and it's really a quality pocket cruiser. Comfortably cruised at 30 kts at one mile per gallon and would top at 40.



BUT the damn thing has Volvo gassers and the reason I got rid of it. There's a few of the Formulas with diesel, which would be better, but most are Volvos... so probably puts the Formula out of the question.


Having had inboards, outboards, I/Os, diesel, gas, singles and twins there's something I'll NEVER HAVE AGAIN... a gasser I/O. It will either be a diesel or outboards.


The outboards have come a LONG way and are very reliable, easy to maintain and efficient. Also, for the pocket cruisers (mid 30s) most of the OEMs are going outboard.


You could stay with a diesel... get a really good reliable one and hire your gas mechanic to change the required stuff...... oil, filters, belts, etc.... easy peasy. And perhaps have a periodic run to a diesel expert for a look see. They just last.


Now, how much cabin room do you need? Just you and the wife or will the GF come with, too? Overnites, galley, AC, etc? or just day trips?


And if you're in the mid 30s, most any boat will cruise about 1 mpg or less.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

Get a trailerable bot with a trailer. They can be a little work to load and unload but you can always keep it wet at a marina. The nicest thing about a trailerable boat is your ability to do even light work on it in your own backyard. Also nice to be able to explore lakes and rivers not accessible to a big boat.

pete

 

[socalrider]

Those Axopars are pretty amazing - Boattest.com got 1.4NMPG at 41kts! I wonder if anyone's done minimialist-style coastal cruising on one of these; with those kinds of speeds you might be able to go light on supplies if you're not too far from civilization. SD to Catalina in 2hrs sounds nice.

https://boattest.com/boat/axopar/37-xc-revolution-2020

I'm hoping that these lightweight OB powered pocket cruisers come down in price as they age so that I can get one when we get to the downsizing stage like Comodave.

 

[backinblue]

Not much of a cruiser but sure would be fun to drive. Kind of like when I see a Corvette. They look like a fun ride, but I'd never own one.

 

[Comodave]

Get a trailerable bot with a trailer. They can be a little work to load and unload but you can always keep it wet at a marina. The nicest thing about a trailerable boat is your ability to do even light work on it in your own backyard. Also nice to be able to explore lakes and rivers not accessible to a big boat.

pete

I don’t want a 1 ton dually anymore and we dock our boat behind our house on the river.

 

[Comodave]

We made an offer on a Formula 36PC with 410HP Mercruisers (502s) today. It was accepted but unfortunately the surveyor can’t do the survey until a week from Monday, that sucks…. So we will see how it goes. It will get all new canvas and upholstery. Amazingly Formula will make new seat covers for a 1994 boat, that’s support.

 

[rslifkin]

Amazingly Formula will make new seat covers for a 1994 boat, that’s support.

One of my dock neighbors has a 2000 400SS and has always been very happy with Formula's support any time he's needed something.

 

[Comodave]

Yes, I was quite amazed by the level of support they seem to have for the older boats. I hope the boat passes the survey. We surveyed and sea trialed a Formula 34PC last Monday and it failed both spectacularly.

 

[Art]

We made an offer on a Formula 36PC with 410HP Mercruisers (502s) today. It was accepted but unfortunately the surveyor can’t do the survey until a week from Monday, that sucks…. So we will see how it goes. It will get all new canvas and upholstery. Amazingly Formula will make new seat covers for a 1994 boat, that’s support.

Photos, photos, photos!!! Please...

 

[Comodave]

I know. I always ask for photos and I don’t have any yet…woops!

 

[Wayfarer]

I always really liked that vintage Formula. Really nice looking boats. I hope the survey is a good one!

 

[koliver]

I always really liked that vintage Formula. Really nice looking boats. I hope the survey is a good one!

Oooo
I wince when people use fancy descriptions like "vintage"

I am sure Dave has made sure there is really nothing aboard this one that is too "vintage".

Dave
Good luck with the survey. Get this done!

 

[Frosty]

I hear you on the overuse of vintage as an adjective. But in this case I read Dave's use of "that vintage" to mean "that year range," and not that it "is" vintage.

 

[Comodave]

I don’t mind vintage. It is 27 years old. We wanted something a bit newer but there isn’t anything out there. It has rebuilt 502s with 200 hours on them. So far the boat looks nice. It will get new canvas next winter and probably new upholstery throughout. Also new electronics. I love the style of the older Formulas much better than the newer ones. And the quality of the build is nice also. And it is absolutely strange not owning a boat. Although our old boat will be docked at the house for another week.

 

[slowgoesit]

Now, how much cabin room do you need? Just you and the wife or will the GF come with, too? Overnites, galley, AC, etc? or just day trips?

If you're planning on bring BOTH the wife, AND the GF, you will need a MUCH bigger boat!
I'm blessed in that my Wife, and my GF are the same person!

 

[slowgoesit]

Comodave, Here's hoping the survey goes well. And on vintage, the most "vintagie" think on our boat, unfortunately, is ME!

 

[Art]

If you're planning on bring BOTH the wife, AND the GF, you will need a MUCH bigger boat!
I'm blessed in that my Wife, and my GF are the same person!

Wife, GF and BF!!! Good to have found it all in one package!!

 

[healhustler]

Hope the survey works out this time, but I always suspect that there is some sinister motive when one trades-in one’s trawler license for a thousand cubic inches of wake producing machine.:lol: