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Old 09-20-2020, 10:52 PM   #1
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City: Florida
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The House Just Sold! Now I Just Need the Boat!

I have been lurking here for almost a year learning about cruising life. I grew up competitively sailing boats under 24 feet and our family had a Pearson 365 on the Chesapeake Bay for about a decade too. I have been into motorcycle touring and RV travel for the past 15 years and have loved traveling across the US those two ways.

But now I have decided to sell my home, take a couple years off, and live full-time in a boat and my RV while traveling the country and seeing sites, friends, and family while working part-time (I do remote IT support). Since I will be solo cruising a little over half the time a boat that is easy to single-hand is a requirement.

The Problem: Depending on which day you ask I am all over the map on what to get. I have looked at a number of boats and I am considering everything from a pocket trawler to a Mainship 350/390. Anyway, all this confusion about what to do has set off alarms in my head so earlier today I reached out to a reputable boat broker to ask for help in identifying which boat to choose based on my budget and needs. I need help and guidance in the entire boat buying process b/c it is so complex so I think having a broker involved with help to sort everything out.

Anyway - this place has been a really helpful resource. It blows me away how much expertise is here and how well run this site is. BTW - my screen name is my tag on my motorcycle. I figured that's be a cool new name for the boat when I find her!
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Old 09-20-2020, 11:10 PM   #2
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Welcome aboard. Look at a lot of boats and you will know when you find it.
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Old 09-21-2020, 01:25 AM   #3
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As a single handed skipper, a few important features important to look for are:

A cockpit for ease of docking
A helm door ditto
Bow and stern thrusters with a remote to keep the boat at the dock while you secure lines (help is not always available)

I would avoid “sun deck” models because the access is via ladders. Not as easy when docking solo

A good lower helm station (if a fly bridge model) will be helpful when anchoring solo
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Old 09-21-2020, 11:37 AM   #4
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Vessel Model: MS 34 HT Trawler
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John
Welcome aboard TF.
You can look at my Bacchus website to get an idea of what our Mai ship looks like. I added a wireless remote for thrusters and it makes this boat a dream to handle even solo.
Only downside is MS didn't make many, although I know there is one currently on the market in SW FL.
Take a look at "Boat Search 101" for some tips on starting the process.
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