As a newb, what should I steer clear of?

[Boulton20]

Well, if you scanned my post over on the Welcome Mat section, you are aware that the wife and I are on the prowl for a boat. Now these bigger boats are a new beast to the Admiral and I. With anything new, many questions arise! The main question that arises with me is. What should we be steering clear of!!!
#1 Brand of boat, or age of boats. let the fist fight begin..............
#2 Engines? I want diesels, will not buy a gas boat. Change my mind. How many hours are to many?
#3 Generators
#4 Appliances
I could go on, but you get the drift of were this is going.
Thanks in advance, Kris&J

 

[Peter B]

Well, those are some very open-ended questions. However, for starters, if possible in your budget, steer clear of 'projects'. That is, a boat that clearly has seen better days, and will need a lot done to it before you'd feel happy with it. Ask me how I know..? Because that is not what I did, that's why.

However, having said that, because I enjoyed using my hands doing stuff, as the exact opposite from my day job as a Dr, it was for me a kind of therapy. Being a bit creative, whereas my day job was mostly damage control and if possible, prevention of damage.

 

[mvweebles]

Thanks for finding trawler forum!

You will probably get more useful feedback if you describe your budget, how you intend to use the boat, and where you're located. For example a boat that is a fantastic liveaboard with occasional weekend jaunts in the PNW might be a boat-to-avoid for a 1-yr Great Loop cruise.

Good luck and welcome to TF Kris & J

Peter

 

[High Wire]

Welcome aboard! All of the subjects that you listed have been discussed many times here. So rather than us all trying to make our opinions known again in one giant thread, I would suggest that you pick a topic like “generators” and enter that into the SEARCH box at the top of the page. Better yet would be to click the little down arrow, select Advanced Search, enter generator in the Keywords field, then choose Topics Only. The results will give you dozens of threads. There are plenty of “Which generator is best “ threads. Pick those threads that meet your intentions and start reading.
The bottom line is you will need to educate yourself on the topic and make your own decisions on what is best for you.

 

[kchace]

I also wanted to say to steer clear of projects. They’re always a lot more involved and expensive than they seem and you want to go boating, right?

There are plenty of great boats out there that are in great shape. Take your time and don’t fall in love with a boat until after you thoroughly check it out.

Ken

 

[TJM]

That is a good but very tough question. Conversations with owners will probably get you the best info. Your tolerance level of "breakdowns" and mechanical ability to repair such items is paramount. Not saying that all boats breakdown but there is no level of marina maintenance that will prevent an impeller burn up cause it sucked in seaweed, or a freshwater pump died because of hardwater or poor dock hoses causing debris to get cycled thru. Most people on here will not discuss how much their boat breaks down or how much the repair costs. Nothing personal but I do not want to think about it, lol.
Some owners have very deep pockets and a $50,000 diesel engine overhaul is a trivial expense. I personally do most of my own work on our 35 yr old trawler, the work is very minimal. Annual service work done by me costs less than $1,000 in parts.

 

[firehoser75]

Kris and J,
Check out Boat Search 101 at the top of the "General Discussion" forum.
Take the time to plan out how you envision you are going to use the boat. Short weekend type trips or long trips of several months? Guests often or hardly ever? Open ocean like west coast of Vancouver Island or all protected waters? You get the picture.
Then make separate lists. Must haves, nice to have, and don't want. Then compare lists, discuss, and compromise (a tie goes to the Admiral ). Then talk to other boaters asking lots of questions about what they like about their boats, things they would do differently, etc. There could be some useful info there. Walk the docks, go to boat shows, and view lots of boats. Once you have it narrowed down, considering your budget as well, then you can focus in on a few brands/models that check off most of your "boxes". Boats are a compromise, so it would be rare to find one that is "perfect".
Being as I already know your outlook is that you want to enjoy your boat, not work on a project, past maintenance and care is critical to get a boat you will be happy with. It may take a bit of time, so be patient, but they are out there. Also plan on spending a fairly large amount of money after purchase repairing things, upgrading things, and adding things. In other words, don't max out the budget to purchase.



