Talk me out of a GB.

Our 32' has been modified with a cockpit hardtop and full canvas. In addition to protection from sun and rain it also tripled the amount of usable space on the flybridge. We have no complaints with this layout and if we ever get a bigger boat it will be a Europa.


Last winter in Anacortes.

A new option from GB, they say it can be retrofitted to older boats but I'm sure it ain't cheap. Grand Banks Yachts 50 Eastbay SX with SureShade Automated Shade - YouTube

Iknowimcrazy said:

After making the decision 6 months ago to transition from a land lubber to a full time cruiser; my Pro/Con list, requirements and needs and wants point to a post '88 GB Europa 36'. There are many checks on my "Pro" list for this vessel. I need some more checks in the "Con" column.

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This ad, and description impressed me

1973 Defever Jensen Marine Passage Maker Power Boat For Sale -

A HUGE advantage of the tri-cabin configuration in a smaller GB-- 36 or 42-- is that if one has guests on board for a cruise, each couple has their own stateroom and head with the neutral territory of the main cabin in between. This means that someone or a couple can get up, make coffee, go for a walk, sit and read, whatever, without disturbing the people in the other cabin.

When we bought our old GB36 we did not anticipate ever taking any other people with us on the boat. Since that time, people I used to work with in television in Hawaii have moved to our area and we have taken them as well as good friends from France on a number of cruises into BC. So we have really come to appreciate the advantages of the tri-cabin layout.

BTW, we use the aft cabin as our main stateroom. The forward cabin when it's not being used by guests is our shop and storage area.

All that said, we feel that for a cruising couple the Europa GBs are the better bet. The aft deck can be enclosed with transparent curtains and even heated. So one can be outside but not be outside.

While we are not going for anything even resembling a GB in our next boat, were we in the market again for a slow cruising boat, we would very strongly consider a GB Europa rather than the tri-cabin for the kind of cruising we anticipate doing from here on in.

Great responses, thank you.
I may have mentioned; I'm a retired airline mech. and build live edge furniture professionally now. I will be taking my Festool sanding system aboard along with some quality brushes, a few caulking guns, a drill and a bag of teak plugs and whatever other tools I can manage to find room for.
I have considered a '42 Europa but I fear that it may be too much boat to handle on my own in challenging conditions. The added expense of the '42; both outright cost and operating costs may be too much pressure on my budget.

I lived in and restored an 1880s era Victorian home for the better part of a decade. Forget boats, If you wanna torture yourself and lose a ton of money; buy and restore a Gingerbread house.

Iknowimcrazy said:

I have considered a '42 Europa but I fear that it may be too much boat to handle on my own in challenging conditions.

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I wouldn't expect to it be any more difficult, and the 42 might even be easier to handle if the side decks are slightly more generous than on the 36. Presuming twins with no bow thruster, lightly more shaft (prop) separation may be more favorable in the 42, as well.

-Chris

ranger42c said:

Presuming twins with no bow thruster, lightly more shaft (prop) separation may be more favorable in the 42, as well.

-Chris

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My largest budgeted expense will be fuel. The twins appear to exceed that budget.

Iknowimcrazy said:

I lived in and restored an 1880s era Victorian home for the better part of a decade. Forget boats, If you wanna torture yourself and lose a ton of money; buy and restore a Gingerbread house.

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Been there, done that in a historic preservation district. Great way to hemorrhage cash and have absolutely nothing to show for it except a couple neighbors you don't like gratitude. I'd say you're ready for a project boat

CPseudonym said:

Been there, done that in a historic preservation district. Great way to hemorrhage cash and have absolutely nothing to show for it except a couple neighbors you don't like gratitude. I'd say you're ready for a project boat

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If ya wanna get a check for $100K; spend $150K restoring a boat.

Mule said:

This ad, and description impressed me

1973 Defever Jensen Marine Passage Maker Power Boat For Sale -

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Coincidentally, I just ran across this boat's web site looking for something else: http://www.mvfullstep.com/. And it actually belongs to forum member Sceptic!

Daddyo said:

Not so. It's almost impossible to get spray on the forward windows on our DeFever.

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Yup, DFs are dry. But, after 4 hours of going head on into 25 knots from the NW and 6 foot short amplitude seas our vessel looked like a salt block on a voyage on the north end of Georgia Strait.

sunchaser said:

Yup, DFs are dry. But, after 4 hours of going head on into 25 knots from the NW and 6 foot short amplitude seas our vessel looked like a salt block on a voyage on the north end of Georgia Strait.

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Can't do anything about the salt. On the other hand that's a typical walk in the park for the mighty, bigger then life, legendary DF48!!!

Iknowimcrazy said:

My largest budgeted expense will be fuel. The twins appear to exceed that budget.

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Ah. Fair enough.

In our case, fuel isn't our largest expense category...

-Chris