The search continues...

In the last few weeks, we have looked at a number of makes and models of power boats trying to find what works for us.
Carver 530 Voyager - Loved the easy, cockpit entry from a floating dock or a dinghy, loved the galley up design, molded in steps, great pilothouse and dinette design, flybridge access from the pilothouse, and the engine room was not stand up but was in no way cramped and was very well-organized.
Hatteras 58' - Loved the salon and the "balcony" off the back. Galley down - not a deal killer but we like to cook and prefer the galley near the same level as the salon. LOTS of room in the master. Walk in engine rooms. We didn't like the tall dockside steps needed for entry.
Hatteras 56' - same notes as above.
Viking 55' - SO spacious! In the end, we felt like this was more boat than we needed for the two of us with the occasional visiting couple.
Chris Craft 501 - They only made six or seven of the galley up/four stateroom models and only made them in 1990. The rest of the 501s are all three stateroom/galley down designs. We didn't like the dockside stairs needed for access but loved the feel of the salon, galley, balcony, and separated pilothouse on the same level. The lower deck was roomy and comfortable but only enough room for a combo washer dryer. All of the other boats had room for a separate washer and dryer.

We would still like to get on a Defever in the 50' range and on a Hatteras 53 Extended Deckhouse model. The Hatteras ED has a galley down, granted, but they appear roomy enough. No way to be sure until boarding one. The extended salon is separated from the pilothouse by a wetbar and entertainment center, which would be awesome.

Based on what we know so far, the Carver 53 and the Hatt 53 ED hold the most promise. Very, very different designs. The easy entry issues could be solved on the Hatt 53 ED by added an extended swim platform and a set of stairs from the balcony down. Still evaluating.

There is no rush. At the moment, we're trying to figure out the make and model that has the most advantages for us and the fewest negatives. Lots of exploring still to do before starting the next phase of our journey but it sure is exciting to look. And we learn a little something new each time.

John

Let me know if you want to look at the Grand Alaskan 53 (DeFever Design). We have a 2002 model here in JAX. Not for sale though.

Hull number 2 was for sale recently but I think it just sold.

Greetings,
Mr. JE. "Viking 55'...more boat than we needed" And you're considering a 53'? What's 2'? Just askin'...

Welcome John. Thanks for taking us on your journey. I think your approach is correct in boarding many differant boats to see what is a fit and what is not. Remember we ol' folks like pics

Good luck on your search. Hubby and I just went through the same thing. Tons of research and deciding what we liked and didn’t like.

We sold our 42' Chris Craft aft cabin last fall so we do have some hands on experience to draw upon about what we like and don't like. For one thing, we know we like to cook together so a "one butt galley" won't cut it for us. We seem to be leaning toward a galley up design for the social aspect of it being by the salon but galley down on an otherwise-perfect boat wouldn't be a deal killer.

First and foremost will be clean and well-maintained with good maintenance documentation and a positive survey.

menzies said:

Let me know if you want to look at the Grand Alaskan 53 (DeFever Design). We have a 2002 model here in JAX. Not for sale though.

Hull number 2 was for sale recently but I think it just sold.

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Thanks! That's a very kind offer. We love the boating community!

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
Mr. JE. "Viking 55'...more boat than we needed" And you're considering a 53'? What's 2'? Just askin'...

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It was amazing, the difference! I know... just 2', right? Seemed much taller and bulkier both as we approached on the dock and when aboard in the pilothouse. I stepped up on the 53' Carver (also a 53' Navigator. Forgot about that one.) and felt it would be easy enough to handle. Also, the Viking 55 was a four stateroom model and that was just more than we needed. That could have colored our opinion somewhat.

Greetings,
Mr. JE. 4 stateroom? Bonus! Office, clean tool/spares storage, hobby room, library...the possibilities are endless. An extra room is EXACTLY what I need and NO, I'm not thinking of up-sizing. On the other hand...



