have you ever heard someone who wished the bought a smaller boat?

[AdkChris]

My recommendation always is figure out what fits 80% of your needs. Don't buy for the other 20%.

That is great advice. You see so many people paying huge life stifling carrying costs on cars, trucks, houses and boats sized for the what if scenarios that they don't experience 1% of the time much less 20%. For that tiny % of the time I would rather be a bit resourceful than cramp my lifestyle the rest of the time.

 

[garychurch]

My wife and I were just discussing this today. While we love the 64’ Grand Banks with its 20’ beam we would opt for a new Grand Banks 54.

1. Reducing from three cabins, all with en suites to two would work well.

2. We would opt for an enclosed flybridge with helm station and eliminate the primary helm station as redundant, thus giving us the same or more room on the main deck. Certainly this would allow for a larger gallery.

3. Finding marinas to accommodate a 50’ vessel is easy compared to those needed to accommodate a 64. Also, 10’ less saves on dockage.

4. We do lose fuel load which reduces range as well as fresh water capacity. If we could spec a new GB 54 this wouldn’t be a problem.

 

[ClarkeGillespie]

Buy the boat you like

I’d like to second Comodave. Buy the boat you like. We loved the Kady Krogen Whaleback. Massive volume for a 48 with tremendous livability. But everyone said it was too big for a first boat, no walk around yada yada yada. Finally our good friends at SeaSense chimed in. The asked us what we liked about the Whaleback. We told them. They said buy it. Then we told them about all the “buts” we’d collected why we shouldn’t. They oh so wisely said bull. It’s your first boat. Learn on it and you won’t know any difference. It will be the boat you know so it will all feel like the way it’s supposed to be. Patti and Carol were right. We bought a Whaleback and loved it. We did the Loop and had no idea that it was too hard to do in a big boat. It was our boat so we did what we wanted to do. It was other folks who were uncomfortable with its size. It’s all we knew so it seemed just fine. We loved every minute of it until circumstances changed. Then we were boatless for a bit and now we have a smaller boat. It’s no easier than a bigger boat. In some ways it’s harder. Each boat has trade offs. They are all different. Who cares. Buy the one you like.

Clarke

 

[Bryant]

smaller boat

In looking at a new trawler we are limited to 16'10 height and about the same in width. Looking at american 41, nordic 44, np45. My wife wonders if thats to much boat for newbees to the category. We are used to rv travlel and there is a lot of discussion on power and i have never heard anyone say they wish they didnt have so much.
I the same true that most trade up? I am hoping to buy my last boat and not my first.
Thanks all
Rod seattle

I have three questions for you: How old are you, what is your physical health and how will you actually use the boat?
Here's why I'm asking. If you are in your mid 60's or if you aren't in very good physical shape then you might want to look at smaller. I know, I know, there are people in their late 80's cruising but I'm talking about the average person and the fact is, big boats require a lot more strength, agility, stamina and energy to deal with than smaller boats. That's just a fact. The last question is something I always pose when someone asks about buying a boat. We all have dreams of sailing or motoring off to Fiji or Greece or Timbuktu but what is the likelihood that you will do that or even really want to? If you are going to day sail (motor) and weekend with an occasional 5 day trip, you need much less boat than If you are going to blue water cruise. I know this seems obvious but so many people really don't think this through before buying. Be brutally honest with yourself on how you will use the boat and buy the boat that fits that need.
Having said all that, I have a GB 36 Classic that I bought when I was 63. I love all of it but the reality is, I will have to part with it at some point in the next few years because It's just to much boat for my wife and myself to handle as we move into our 70's. Had I bought a GB 32, a Mainship 30 or a Camano Troll 30 I probably could have kept that boat literally till I died, so yes, I kind of wish I had bought a smaller boat, In my situation.
Final piece of advice. If you are young, in good health and actually intend to use the boat a significant amount of time as your recreation or lifestyle, then find the biggest boat you think you can handle right now and then buy just a little bit bigger. You will find that whatever you buy, you will grow into pretty quickly. The strategy of buying small and trading up will cost you a fortune. Avoid that. Buy larger than you think you can handle because before you know it, you will be wanting a bigger boat.
Lots of folks here will have lots of conflicting advice and opinions and that's fine. That's why we have a forum. These are just my opinions and advice. Good luck with your hunt!

 

[Bryant]

My wife and I were just discussing this today. While we love the 64’ Grand Banks with its 20’ beam we would opt for a new Grand Banks 54.

1. Reducing from three cabins, all with en suites to two would work well.

2. We would opt for an enclosed flybridge with helm station and eliminate the primary helm station as redundant, thus giving us the same or more room on the main deck. Certainly this would allow for a larger gallery.

3. Finding marinas to accommodate a 50’ vessel is easy compared to those needed to accommodate a 64. Also, 10’ less saves on dockage.

4. We do lose fuel load which reduces range as well as fresh water capacity. If we could spec a new GB 54 this wouldn’t be a problem.

We are on Fleming Island. Our GB 36 is in Pensacola. At your convenience, I'd love to see your GB 64.

