David Hughes
Senior Member
Ok, I know a catamaran isn't really a trawler, but this boat gets great mileage like one, and is slow like one, and is generally used like one. I hope that counts. : )
After owning nothing bigger than a 25' Cobalt on our lake house in Georgia, in recent years my wife and I started chartering a couple times a year, first from swfyachts in Cape Coral, then from Moorings in Abaco. In order to get out more than twice a year, we decided to buy our own boat and offer occasional bareboat charter. With a tax break, the math works nicely with only $24K of annual revenue.
We learned early on that we preferred catamarans because of the less rolly motion, so after spending time on a Moorings 393, I ID'd a 2009 372 coming off charter. The boat spent all its 5 years in Abaco and had 2700 hours of use. They brought the boat back themselves to Ft. Lauderdale and paid the import duty so it could be sold easily to a U.S. buyer. The survey was just fine, and assessed for $25K more than I paid. I got her on June 2 and we had a fun 3 days coming through the Okeechobee Waterway bringing the True Love ( I named her after the "yar" sloop that Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly had in the movie High Society) home to Cape Harbour Marina in Cape Coral. For those who have not been, let me just say that Roland Martin's Marina was a genuine slice of Americana!
We did $20K more of updating and servicing and now she's a sparking beauty! My fiendish plot to get more time on the water must be working, because since June we've now used her 4 times already. I love it when a plan comes together!
We're taking her to Key West in a few weeks. I've never been out of sight of land before as skipper, so with me luck!!!!
David in Marietta, GA
David Hughes
2009 Leopard 37 Powercat for charter in Cape Coral, FL
Florida Catamaran Charter the "True Love"
After owning nothing bigger than a 25' Cobalt on our lake house in Georgia, in recent years my wife and I started chartering a couple times a year, first from swfyachts in Cape Coral, then from Moorings in Abaco. In order to get out more than twice a year, we decided to buy our own boat and offer occasional bareboat charter. With a tax break, the math works nicely with only $24K of annual revenue.
We learned early on that we preferred catamarans because of the less rolly motion, so after spending time on a Moorings 393, I ID'd a 2009 372 coming off charter. The boat spent all its 5 years in Abaco and had 2700 hours of use. They brought the boat back themselves to Ft. Lauderdale and paid the import duty so it could be sold easily to a U.S. buyer. The survey was just fine, and assessed for $25K more than I paid. I got her on June 2 and we had a fun 3 days coming through the Okeechobee Waterway bringing the True Love ( I named her after the "yar" sloop that Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly had in the movie High Society) home to Cape Harbour Marina in Cape Coral. For those who have not been, let me just say that Roland Martin's Marina was a genuine slice of Americana!
We did $20K more of updating and servicing and now she's a sparking beauty! My fiendish plot to get more time on the water must be working, because since June we've now used her 4 times already. I love it when a plan comes together!
We're taking her to Key West in a few weeks. I've never been out of sight of land before as skipper, so with me luck!!!!
David in Marietta, GA
David Hughes
2009 Leopard 37 Powercat for charter in Cape Coral, FL
Florida Catamaran Charter the "True Love"