Bwahahaha....

If you liked the Chris 501 4strm then you should take a look at the ocean alexander 54. Like the Chris there were not very many made and only back in the late 80’. It has the galley up, large saloon, 3 staterooms.

I looked hard at a Chris 501 4strm out of portland. It had only two failings for me. It had been extended so it’s over all length was 64’ and the wife wanted more separation between the galley and the saloon. Both problems were solved by the OA 54. (OA also made a pilot house 54 starting in1994)

There is one for sale in Anacortes and another in the Bahamas.

tiltrider1 said:

If you liked the Chris 501 4strm then you should take a look at the ocean alexander 54. Like the Chris there were not very many made and only back in the late 80’. It has the galley up, large saloon, 3 staterooms.

I looked hard at a Chris 501 4strm out of portland. It had only two failings for me. It had been extended so it’s over all length was 64’ and the wife wanted more separation between the galley and the saloon. Both problems were solved by the OA 54. (OA also made a pilot house 54 starting in1994)

There is one for sale in Anacortes and another in the Bahamas.

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Thanks, Tiltrider. We'll take a closer look. This is the link to the one in the Bahamas. The teak on the cockpit and the flybridge all needs to refinishing and there is some leakage/corrosion on the heat exchangers (I think that's what they are) but it looks like a fine candidate. Appreciate the suggestion.

Have you considered the Hatteras 52's? Either the motor yachts or the CPMYs have lots of separate living spaces and decent engine access. The similar 50 Sportdeck has an actual walk-in engine room!

JohnEasley said:

Thanks, Tiltrider. We'll take a closer look. This is the link to the one in the Bahamas. The teak on the cockpit and the flybridge all needs to refinishing and there is some leakage/corrosion on the heat exchangers (I think that's what they are) but it looks like a fine candidate. Appreciate the suggestion.

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Am I correct that this boat is not air conditioned? It has a 16kw generator, but I cannot find anything in the specs about cooling the interior spaces.

Woodland Hills said:

Have you considered the Hatteras 52's? Either the motor yachts or the CPMYs have lots of separate living spaces and decent engine access. The similar 50 Sportdeck has an actual walk-in engine room!

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In fact, we have. There is a 52’ CPMY located about one hour from our house. Spoke to the broker at length yesterday. They are so booked with showings on it that there was no time to see it this weekend or next weekend. Based on the photos, it looks beautiful inside, is within our price range, and would meet nearly all of our needs. Won’t know for sure until we can get inside.

I would also try to get aboard a 50 Sportdeck: while it looked similar to the bigger 52's, the one I was aboard was an eye opener. Not only did it have a well designed euro stern with easier access to the water than many cockpits, but there was a full beam engine room with standup headroom. Very Tardis-like!

There is a very nice one in Florida........

Woodland Hills said:

I would also try to get aboard a 50 Sportdeck: while it looked similar to the bigger 52's, the one I was aboard was an eye opener. Not only did it have a well designed euro stern with easier access to the water than many cockpits, but there was a full beam engine room with standup headroom. Very Tardis-like!

There is a very nice one in Florida........

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Found the sportdeck. It’s way bigger than we want and way out of our price range. But thanks for the suggestion.

I checked Yachtworld and I see there are only 4 for sale and 3 of them are in the Seattle area. Things do change so just add it to the list.

tiltrider1 said:

I checked Yachtworld and I see there are only 4 for sale and 3 of them are in the Seattle area. Things do change so just add it to the list.

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Really? I must have searched wrong. I only found one and it was 70’ long with a price tag of three quarters of a million dollars. Exactly what did you search for?

I was still on the Ocean Alexander.

tiltrider1 said:

I checked Yachtworld and I see there are only 4 for sale and 3 of them are in the Seattle area. Things do change so just add it to the list.

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Oh wait. Bad initial search. Found it. Good suggestion. That’s pretty much exactly what we’re looking for and the one in FL is within our price range.
Link

Thanks.