Most of the things you asked about are mostly "personal preferences" and there are no right or wrong answers. Things like twins vs single, brands of engines, generators, appliances, etc. I will address the engine hour question. Another NT 37 owner has over 10,000 hours on his 2000 Cummins 6BTA engine and it is running great and he will probably get many more hours from it. He does maintain it very well!
Maintenance is critical and how it was run is critical for long life before a rebuild is required. However, be aware that very low hours (for an older engine) can be worse than higher hours. Diesels don't like to sit for long periods of no use. As a ballpark guess, I would say much less than 100 hours per year of age could be a sign of potential problems for lack of use. However there is no hard and fast rule.


I will give some of my "personal preference", but they may not "fit" into what you want in a boat, or may not be "your perferences", and that is just fine. That is why they make so many different makes, models, and styles of boats.
I prefer single engine (many others differ). Twins cost more to maintain and repair, and in the boats I viewed in the size range we wanted (could afford) with twins the engine room was too cramped to allow access for maintenance. I have a Cummins 6BTA engine and they have a very good reputation. We have a Onan generator in a sound shield with a split exhaust. Very quiet. Northern Lights make a good unit. Solar is a very good idea to allow full recharges if you like to anchor out a lot, potentially increasing battery life. I prefer propane stove/oven to electric. I don't want to have to run the generator to cook or boil a kettle. We had only a few items on our "don't want list". Screwed down teak decks, exterior brightwork, and a flybridge. Again, there are many who have different preferences. You need to determine yours.
It seems like a daunting task, but take it a step at a time, take your time, and be patient and you will get there. Good luck.

 

[Slowmo]

I'll add a less than popular opinion here. Depending on how you use the boat I would not automatically avoid gasoline engines (gasp!). When I started looking for our current boat it had to have diesels for all the reasons people cite. Now after owning diesels and having previously owned a 40' gas powered boat, I can honestly say that I'd be much more open to going back to gas. Why? Here are a few things to consider:
1) Longevity: while diesels can live a long time, most pleasure boats don't rack up the hours to make this difference really relevant. You'd be shocked at how many 40 year old gasoline engines are still powering boats and doing just fine. But in the end you can repower with gasoline crate engines for 1/3 the cost of a diesel. Also a lot of the things that do wear out on boats, such as exhaust risers, don't last any longer on a diesel than gasoline engine. They just cost more.
2) Cost: Diesels are far more expensive to maintain. An example, the injectors for my Caterpillars are $175 each. So while diesels burn less fuel I find that any possible fuel savings has been eaten up in the high cost of maintenance, especially with two engines. A boat like ours with big block Chrysler V8 engines burns twice as much fuel, but in reality the total cost of ownership is lower.
3) Safety: IMHO this is the most overstated risk with gasoline that exists. Propane is a bigger risk. Yes, gasoline is more flammable but with good maintenance and reasonable precautions it is easy to manage. The first thing is just smell the engine room before you start the engine, keep fuel lines in good repair, etc.
4) Reliability. Historically diesels were much more reliable, give it fuel and it'll run. But over the past 20 years diesels have become more complex with electronic systems prone to issues and gasoline engines have become more reliable with things like fuel injection and electronic ignition. In short modern engines are reliable regardless of fuel type.
5) Noise and Smell: Diesels stink, full stop. Newer diesels are certainly better but there's no avoiding that diesel exhaust stink. This is exacerbated by the common use of stern exhaust. Gasoline engines are much cleaner -literally. On land diesels have to use particulate filters to cut out the visible particulates.

I know that I'll get lots of negative comments, but I'm a mechanical engineer with decades of boating experience. Much of this goes back to how you plan to use the boat. In a long range ocean cruiser I'd definitely have diesel. On a coastal or inland waters boat used mainly for a couple months a year, weekends, etc., I'd be open for either. One other factor, the price to buy a boat with gas rather than diesel engines is far less (since engines cost less).

