The perfect boat, who builds one with these specs?

Strictly a trivial pursuit at this point but if things play out the way i hope they will we will be boat shopping in the fall. I have a feeling we will outgrow our 'pocket trawler' fairly soon.

After reading literlly thousands of pages on the topic I feel that i know what i am looking for my next boat. Our 'starter yacht' will be able to be priced low enough that we will be able to sell and move up.

Anyhow, who makes one that fits the specs?

Must be's:

1) 30'-40' she must be able to be single handed or at least with min help. Slip space at our YC is somewhat limited in the 40+ range and we like the club.

2) 10'+ beam

3) Full displacement. I know that the mathematical 'top speed' for such a dimensioned boat is 7-10knts...i am OK with that. For sea keeping and efficiency reasons this is a MUST

4)At least 2 entirely separate cabins...we plan on 90+ nights with our 4 year old. more than a week at a time of sharing a sleeping kinda cramps my style

5) cost less than 275K.

6) draft less than 4.5'

7) air draft less than 19'

8) diesel powered

9) interior climate control. We have heat and AC in the cabins of our current boat but we have to go on deck to get to the aft cabin, which is covered with canvas but is still a cold trip in Nov.

10) Noise maker

It would be NICE to have:

1) An outside deck capable of accommodating 4 adults and 2 children. Kinda rules out a 'traditional' trawler profile in this size range.
2) single engine
3) Lehman, CAT, Lugger are all preferred. others are OK on a case by case basis, Id be OK with a Detroit or Yanmar. but, sorry, no Cummins, ill try to avoid Volvo too but not a deal breaker.
3) 400NM range. I could be willing to add a tank if need be and space provided
4) Little exterior wood work. I find nothing rewarding about sanding and finishing. I love how it looks but IMHO, the ways don't justify the means.
4) 2 heads
5) Fly bridge

Tall order to fill? Impossible?

Number 4&5 knocked out the boat that came to mind for me which was a Seahorse Marine Coot 35. The ankle biter would be sleeping in the saloon but like I tell my kids, "you're lucky mom and I brought you along"

Monk 36 double cabin should check all your boxes though. The two I considered had minimal exterior wood and fiberglass decks.

Grand Banks 36.

I love the COOT. the carpet rodent (rug rat) will sleep just about anywhere but if we don't want an 8 pm bed time she will have her own room.

Even more than the COOT, i love the Diesel Duck 382. Its closer to 41' but i think i could swing and even deal with its increased draft. But the price tag takes it off even the long list.

With the kid needing a private room and head, I'd go for the Fontaine Pajot 37 "Maryland" Trawler Cat. Only exception is twin engines, but you'll love them on a cat. Trawler economy and a good turn of speed when its necessary. The kid will have his own hull, and you will too.

A Cat. Now that is something i didn't think about. I know next to nothing about them but what i do know is good. Twins isn't an awful thing and id think it is a MUST on a Cat. They aren't exactly common so i'd better start shopping now ;-)

eseyoung said:

A Cat. Now that is something i didn't think about. I know next to nothing about them but what i do know is good. Twins isn't an awful thing and id think it is a MUST on a Cat. They aren't exactly common so i'd better start shopping now ;-)

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Keep in mind bout dockage availability and cost when your that wide, one of the few disadvantages of cats.

Oliver is right about cats, they are wide. But the Nordhavn 47 he has and the Fontaine Pajot I mentioned are within 6 inches of each other (16'1" and 16'7" respectively). Not too bad and there's more than enough loopers with cats that say the issue is not what it used to be with the new and updated marinas. Worst case is that you look for a T-head in some older marinas. Great Harbor GH-37 and N-37 are also near 16' beam, which might be another choice for you, especially the N-37 with Fly-Bridge, assuming you want to stick with full-displacement.

the 3 that i can find for sale have 16' beams. which is not a problem at our homeport and shouldn't be a problem just about anywhere...i think.

Correct me if i am wrong but 47' nordys have a 15.5' beam, right? I see in your posts you frequent the bahamas...is it a problem there?

