JD Ray
Senior Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2020
- Messages
- 188
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- GOML
- Vessel Make
- 1978 Fiberform Bermuda 2400
I have arrived at the conclusion that there’s no room in our life for a boat priced between $50K and $200K.
“Why?” you ask. Or maybe you didn’t, but I’ll tell you anyway.
At under $50K (and 40-ish feet), we can afford to buy and maintain a boat while still living in our house. Boats priced in the $50-200K range aren’t something we care to live aboard full time due to size, newness, features, etc. (we’re pretty enamored with the KK48, for instance). And we’re not ready to move aboard a boat yet anyway.
So I’m on the hunt for a boat (trawler) that we can enjoy around the Puget Sound and along the B.C. coast, spending up to three weeks at a time aboard, but more commonly three- to four-day trips between April and October. An island queen would be our strong preference, but a vee-berth would be acceptable. We’d like to take friends, so a second berth space (convertible dinette?) is another important feature. Beyond that, I prefer a single engine with a bow thruster over twin engines. My wife would prefer a large cockpit area or other outdoor lounge space (flybridge) and no musty smells.
If we were in the Gulf, or the Great Lakes, there are plenty of boats for sale that fit our criteria, and a for budget of $35K we could have our pick of boats (though it’s hard to say in what condition). Here in the PNW, similar boats are scarce.
Any ideas or recommendations someone has that will help my search, speak up.
“Why?” you ask. Or maybe you didn’t, but I’ll tell you anyway.
At under $50K (and 40-ish feet), we can afford to buy and maintain a boat while still living in our house. Boats priced in the $50-200K range aren’t something we care to live aboard full time due to size, newness, features, etc. (we’re pretty enamored with the KK48, for instance). And we’re not ready to move aboard a boat yet anyway.
So I’m on the hunt for a boat (trawler) that we can enjoy around the Puget Sound and along the B.C. coast, spending up to three weeks at a time aboard, but more commonly three- to four-day trips between April and October. An island queen would be our strong preference, but a vee-berth would be acceptable. We’d like to take friends, so a second berth space (convertible dinette?) is another important feature. Beyond that, I prefer a single engine with a bow thruster over twin engines. My wife would prefer a large cockpit area or other outdoor lounge space (flybridge) and no musty smells.
If we were in the Gulf, or the Great Lakes, there are plenty of boats for sale that fit our criteria, and a for budget of $35K we could have our pick of boats (though it’s hard to say in what condition). Here in the PNW, similar boats are scarce.
Any ideas or recommendations someone has that will help my search, speak up.
