Where to start??????????

[Bryant]

Where to start

Kris
Welcome aboard TF. You have already met a few but most here are are helpful, knowledgeable folks.
Your plan sounds like a great starting point for adventures.
I will give you my standard answer I give most in your situation.
Write down...
Your anticipated cruising style
Your Musts, Wants & Dont Wants
Have your First Mate, Admiral, SO do the same (separately) then, compare, compromise ( do it her way!) and combine the lists.
Look at as many boats as possible and talk to as many owners as possible about their style, what works well for them and what they would do differently if doing it over.
Make the search fun vs a chore!
Chartering something similar can be a great learning experience and a means to possibly buy your second boat first time. US power Squadrons now known as Americas Boating Club offer some very well done courses, some with on the water components.
Boat Search 101 is a great place to start.
https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14905
We are a couple that likes to cruise and have what we consider our perfect 2 person boat. More about how we have personalized it on our Bacchus website in my signature.
Enjoy the search and adventures.

Great advice. Be brutally honest with yourself on how you will actually use your boat and buy the boat that fits that type of use. Too many people have romantic dreams of motoring or sailing off to Fiji or some such thing and buy a boat for that only to find out that they bought a boat that doesn't suit what they actually do or want.

Researching, looking, kicking docks, shopping is almost as much fun as owning so take your time and find what you really want (and need).

For my money, I recommend Grand Banks 32, 36 or 42 but I'm obviously prejudiced. Anyway, take a look at those models. When I lived in the PNW there were a lot of nice GBs for sale to select from.

 

[firehoser75]

Grand Banks make good boats. However, you may want to think about what I call the "extra" maintenance associated with all of the wood trim (varnish and such) and the screwed down teak decks. The teak itself does not require a lot of maintenance, but the thousands of screw holes can become sources of leaks and a maintenance program of rebedding them all would be prudent. For me personally, both of those were on my "do not want" list. Each to his own, and I do admit that I like the look of teak decks and a well cared for boat with lots of varnished trim, I just don't want to do the work.
Also, again personal opinion, I did not find that the interior look of the GB 36 was more spacious than the NT 37 (talking aft cabin GB which is by far the most common I saw). The GB 42, yes, but a bigger boat.
Again, I like GB, just not for me, but that is an example of why there is such a variety of boat models.

 

[Bryant]

Where to start

Grand Banks make good boats. However, you may want to think about what I call the "extra" maintenance associated with all of the wood trim (varnish and such) and the screwed down teak decks. The teak itself does not require a lot of maintenance, but the thousands of screw holes can become sources of leaks and a maintenance program of rebedding them all would be prudent. For me personally, both of those were on my "do not want" list. Each to his own, and I do admit that I like the look of teak decks and a well cared for boat with lots of varnished trim, I just don't want to do the work.
Also, again personal opinion, I did not find that the interior look of the GB 36 was more spacious than the NT 37 (talking aft cabin GB which is by far the most common I saw). The GB 42, yes, but a bigger boat.
Again, I like GB, just not for me, but that is an example of why there is such a variety of boat models.

I agree with you. One of my major criteria when shopping for my GB was to find one with the teak decks removed and the deck properly filled and glassed. I didn’t want the headache of that deck. They are out there.

 

[Boulton20]

I agree with you. One of my major criteria when shopping for my GB was to find one with the teak decks removed and the deck properly filled and glassed. I didn’t want the headache of that deck. They are out there.

Wood and bright work, is something the Admiral and I are in agreement with. Less is better. None would be optimal, but we are realistic. With both us still working, we dont want to spend all our spare time, sanding varnishing, buffing, ect.ect. We veiw a boat as something to enjoy, not dread.

 

[firehoser75]

"We veiw a boat as something to enjoy, not dread."
My thoughts exactly, that is one of the reasons we ended up with a Nordic Tug (also looked at a number of American Tugs as well). Don't misunderstand, there were other brands that looked good to us, but the Tugs seemed to fit the bill best for us.

 

[markpierce]

A couple of years in a sailing dinghy, then several years in a 20-something sailboat, later a thirty something motor cruiser. By then, you should know what to buy for your golden years and have accumulated seamanship.

 

[jimdavi]

Not sure if there are any for sale but might want to look at the North Pacific 43.