 

[Boat]

Go down to the water. If you keep your feet wet and your hands dirty you can hear the dawn break. Believe none of what you "hear" and very little of what you see with your own eyes until it happens for you.

 

[firehoser75]

Go down to the water. If you keep your feet wet and your hands dirty you can hear the dawn break. Believe none of what you "hear" and very little of what you see with your own eyes until it happens for you.

(I am) Confused??
Are you saying you can only learn from actual personal experience or as some would say "learning the hard way" (must actually feel the hurt)?
Oh well.

 

[JLD]

One could take post #7 and #8 and copy and past them to most of the 'tell me what boat to buy' threads! Two very insightful and helpful posts!

Jim

 

[Comodave]

Well, if you scanned my post over on the Welcome Mat section, you are aware that the wife and I are on the prowl for a boat. Now these bigger boats are a new beast to the Admiral and I. With anything new, many questions arise! The main question that arises with me is. What should we be steering clear of!!!
#1 Brand of boat, or age of boats. let the fist fight begin..............
#2 Engines? I want diesels, will not buy a gas boat. Change my mind. How many hours are to many?
#3 Generators
#4 Appliances
I could go on, but you get the drift of were this is going.
Thanks in advance, Kris&J

Lots of opinions as to what to buy. You need to make a list of must haves and must not haves. Our list of things is must not have vertical ladders and builtin furniture. Must have 2 or more cabins and 2 or more heads. We aren’t able to constantly climb vertical ladders and also have an 85 pound Lab that goes everywhere with us. He can’t do vertical ladders. We have both had back issues so no fixed furniture, we want recliners. In looking at boats you need to sit longer than 5 minutes in the seating and imagine how comfortable it will be to watch a 2 hour movie or read a book.

Definitely want diesels. Have you ever tried to ignite diesel in a pan, for example, I have. We even tried putting a lit road flare into it and it would not ignite. Until we added 1/2 ounce of gas and then it went up dramatically. So I am a firm believer in the safety of diesel. So do insurance companies. Yes gas can be safe but not as safe as diesel.

If you are looking at older boats the brand isn’t as significant as the condition of the individual boat. You can have a great builder of boats that are not maintained that will end up worse than a lesser brand that was taken care of.

Then just look at as many boats as possible and make further refinements to your lists. Good luck.

 

[Boulton20]

Well, I can't thank everyone enough, for throwing in their $.02! It raised more questions than answers, which I'm fine with. You don't know, what you don't know!

 

[Lollygag1]

Maybe start by narrowing down your search. My first step would be what type of boating are you doing (day, weekend long range).
Where are you boating
How many people on board
Size
Diesel or gas
Twin or single
Fly bridge or pilot
Budget
What amenities are must have
When we started out we were asked these questions and more this helped us narrow the search to a few brands. The after going aboard some of these we settled on the make and model. From there it was just a matter of tracking down the right one.

 

[Boulton20]

I'll add a less than popular opinion here. Depending on how you use the boat I would not automatically avoid gasoline engines (gasp!). When I started looking for our current boat it had to have diesels for all the reasons people cite. Now after owning diesels and having previously owned a 40' gas powered boat, I can honestly say that I'd be much more open to going back to gas. Why? Here are a few things to consider:
1) Longevity: while diesels can live a long time, most pleasure boats don't rack up the hours to make this difference really relevant. You'd be shocked at how many 40 year old gasoline engines are still powering boats and doing just fine. But in the end you can repower with gasoline crate engines for 1/3 the cost of a diesel. Also a lot of the things that do wear out on boats, such as exhaust risers, don't last any longer on a diesel than gasoline engine. They just cost more.
2) Cost: Diesels are far more expensive to maintain. An example, the injectors for my Caterpillars are $175 each. So while diesels burn less fuel I find that any possible fuel savings has been eaten up in the high cost of maintenance, especially with two engines. A boat like ours with big block Chrysler V8 engines burns twice as much fuel, but in reality the total cost of ownership is lower.
3) Safety: IMHO this is the most overstated risk with gasoline that exists. Propane is a bigger risk. Yes, gasoline is more flammable but with good maintenance and reasonable precautions it is easy to manage. The first thing is just smell the engine room before you start the engine, keep fuel lines in good repair, etc.
4) Reliability. Historically diesels were much more reliable, give it fuel and it'll run. But over the past 20 years diesels have become more complex with electronic systems prone to issues and gasoline engines have become more reliable with things like fuel injection and electronic ignition. In short modern engines are reliable regardless of fuel type.
5) Noise and Smell: Diesels stink, full stop. Newer diesels are certainly better but there's no avoiding that diesel exhaust stink. This is exacerbated by the common use of stern exhaust. Gasoline engines are much cleaner -literally. On land diesels have to use particulate filters to cut out the visible particulates.

