Hi, good to meet you all

[grossmpd]

I am a long-time sailor (50 years, local San Francisco and San Diego, lots of Caribbean, EU and South Pacific charter, racing ocean racing) who is making the move to a power boat. It is clear I have a lot to learn.

My goal is to be able to do long range cruising (Mexico, PNW, East Coast, Caribbean, and maybe ship the boat to the Med if we get ambitious). We do not plan to live aboard year around, but rather to take multiple 3-5 week tours during the year. Maybe relocate the boat after a few trips.

So as of now, my two big questions are:

• Do I get a full displacement boat (e.g., Nordhavn) or a semi-displacement boat (e.g., Hampton Endurance)?
• How can we cruise with our 45 lb dog?
• How do you handle moving the boat to avoid hurricanes on the east coast (I'm from CA so this is a mystery)

Any helpful hits to get started would be much appreciated.

Thanks!
Paul

 

[READY]

Hi Paul. Welcome.

• Do I get a full displacement boat (e.g., Nordhavn) or a semi-displacement boat (e.g., Hampton Endurance)?
  • Lots of aspects to this. Speed, fuel consumption, sea handling, interior volume, price, condition, etc. For the uses you described I suspect there is no wrong answer. You say "long range cruising" but that needs more definition. How far, open water or coastal? I would offer that full displacement can do most anything but at a slower speed (like your sailboat only faster (race boats excluded!), semi-displacement is more limited, like coastal cruising but in good condition can run 12-18 knots but at a much higher fuel cost.
• How can we cruise with our 45 lb dog?
  • Most dogs do great on boats. Get a patch of artificial turf and they normally use it. Perhaps pour some urine on it to get them sniffing around??
• How do you handle moving the boat to avoid hurricanes on the east coast (I'm from CA so this is a mystery)
  • OK I am from North Carolina and now live in Vegas by way of San Diego. Boat in water in San Diego and up in Sacramento Delta. So not your expert on this but generally insurance will dictate where you have to keep your boat. In general somewhere north of Jacksonville FL in hurricane season.
  • Are you wanting to ship or cruise between PNW and East Coast/Carib? What do you have more of time or money?

No mention of your budget or crew (family) size so adding more detail here will get you more specific responses. No mention of what arrangements you prefer (pilothouse, flybridge, etc). My suggestion is to buy a few drinks with some boaters that have the type of boat you are considering and gain from their experience. But remember most of us can only offer you our informed opinions that are of course influenced by our own preferences. Confirmation bias is a real thing!

If you search the forum you should find plenty of info on this topic. Getting insurance and a marina slip are probably two of the early challenges you should research. The idea of keeping a boat in one place for a while (months) and then moving to another location is very appealing but marina slips are now very hard to get in many popular destinations. Case in point my Hatteras 48LRC is now in the Delta (since June). I would probably not be able to find an available 50 foot slip here in San Diego. I called one of the less popular, more available marinas this weekend just for kicks. She has 20 boats on the 50' wait list. Not saying it is impossible as sometimes you get lucky but if is no longer a sure thing to expect to find a slip when you want it. If you stay in smaller sizes (something that can fit in a 36 ft slip) then you will probably have an easier time.

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard.

 

[ranger58sb]

So as of now, my two big questions are:

• Do I get a full displacement boat (e.g., Nordhavn) or a semi-displacement boat (e.g., Hampton Endurance)?
• How can we cruise with our 45 lb dog?
• How do you handle moving the boat to avoid hurricanes on the east coast (I'm from CA so this is a mystery)

Any helpful hits to get started would be much appreciated.

Welcome. First, search existing threads on those topics.

45-lbs should be easy enough. Looks for training tips, ease of boarding, and look for dinghy details assuming you might like to anchor out sometimes. Some boat things to solve while you're in your shopping/buying phase.

You'll see hurricane prep varies. Usually some version of move the boat (to either a different facility or to a hurricane hole), haul out, or sometimes stay in the water in the home marina and upgrade lines and fendering. Each of those is usually a dissertation, not often a simple "Do X and call it good." No one size fits all. Your choice for any given event depends on your home marina, hurricane track and intensity, availability of options, your own (or hired) time, etc.

-Chris

 

[grossmpd]

Hi Paul. Welcome.

• Do I get a full displacement boat (e.g., Nordhavn) or a semi-displacement boat (e.g., Hampton Endurance)?
  • Lots of aspects to this. Speed, fuel consumption, sea handling, interior volume, price, condition, etc. For the uses you described I suspect there is no wrong answer. You say "long range cruising" but that needs more definition. How far, open water or coastal? I would offer that full displacement can do most anything but at a slower speed (like your sailboat only faster (race boats excluded!), semi-displacement is more limited, like coastal cruising but in good condition can run 12-18 knots but at a much higher fuel cost.
• How can we cruise with our 45 lb dog?
  • Most dogs do great on boats. Get a patch of artificial turf and they normally use it. Perhaps pour some urine on it to get them sniffing around??
• How do you handle moving the boat to avoid hurricanes on the east coast (I'm from CA so this is a mystery)
  • OK I am from North Carolina and now live in Vegas by way of San Diego. Boat in water in San Diego and up in Sacramento Delta. So not your expert on this but generally insurance will dictate where you have to keep your boat. In general somewhere north of Jacksonville FL in hurricane season.
  • Are you wanting to ship or cruise between PNW and East Coast/Carib? What do you have more of time or money?

