Passagemaker shopping.

Hi all,

My wife and I are just getting started, but we have ambitions of owning and traveling on a passagemaker of some type in years to come.

We have enough experience chartering Nordic tugs and lagoon catamarans to realize that sailing vessels and hard chined semi-displacement hulls have their place, but a comfortable full displacement boat is what we want long term.

Just looking to learn. Very interested in experienced opinions and knowledge re: Nordhavns, Selenes, etc...

leifaaronaustad said:

Hi all,

My wife and I are just getting started, but we have ambitions of owning and traveling on a passagemaker of some type in years to come.

We have enough experience chartering Nordic tugs and lagoon catamarans to realize that sailing vessels and hard chined semi-displacement hulls have their place, but a comfortable full displacement boat is what we want long term.

Just looking to learn. Very interested in experienced opinions and knowledge re: Nordhavns, Selenes, etc...

Click to expand...

Not even thinking about that boat here... Thinking of lifestyle choices.

If you earn a paycheck Vs owning the company you work for yourself, you need to prepare yourself financially. Live below your means. Why???? If you draw a paycheck(s) you will need to do this to afford to purchase, and maintain a non project boat passagemaker. The entry point is going to be in the half million range and up from there. Recurring costs in most areas are gong to run between one and two thousand a month for a 50' passagemakers insurance and a slip. Just be prepared for those costs. Maintenance will add to that.

2nd is make sure that this is not you prodding your wife as a way to escape middle class life. Why??? Lots of single divorced guys living on boats who's wives in the end were not prepared for ther lifestyle commitments required.

Greetings,
Welcome aboard eh? Good advice from Mr. ks. One other point: Try not to "overbuy". A Nordhavn or Selene are wonderful makes but too much boat IMO if you're only doing coastal cruising. Dreams vs realities.

Just to be clear...as often times it's not....

Ocean crossings or just inter-island/ coastal basically the western hemisphere (both east and west coasts)/ jaunts to Bermuda and Caribbean islands...etc...etc...?

ksanders said:

The entry point is going to be in the half million range and up from there. Recurring costs in most areas are gong to run between one and two thousand a month for a 50' passagemakers .

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Good response Kevin. In today's market a 50-55 Selene or Nordhavn will easily approach or break $1M. Well tended newer (years 20xx) non project boats in the 50' range are tough to find right now. If seriously looking have your monies well set up in advance and be prepared to pounce.

leifaaronaustad said:

Hi all,

My wife and I are just getting started, but we have ambitions of owning and traveling on a passagemaker of some type in years to come.

We have enough experience chartering Nordic tugs and lagoon catamarans to realize that sailing vessels and hard chined semi-displacement hulls have their place, but a comfortable full displacement boat is what we want long term.

Just looking to learn. Very interested in experienced opinions and knowledge re: Nordhavns, Selenes, etc...

Click to expand...

Wifey B: I'm going to address some things Kevin alluded to but didn't hit hard and in a different way. First question is WHY? What has put this spur in your butt?

Why is important. "My wife and I love being on the water and want to spend time living and traveling the world on it." Now that's a great answer. It says the two or you and you have some experience and know what is ahead.

"We're read others accounts and it sounds fantastic." Get to the reality and beyond the romance.

"I think it sounds like a great adventure and I'm sure my wife will come around." Total No, she's not coming around to your fool mission.

"We love to travel." Air and car is cheaper and more efficient. You didn't say anything about loving the water.

"We ran into a couple who have circumnavigated twice and over dinner they made it sound great". Secret, they aren't you. Every couple is different. No one else can tell you what you'll enjoy.

Omg I love the water and boating and hubby and I are up around 150,000 nm. If you're not both screaming for it, the cool your heels a bit and perhaps start with some other level of boat and cruising. A passagemaker often isn't the best coastal cruiser and sure costs more. And costs. I'll never talk about what we've spent on boating but it's not cheap.

Now, if you fit the right scenario above, more power to you. It's a life like no other. I wouldn't trade our boating for anything. As to Nordhavn and Serene, both can do it but I'd pick Serene as more livable for more people. Don't overlook Outer Reef. Horizon and Cheoy Lee make passagemakers. Then Kadey Krogen. And I can't think of all as I'm out cruising home from a quick trip to Key West and my mind is dazed by the wonder of it all.