I know that I'll get lots of negative comments, but I'm a mechanical engineer with decades of boating experience. Much of this goes back to how you plan to use the boat. In a long range ocean cruiser I'd definitely have diesel. On a coastal or inland waters boat used mainly for a couple months a year, weekends, etc., I'd be open for either. One other factor, the price to buy a boat with gas rather than diesel engines is far less (since engines cost less).

You have single handily, changed how I’m looking at gas boats. I was steering clear, but you have persuaded me to give them a look. And look I did, what I found was a lot more boat for the budget. When I say “more boat”, I don’t mean a bigger boat. I mean a newer boat with more options. Thanks for widening my eyes!

 

[Seevee]

I'll add a less than popular opinion here. Depending on how you use the boat I would not automatically avoid gasoline engines (gasp!). When I started looking for our current boat it had to have diesels for all the reasons people cite. Now after owning diesels and having previously owned a 40' gas powered boat, I can honestly say that I'd be much more open to going back to gas. Why? Here are a few things to consider:
1) Longevity: while diesels can live a long time, most pleasure boats don't rack up the hours to make this difference really relevant. You'd be shocked at how many 40 year old gasoline engines are still powering boats and doing just fine. But in the end you can repower with gasoline crate engines for 1/3 the cost of a diesel. Also a lot of the things that do wear out on boats, such as exhaust risers, don't last any longer on a diesel than gasoline engine. They just cost more.
2) Cost: Diesels are far more expensive to maintain. An example, the injectors for my Caterpillars are $175 each. So while diesels burn less fuel I find that any possible fuel savings has been eaten up in the high cost of maintenance, especially with two engines. A boat like ours with big block Chrysler V8 engines burns twice as much fuel, but in reality the total cost of ownership is lower.
3) Safety: IMHO this is the most overstated risk with gasoline that exists. Propane is a bigger risk. Yes, gasoline is more flammable but with good maintenance and reasonable precautions it is easy to manage. The first thing is just smell the engine room before you start the engine, keep fuel lines in good repair, etc.
4) Reliability. Historically diesels were much more reliable, give it fuel and it'll run. But over the past 20 years diesels have become more complex with electronic systems prone to issues and gasoline engines have become more reliable with things like fuel injection and electronic ignition. In short modern engines are reliable regardless of fuel type.
5) Noise and Smell: Diesels stink, full stop. Newer diesels are certainly better but there's no avoiding that diesel exhaust stink. This is exacerbated by the common use of stern exhaust. Gasoline engines are much cleaner -literally. On land diesels have to use particulate filters to cut out the visible particulates.

I know that I'll get lots of negative comments, but I'm a mechanical engineer with decades of boating experience. Much of this goes back to how you plan to use the boat. In a long range ocean cruiser I'd definitely have diesel. On a coastal or inland waters boat used mainly for a couple months a year, weekends, etc., I'd be open for either. One other factor, the price to buy a boat with gas rather than diesel engines is far less (since engines cost less).

Slowmo,


With all due respect, I'm going to take issues with a few of your statements.


