We owned a classic 2011 27 and the modern 2015 R29CB. We loved both boats very much. The former because we could trailer it or have it shipped anywhere and we found living on it to be fine for three weeks. The latter because its layout is great and its systems easier to work on. We routinely lived aboard for 4-5 weeks in the PNW in the summer and used it as our waterfront condo in Seattle the rest of the year. The old school 29s and our 2011 had the Yanmar engines. Our Yanmar was haunted with electrical issues and we were glad to see it go. We had the Volvo in our 29CB and it was a breeze to work on and very reliable.
Contrary to what others may have said, we found no cruising limitations with either of these boats as long as you were willing to sit out the rough stuff. And even in the rough stuff—lots of crossings of Georgia Strait in miserable conditions along with summer afternoon beat downs on San Francisco Bay—we thought the boats performed well, particularly because you can put them up on plane when needed to get across confused chop.
but…..size matters. The RT mantra was six for cocktails, four for dinner, two for overnight. Despite all the clever designs (and these ARE cleverly designed boats), they are just too cramped for anything but day cruises with friends. Some will take umbrage with this, but having more than two people created unwanted suffering due to too little space to move around.
So we solved the size issue by moving up to a Helmsman 38e, which is a palace compared to the RTs (with the exception of their 43), but probably out of your price range (that and they are almost impossible to find used). So don’t give up on a well-loved trawler as an option. Slow, but enjoyable to be aboard and, after all, it is the journey not the destination. If you enjoy the journey you will inevitably journey more.
Good luck in your boat hunt