 

[IntoTheBlue]

We have gone up and down and up again in size. In each case, there were other factors that each boat that met our boating experiences at the time.
For example, after various smaller boats which brought us to local beaches and a few weekend stays, we moved up to our first Trawler, which was a roomy 40 long, 15 beam. Plenty of room, the layout good for the family, but is was a 9 knot trawler. We both worked, had teenagers and were able to use the trawler on a couple of 10 day trips a year. The drag was we couldn't make a short trip for the weekend, not having enough time with slow speed.

So we moved down, to a 34 foot Pilot. Smaller, but comfortable and very seaworthy. We could take weekend trips easily and to longer distances to get away. For 2 week trips, the boat was great. You would need to go to ports to re-supply often. Overall, we really loved this boat the best. However, the kids moved out, we reached the semi-retirement age and have time to travel. So the Pilot 34 no longer meet our needs.

So onto our current boat, a 45 foot Pilot. Plenty of room, it is a great long term coastal cruiser. We have been out on it for up to 4 months at a time.
We like to anchor more, and tie up less, which this boat supports well.

Now, we're thinking of moving down again, however, not quite yet. We decided that when the long range trips are over, we'd rather have a smaller cruiser like the Pilot 34. Since we are also looking to use the boat as a "vacation home away from home", I do not see the move down anytime soon. Space and comfort are nice things to have.

The point here is that you do your best to figure out what that last boat should be, but really one may never know.

 

[ssobol]

Smaller boat usually means smaller or simpler or omitted systems which equals less maintenance time and expense. Leaves more time for enjoying the boat, not maintaining it (unless that's your thing).

Operating costs (fuel, mooring, etc.) of a smaller boat are usually less too. Why spend more money than you need too.

Of course, comfort has a price. The minimum acceptable limit of comfort varies from person to person.

 

[Frosty]

One other point I could have put on my list above. As with all of them, this won't apply to everyone and if it does apply it may only be for a certain period of time.

Anyway, that long-winded intro aside, one thing about smaller boats (presuming one does not have an unlimited budget) is that you may choose to keep it through non- or less-boating periods of life and then when you are ready again so is the boat, with minimal fuss and expense.

Say one summer you want to do land travel in Africa or spend it with the grandchildren on the farm, or take up long-distance trail running. You might think twice about keeping a 50-footer during "fallow" periods. The smaller boat might live on a trailer in the side yard or in a "non-marine" storage facility inland, and then be ready for that fun boating trip next year.

Again, no wrong or right -- I only post it thinking that it may (or may not; both useful things to learn about oneself) resonate with a reader.

 

[Miz Trom]

Size of boat with dogs aboard

The only time I wish for a smaller boat is to go places that I can't with my current boat. It would be nice to inexpensively be able to long haul truck it to another part of the country such as taking it to the PNW. Mine isn't truckable, and many can be expensive between permits, lead and follow vehicles.

Ted

39ft long just under 8 ft wide that could fit in a sea land container might be the next world cruiser.

No big deal on land , almost no work involved in the move for the owners.

The boat should handle a couple,, with room for 2 guests for a week or so.

If built light the fuel / speed should be grand!!

Hey Ted and FF:

What you two envision is sorta what we have. (Ted, are you still hanging out in Stuart?)




However, it is a common misconception that a boat & trailer need to be under 8'6" wide for trailering.

The beam of our American BoatWorks FB (43' LOA) is 10'9". The trailer's beam is 10'10".

Wide Load Permits are very easy to get online, takes about 15 minutes, and because she is under 11 feet wide the permits have been very inexpensive for each state we have trailered through. So far that's only been Florida, Georgia and Tennessee, but we will be trailering in many more states as soon as possible.

With her 2-ft draft our boat can get in skinny water, with her two 60 hp outboards and retractable bow thruster she is a dream to dock and even dreamier to refuel. With a top speed of 17 mph we can get up and go when needed.

Of course, there are always tradeoffs. She is fairly lightweight (12,000 lbs displacement), which makes her easy to tow, but her light weight and tall sides also make her difficult to steer in a decent blow. So we just don't go out when the wind forecast is over 21 mph.


To the OP:
As you can see, we wanted a trailerable boat, originally only because our dock is smack dab in the middle of a hurricane zone. Since then we have discovered that the trailer opens up many more possibilities than we had imagined, so much so that we sometimes pat ourselves on the back a bit too much.


We considered the trailerable C-Dory Tomcats and even the small Ranger Tugs, but because we have two mid-size dogs, we both felt that boats under 30 feet would be too tight for our little family of four. We are very happy with the size of our boat and glad we had the foresight to consider the comfort of the entire family. Most importantly, our two dogs have not mutinied.


Cheers,
Mrs. Trombley

 

[Marco Flamingo]

I am mid-60s and enjoying my two smallest boats right now. My C-Dory 16 (actually 15' 11" and therefore exempt from some WA State taxes) is easily trailerable with my Santa Fe Sport (20.5 mpg while towing over the continental divide). I've been lots of places. Here's my 2016 travels.