First, Diesels, in the long run (and often in the short run) are WAY less expensive to maintain and operate. Yes, they may cost you more to buy, but diesels boats hold their value better.


They are MUCH more reliable and predictable. Gas engines fail all the time. When you're changing the impeller on a diesel, you're changing the whole engine with a gasser. Look at the ads and you can see that typically a gas engine will be replaced way more often, usually between 500 and 1000 hours. Diesels usually run 10 times that long. Gas fails more often. Just too many parts. And gas IS clearly more dangerous.


I'm also a mechanic (but a converted aircraft one), and after some 20 boats, my choice is clearly diesel for almost all applications, especially the things boaters on this forum do. Heck, I'll bet the vast majority of folks on this forum have diesel.... for good reason.


A good reason for gas, is for a smaller outboard boat for day use, fishing and dinghys.



As for propane, can you name ONE boating accident caused by a propane mishap? If so, not many.Very safe. Way more caused by electrical problems (gas or diesel).

 

[Seevee]

And, in a nutshell,


Shopping for a boat....


Define why you want one, and what you want in it.


Buy one that's easy to buy, sell, own and operate. Use it as a learning experience to figure out what you REALLY want. Just too much to learn.



However, one can come close by use of forums like this, going to Trawlerfests, boat shows, Rendezvous and renting a boat.



For starters, buy a simple, extremely well maintained boat.

 

[Bryant]

Newbie

Well, if you scanned my post over on the Welcome Mat section, you are aware that the wife and I are on the prowl for a boat. Now these bigger boats are a new beast to the Admiral and I. With anything new, many questions arise! The main question that arises with me is. What should we be steering clear of!!!
#1 Brand of boat, or age of boats. let the fist fight begin..............
#2 Engines? I want diesels, will not buy a gas boat. Change my mind. How many hours are to many?
#3 Generators
#4 Appliances
I could go on, but you get the drift of were this is going.
Thanks in advance, Kris&J

Stay away from gas. The cost of running and maintenance will kill you, not to mention the safety factor. With proper maintenance Ford Lehman diesels will run 10,000 hours before major problems. I prefer electric appliances rather than propane for safety reasons. Yes, you need a good quality generator. There are many of them available. Don’t buy a wood boat. A well maintained boat from the 80s on will serve you well but will cost you to upgrade and maintain. How big of a boat do you want? I’m a fan of Grand Banks (Obviously) but if a smaller boat fits your needs then I’m a huge fan of the late model Camano Troll 31. Economical to own, low maintenance, and will do 20kts if needed to avoid a storm while still being able to cruise economically at 8 kts. Hope this helps.

 

[Boulton20]

 

[rgano]

You have single handily, changed how I’m looking at gas boats. I was steering clear, but you have persuaded me to give them a look. And look I did, what I found was a lot more boat for the budget. When I say “more boat”, I don’t mean a bigger boat. I mean a newer boat with more options. Thanks for widening my eyes!

Any time I think of gas, I remember the time I came down to the boat to find the bilge full of diesel (don't ask why) and thanked my lucky stars forever thereafter that it was not a gas boat. Gas is for outboards in portable tanks IMHO. In older boats, you will find that tanks leak and fuel lines can have issues, and it's better those issues happen with diesel. Then there is the issue with gasoline engine ignition systems in a saltwater environment. So if you are going gas, go new and keep your sniffer active.

 

[Xsbank]

I read the title and thought "rocks, shoals, orcas, Coast Guard and crab pots."

