Newly Boatless

Yes I'm really a sailor at heart, but we have gotten to that age where the athletic endeavors are not as much adventure any more as they are too much work for us. And I'm a Mechanical Engineer, so we have told our sailing friends that we are moving over (to the Dark Side some say - but I LIKE engines) and letting them get beat to crap in a stiff breeze offshore. We're more interested in cruising the San Francisco Bay and playing with the Grandkids and teaching them about boats.

So we're in the market for a twin diesel trawler (never leave the dock with a single means of propulsion) that will sleep the whole clan (say 34-39 feet) and be comfortable for a day cruise from SF to Sausalito and back.

So I see Grand Banks, Island Gypsy, Californian, a few others that look interesting. Does anyone out there have something less than $100 grand that we might look at?

Thanks.

And I'll be here for the long haul. This boat is going to last us for a long time.

Ned

Haven't yet felt at risk crossing SF Bay with a single-engine boat. Would be difficult to find any mid-30-foot twin-engine motorboat not also capable.

I'd be willing to bet that typical motorboat engines are more reliable than sailboat engines because they are more likely to be properly maintained.

markpierce said:

Haven't yet felt at risk crossing SF Bay with a single-engine boat. Would be difficult to find any mid-30-foot twin-engine motorboat not also capable.

I'd be willing to bet that typical motorboat engines are more reliable than sailboat engines because they are more likely to be properly maintained.

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Maybe, maybe not! I believe that many sailboats see greater engine time than sail time at least it was for us during our 25 years of sailing. Purists may enjoy 2-3K along with tacking while others just want to get there.

foggysail said:

Maybe, maybe not! I believe that many sailboats see greater engine time than sail time at least it was for us during our 25 years of sailing. Purists may enjoy 2-3K along with tacking while others just want to get there.

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Yes, as a former sailboater I've noticed sailboats motoring more often than I would like. (Why don't they admit that they should have a motorboat?) Still, think there is less incentive for sailboaters to attend to their engines.

Welcome! You've probably started another "One or two?" debate with your first post, oft repeated, never ending. Next, insult a type of anchor and watch the fun.

Best of luck with your search.

Lots of boat in that size/price range online. It comes down to layout, floor-plan, must haves, deal killers, etc.

We recently found what we were looking for within your price range. To get there we walked the docks, went through a lot of boats, kicked a lot of tires with selling brokers and made the list:

True pilothouse
Around 40'
No cored hulls
Either a single with "get home" something & bow thruster or a twin (we bought a twin)
Steps over ladders (for our aging parents)
Flybridge
Portuguese Bridge
Front and back staircase (so anyone can wake up and make coffee without moving through someone else's cabin.
Room to sleep up to six but more often just us.
Midship master stateroom
One Head
Separate Shower
PNW tankage (1200 nm, 300 gal of water)
Well appointed (teak, galley, genset, etc.)
Mechnically maintained and in decent shape with DIY upgrades we can handle ourselves.

There are a lot of options out there and we found the winnowing process to be a challenge that took a lot of time and discussion as most boats with our list of wants were in the 50' and $250K + range.

While the entire list was important, in our case finding a Pilothouse at 40' was one of the most limiting factors as there aren't many brands out there in this configuration at that length. KK42 was the next closest contender but typically exceeded the budget.

So, what's on your list?