Our dream situation.
"wanted to keep for after our trip but with the change in our retired plan we decide to sales our sailboat, the house and cars to allowed us the upgrade to a trawler (the cost to operate sailboat vs trawler $$$$)."
We decided to change from a sailboat to a power boat like a trawler to live aboard and travel the east coast through the center America then on west coast and back,
2008 to 2010? Why , spend big bucks when minor bucks might get a better boat?
No big deal, downsize the SIZE of the power boat , downsize the Speed , and trawler crawling can be as cheap as sailing.
The trick will be to find a power boat with the scantlings that would allow bashing up the coast of Mexico and La La Land.
The ICW could be handled with most anything , as would a trip to the Caribbean, after the Panamsa canal would be the hassle.
Two concepts , purchase a boat in on the Left Coast , do the inside passage , head south WITH the breeze and current to Panama , then do the Carib circuit , up the US ICW and sell the boat after doing the loop.
This would NOT require she same specs as doing the trip in the reverse order. ( 1/3 the boat and price) So a well under $40K boat would be just fine , and at 5K-6K the fuel burn would be affordable.
Cruising is as expensive as YOU choose to make it.
Most 32 -34 ft power boats will have the same room as a 40 ft sail , just as close living enviroment.
I would recomend you look fitst at one of the Gulf star 36 ? or so motor boats.
Probably $50K ish , but with no burried wood they have a good reputation , so the round trip, what you pay vs what you sell for should be minor.
The very next add in this list has a boat that is in the right location and price.
With no burried plywood,
A grand or two worth of flopper stoppers and you are away for under $30K.
Life is good!
Good hunting
-- Edited by FF on Tuesday 18th of October 2011 04:39:15 AM
-- Edited by FF on Tuesday 18th of October 2011 04:44:24 AM
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