Hello everyone

Bmarler · Aug 1, 2021

Just registered for the site. Been a boater all my life, grew up fishing in se Alaska,
Been living on my modified navy lifeboat with my wife for more than 25 years now. Have a cruising sailboat too.
We decided to make a change and get rid of our two boats and get on bigger one. We just made a deal for the bluewater 40 that was for sale in annecortes. It’s a bit bigger than I’m used to, and the visibility while docking is a bit limited, but I’m sure I’ll get it figured out.
Pretty sure some of you are familiar with the boat, if there’s anything I should know please speak up.
Brian

dhays · Aug 1, 2021

Welcome Brian.

Comodave · Aug 1, 2021

Welcome aboard. Congrats on your new boat.

Lepke · Aug 1, 2021

Until you're use to the boat, make sure your insurance is up to date.

I also was in the navy. Patrol boats and destroyers during the mid 1960s. Also fished salmon and tuna in the 1970s. I've found the bigger boat/ship, the easier it is to handle. Especially twin screws. The difference is you go slower. You use less throttle.

My first boat was 65' before the navy. Current boat is 83', same width 17', both twin Detroits, both wood. Current boat is 20 tons heavier but easier to dock. It's less effected by wind and current. Once stopped, usually stays put. If I dock someplace difficult, I do it when the wind and current is most favorable. I've had this boat 10 years and don't think I've ever had the engines above idle when docking, except when twisting.

Jeff F · Aug 1, 2021

Welcome, and congratulations. You'll grow into the bigger boat quickly I suspect.

HTurner · Aug 1, 2021

Bmarler said:
Just registered for the site. Been a boater all my life, grew up fishing in se Alaska,
Been living on my modified navy lifeboat with my wife for more than 25 years now. Have a cruising sailboat too.
We decided to make a change and get rid of our two boats and get on bigger one. We just made a deal for the bluewater 40 that was for sale in annecortes. It’s a bit bigger than I’m used to, and the visibility while docking is a bit limited, but I’m sure I’ll get it figured out.
Pretty sure some of you are familiar with the boat, if there’s anything I should know please speak up.
Brian

How about some pictures of your modified navy lifeboat?

Bmarler · Aug 1, 2021

Thanks for the welcome, I’ve been lurking on the site off and on. Google sends me here sometimes when searching for this and that so I figured I’d go ahead and register.
I don’t think I’ll have too much trouble adjusting to the larger vessel, I learned decades ago never to do close quarter navigation faster than I’d want to bump into anything. Been a single screw guy all my life. This ones got bow and stern thrusters so I’ll probably get lazy and dependent on them.
I just need to get used to where the dock is with this thing, can’t see any of it from the helm position.
I hate to let my old lifeboat go, but I need to reduce the number of boats I have and maintain. It’s not quite drivable yet, been working on it for a very long time. I did a ton of work to it over the last year in a push to get it mobile, invested a ton of money too. Won’t see much of that back I’m sure. It’s been a wonderful live-aboard, and I’ve touched every single part of it. When I see how the picture upload works I’ll post a pic or two.
Looking forward to the bigger boat though, pilot house trawlers are my sweet spot.

Bmarler · Aug 1, 2021

Lepke said:
Until you're use to the boat, make sure your insurance is up to date.

I also was in the navy. Patrol boats and destroyers during the mid 1960s. Also fished salmon and tuna in the 1970s. I've found the bigger boat/ship, the easier it is to handle. Especially twin screws. The difference is you go slower. You use less throttle.

My first boat was 65' before the navy. Current boat is 83', same width 17', both twin Detroits, both wood. Current boat is 20 tons heavier but easier to dock. It's less effected by wind and current. Once stopped, usually stays put. If I dock someplace difficult, I do it when the wind and current is most favorable. I've had this boat 10 years and don't think I've ever had the engines above idle when docking, except when twisting.

Wood boats have such a great feel, our wood fishing boats had the best manners of any boat I’ve ever been on.
My new boat is reasonably heavy, but has a lot of superstructure for the wind to push around. It’s certainly no 83 footer.
I won’t go out uninsured. Or without a towing policy…

Jeff F · Aug 1, 2021

Bmarler said:
Thanks for the welcome, I’ve been lurking on the site off and on. Google sends me here sometimes when searching for this and that so I figured I’d go ahead and register.
I don’t think I’ll have too much trouble adjusting to the larger vessel, I learned decades ago never to do close quarter navigation faster than I’d want to bump into anything. Been a single screw guy all my life. This ones got bow and stern thrusters so I’ll probably get lazy and dependent on them.
I just need to get used to where the dock is with this thing, can’t see any of it from the helm position.
I hate to let my old lifeboat go, but I need to reduce the number of boats I have and maintain. It’s not quite drivable yet, been working on it for a very long time. I did a ton of work to it over the last year in a push to get it mobile, invested a ton of money too. Won’t see much of that back I’m sure. It’s been a wonderful live-aboard, and I’ve touched every single part of it. When I see how the picture upload works I’ll post a pic or two.
Looking forward to the bigger boat though, pilot house trawlers are my sweet spot.

I have a 50' pilothouse trawler. Single with bow and stern thrusters. Previous boat was 34 that I always operated from the fly bridge, and I have lots of sailing experience.

I thought the adjustment to operating from the pilothouse would be harder than it actually was. Now feel completely comfortable with it after a few months and a few thousand miles. You get to know where the corners and sightlines are. My only unforced error so far was one of the first times out when I intentionally bumped a piling, only to find that its top was about 6" below my sheerline. Ouch.

Bacchus · Aug 1, 2021

If sight lines are limited why not invest in a pair of headsets / earbuds and have your mate provide the sight and comments to assist. We have used them in a few instances especially when getting used to our boat.

Bmarler · Aug 2, 2021

Bacchus said:
If sight lines are limited why not invest in a pair of headsets / earbuds and have your mate provide the sight and comments to assist. We have used them in a few instances especially when getting used to our boat.

i probably will use headsets at least for a while. i already own some for the work i do. it seems like a good idea to have someone assist in that way.

Bmarler · Aug 7, 2021

HTurner said:
How about some pictures of your modified navy lifeboat?

here you go, the yard picture is how we spent last winter. stripping the hull, welding on a substantial amount of new plating, new tar epoxy, new through hull fittings, etc...
i shudder to think how much we invested in that hull last year. we did a major reconstruction of the pilot house too, updated a bunch of systems. new deck coatings, lots of new wiring.
the machinery space is awesome, standing headroom around the engine.
it's been an amazing liveaboard, the salon is really big, good size galley too. big chest freezer in the engine room. we will be sad to see it go, but it's time for us to start a new chapter. we'll be putting it up for sale after i complete a few more little projects.

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