I can think of very few places that don't have at least a bulkhead to tie up to. but it is a consideration. My boat now is just short of 10' beam so i have never thought much about it.

eseyoung said:

I see in your posts you frequent the bahamas...is it a problem there?

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Not really a problem in the Bahamas. Most of the time you would probably choose to anchor or a mooring ball. There are many cat charter boats, so the marinas are use to dealing with them. Green Turtle Cay, Man-O-War, Hope Town, Great Guana and Treasure Cay have mooring fields. In Marsh Harbor you would probably choose to anchor or a marina.

healhustler said:

Oliver is right about cats, they are wide. But the Nordhavn 47 he has and the Fontaine Pajot I mentioned are within 6 inches of each other (16'1" and 16'7" respectively). Not too bad and there's more than enough loopers with cats that say the issue is not what it used to be with the new and updated marinas. Worst case is that you look for a T-head in some older marinas. Great Harbor GH-37 and N-37 are also near 16' beam, which might be another choice for you, especially the N-37 with Fly-Bridge, assuming you want to stick with full-displacement.

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Your totally right, the difference is their two different boats with two totally different missions, the N is a ocean crosser the cat is more of a costal cruiser.

Moonstruck said:

Not really a problem in the Bahamas. Most of the time you would probably choose to anchor or a mooring ball. There are many cat charter boats, so the marinas are use to dealing with them. Green Turtle Cay, Man-O-War, Hope Town, Great Guana and Treasure Cay have mooring fields. In Marsh Harbor you would probably choose to anchor or a marina.

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Exactly.

eseyoung said:

the 3 that i can find for sale have 16' beams. which is not a problem at our homeport and shouldn't be a problem just about anywhere...i think. Correct me if i am wrong but 47' nordys have a 15.5' beam, right? I see in your posts you frequent the bahamas...is it a problem there? I can think of very few places that don't have at least a bulkhead to tie up to. but it is a consideration. My boat now is just short of 10' beam so i have never thought much about it.

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It's 16.1'.

For a boat that size to have two heads and two separate sleeping areas…and…still have a decent covered sit-out area for 4 adults, (which I agree is nice, and why we avoided the tri-cabin version of our boat - see avatar), you would need to be looking at something along the lines of a 35 - 40' sun deck model with the full width aft cabin and sun deck above. There are a number of makes like that...

Eseyoung,

Is there some overriding issue that prevents you from turning to a competent PROFESSIONAL yacht broker? You have a pretty well-developed list of "wants", and a good broker will do his best to provide you with multiple examples of boats that fit most of them. Not all of them, mind you, as ALL boats are a compromise. And it's a brokers job to sift the wheat from the chaff, and find you a boat that works for YOU. Not someone on a forum that has a non-professional bias that is (usually) meaningless to you.

Remember, said broker makes not one red cent on the deal until you are satisfied, and the deal is inked. His livelihood depends on quality, an extensive underground network of like-minded professionals, and experienced, concerned involvement in YOUR problem. Not mine, not your buddy's, not someone who thinks catamarans are just the ticket for you, not someone that thinks moorage on a buoy in the Bahamas solves all your problems and concerns.

Regards,

Pete

There are a lot of boats out there that will meet most of your criterion.

My only observation is that with a four year old on board, you should look for a boat that has full walk around decks, with good rail height.

Apart from that virtually any aft cabin 36-40 will fit the bill, providing it has the extras you stipulated.That is apart from a full displacement configuration, but personally I wouldn't get too hung up on that.

The Mainship 350/390 and 400 trawlers will cover all your bases except Full Displacement and 2 heads. Bonus is that you will come in well below 275k. (used)

Xsbank said:

Grand Banks 36.

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Might solve everything but #3...

-Chris

ronlord said:

The Mainship 350/390 and 400 trawlers will cover all your bases except Full Displacement and 2 heads. Bonus is that you will come in well below 275k. (used)

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Mainship's newer 34 is probably in this class, too.

FWIW, our older (34' Mainship III) hull -- also semi-displacement -- was generally decently sea kindly, likely aided by the full keel. And of course we didn't run it "fast" (a relative term) so didn't have any significant extra expense involved simply because it was semi-displacement.

-Chris

eseyoung said:

1) An outside deck capable of accommodating 4 adults and 2 children. Kinda rules out a 'traditional' trawler profile in this size range.

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Why? You already specified a flybridge. On many models, you have enough space there to accommodate this requirement. And with a trunk cabin, there's more "outdoor" space on top of that.

A single diesel was on my wish list too, but I ended up with twins. Don't rule that option out.

ranger42c said:

Mainship's newer 34 is probably in this class, too.

FWIW, our older (34' Mainship III) hull -- also semi-displacement -- was generally decently sea kindly, likely aided by the full keel. And of course we didn't run it "fast" (a relative term) so didn't have any significant extra expense involved simply because it was semi-displacement.

-Chris

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Both the newer and older 34' only had one stateroom. I think he needs another one to store the kids in..

ronlord said:

Both the newer and older 34' only had one stateroom. I think he needs another one to store the kids in..

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Ah, didn't realize the newer 34 doesn't have a second stateroom.

I knew the older one wasn't suitable, but wanted to comment on the hull form...

-Chris

Galaxy Girl redux?

eseyoung wrote ...

"Full displacement. I know that the mathematical 'top speed' for such a dimensioned boat is 7-10knts...i am OK with that. For sea keeping and efficiency reasons this is a MUST"

Keeping your eye on the ball a look at the Fisher 37 or Willard 40 may bear fruit. Draft may be slightly over but the Fisher has an aft cabin.

I think most all trawlers should be FD and few are so you may have great difficulty finding a real FD boat. But if you mean it as a "MUST" there's not many ducks to line up.

sunchaser said:

Galaxy Girl redux?

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:lol:

3) Full displacement. I know that the mathematical 'top speed' for such a dimensioned boat is 7-10knts...i am OK with that. For sea keeping and efficiency reasons this is a MUST

top speed for a 30-40 full displacement boat in the economy mode may be less than 6 knots...probably will be ...but depending on the waterline length unless your 30-40 foot dimension you are using is he WLL..

it might be more efficient than a semi-displacement hull...but it will be slower and not necessarily "more sea kindly"....

Got kids? Get good railings!

Seems that since you have a four year old, you most likely have a job? And will use the boat weekends and vacations? That world voyaging is not likely!?

Just curious why full displacement is #1 on your list? A 40 footer will top out at 8+ knots - nowhere near 10 knots - if properly powered.

For weekend use, you open up a lot more cruising with some available speed. Likewise, sea keeping ability is not as necessary for occasional jaunts into the ocean. also, a full displacement boat May or may not be a better sea keeping boat than a semi displacement or planing boat. There can be advantages to being able to get back to a safe port BEFORE the weather kicks up.

Whenever I discuss a new boat with a buyer, I ask how and where the boat will be used. That determines what sort of boat may be the perfect fit. Just like a Hummer might be great for four wheeling, it's not the best choice for driving down I-95. Likewise, a Nordhavn can be perfect to head out to the Caribbean, there are better choices for the Great Loop.

I may have missed it, but how do you plan on using this boat over the next several years?

Quite a few years ago, had a boat close to your wish list: 40' LOA. Single 453 GM - cruised efficiently at 6.5 kts. We used it here in Miami weekends then cruised one summer Block Island and back with our 7 & 2 yo boys. I worked in film at the time with feast or famine schedules, so had the time to enjoy my VERY SLOW trawler.

With close to $300k to invest, you have a lot to choose from.

Yes. Galaxy Girl again. Where is she anyway ?

Helmsman 38 Pilothouse

eseyoung said:

Strictly a trivial pursuit at this point but if things play out the way i hope they will we will be boat shopping in the fall. I have a feeling we will outgrow our 'pocket trawler' fairly soon.


Your beam is on the small side for interior space. I would suggest you look at the Helmsman 38 Pilothouse. You can find a nice used boat for close to your budget and get a lot of boat.

John T.

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