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Old 10-01-2013, 08:00 AM   #1
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Solomons Is. Md. live aboard questions

Hello all we are new to the trawler world. We have had boats ranging in size from 20'-32' for about 20 years. We are looking to make the jump to trawlers so we can cruise the east coast. The size of the boat is our biggest question right now. 42', 47', 53' I am sure you have the idea. We are also wanting to become live aboard boat owners. That is why I showed the larger size boats. I know practice, practice, practice to learn with larger boats. I am use to 2 engines but the biggest item I/we are thinking about is the size. How much difference is it? We want something where we are not falling over each other and something that has washer and dryer on board. Entertaining room along with relaxing room. What are the pro's and con's say from a 42' to a 53'? Sould I have posted this someplace else?

Paul and Tracy
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Old 10-01-2013, 08:35 AM   #2
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42 is going to be the bottom end for space that you would like if considering a washer/dryer...my smallish 40 would require significant mods to accommodate even the smallest of washer/dryers...I would have to gut the vee berth area as thete's no other space to do it...add fishing equipment, scuba and bicycles plus dingy stuff a grill and a few other items and my liveaboard is packed...I just reduced fuel tankage from 400 gallons to 120 gallons to free up storage in the engine room area.

Some boats are designed around liveaboard and others aren't...the ones that are...then 42 feet might be OK as not having a second stateroom for guests can free up a whole utility/storage room that a liveaboard really needs. If you need/want a second stateroom..then larger is probably in the picture...though again some designs use nooks and crannies to accommodate liveaboard systems that "weekend cruisers" don't.
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Old 10-03-2013, 09:34 AM   #3
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Have not gotten to the live aboard status as of yet but I found that our 48 foot Californian with 3 staterooms is about my minimum to live on. The third stateroom will be converted into a walk-in closet, when the time is right. I still have the need for a garage because I wont give up my motorcycles so it's just weekends for now. Shop around and I don't think anyone truly knows until you spend some time on a particular boat. I know of a couple that lived on a 3288 Bayliner. That was the boat I owned prior to the Californian and while great for a weeks vacation, I could never live aboard even if I were single. It all boils down to the individual.
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Old 10-03-2013, 10:24 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ebach View Post
Entertaining room along with relaxing room. What are the pro's and con's say from a 42' to a 53'?
Pay attention to beam as well. We have a 36 but our beam at 12' feels narrower than other boats. Try to get the widest boat possible for the length.
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Old 10-03-2013, 09:28 PM   #5
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I've lived on a 58' Chris Craft for a year and a half, and on a 41' sailboat for several years when I was younger. I'm now looking for another live-aboard vessel to use for at least 6 months of the year....for my Thai wife and myself when visiting the USA.

My age dictates a comfortable boat at a minimum length. I've been aboard several of these Pilgrim 40's and I really like their layout. I figure they are about the minimum length I would accept.

Here is a subject thread I started on a redesign effort on this design.
http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s...oat-11212.html

I actually would like to set up a small shop in Solomons Island to built the composite structure of this redesign, and the final assembly.

I think you will find one of these vessels hanging around down there.....Dreamboat Annie is her name.....used to be Slo-Coasta
Trawler Forum - View Single Post - Redesigning the Pilgrim 40 Trawler / Canal Boat
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Old 10-04-2013, 06:30 AM   #6
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There are many boats in the 40 to 49ft range on which you can live rather nicely. In addition some smaller boats, Krogen Manatee (36') are loved by liveaboards.

In deciding what you need, first figure out how you are going to use the boat living aboard. Will you be in marinas, at anchor, will it be in the US and Canada or will you be going to the islands. I assume you are not going to southeast Asia.

We live 5 months a year quite nicely on a Krogen 42. Two staterooms, nice galley nice salon and a washer/dryer. Friends with a 48 live even better. These are overshore boats, but the same can be said about the Grand Banks style boats with an aft master cabin. The Grand Harbors are smaller in length boats but have larger volume and seem like living in a house. The 40 Pilgrim is a wonderful boat for a liveaboard. These are all full displacement or semi-displacement boats. There are many planing boats with great volume.

Good luck.

Marty
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Old 10-04-2013, 06:43 AM   #7
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Make sure that you really get a feel for what boats are what size....sounds silly but LOA is a lousy descriptor of a boats livability.

My boat is an Albin 40...in my experience she is really a small 39 footer (her documented length is 39.4'.

Dock her next to a Kadey Krogen 42 and she loos like a toy boat...she is dwarfed and thus the KK 42 has a huge amount of livable interior volume over the Albin...so you can see that just looking without a reasonable comparison "measure" is not very good as the LOAs or the "Model Length" is only 2 feet but is really a world of difference.
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Old 10-04-2013, 09:09 AM   #8
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What says a boat is a trawler or a yacht? Is it the speed they go? I have been looking at some trawler brokers and but a lot of the boats are listed as yachts.
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Old 10-04-2013, 11:45 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ebach View Post
What says a boat is a trawler or a yacht? Is it the speed they go? I have been looking at some trawler brokers and but a lot of the boats are listed as yachts.

Often, it's just marketing terminology. Unless of course one is British, in which case all sailboats are "yachts" and they disdain "motorboats"

"Trawlers" do tend to have full displacement hulls (after the manner of fishing trawlers), trawler-style (yachts, boats, whatever) tend to have semi-displacement hulls, "fast trawlers" (sort of an oxymoron) tend to have semi-planning hulls... and so forth.

But often, it can be called whatever the owner (or the salesman/broker) wants to call it... with intention that shoppers have a general clue... and can quickly differentiate between something like a trawler and something like a sportfish or something like an express cruiser... and so forth.

Then if you're a mind to, you can call it a yacht if you like, if you can do it with a straight face, and if you don't expect the audience to label you as pretentious should you do so.



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