Trawler Travel with Young Family

[Northern Spy]

Ouch. Was I too honest? I do that sometimes...

Never realized 3 and 5 year olds needed their own cabin.

You can stack them cordwood at that age, and they fit almost anywhere.

Space while awake, is much more important than space while asleep.

 

[Boat]

Never realized 3 and 5 year olds needed their own cabin.

You can stack them cordwood at that age, and they fit almost anywhere.

Space while awake, is much more important than space while asleep.

An older couple, who are some of my favorite people in the world, traveled with their six children. They bought a VW van in Europe and crossed borders everywhere. Took a big pickup truck to Alaska and back several times, rented houseboats here and there. It's all doable. Or you can stay home and watch TV and play video games, free country.

In my not so humble opinion, too many people raise kids as house pets and princesses. Let them live in the world around them. They conquer the world or the world conquers them.


Kids grow fast. Buy a boat two sizes too big.

 

[psneeld]

Don't expect you will first buy your ideal boat. Probably will take one, two, or three, more boats to get it "right"

Especially as young as the OP is and the family.


Too many life changes ahead.


Even experienced boaters change a couple boats when the first is ought when they were 30 something.


Financial hits can be overcome with buying a starter boat and liking it ....then moving up ...rather than the other way around.


A young couple with kids and busy careers are not gonna have a lot of time for a fixer upper AND still enjoy boating versus yard/dock sitting.


Climate dictates having a boat with a lot of inside or outside space.... a small interior boat that will get used only a limited amount of time no mater what the weather is...better be "big enough" or the marina facilities better be accommodating to family activity.


There are so many variables...waiting to buy the right boat WILL take forever and valuable boating time will be lost.


BandB wifey has it right...till you can HONESTLY nail down how much you will use a boat...everything else doesn't matter...and even then getting a lesser boat is usually the better idea as few ever use the boat or can afford the boat that they "think" they want. The only time a boat gets used more than expected in my experience is by retired people or liveaboards.


Nothern Spy also had it right...all the way up through college....kids and floor sleeping go hand in hand. But the separate spaces when things get ugly....are valuable.

 

[mvweebles]

Thoughts:

1. Disagree with idea of getting the "Second" boat first. Sounds like you're a young family with busy schedules. You may think you know what your second boat will be, but chances are you'll be wrong (ancient Chinese saying: "You cannot tell a tadpole what it's like to be a frog"). Think swapping boats is expensive? Try buying a boat that's too big and too complex and too expensive. The most expensive boat is one that doesn't get used.

2. Figure out what style of boat works for you. Sleeping accommodation is less important - kids will sleep anywhere. The tri-cabin layout in the video is nice, but not much outdoor space. Somone else mentioned Mainship - 38-foot sedan would allow the kids to jump off the back, on/off dinghy more easily, etc. Downside is less interior space - just depends on whether you want to be inside or outside. With kids, you'll want room for water toys.

3. Speed vs Economy. Sounds like you're both active in your careers. Probably means weekends, maybe long weekends. 7-kts is economical, less than half the cost of 15-kts. Look at this way: for a weekend, you'll probably not go further than 3, maybe 4 hours away, especially with kids. Draw a 25-nm circle around where your boat will be (7-kts for 3-4 hours), then draw a 50-60 nm circle (15-kts for 3-4 hours). You can do the same math with a week, etc.

Good luck! Most important thing is to just get out and do it. You're creating lifelong memories for your kids - they won't remember the boat, but they will remember boating.

 

[Browny]

Good morning! No no, we can take the honesty. You’re absolutely right, they do not need their own cabins. My main purpose/concern was not having all three kids in a bow vberth for a week or two. I feel like no one would get any sleep. I’m coming to the realization that the baby will be with us for a bit, or in a pack and play crib in the salon, and the the oldest will most likely move to sleep on the couch. We won’t be living on this, so this should work just fine.

As much as I would love to be able to jump on a 4788 or Hatteras 58, we’re not in the position to make that sort of “investment”, if you can even use that term in regards to a boat. We’re looking in the ~40’ range with an aft cabin. Something that is able to handle Lake Ontario when it gets a bit rough and efficient enough cruise to the thousand islands (~150-200 miles) on a tank. I’d like to be in the $50-60k, which I understand limits us to older boats.

