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Old 08-16-2020, 09:53 AM   #1
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Suitable liveaboard trawler in BC (PNW)

I am in the midst of planning my retirement. I will be relocating to Vancouver Island BC (PNW) and plan to purchase a trawler in the (38’ to 45’) range with a view of becoming a liveaboard. I would appreciate your input regarding a suitable Trawler that would offer me comfortable accommodation during the winter months. I have a short list of Trawlers that I am interested in that will satisfy my needs with regards to layout, design and performance. Your input and experience will be invaluable to me in my decision-making process. Thanks in advance.
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Old 08-16-2020, 01:50 PM   #2
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Greetings and Welcome,

Layout and design will largely be personal preference. Some things that would be important to me for your stated use:

1. Diesel heat - can be forced air furnace, hydronic, or fireplace(s). We use ours 10-11 months of the year. Something electrically efficient so you can run it on anchor is desirable.

2. A nice place to operate the boat where it is not cold and wet, to include seating for your significant other, if applicable. Everyone likes a good view and wants to see the gadgets. An enclosed helm is warm and dry, which really extends your options. We are on our third boat with an enclosed helm, and I don’t think I will have a boat without it.

3. Washer/dryer - if you will be living aboard, having a washer/dryer is a great convenience. We use a Splendide combo unit. It is space efficient - you could put one in an engine room or lazarette. It does not use much power or water and is easily run during a generator session to charge batteries and heat water. Yes, it is different than North American home units, so what we wear and how we do laundry is different.

4. Sufficient battery capacity and a generator. The places we like are not on the grid.

5. Space for, or equipped with, a watermaker.

None of these things are extravagant or expensive, and they will all help you be very comfortable.

I’m sure others will be along shortly with better ideas.

Best Wishes
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Old 08-16-2020, 05:46 PM   #3
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Welcome aboard. You might want to start looking for a slip now, don’t know what the wait, if any, there is in BC for liveaboard slips.
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Old 08-16-2020, 06:53 PM   #4
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I second Comodave's suggestion, start your search for a marina slip now. And when negotiating the boat, include the slip the boat is currently in as part of the negotiations. But slips for larger boats are not easy to come by. Most of the marinas are older and were tailored to boats under 40 feet. So if you have a 32 foot whatever, finding a slip for it will be much easier than for 45 plus.

I did have some luck helping a member here at TF get a slip in Ladysmith BC with a larger boat.

If you have $4.6 million you could buy this marina and solve the problem of your boat slip and make some money on the side:

https://www.uniqueproperties.ca/prop...na-nanoose-bay
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Old 08-19-2020, 09:22 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GWM View Post
I am in the midst of planning my retirement. I will be relocating to Vancouver Island BC (PNW) and plan to purchase a trawler in the (38’ to 45’) range with a view of becoming a liveaboard. I would appreciate your input regarding a suitable Trawler that would offer me comfortable accommodation during the winter months. I have a short list of Trawlers that I am interested in that will satisfy my needs with regards to layout, design and performance. Your input and experience will be invaluable to me in my decision-making process. Thanks in advance.
Since you have a 'short list of trawlers that you are interested in' it would be immensely helpful if you provided your short list. This also will prevent people from recommending trawlers not on your short list.
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Old 08-19-2020, 09:29 AM   #6
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Pet peeve alert:

Vancouver island is south coast BC, Bella Bella would be central coast BC, and Prince Rupert is north coast BC.

PNW is a generally a USA term, and is wrong, because it's actually PNE, or the Pacific North East...being on the north east edge of the Pacific Ocean.
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Old 08-19-2020, 09:51 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MurrayM View Post
Pet peeve alert:

Vancouver island is south coast BC, Bella Bella would be central coast BC, and Prince Rupert is north coast BC.

PNW is a generally a USA term, and is wrong, because it's actually PNE, or the Pacific North East...being on the north east edge of the Pacific Ocean.
To further refine the terms:
PNW is Washington state, mostly Puget Sound and San Juan Islands, but some include the west coast of WA and the Oregon Coast
SE BC is mostly Georgia Strait and Gulf Islands, SE Vancouver Island
Victoria is..
Sidney is..
Vancouver Island includes parts of SE BC, parts of the Broughtons, all of the West Coast of Vanc Isle.
Broughtons include those parts of the mainland and its islands above Chatham Point, to above Hope Island and the mainland to Cape Caution
Central Coast starts above Cape Caution, extends to US border above Dixon Entrance.
Haida Gwaii used to be called Queen Charlotte Islands, or "the Charlottes"
SE Alaska is the panhandle of Alaska

Now you can tell us where you plan to relocate.
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Old 08-19-2020, 10:15 AM   #8
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I did have some luck helping a member here at TF get a slip in Ladysmith BC with a larger boat.

If you have $4.6 million you could buy this marina and solve the problem of your boat slip and make some money on the side:

https://www.uniqueproperties.ca/prop...na-nanoose-bay[/QUOTE]

Interesting
I'm looking at moving to Vancouver island and was looking at a townhouse above the same marina.
I considered moving our boat to the island and living on it but finding marina space is like forget about it for a 90 foot boat
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Old 08-19-2020, 10:27 AM   #9
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I think I will continue with the well known definition;
The Pacific Northwest (PNW), sometimes referred to as Cascadia,[1] is a geographic region in western North America bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and (loosely) by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common conception includes the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC) and the U.S. states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Broader conceptions reach north into Southeast Alaska and Yukon, south into northern California, and east to the Continental Divide to include Western Montana and parts of Wyoming. Narrower conceptions may be limited to the coastal areas west of the Cascade and Coast mountains. The variety of definitions can be attributed to partially overlapping commonalities of the region's history, culture, geography, society, and other factors.
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Old 08-19-2020, 10:37 AM   #10
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Aside from the proper terminology it seems pretty clear that you're likely to end up somewhere along the south east portion of Vancouver Island (I'd guess somewhere between Nanaimo and Sidney). As others have noted moorage is always an issue. I'm not sure about BC but in WA moorage and live aboard moorage are not synonymous. So you might want to investigate options on that front before purchasing a boat. You may find boats with transferable moorage which could be a plus. You might also want to understand what facilities are available at the marina and how others manage their live aboard lifestyle. You have to think of things like sewage pump out, what on-shore facilities are available, etc.

Ultimately as to what boat you choose, that's a very personal choice. All I can add is keep your mind open. When we bought our current boat we were targeting a Grand Banks 42. But when looking at a GB in Anacortes WA there was a Tollycraft essentially next door and we decided to take a look. Long story short, we bought the Tollycraft. For myself, what I'd buy as a live aboard would not be the same as what I'd buy to do normal cruising on. I'd prioritize things differently for a liveaboard. For example for cruising I want easy access over the transom, I like a cockpit for line handling, and I wouldn't really even consider a flush deck design. However, if I were going to live on it I'd seriously consider a flush deck to get the added space and just live with the inconveniences for those time I'm not on the home dock. I'd probably have a larger boat as well and just accept the fact that maintenance costs escalate rapidly with length (rule of thumb I was given by an experienced shipwright: expect double maintenance costs every 5 feet of length). In the end everyone is different. I know people who live aboard a 35' sailboat in Seattle quite happily. Good luck!
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Old 08-19-2020, 11:37 AM   #11
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I considered moving our boat to the island and living on it but finding marina space is like forget about it for a 90 foot boat
There is a new marina in Victoria you might care to check with.
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