Shopping for different boat

All,


Like a lot of us, I'm in the shopping mode for a new to me boat.


I've set my sights on the following two boats and would like comments:


Bayliner 4788. Great cabin, handles well, easy to work on, lots of value for the money. Like the dinghy on the flybridge so that it's not taking up space on the transom. The pilot house is neat, but not a huge requirement.


Mainship 430. Very similar to my current Mainship 400, but extra cabin room, faster if needed. However, I really like the non aft cabin one, nor sure what that call that design... Euro?, just like my 400. However, quite rare and drives the price up.


Absolute MUSTS:
Shallow draft, below 4 feet.

Twin engine
Easy to single hand, side helm door.
No ladders (or ability to not use them like the 4788)
Prefer galley up, but not a killer deal.
No older than late 1990s, perfer 2002 and earlier.



Budget: in the $200k range.


Now, I love my 400, and could be happy keeping it, but the GF wants bigger (yea, so do I). Do another loop trip and a bit more traveling but might downside in 5 to 10 years... so, not forever.


Comments, or are there other choices out there?

I think you've targeted two very similar boats to what you have which is wise considering you love your current boat. I'd suggest putting some search criteria in Yacht World and just seeing if other boats pop up that might interest you but wouldn't do anything drastic that might leave you sorry you made the change.

BandB said:

I think you've targeted two very similar boats to what you have which is wise considering you love your current boat. I'd suggest putting some search criteria in Yacht World and just seeing if other boats pop up that might interest you but wouldn't do anything drastic that might leave you sorry you made the change.

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BandB,


Good points, and I have searched. The draft requirement eliminates a bunch of otherwise nice boat, and I haven't found a lot more in my price range.

How about Defever? There are some pretty nice Defevers in that price range if you go a little older than 2000. I saw a nice 1999 44' for $235k. You could probably get it for $200. It's a well built seaworthy boat with lots of room.

We looked at a 4788, the deal killer was the really tight engine room.

dirtdoc1 said:

How about Defever? There are some pretty nice Defevers in that price range if you go a little older than 2000. I saw a nice 1999 44' for $235k. You could probably get it for $200. It's a well built seaworthy boat with lots of room.

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DeFever is a GREAT boat, but draft is an issue. ====




=====
Yes, engine room is an issue, but most have modified them with extra panels for easy access. I crawled in one without the covers open and for basic stuff wasn't bad. The big issue is the outside of the starboard side where the holding tank is. Some folks have removed it (or downsized it) and put in a different systems and that works.

American Tug.... 41/43
draft shallow
Down side, bring another $50-90K, single engine

OldDan1943 said:

American Tug.... 41/43
draft shallow
Down side, bring another $50-90K, single engine

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OldDan,


They are GREAT boats and would love one. However, I'm seen them at double the cost and the draft is over four feet. As much as I'd like to have one, that isn't going to work.


Also, getting the flybridge ones are RARE.

Seevee said:

OldDan,


They are GREAT boats and would love one. However, I'm seen them at double the cost and the draft is over four feet. As much as I'd like to have one, that isn't going to work.


Also, getting the flybridge ones are RARE.

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Draft.... yea bigger boats sink further into the water. I have a 34 with a draft of 3 1/2ft.
Used boat price is high, yea, I've noticed that too. Used 34s go for something over $250K.
So much for my idea. Sorry about that.

Seevee said:

Bayliner 4788. Great cabin, handles well, easy to work on, lots of value for the money. Like the dinghy on the flybridge so that it's not taking up space on the transom. The pilot house is neat, but not a huge requirement.

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I have no personal experience with them but have known a lot of very happy owners. Not sure what you mean by easy to work on, but from 4788 owners have told me, unless you are a small person who moonlights as a contortionist, the engines can be challenging to access.

dhays said:

I have no personal experience with them but have known a lot of very happy owners. Not sure what you mean by easy to work on, but from 4788 owners have told me, unless you are a small person who moonlights as a contortionist, the engines can be challenging to access.

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I went thru one to see specifically how hard it would be to work on one. Yes, it has some issues. A lot of folks have modified the floor with hatches to make engine access much easier. I crawled around down there and it was quite doable. No, it's not a DeFever, but not bad.


The hard spot is the starboard side, where there's a holding tank. Need to deal with that.


Other things like access to generator, electrical panel, batteries is good. Running wires would have a few challenges but looks doable. Not any worse than my Mainship.

As a current 4788 owner with about a decade of time on the platform I’ll chime in.

Regarding engine access, this is a easy one to go from the OEM of a real difficult situation to just the opposite.

All it takes is adding three hatches. Center, and outboard of each engine.

All total less than a days work for anybody familiar with a skill saw. The deck framing is set up fore to aft meaning you do not have to cut any framing to do the job.

Now you have a easy to access engine room with pretty much zero crawling to access your engines.

A word on draft - boats with same spec draft are not always the same. My Willard 36 has a draft of just at under 4 feet, as does my buddies Horizon 52 Power Cat. My single engine displacement hull of course has the prop well protected in the keel with heavy bronze rudder skeg. The PC52 has fin-skegs in front of the props and are indeed lower than the props, but the props are otherwise exposed. He won't touch water less than 6 feet deep - a common condition in Florida. Touching bottom for me, even at 5 kts, is a non-event.

Draft: a word of caution. The builder/designer measure/design the draft with (if you are lucky) half load of fuel, half load of water. Nothing else on board. I mean 'bare'.
We all start adding things, full fuel load, full water tanks, clothing, food, tools and undefined "stuff". No longer will the draft be "as advertised".
Air draft, that's a different animal. Bridge clearance.

Dan has a very good point on published vs real world draft. My boat was published at 3'0". I've measured it at 3'8" to the props, 3'3" to the keel with full tanks in fresh water. As best I can figure, the measurement was done with no props installed and half tanks in salt water.

Very good points on draft, and understood. But, I have to start somewhere, so it's with the published specs. If I'm loaded, I expect to be lower in the water.



For the most part, I won't be horribly loaded at my home dock until just before a trip of sorts. So, I just figure on needing a few more inches to get out.



The 4788 shows 3'4" draft. My Mainship is 3'8". I'd already be 4" ahead. Plus a twin configuration would be much easier to get out in that I could turn around right at the dock, (can't do that with Mainship because of the prop walk). The Mainship gets out ok, but when we have north winds howling across the island north of us, it becomes very difficult to back out with that side wind to an open area to turn around. Hate to smash my neighbors boat.


However, all pretty much just for info. I'm going to have about 5% of the time I just can't get out, and will deal with it. Also, it's only mud, so if I hit, just stirring up mud.