It has been described as an outboard powered backpack. Solo is great. Yes, it is tight for my wife and I. 10 days is our longest. Yes, she is a trouper. No, I don't have dogs, cats, goats, etc. on board. No dinghy required as it only has an 8" draft with the motor up.

My second boat is also on the small end of the spectrum for TT. It goes under various names (Tung Hwa, Lien Hwa, Oceania, Clipper, etc.) and various lengths (30-32') but basically has the same specifications. It, like a Volkswagen Van, supposedly sleeps 6. No thanks. It sleeps two in a double bed forward. It has the dinette right next to the helm and raised so that a passenger has view similar to the helmsman. It has a covered cockpit that easily fits two chairs. Docking is simple solo or with the wife. You can see that "two" is becoming the operable number here.

I've had bigger boats. More room (not needed), more horsepower (not needed), more maintenance (not needed), more moorage fees (not needed), more bragging rights (not needed). With a single 4 cyl. Ford Lehman I hit 11 knots this weekend (going with the current under the Tacoma Narrows bridge). It's everything we need right now and for the foreseeable future.

 

[Codger2]

We are very happy with the size of our boat and glad we had the foresight to consider the comfort of the entire family. Most importantly, our two dogs have not mutinied.

I absolutely love the lines of your boat! I do, however, wonder how the dogs get on & off the boat when she is in the water.

Again, very pretty boat!

 

[catalinajack]

Strength and agility are indeed important especially if one is planning to traverse locks in any number. We completed the Great Loop a year ago. The Canadian locks, and many others are, are fairly narrow. When loaded with boats on both sides there is not much room on the side. As locks fill some boats, like ours are prone to having the stern forced away from the side of the lock by in-rushing water. There were times when it took all my strength , with leverage on the lines, to keep our boat from being pushed, hard, into other boats. Our boat, a DeFever44, weighs 56,000 lbs.

As a general proposition, I would recommend against anyone with bad knees or a bad back from buying a boat of any size greater than 32 feet. In fact don't buy anything for so many reasons. We opened our boat for the boat crawl (open house) at the America's Great Loop Cruisers Association Looperpalooza in January of 2019. I absolutely cringed watching several of the men attempting to get board our boat, so much so that I will never do that (a crawl) again. And, our boat is not particularly difficult to board, two steps up a ladder. I couldn't imagine these guys trying to clamber over the rail of a Krogen 42 or 48.

I have three questions for you: How old are you, what is your physical health and how will you actually use the boat?
Here's why I'm asking. If you are in your mid 60's or if you aren't in very good physical shape then you might want to look at smaller. I know, I know, there are people in their late 80's cruising but I'm talking about the average person and the fact is, big boats require a lot more strength, agility, stamina and energy to deal with than smaller boats. That's just a fact. The last question is something I always pose when someone asks about buying a boat. We all have dreams of sailing or motoring off to Fiji or Greece or Timbuktu but what is the likelihood that you will do that or even really want to? If you are going to day sail (motor) and weekend with an occasional 5 day trip, you need much less boat than If you are going to blue water cruise. I know this seems obvious but so many people really don't think this through before buying. Be brutally honest with yourself on how you will use the boat and buy the boat that fits that need.
Having said all that, I have a GB 36 Classic that I bought when I was 63. I love all of it but the reality is, I will have to part with it at some point in the next few years because It's just to much boat for my wife and myself to handle as we move into our 70's. Had I bought a GB 32, a Mainship 30 or a Camano Troll 30 I probably could have kept that boat literally till I died, so yes, I kind of wish I had bought a smaller boat, In my situation.
Final piece of advice. If you are young, in good health and actually intend to use the boat a significant amount of time as your recreation or lifestyle, then find the biggest boat you think you can handle right now and then buy just a little bit bigger. You will find that whatever you buy, you will grow into pretty quickly. The strategy of buying small and trading up will cost you a fortune. Avoid that. Buy larger than you think you can handle because before you know it, you will be wanting a bigger boat.
Lots of folks here will have lots of conflicting advice and opinions and that's fine. That's why we have a forum. These are just my opinions and advice. Good luck with your hunt!

 

[Group9]

Sometimes boats are like houses. The one you need at 30 or 40, isn't necessarily the same one you need at 60 or 70.

 

[bayview]

Like RVs boats shrink after owning them for a while. Also interior volume is important to living comfort. Boats can be wider than RVs but how that width is used varies greatly.
A boat without ladders and Having interior stairs is safer IMO.

In your area I would suggest a boat with some bow flare to deflect waves.

 

[magna 6882]

We ended up going with the np45. The lay out and dimensions are the same as our 45' coach.

 

[Miz Trom]

I absolutely love the lines of your boat! I do, however, wonder how the dogs get on & off the boat when she is in the water.

Again, very pretty boat!

Thank you, Codger2.

When we are at anchor, the dogs exit through the transom gate, on to the swim platform, and hop on the dinghy.

For when at a dock, this is the ramp we bought (we ended up only using half of the telescoping ramp):


https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Solv...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=8WETSRMWQ19712W1DR3N


It is a very light-weight ramp, but can support up to 400 lbs, so we walk on it, too.

Here are some photos of the ramp in use: