Looking, lots of questions

My wife and I are pretty sure we want to live on a trawler and cruise the Caribbean, starting about 2 1/2 years from now. We're currently looking for a "practice boat" to get our feet wet, so to speak - something older, smaller, cheaper than the boat we will eventually want, that we can learn on and learn from.

Our first question is about marine insurance, so I'm off on a hunt for threads that cover that topic. I'm sure I'll find a lot!

BrianSmith said:

looking for a "practice boat" to get our feet wet, so to speak - something older, smaller, cheaper than the boat we will eventually want, that we can learn on and learn from.

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Welcome aboard, Brian. Getting your feet wet through the purchase of an old boat is pretty much "diving in", that is to say, learning the systems and how to maintain them is a pretty big challenge, even for the mechanically inclined. Once you begin to look at and get aboard some boats, things tend to speed up a bit, but ya gotta get aboard everything you can. Cruise the marinas and talk to owners you see......they'll usually chew the fat with you about their boat and its idiosyncrasies. Join the US Power Squadron and take some classes, maybe charter a captained trawler style boat and get behind the helm. Study the different styles of trawler style boats on Yachtworld, Boats.com or Boat Trader.com and think about what style fits your purposes best, you're type of cruising, your type of living, entertaining, whatever. Most of all, have fun.

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.

Welcome. Don't go too decrepit sp? because although you will gain experience, you will be throwing a lot of money into it, which more than likely, will not come back to you and you may not have a quality experience so you want to continue on.

It is easy to spend 10K on an old boat that has been let go just to make her safe and seaworthy. Don't ask how I know this...

Welcome! Get the boat you want to live on, get some lessons and in the 2 years you will be an expert on your boat! This is what we did and we haven't looked back. 1st Inside Passage trip will be 2016 when I retire....

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

Welcome! Get the boat you want to live on, get some lessons and in the 2 years you will be an expert on your boat! This is what we did and we haven't looked back. 1st Inside Passage trip will be 2016 when I retire....

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I completely agree with Sea-Duc. Try to get what you want to cruise and live on--do the dock walking, read the forums and talk to other owners, especially the ones who live aboard and especially the ones who cruise where you intend to cruise. I would pick condition over age--sloppy boats with dirty bilges have usually had indifferent maintenance. Don't be incrimental on size. Go to something which affords liveable space. Even the tightest couples need space sometimes. Have fun--living aboard a few years back brought some of the happiest days.

Welcome to the forum. We jumped in with both feet when we purchased our trawler and bought the best we could afford. We've been liveaboards and cruising her for the past 4 years.

Condition, condition, condition is everything when buying a boat. I'd skip the cheap boat for sure; they're priced low for a reason. IMHO you'd just be throwing money away. And you'll have a heck of a time selling her; there are lots and lots of cheap, derelict boats out there.

We own a 48 Hatteras LRC, 1976, and love her. Built in the good old USA, Hatteras has a great reputation for building very high quality boats. You can't beat a Hatteras, IMHO. One of the only USA shipbuilders still in business.

Thanks, all, for your input.

I obviously didn't make it clear, but we're NOT looking at price alone - condition is paramount, regardless of price or age. We shopped for and bought a 40 year old airplane about 3 years ago, and as you might imagine, condition was one of the most important things we looked at, for all the same reasons that it's important when boat buying.

I have now spoken with a couple of insurance people and was, quite frankly, shocked at what I learned: they want at least 2 1/2 times the premium per year that our plane insurer charged, for a plane that cost more than the boats we're looking at. Jeeze - do people really have serious crashes and/or sink boats on a regular basis, or is the hull coverage all about storm damage? (We're in FL.)

I'll take this (the insurance discussion) to a new Topic, as I now have enough info to ask some intelligent questions, I think.

Thanks again,

Brian

Welcome aboard, and good luck on the search! And ask away!