 

[Nickair]

Welcome aboard. Good choice to include this site in your research.
There is valuable information on this site for your inquiry.

1) Look for a boat that meets at least 80% of your use mission
2) Stay with Diesel engine/s
3) Consider the smallest boat you feel comfortable in
4) Consider the largest boat you can operate single handed

.

 

[clyde]

we have a beautiful 41 skookum, built in port townsend, washington, in 1975, we`ve had her since 92, been to alaska 3 times, then for 25 more years, we went to the bellabella, bc area to fish! the volvo runs great, in 300 hrs up north fishing every year, i add one quart of oil, could put a 2nd one, but i`ll be chnging oil when we get home. when we bought her, there was about 1800 hours on the engine then, now, 10,800 hours! engine has a dry stack,has had special care, special oil/fuel filters, valves adjusted every 5000 hours, has a large galley, eating area, with an oil cook stove, years ago, i installed a commercial hydrolic anchor winch, and a works great!we are getting up in age, so she`s on the market for sale! i hope someone buys her, to enjoy for many more years, oh, and a hard bottom inflatable, and motor goes with!...clyde...garbage7@wavecable.com

 

[NCheaven]

Trawlerfest was so valuable for me. So have been the Power Squadron courses, even though I took a Coast Guard course decades ago, and have sailed or power-boated most of the last 46 years. The more courses, the better, in my opinion. Look at lots of boats, it’s fun. Found many reviews in boat mags on line. Look at boat brand owners’ pages on TF, and look at their owners’ association web sites. Wait for the one you know is right. I looked at several Camano 31s before finding the right one. One had all of the exhaust hose paint gone, made me suspect it had been run hard. Bought one with most paint still on, checked total gallons and total hours, it had averaged less than 2gal/hr, a bit over displacement speed. (But most engine manuals suggest various amounts of time at much higher rpm frequently to clear out exhaust, etc. Read about that, too.) It’s not the hours, it’s the revs, the torque, etc, that equate to wear. But, those are just things to ask the surveyor to check out. I didn’t catch everything, but I’m very pleased with the outcome, especially engine, transmission. You’ll find a great one with patience and time spent walking docks, talking to owners, dockmasters. Steve Zimmerman did a great seminar on how to select the right boat for a prospective owner at Trawlerfest that helped me a lot. Mistake I made: Have the fuel polished, and have the filters replaced another 10 or so hours later before taking a long cruise, especially if boat had not been used much in prior two years.
Enjoy the process!

 

[OldDan1943]

I found pictures of you Snookum. Appears to be in great shape!!!
I do like the big flair at the bow!!!
How big is the ER? Room for an added water maker?
To be honest, the only thing that bites me is the oil cook stove.
I guess there is no reverse cycle AC? (only a 4KW generator)
Is there an inside passage to the forward part of the boat?
Exterior varnish work does not excite me.
Someone will buy that boat and cruise it even more!!

 

[Boulton20]

Trawlerfest was so valuable for me. So have been the Power Squadron courses, even though I took a Coast Guard course decades ago, and have sailed or power-boated most of the last 46 years. The more courses, the better, in my opinion. Look at lots of boats, it’s fun. Found many reviews in boat mags on line. Look at boat brand owners’ pages on TF, and look at their owners’ association web sites. Wait for the one you know is right. I looked at several Camano 31s before finding the right one. One had all of the exhaust hose paint gone, made me suspect it had been run hard. Bought one with most paint still on, checked total gallons and total hours, it had averaged less than 2gal/hr, a bit over displacement speed. (But most engine manuals suggest various amounts of time at much higher rpm frequently to clear out exhaust, etc. Read about that, too.) It’s not the hours, it’s the revs, the torque, etc, that equate to wear. But, those are just things to ask the surveyor to check out. I didn’t catch everything, but I’m very pleased with the outcome, especially engine, transmission. You’ll find a great one with patience and time spent walking docks, talking to owners, dockmasters. Steve Zimmerman did a great seminar on how to select the right boat for a prospective owner at Trawlerfest that helped me a lot. Mistake I made: Have the fuel polished, and have the filters replaced another 10 or so hours later before taking a long cruise, especially if boat had not been used much in prior two years.
Enjoy the process!

Was looking forward to Trawlerfest, we emailed them to see if it was still on for November. But we have no heard back from the event planners.