 

[Wayne]

'Lo All,
Whenever I see a "Newbie" ask a question about what to buy and what to avoid, I think about my first "big" boat that I bought as a newbie to big boats (no TF to ask then). It was a 1958 Owens that had twin Hercules gas engines. The carburetors were of the "updraft" type, which means that they were installed on the side of the engines and air came from an air box/anti-backfire contraption, then up through the carburetor and then over to the engine's intake manifold. The problem was, if the float stuck open, gas could run down and out into the bilge. That only happened once, but that was enough to make me get rid of it. Fortunately, the time it happened, I was investigating an inoperable choke ( found that the choke cable was slipping in its mounting clip). I had tried to start the engine but it just wouldn't start - then, when looking at the carburetor, I found raw gas running out of it. I sold that boat and bought my beloved 46' sailboat - with a Perkins 4-108 diesel engine. I doubt that many, if any, boats with updraft carburetors are around anymore, but if there are, I hope their owners are aware of the hazards inherent to that design.

 

[FlyWright]

1. Where is E-burg? Ellensberg, WA?

2. Where do you plan to operate?

3. Is diesel fuel readily available?

4. Whatchawannado?

 

[Pete Meisinger]

You may be looking too closely. All middle of the range boats are similar. Mainship and Byliner at the bottom, K.K. and Nordhavn at the top. Most Taiwan Trawlers fall somewhere in the middle.

Look more at maintenance and care the boat has received. Most of the well known engine manufacturers have great engines. Some, like the older Detroit two strokes have a reputation of being loud and some leak, Volvos tend to have expensive, hard to source parts. Again, previous care is the key. You can get many different horsepower ratings out of the same block. A naturally aspirated block may give you 150 hp. With tuning, tweaking and turbo charging that same engine you can get 300 hp out of it, but a much shorted life in most cases.

Same with appliances and generators. Look at care and pride of ownership.

As for the boat. If you are looking at boats 20+ years old, check the fuel and water tanks, check the windows and decks for leaks, look for soft spots in the deck and run a moisture meter around the boat. Avoid wood unless you know what you are getting into.

Previous care is the deal.

pete

 

[Robster_in_edmonds]

I’m going to recommend a different tack. Sit down with your wife and create a little short story of a perfect time using your hoped-for boat. Is it sitting tied up at the dock with a cocktail and watching the sun set over the water? Going fishing for the day? Spending a weeekend in a new town? Spending a week at anchor in a secluded bay? Spending the summer cruising up to Canada? Cruising the Virgin Islands? Doing the Loop? Running between Catalina and Los Angeles?

If you’re going to be in the Puget Sound and spending the summer on the water, with friends and family visiting for 2-4 days at a time, that will allow us to recommend a boat, or a range of boats. If you’re in Florida and you want to cruise to the Bahamas, that’s a different boat.

We’re Pacific NorthWesterners and we love to spend months on our boat, sometimes at anchor, sometimes tied up at a marina or public dock. We cruise the San Juan Islands and run up to Canada (Victoria, the Gulf Islands, Desolation Sound). We frequently have guests (one couple at a time) on our boat. We don’t have kids or grand-kids. Our recommendations are meaningless if you live on Lake Erie and want to run to Put-In-Bay for the weekend.

Once we know how you’re going to use the boat we need to know your budget.

After that we need to know your mechanical and boating skills. If you’re really a newbie you should only look at well-maintained boats. You can certainly buy bigger boats that need work, but you’ll either be learning how to do it yourself or paying someone to do it. But you won’t be on the water...

So sit down and write a story of your perfect time on your future boat. Then we can chime in.

 

[Boulton20]

1. Where is E-burg? Ellensberg, WA?

2. Where do you plan to operate?

3. Is diesel fuel readily available?

4. Whatchawannado?

Yes, Ellensburg, WA. We plan on operating Puget Sound, north through B.C. and into Alaska.

 

[Robster_in_edmonds]

Hi Boulton,

Ok, now we are getting somewhere. Before I spend too much more time on this, please answer the following:
1. How old are you and your wife?
2. How many kids and grandkids?
2 a. How many overnight guests do you expect to have on your boat on any given trip?
3. Maximum consecutive days on the boat per trip?
4. Are you OK walking up a dock in the morning carrying your DOP kit, towel and fresh clothes, and bathing in a public shower?
5. Do you want to go crabbing and fishing?
6. Do you prefer being tied up at a dock with power and water, walking to shopping and restaurants, or would you rather anchor out and see just a few other boats?
7. Do you prefer boating with others or being out on your own?

