Boats you would buy again.

[Catimann]

Research is hard and I am looking to find an easier way to shorten the list. A few short reason why would help.

Thank you.

 

[RedRascal]

I really had fun with a cartop Snark sailboat, wish I still had it.

 

[Bendit]

I am seriously considering a Riviera 36 - not a trawler, I know. I had one of these 20 years ago, before Pioneer and it was a great boat. The main reason is the cost of berthing
53' versus 40'. Also, the maintenance on Pioneer is becoming a bit much for me now...

 

[O C Diver]

No boat is perfect, but I'd buy my Cherubini again.

Probably tough to make a case for what you should buy without knowing your mission parameters.

Ted

 

[firehoser75]

Catimann,
I would buy a Nordic Tug (or an American Tug, prefer Nordic) again.

However, with that being said, I agree with OC about tough for us to give meaningful advice without knowing what your parameters are???
About the Nordic Tug 37: The NT 37 (newer models are the 39 or 40) are great boats for a couple with occasional guests (they do have 2 bedrooms/cabins) to travel extensively (if desired) around the coastal areas of BC, Washington, and Alaska (other locales as well, but this is the area I am familiar with). Things that I liked about the boat: single engine, separate raised pilothouse, no screwed down teak decks, little to no exterior wood trim, good tankage, low fuel consumption at hull speeds, well built with good attention to detail, good reputation, good resale value (double edged sword as they are relatively expensive - hold value), easy to handle, seaworthy, locally built in Washington State with good support, in general a great coastal cruiser. The NT 37 is "big enough", yet "small enough" for our use (an active cruising couple).
There are other great boats out there, just explaining my thoughts and experiences with our NT 37.

 

[PierreR]

I really had fun with a cartop Snark sailboat, wish I still had it.

You are the first person I have heard say that. My dad brought one home about 1965. It was a promotional for Kool cigarettes and was all Styrofoam with no hard coating.
As a small 10 year old it was tender and easy to flip and I did not have enough weight to get it back upright very well.

 

[mmullins]

I would buy all three of my "big" boats again: 1988 Californian Veneti, 1971 Hatteras 43 Double Cabin, 1978 37' Hershine Double Cabin. The Californian was big, beamy and could hold a dozen people without feeling crowded. The Hatteras handled beautifully. She would make any amateur look like an expert skipper. The Hershine oozes character. My first flybridge. Piloting from the flybridge and the wake is louder than the engine.

 

[huruta]

Have a Nordic tug 32. Would buy it again, but fortunately still have it! Same reasons firehouse likes his 37

 

[tpbrady]

I would buy a 22 C-Dory again although the wife would prefer the 25. Very capable and very simple.

 

[slowgoesit]

We would buy our current boat, a Beebe design Passagemaker 50 again. Matter of fact, we've pretty much done that in the three years we've owned it with all the improvements we've done to it!

The 34' Monk, not so much.

The 36' Grand Banks . . . . maybe, it would have to depend on the condition of the boat.

 

[SteveK]

Every boat I bought was the last boat. That is until I saw something in another boat that I did not have. Each one was an improvement, giving a greater and newer satisfaction.

Why would I go backwards. BTW, the current one is my last boat, no seriously.

 

[Delta Riverat]

My first boat, a wood floor inflatable. I had a lot of fun on that boat and the flotation and stability impressed me.

I liked it so much I bought another version for my current boat to serve as tender and "I think I'll go fishing" ...

Cause as you can see the Gypsy is not really suited for fishing -

 

[lwarden]

This is a bit of a "bring me a rock" question, with all due respect.

 

[RCook]

Our first cruiser, a C-Dory 22. As tpbrady says, simple, and capable.

 

[RedRascal]

You are the first person I have heard say that. My dad brought one home about 1965. It was a promotional for Kool cigarettes and was all Styrofoam with no hard coating.
As a small 10 year old it was tender and easy to flip and I did not have enough weight to get it back upright very well.

I had the semi fancy one with the ABS shell and I added a "deck" over the bow. I was eventually able to teach myself how to back that boat up under sail. With that skill I sorted out I was able to transfer it to backing up a Catalina 30 I once had. Sometimes if the sails and wind aligned I could somewhat back up with control for about a boat length or two. Good fun just screwing around.

 

[RedRascal]

Okay so a quick scan of the thread here are the top mentions with two mentions each:
-22 C-Dory
-Snark cartop sailboat
-The Nordic Tug brand

 

[fgarriso]

58 Hatteras LRC

 

[mvweebles]

A very good and knowledgeable friend owned a Roughwater 37 that he really liked. He sold it when he relocated for work and bought a Tolly 48. He always missed his R37. A few years later, he bought another R37. It really a fine boat.