No mention of your budget or crew (family) size so adding more detail here will get you more specific responses. No mention of what arrangements you prefer (pilothouse, flybridge, etc). My suggestion is to buy a few drinks with some boaters that have the type of boat you are considering and gain from their experience. But remember most of us can only offer you our informed opinions that are of course influenced by our own preferences. Confirmation bias is a real thing!

If you search the forum you should find plenty of info on this topic. Getting insurance and a marina slip are probably two of the early challenges you should research. The idea of keeping a boat in one place for a while (months) and then moving to another location is very appealing but marina slips are now very hard to get in many popular destinations. Case in point my Hatteras 48LRC is now in the Delta (since June). I would probably not be able to find an available 50 foot slip here in San Diego. I called one of the less popular, more available marinas this weekend just for kicks. She has 20 boats on the 50' wait list. Not saying it is impossible as sometimes you get lucky but if is no longer a sure thing to expect to find a slip when you want it. If you stay in smaller sizes (something that can fit in a 36 ft slip) then you will probably have an easier time.

Thanks a lot. very helpful. I'll start working the bars. In terms of some of the
details that you requested:

• Probably coastal cruising. Could be long distances, but not across oceans.
• Would like to take the boat on her bottom to PNW, MX and east Coast, would do in stages, but shipping is an option too.
• Budget is good, but not unlimited. Under 70ft probably.
• Crew: wife mostly, with occasional friends.
• Arrangements: I don't know enough yet; what are the tradeoffs?
• Slips: great tip here; I'll be sure to push brokers to come up with a slip in SD, if they exist.

Thanks again!

 

[READY]

Thanks a lot. very helpful. I'll start working the bars. In terms of some of the
details that you requested:

• Probably coastal cruising. Could be long distances, but not across oceans.
• Would like to take the boat on her bottom to PNW, MX and east Coast, would do in stages, but shipping is an option too.
• Budget is good, but not unlimited. Under 70ft probably.
• Crew: wife mostly, with occasional friends.
• Arrangements: I don't know enough yet; what are the tradeoffs?
• Slips: great tip here; I'll be sure to push brokers to come up with a slip in SD, if they exist.

Thanks again!

Brokers are not likely to provide much assistance when it comes to slips. It usually comes down to legwork, getting on waitlists and where possible meeting face to face with the various harbormasters.

Budget "good" is not very helpful. Don't mean to be rude but if you want input from the forum you need to invest your own time into research. 70ft is a monster boat for a couple and slips are near impossible in SoCal. You need to really settle on a budget and come up with what things are important to you. Also be sure you can get insurance.

You mention shipping the boat. You generally cannot ship a 50-70 foot boat on a highway so now you are cargo on a ship. Generally these ships are not US flagged so cannot both pick up and drop off in the US. For example you might pick up in Ensenada and drop off in Vancouver or Florida.

Suggest you start getting on some boats to narrow down your wants vs. needs and draft a budget that is more specific. Sounds like you have a lot of boating experience but not with power. Things are not that different in general so you should use that as a foundation for your planning. Good luck

 

[grossmpd]

Thank you! Very helpful. I'll get to work!

 

[HopCar]

Fifty years on a sail boat! Bout time you came to your senses!
Welcome aboard!

 

[Dorrie]

Having just gone through this- i recommend that you start to develop a list of “must haves” and then start looking at the smallest powerboat/trawler which meets those wants. Let your needs dictate the length and speed that you need. You don’t say how old you are but if you want do continue to do this for a long time, it might be time to think about why you’re changing from sail to power. As a 67 year old my needs included being able to easily step (not jump) off the boat to dock while still holding on. Knees aren’t what they used to be - that meant a stern cockpit. And, a bow thruster or twins for maneuverability so there’s less need for last minute hauling on lines, etc. No winches. A transom door so I don’t have to LIFT my 30 pound dogs was on my need list. And, a convenient place to put a pee pad/astroturf. Easy way to get into a dinghy and then get a heavy dingy back onto the boat or davits….A boat that could be completely managed (except for freeing up the anchor windlass to anchor) from the pilot house OR very safe, walkable deck for people and dogs. You get the idea. Everyone’s need list is different, but you can eliminate a LOT of boats if you stick to your own list.

 

[ranger58sb]

i recommend that you start to develop a list of “must haves” and then start looking at the smallest powerboat/trawler which meets those wants.

And then shop for the next size up.



-Chris