When you get that homework posted, we can really give some suggestions!

Rob

 

[Boulton20]

Hi Boulton,

Ok, now we are getting somewhere. Before I spend too much more time on this, please answer the following:
1. How old are you and your wife?
2. How many kids and grandkids?
2 a. How many overnight guests do you expect to have on your boat on any given trip?
3. Maximum consecutive days on the boat per trip?
4. Are you OK walking up a dock in the morning carrying your DOP kit, towel and fresh clothes, and bathing in a public shower?
5. Do you want to go crabbing and fishing?
6. Do you prefer being tied up at a dock with power and water, walking to shopping and restaurants, or would you rather anchor out and see just a few other boats?
7. Do you prefer boating with others or being out on your own?

When you get that homework posted, we can really give some suggestions!

Rob

Just a little background about the two of us. We both hunt and fish, we are outdoors people at heart. Both of us grew in the Pugut Sound region, being around and on the water. For the last 17 years we have lived in central Washington, making trips west to crab and salmon fish. We currently live the off-grid lifestyle an have spent considerable amount of time Boondocking with RV's. So being alone and self sufficient, is what we are living now. And we love it!

1. We are both planning on retirement in 2027.
2. We have 2 adult children, no grandkids.
2a. Planning on only 2.
3. Before retirement, probably a week. After retirement, whats to stop us from doing all summer.
4. Yes we are ok, with using public facilities. Not a new thing for us.
5. YES You forgot shrimping, clamming and oysters. We fully intend to eat our way through the inside passage. This would not be our primary fishing boat, we currently own a 20' fishing boat. But we plan on doing those activities, while underway.
6.We see marinas as a nessesity, not the destination. We are very comfortable on our own, boat to boat partying is not on our bucket list.
7. Boating with others, would not be out of the question.
8. Budget, $150K Hoping to stay at this price point, with the full knowlege that this is a moving target.

 

[FlyWright]

Hi Boulton,

Ok, now we are getting somewhere. Before I spend too much more time on this, please answer the following:
1. How old are you and your wife?
2. How many kids and grandkids?
2 a. How many overnight guests do you expect to have on your boat on any given trip?
3. Maximum consecutive days on the boat per trip?
4. Are you OK walking up a dock in the morning carrying your DOP kit, towel and fresh clothes, and bathing in a public shower?
5. Do you want to go crabbing and fishing?
6. Do you prefer being tied up at a dock with power and water, walking to shopping and restaurants, or would you rather anchor out and see just a few other boats?
7. Do you prefer boating with others or being out on your own?

When you get that homework posted, we can really give some suggestions!

Rob

Great list, Rob! You could start a whole new intro thread with those questions! Then we can answer them and list the boat that best gives us what we love about Trawlers.

 

[Bryant]

Newbie

Slowmo,

As for propane, can you name ONE boating accident caused by a propane mishap? If so, not many.Very safe. Way more caused by electrical problems (gas or diesel).

Seevee,
I am opposed to propane even though I can only point to one instance that I have personal knowledge of where it was a problem but here's why:

After being gone for a day, my wife and I came home and opened the front door to the house and were almost knocked over by the odor of gas. Had we been smokers, we and our pets would be dead and the house would be gone. Had we been out on the boat for a week, we would have come home to a burning heap and dead pets. All because of an interior fitting that failed. And a home is a much less harsh environment than a boat with far fewer instances of fitting/hose/component failures. While I agree that more fires are caused by electrical problems, that's because every boat has electrical systems, far fewer have propane systems. You have to have electricity on your boat. You don't have to have propane. This is just my opinion but it's based on mitigating and lessening the likelihood of problems by reducing risk.
Generally we agree on pretty much everything you said, otherwise.
Open discussion is a good thing. Particularly for Newbies to read.