Peter

 

[PierreR]

42 Hatteras LRC

 

[mvweebles]

Ugghhh....time expired to edit my message. Here is a Roughwater 37 with and without Flybridge. My understanding is Ed Monk originally drew the boat without the FB, but it was added by the builder for marketing purposes.







Personally, much as I like FBs, the original Monk w/o flybridge looks better. Perhaps a simple helm station similar to what preceded modern flybridges such as as added to Ernest Hemingway's "Pilar," a Wheeler 38.



Incidentally, Wheeler is still in business. Pilar was re-imagined by Wheeler 10-years ago. A stunning vessel.

 

[Ken E.]

Anything Hatteras

 

[Cargile]

The boat I had the most fun with was a '76 19' Seacraft cuddy cabin with a Johnson 150. Mine was yellow. I owned it in the late 80's.

 

[PhilPB]

I really had fun with a cartop Snark sailboat, wish I still had it.

That brings back memories. I had a Super Snark when I was in college in 1981. Found it in the trash with a sail but no rigging or mast. Made a mast out of a fence post and learned how to sail in the Daytona Beach yacht basin. I loved it and that started my many years of owning and using quite a few different boats.



Many boats later, my current boat is my first trawler and I love it as my first foray into trawler cruising. Since I am mostly done updating it (new running gear, refurbished rudder, new thruster, awlgrip deck/cabin/flybridge, all new plumbing, new teak interior, etc etc), if my history holds true, since I have made this current boat very nice for the next owner, it may be time to start looking for a bigger one. We take it out at least once, if not twice a
week. It handles great, burns little fuel and is a fantastic boat.

So to answer the question. My first Snark and so far my latest Mainship!

 

[lwarden]

I was afflicted with this boating disease at a very young age as we lived over Mission Bay in San Diego. My parents were not into boats although my dad did race lightnings for a while. When I was about 13 I bugged the hell out of my dad to buy a small sailboat. The neighbors across the street had a Super Snark in the rafters of their garage and after some negotiation it was ours. It was a great boat and I sailed it everyday in the summer. The only thing wrong with it was no main cleat, so I ended up trough bolting a Harkin block and jam cleat to the hull. Problem solved. Loved that little boat!

 

[PhilPB]

And then again. I liked my Searay bowrider, Landau pontoon, Pearson sailboat.....

 

[alormaria]

Brand new Catalina 22.

 

[FWT]

Am 1/2 season into my Helmsman 38. Very happy with the choice.

 

[Hippocampus]

Catimann,
I would buy a Nordic Tug (or an American Tug, prefer Nordic) again.

However, with that being said, I agree with OC about tough for us to give meaningful advice without knowing what your parameters are???
About the Nordic Tug 37: The NT 37 (newer models are the 39 or 40) are great boats for a couple with occasional guests (they do have 2 bedrooms/cabins) to travel extensively (if desired) around the coastal areas of BC, Washington, and Alaska (other locales as well, but this is the area I am familiar with). Things that I liked about the boat: single engine, separate raised pilothouse, no screwed down teak decks, little to no exterior wood trim, good tankage, low fuel consumption at hull speeds, well built with good attention to detail, good reputation, good resale value (double edged sword as they are relatively expensive - hold value), easy to handle, seaworthy, locally built in Washington State with good support, in general a great coastal cruiser. The NT 37 is "big enough", yet "small enough" for our use (an active cruising couple).
There are other great boats out there, just explaining my thoughts and experiences with our NT 37.

Thanks for this. But my all time favorite boat was my Outbound 46.

 

[RedRascal]

Interesting thread and I am a bit surprised that others were also bombing around having a good time in their Snarks. Sometimes if the wind was good I'd go out twice a day with mine. Sometimes unemployed gives you extra time to do things like sail your Snark. Not sure that this thread is going to help to OP but by top mentions we have:
Snarks = 4
Hatteras Brand = 4

Looks like a Snark on the boat deck of a Hatteras is a winning combination.

 

[Larmex99]

Owned quite a few boats over the last 40 yrs but one stands out. For 11 yrs I owned an Offshore 54 and it was amazing! I travelled between Alaska and Central America putting on almost 3000 hours. In that time I was never shut down for any reason. While there were repairs needed on occasion they were all done with minimal outside help as the boat is designed to make repairs easy.
I crossed the Gulf of Alaska 3 times in some terrible conditions and fished the REVILLAGIGEDO ISLANDS twice before it was made a marine park. I have never felt as confident with any boat. When I sold it during Covid I got almost what I paid for it. Can’t imagine a better boat for my needs. My current catamaran is a nice boat but it isn’t for anyone who doesn’t know how to use their tools.