As much as I like the idea of getting our last boat first, it simply isn’t an option at the moment. One day we will keep a boat in NY for the summer and then head south for the winter but that’s likely 25 years (fingers crossed) away still. At this point something that is a part time cruiser/ lake house will have to fit the bill.

Happy New Year everyone!

 

[janice142]

Well Browny, I don't often say this however... with your limited planned usage of a vessel I do believe you would be FAR better off chartering, even considering the not insignificant costs involved.

As my boat sits here, with me living aboard her, SOMETHING is always breaking. Always. I have a modicum of knowledge as to what the problems are, and how to go about fixing them. Most recent was a new alternator and rectifier, a $400 (I bought a spare for the parts inventory) expense.

If you are not aboard things will still go wrong. They will require repairs. Little things can become expensive. Even stupid stuff -- like on Christmas I was at a neighbor's boat. I smelled electrical and was able to sniff out the problem. One of his cell phone chargers was overheating. Had he been ashore, that could have been Very Serious.

At this stage in your life with kidlets, if you want to have that week long vacation aboard a vessel, rent one. By the time yours are a bit older you will have experienced many different boat layouts. You'll know what you like, and more importantly, those things that are AWFUL for you.

I love galley up. My neighbor with the Hatt50 loves galley down. We each have the boat of our dreams.

In your rental/chartering times, do look into the engine room. If you cannot easily reach the impeller to swap it out, that routine maintenance most likely will not have been done regularly. Can you get to the batteries to check them? Thru hulls accessible? If you're going to have to fix it, make sure it's easy to do so.

Anyway, as much as I LOVED growing up aboard a boat (born and raised aboard a 40'er) this was our home. For you, if I understood it correctly, you want a boat to use but not live aboard. Unless you can pay for someone to take care of the routine issues, you're simply buying another project. I suspect you have plenty of those on your plate at present.

P.S. - Good luck with the newest. I'm going to be Grand again in a couple months. Yeah for babies!!!

 

[Andiamo2018]

Buy your FIRST boat FIRST!

Remember your first car? Your first boat will get some dings and scratches and there really isn't way to learn what it is like cruising until you are cruising.

That means getting a boat that is easy to get and easy to use - berthed close by so you can get to it without a ton of planning etc. Then get to it as much as you can

You already have a boat so you know the basics. If you don't enjoy changing the oil etc things cost more. If you like waxing, changing oil and filters etc then it is cheaper. The main thing is to get something you like but don't go crazy thinking it has to be the last boat you ever buy. Even if you don't care about the money the stress of having to find THE right boat can take some fun out of the process.

If you DO care about the money the beauty of an older boat is that it has already had most of its depreciation. And you get the fun of experiencing dealing with all the little things that will go wrong. If that doesn't sound fun then spend more money. But remember that until you go through all of it you won't know what you really want.

 

[Hoppys GB]

Well I’ve been reading this forum for a few months now and this string caught my attention. I am from Tobermory Ontario which is up on Georgian Bay/Lake Huron but have been living on Grand Island NY through out my career for the last 40 years. I have a fair bit of experience on the Great Lakes and have a Grand Banks 36 CL. I would consider it a true Trawler and you are more than welcome to come aboard and take a look.

 

[Browny]

Thanks again for the feed back.

Andiamo - you more or less have written what our thoughts are. Get something that will get us on the water quicker and more often, and doesn’t break the bank. I’ll do all the maintenance on whatever we get. I don’t mind doing it and it allows me to learn. Doesn’t hurt that is keeps costs down too.

Hoppys- howdy neighbor. Thanks very much for the offer. Once the weather breaks I would love the opportunity to see the layout and pick your brain a bit. Which marina do you keep your GB at? We do 90% of our boating in the river launching out of Big Six.