Thanks all, good advice!
More clarification- loose working plan is to look for a 'first boat' which would be suitable for costal cruising, both to learn and to make sure we are both on board, pun intended. This would ideally be a smaller vessel that allows us to build the skills and knowledge to scale up to the forever boat. To be clear, the ocean crossing part of the plan is years away.
And yes, entry cost, slip fees, fuel, insurance and maintenance costs are being taken into account. Any big ticket financial items I'm missing?

Couple tips:

1. For ongoing costs, read this post from CruisersForum. The guy has been posting his monthly costs for 5-years. He's a sailor, but still, costs won't be substantially different. Ranges around $4k/mo over time. If TF let .XLS files, I'd attach directly. So a link will have to do.

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forum...f-cruising-and-living-on-the-boat-252044.html

2. On this forum, search "Hippocampus." He now has over 1000 posts, but he started about 2-years ago and has only now found a boat. He started with a Nordhavn/Selene/DD dream and scaled back due to availability. Good writer, and very kind in sharing his frustrations. Perhaps he'll chime-in here.

Good luck -

Peter

"...sure my wife will come around." Uh oh.

leifaaronaustad said:

Thanks all, good advice!
More clarification- loose working plan is to look for a 'first boat' which would be suitable for costal cruising, both to learn and to make sure we are both on board, pun intended. This would ideally be a smaller vessel that allows us to build the skills and knowledge to scale up to the forever boat. To be clear, the ocean crossing part of the plan is years away.
And yes, entry cost, slip fees, fuel, insurance and maintenance costs are being taken into account. Any big ticket financial items I'm missing?

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That's the kind of narrowing down the question that's needed, but also opens up more choices. Many more coastal cruiser designs to pick from.

Take it further. As your wife daydreams about this, what features does she want? Go with it.

Pilothouse or sedan design?

Flybridge or not?

Planning to cruise just together, or is a second cabin for guests and kids a must-have?

Basic choices like that will narrow things down a lot more.

If this is step one toward a full displacement passagemaker, shy away from higher speed designs. Get used to life at 7 knots.

leifaaronaustad said:

Thanks all, good advice!
More clarification- loose working plan is to look for a 'first boat' which would be suitable for costal cruising, both to learn and to make sure we are both on board, pun intended. This would ideally be a smaller vessel that allows us to build the skills and knowledge to scale up to the forever boat. To be clear, the ocean crossing part of the plan is years away.
And yes, entry cost, slip fees, fuel, insurance and maintenance costs are being taken into account. Any big ticket financial items I'm missing?

Click to expand...

Yes, buy a boat now and see if you even like the boat owning lifestyle!

I know you have chartered, but that is not real life. That is like spending a week at the Hyatt in Maui and thinking you want to then move to Hawaii.

Advice on a first boat.... Buy a boat that is large enough to make it real. Something comfortable for the two of you with good amenities for cruising. Also buy a boat that is marketable down the road. Brand name recognition to make it easy to sell.

Then try out the lifestyle. You might be hooked, or you might back out in a few years and dream something else.

All good advice.

Be sure to search and explore past threads here on TF. There are many (many) long discussions on similar topics about cruising and boat choices. Spend a few hours reading through those and you will learn quite a bit.

guy with a boat said:

All good advice.

Be sure to search and explore past threads here on TF. There are many (many) long discussions on similar topics about cruising and boat choices. Spend a few hours reading through those and you will learn quite a bit.

Click to expand...

Anything I might say has no doubt been said.
When you narrow it down a bit, ask specific question.
Start with your mission.... For now, forget the tans-ocean.

Mission
Length
# of engines
# of stateroom
Stabilized

The rest..... your wife's preface

anchors...

RT Firefly said:

anchors...

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Wait till he buys the boat LOL

Greetings,
Mr. OD. Sorry. I panicked.

This is clearly a lively and helpful forum. I'm off to use the search functions and look for the best place to post more specific questions. Thanks all