Newbie looking to retire

[mike61]

hello all, My gal and I are looking at the Chula Mia to use to live aboard retiring in two years not waiting for the last minute now have 28 twin screw fishing boat out of Valdez Ak. I am looking for any advice/help about this boat in Marina Del Rey. if survey is done by Labor Day we will be flying down to view it. We Love Cruising AK and stay on this boat as much as possible now and are already starting to downsize. Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks all.

 

[Al]

Mike, Welcome to the forum, Having lived in Fairbanks during the "Great Flood of 67" and for several years after, returning to Southeast Alaska and living next to the water was a no brainier. As to your post, perhaps we need to add the information on the boat.
Al-Ketchikan

 

[mike61]

Hi Al, Chula Mia is a 1946 Monk/Grady 75' Trawler Twin 6-71 Detroit's. it was built to cruise AK by original owner who sold to best friend in 85 who passe a couple of years ago. it looks in pristine condition and was very well maintained they say, the heirs now have it and are not interested in keeping it. I've only seen it online and cant really say much more until I see it. you can Google Chula Mia and see what i have seen but it looks almost too good to be true. any advise is welcome.

 

[siestakey]

Welcome aboard

Wow what a beautiful boat keep us informed


CHULA MIA

1946 Monk/Grandy Boat Co. 75' 0' (22.86m) For Sale - Chuck Hovey Yachts, Inc. - Newport Beach

Launching of Chula Mia at Grandy Boat Works, Seattle, 1946 :: Museum of History and Industry

 

[Capt Kangeroo]

It is a magnificent vessel indeed. I don't like to rain on anyones parade but the purchase cost of this boat will be absolutely dwarfed by the ongoing maintenance costs. This is the reason it is so cheap, precious few have the time, money and insanity to properly maintain her at even the most basic level. This is not just a HUGE boat, it is a HUGE WOOD boat. Sadly, once these grand old ladies finally reach the affordability of the average boat buyer, it usually spells their demise. "Both the boater and the boat". I think I could safely say, if you were not spending at least 50K in annual maintenance on this boat, it will be gone in a decade.

Also don't be fooled by a pristine survey, there will be hidden rot everywhere. Much will be minor in such a beautifully maintained boat, but be prepared to chase it around the boat in a never ending circle for as long as you own it.

Mike, you said it well in your second post "it seems too good to be true."

 

[mike61]

Thanks CK. that was my main concern as well but wow by the read up on it and the pics it does look very well maintained. and 50K per year is not in the budget we dont want to sit in marinas getting repairs we only want to move place to place and visit family and relax and of course take care of the normal boat repairs that we are used to and expect not replacing wood and paint while the boat sits dry docked. This is one reason we are starting to look 2-3 years before we retire. This does help us as we really want to be on the east coast and do the loop. As i read about passing thru the Panama Canal I am further discouraged about any wast coast boat.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

My thoughts align with Capt Kangaroo. This is a magnificent vsl that will have you wanting to be a farmer very quickly. Your retirement would be more hours of work than your career that you just left.
Something more modest and less costly/labor intensive would be in order here. A boat like "Jenny" would be much more suitable, except it is on the wrong coast for you. Be ready to pounce when a deal comes along.

 

[mike61]

Thanks Guys you've made my mind up I dont want to sell a business just to buy another one. will keep looking and we are ready to pounce when the time comes i am glad that I joined TF and started asking for help Any suggestions of make type and anything else is appreciated. Thank you all.

 

[MartySchwartz]

hello all, My gal and I are looking at the Chula Mia to use to live aboard retiring in two years not waiting for the last minute now have 28 twin screw fishing boat out of Valdez Ak. I am looking for any advice/help about this boat in Marina Del Rey. if survey is done by Labor Day we will be flying down to view it. We Love Cruising AK and stay on this boat as much as possible now and are already starting to downsize. Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks all.

Like all "advice" take this with a grain of salt. Having gone through the very same process a few years ago the first thing i would do would be sit down and think about what you would do to your current boat to make it work for you as a permanent residence. I mean, what do you want in a live-aboard boat. Think about size, staterooms, engine room, heads, space where you can hide to get away from each other for a few minutes of privacy (don't laugh, that one is important), outdoor space, price. Then distill that list down to the absolute minimum requirements. Once you have that, THEN start looking for boats that meet them. We did that and spent 9 months looking for a boat (ran our broker ragged). When we got right down to it we were looking at two boats and picked the one that was better maintained, even though it only had about 85% or what we wanted (but it did meet the minimum requirements). That way you will not be second-guessing yourself for the next several years.

Oh, and we have been happily been living aboard for the past 4.5 years.

Marty..................................