This is my bias and does not really match with most of the boats your referred to in your first post but....
You did mention the word so I would not close your search until you did board the Defever you mentioned. The 49 RPH is one of my favorite of all boats. The one in Florida seems like the best deal but I walk by the one in Bellingham most days.
Capable and beautiful both and stabilized to boot. Galley up and at least a butt and a half....

klee wyck said:

This is my bias and does not really match with most of the boats your referred to in your first post but....
You did mention the word so I would not close your search until you did board the Defever you mentioned. The 49 RPH is one of my favorite of all boats. The one in Florida seems like the best deal but I walk by the one in Bellingham most days.
Capable and beautiful both and stabilized to boot. Galley up and at least a butt and a half....

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Thanks for taking the time to search Klee. That's Gypsies in the Palace. We had already ruled her out due to the forward head being a wet head. Had that on our last boat and we decided no more wet heads. Appreciate the info, though.

Woodland Hills said:

I would also try to get aboard a 50 Sportdeck: while it looked similar to the bigger 52's, the one I was aboard was an eye opener. Not only did it have a well designed euro stern with easier access to the water than many cockpits, but there was a full beam engine room with standup headroom. Very Tardis-like!

There is a very nice one in Florida........

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Thanks, WH. Somehow, we had missed that one in our previous searches. We have an appointment to see it Thursday on our way to Trawler Fest.

JohnEasley said:

Thanks, WH. Somehow, we had missed that one in our previous searches. We have an appointment to see it Thursday on our way to Trawler Fest.

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Let us know what you think afterwards. I thought it was a fine boat and that it just needed someone to use it more. It just wasn't the boat for us.......

So, you've been aboard?

Casual observations from the photos: Not a big fan of the sherbet green galley counter and dinette table but those can be changed out. The aft deck has air conditioning but needs to be enclosed. The bridge could use an air conditioning unit. The engine room looks like it could use a thorough cleaning. Otherwise, it looks to be in pretty decent shape. I'll post back after we tour it.

I was aboard about 10 days ago. There is also a nice DeFever for sale at the end of same pier, but it's a bit more expensive.

As far as the 50 goes: at 239k for a Hatteras of this size and vintage, they all will need attention somewhere. This one seemed useable right away or at least after a good cleaning....... The aft sundeck is smaller than on the 52's, but is still large IMHO in exchange you have a bigger engine room, not spacious by any means, but not cramped at all.

Soft goods are the cheapest and easiest things to change and countertops must be right behind them on the degree of difficulty scale, so I would not worry about it. None of the boats I saw in the $200k to $300k range were in Bristol condition, if you want a real fright, there is a 56' Sea Ranger on the other side of the bridge from the Hatteras that will curl your hair!

The Admiral is currently stuck in the PHX airport on her way to tour a couple of boats in Florida, so we are making progress too. There are a couple of Hatteras's on the Atlantic coast that we think are worth putting in an offer, either one would work, it just depends on coming to a price on one of them.

Not looking forward to playing Offer/Counteroffer with the sellers in order to learn their best/actual price, but that's the way the Game is played. It can be tricky, keeping negotiation friendly, so that if you walk away, you can return without recriminations........ Sigh.......

Woodland Hills said:

I was aboard about 10 days ago. There is also a nice DeFever for sale at the end of same pier, but it's a bit more expensive.

As far as the 50 goes: at 239k for a Hatteras of this size and vintage, they all will need attention somewhere. This one seemed useable right away or at least after a good cleaning....... The aft sundeck is smaller than on the 52's, but is still large IMHO in exchange you have a bigger engine room, not spacious by any means, but not cramped at all.

Soft goods are the cheapest and easiest things to change and countertops must be right behind them on the degree of difficulty scale, so I would not worry about it. None of the boats I saw in the $200k to $300k range were in Bristol condition, if you want a real fright, there is a 56' Sea Ranger on the other side of the bridge from the Hatteras that will curl your hair!