 

[LateStarter]

I joined the forum about six months ago, and originally planned on buying a trawler for cruising. Like you I have found the forum members to be very willing to share useful information. I agree with the advice you've received regarding the choice of a boat to accommodate your growing family and the need to consider the kids activities as they get older. I'm a 74 year old with a lot of grand kids entering their teenage years, so I began to look at diesel cruisers that would allow me the range to travel longer distances at lower speeds when alone, but would also let me get up to 22 - 25 knots for the kids to enjoy skiing and boarding. I finally purchased a 1996 Silverton 402 MY that has ample room to accommodate family without crowding. From what you describe as your plans for weekend and vacation cruising in the Great Lakes and the desire for the kids to have room I would recommend that you take a look at the Silverton 453. It has a 15 foot beam and 3 staterooms plus a large salon. Additionally, unlike most boats this size, it also has a separate engine room so you don't need to lift up a batch to gain access. Plus it has large fuel tanks and diesel engines. The swim platform also can accommodate a RIB dingy with davit. Equipment the RIB with a good outboard and you will have the best of both worlds. Just something to think about.

 

[Steve91T]

Hey Browny, my wife and I are in our late 30’s and have a 5 year old little girl and a nearly 2 year old little boy. We have always had a small bow rider for the lake but a couple of years ago we decided we wanted to get a boat on the coast and commute to it for some cruising. We live in Charlotte and found a 31’ Mainship in Charleston SC. We figured we’d cruise the coast one weekend at a time until we got tired of it and the ship the boat back to our lake. Problem is we never got tired of it. We absolutely loved the amazing family time and experiences. We eventually got the boat to Wilmington after about a year and a half and sold it. My wife was pregnant with our 2nd. The 31 Mainship has the interior space of probably a 36’. But it would be too small for the 4 of us.

So we started looking at larger boats. We found the 47 Jefferson and Marine Trader (very similar). They have 3 cabin layouts that we really wanted. You do lose a little interior space. It not as much as you’d think. The biggest difference we found was the aft stateroom was a little larger with the dual cabin lay outs. Not a big deal. Right now our son has been in a pack and play in the saloon and our daughter sleeps next to our room in the mid cabin. Someday relatively soon we’ll move our daughter to the bunks and our son will get the mid cabin. The reason we went with 3 cabins is so we could actually have friends or family with us along with the kids. 3 cabins makes this easier.

We would love to be able to get down to the boat more than once a month but that’s been about the average. We usually spend about 4 days on it. Tomorrow we’re heading down to Jacksonville and moving it to Jekyll island. We have done long days with the kids but it’s tough on everyone. 3-4 hour legs is the sweet spot. My little one passes out when underway. We tend to time our trips so we get underway at about 11. He usually will take about a 3 hour nap. We also love to anchor and taking the dink to explore islands is a blast.

I don’t mind our cruise speed or 8.5 kts. Like someone on here said, once we’re on the boat, we’re already where we want to be.

Here’s a video I made when we first got the Mainship.

https://youtu.be/DtdW2Rae9pg

 

[Steve91T]

Don’t forget the space you need for the crap that goes along with kids. Having tons of storage is very important.

 

[Hoppys GB]

I’m at Rich Marina, the nice thing about Rich Marina is we can jump in the Black Rock Lock and be in Buffalo or up on the lake in no time. There are two other Trawlers there as well and am sure they would be willing to show off there wares. The name of mine is “Tortue de Mar”, feel free to stop by anytime.

 

[Browny]

I’m at Rich Marina, the nice thing about Rich Marina is we can jump in the Black Rock Lock and be in Buffalo or up on the lake in no time. There are two other Trawlers there as well and am sure they would be willing to show off there wares. The name of mine is “Tortue de Mar”, feel free to stop by anytime.

Sounds great. I had my first two boats at Rich’s. Great spot. Are you able to make it up the river to the lake or is the canal the only option? I’m assuming the current under the piece bridge is too strong? In our current boat I sit still under the bridge with the speedo at 18mph.

 

[Hoppys GB]

We do the Black Rock Lock, thats one of the nice reasons being at Rich Marina. We don’t do the river under the peace bridge but the East and West river is no problem.

 

[HamiltonGil]

My husband and I recently purchased a cabin cruiser that’s around 35 feet. It’s quite large and fully equipped with accommodations like bedrooms, a bathroom, and a small kitchen. We got it on sale because the last owner upgraded to a larger boat. We plan to go on vacation this spring, and we want to bring our children. We have a 14-year-old boy and a 12-year-old foster child. They are great friends and get along well. I don’t think there will be any issue for them to share a bedroom on the boat. But I’m unsure if the foster agency will allow us to bring our foster child on vacation. I’ll contact foster care support to ask them. I hope we’ll get the chance to have a nice family vacation.