The Admiral is currently stuck in the PHX airport on her way to tour a couple of boats in Florida, so we are making progress too. There are a couple of Hatteras's on the Atlantic coast that we think are worth putting in an offer, either one would work, it just depends on coming to a price on one of them.

Not looking forward to playing Offer/Counteroffer with the sellers in order to learn their best/actual price, but that's the way the Game is played. It can be tricky, keeping negotiation friendly, so that if you walk away, you can return without recriminations........ Sigh.......

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Are you using a buyer's broker?

Woodland Hills said:

I was aboard about 10 days ago. There is also a nice DeFever for sale at the end of same pier, but it's a bit more expensive.

As far as the 50 goes: at 239k for a Hatteras of this size and vintage, they all will need attention somewhere. This one seemed useable right away or at least after a good cleaning....... The aft sundeck is smaller than on the 52's, but is still large IMHO in exchange you have a bigger engine room, not spacious by any means, but not cramped at all.

Soft goods are the cheapest and easiest things to change and countertops must be right behind them on the degree of difficulty scale, so I would not worry about it. None of the boats I saw in the $200k to $300k range were in Bristol condition, if you want a real fright, there is a 56' Sea Ranger on the other side of the bridge from the Hatteras that will curl your hair!

The Admiral is currently stuck in the PHX airport on her way to tour a couple of boats in Florida, so we are making progress too. There are a couple of Hatteras's on the Atlantic coast that we think are worth putting in an offer, either one would work, it just depends on coming to a price on one of them.

Not looking forward to playing Offer/Counteroffer with the sellers in order to learn their best/actual price, but that's the way the Game is played. It can be tricky, keeping negotiation friendly, so that if you walk away, you can return without recriminations........ Sigh.......

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Yeah, we're expecting any boat in our price range is going to need a bit of care and attention and we're fine with that. We consider it all part of learning the boat and making it our own. On our previous boat, we changed out the old mid-80s countertops for granite and it sure made a huge difference. Not that hard to have done.

Good luck on your search.

By coincidence, I worked in Woodland Hills for a couple of years (a really long time ago) and lived in Northridge. ...until the Northridge earthquake and then I got the heck outta Dodge.

No, started out looking with one, but I had better luck on my own. I could add a buyer broker as a negotiating agent, but it would, in practice, add a stressor and not a buffer!
However, if we are at an impasse with both boats/sellers, I would be open to assistance. I was told by one of the selling brokers that he was already working for less than the standard commission, but don't see how that makes a difference to the buyer.

Both brokers played the Been a Lot of Interest in This Boat Lately card as well as the This is the Buying Season, Better Move Fast card, to equal effect. But each one has a serious defect in our eyes: one is upgraded to like new Palm Beach condition in every respect but has very high time engines and no thrusters. The other has low time engines, only 75% upgraded and 2' shorter, but has bow thruster. Both boats are in the same price class as far as asking price, but who knows what their real price will be?

I was told by a broker that a 58' Hatteras Yachtfisherman with new Cummins engines that recently sold did so at more than $50k under the asking price, more than 20% off.......

JohnEasley said:

Yeah, we're expecting any boat in our price range is going to need a bit of care and attention and we're fine with that. We consider it all part of learning the boat and making it our own. On our previous boat, we changed out the old mid-80s countertops for granite and it sure made a huge difference. Not that hard to have done.

Good luck on your search.

By coincidence, I worked in Woodland Hills for a couple of years (a really long time ago) and lived in Northridge. ...until the Northridge earthquake and then I got the heck outta Dodge.

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We lived at the top of Winnetka, up past Taft High School, from '99 to '17. Missed all the big shakers, rain storms and fires! Now we are camped in a rental home in the Paso Robles wine country while we boat shop for a liveaboard on the East Coast.