Wayne.B wrote:

On Sat, 04 Nov 2006 21:46:00 -0600, Cal Vanize
wrote:


As my wife and I approach retirement, we are considering the purchase of
a boat on which to live and to cruise (coastal cruising with some
Carribbean or Pac Northwest).


Have you decided between power and sail ?

We both have experience sailing, but would prefer power.

Cal Vanize wrote:

?

We both have experience sailing, but would prefer power.


I'd say have a look at trawler or tug configurations, but my new ideal
of live aboard / tour boats are the current generation of powered cats.
You really need to get more specific than just 'live aboard'. Will you
be touring AK in winter or the islands in August or both? What is your
budget to buy and yearly?

For example, CW recently did a long article on (sail only) living aboard
costs in three categories. Which is yours - $8k / yr to unlimited?

I'd say just subscribe to all mags and start going to boat shows. You'll
gravitate to what YOU want.

-paul

Paul Cassel wrote:
Cal Vanize wrote:


?


We both have experience sailing, but would prefer power.


I'd say have a look at trawler or tug configurations, but my new ideal
of live aboard / tour boats are the current generation of powered cats.
You really need to get more specific than just 'live aboard'. Will you
be touring AK in winter or the islands in August or both? What is your
budget to buy and yearly?

AK, yes. But not in the wnter and not any farther than Prince Willian
Sound or Seward. The Carrib in the winter months, but not in August (I
have a mild alergy to hurricanes).

We're not planing to go from SoCal to Hawaii.

Budget max to buy is low $100k's. Annual budget would be in the
neighborhood of $25-30k.

From early research, trawlers seem to have a lot of what we're looking
for. Comfort, reliability, economic operation... These are more
important than speed.



For example, CW recently did a long article on (sail only) living aboard
costs in three categories. Which is yours - $8k / yr to unlimited?


I think we would prefer a power boat to a sail. After owning a sailboat
and sailing for a few years, wind is nice, but a lot of work. [no
flames, please, its just our opinion.]



I'd say just subscribe to all mags and start going to boat shows. You'll
gravitate to what YOU want.

-paul

Just started lookng at Border's this weekend. Trying to figure out which
mags "map" to our research needs.

Thanks.

On Sun, 05 Nov 2006 12:59:14 -0600, Cal Vanize
wrote:

Budget max to buy is low $100k's. Annual budget would be in the
neighborhood of $25-30k.

I think you are going to have difficulty finding a suitable powerboat
for extended/offshore cruising in that price range. There are many
very capable used sailboats for that kind of money but extended range
and offshore seaworthiness come at a steep price in trawlers.

Wayne.B wrote:
On Sun, 05 Nov 2006 12:59:14 -0600, Cal Vanize
wrote:

Budget max to buy is low $100k's. Annual budget would be in the
neighborhood of $25-30k.

I think you are going to have difficulty finding a suitable powerboat
for extended/offshore cruising in that price range. There are many
very capable used sailboats for that kind of money but extended range
and offshore seaworthiness come at a steep price in trawlers.

Does Caribbean imply "extended range" or "offshore seaworthiness"?

On Sun, 05 Nov 2006 15:11:06 -0500, Jeff wrote:

Does Caribbean imply "extended range" or "offshore seaworthiness"?

It does to me. You've got to get there, and there are some rough
patches along the way with a long way between filling stations.

Wayne.B wrote:

On Sun, 05 Nov 2006 12:59:14 -0600, Cal Vanize
wrote:


Budget max to buy is low $100k's. Annual budget would be in the
neighborhood of $25-30k.


I think you are going to have difficulty finding a suitable powerboat
for extended/offshore cruising in that price range. There are many
very capable used sailboats for that kind of money but extended range
and offshore seaworthiness come at a steep price in trawlers.

There seems to be a LOT of listings in the Yachtworld.com site. The
bigger boats have more hours on the engines (in need of maintenance?).
(Not that many of these would be the right boat, just a cross-section of
prices and availability.)

I'd say have a look at trawler or tug configurations, but my new ideal
of live aboard / tour boats are the current generation of powered
cats.

Yep, there are some nice ones. Most of them are overpowered
though (true of power boats in general of course) and half
of them are uglier than a mule's butt.


You really need to get more specific than just 'live aboard'.
Will you be touring AK in winter or the islands in August or both?
What is your budget to buy and yearly?


Good things to know ahead of time. Then decide what you want
in terms of range, & draft.

Cal Vanize wrote:
AK, yes. But not in the wnter and not any farther than Prince Willian
Sound or Seward. The Carrib in the winter months, but not in August (I
have a mild alergy to hurricanes).

We're not planing to go from SoCal to Hawaii.

Budget max to buy is low $100k's. Annual budget would be in the
neighborhood of $25-30k.


Plenty of boats in that range, your problem will be to sort
out the "probables" from the "possibles" and allocate time
to do the leg-work.


From early research, trawlers seem to have a lot of what we're looking
for. Comfort, reliability, economic operation... These are more
important than speed.


We've been cruising in a trawler (after many many years
sailing) and find that it is a great way to travel. We don't
plan on living aboard though, other than on longer cruises
(keeping a shore residence).




Just started lookng at Border's this weekend. Trying to figure out which
mags "map" to our research needs.


None. That magazines cater to their advertisers. However if
you browse the current magazines as well as the library, as
well as checking into the trawers/trawlering discussion
group, you can find a lot of discussion of relevant issues.

We wanted a boat small enough to explore small coves &
creeks, shallow draft, medium/long range, good comfort for a
couple (by our definition), and NO FLYING BRIDGE. Took about
3 months of looking pretty hard, but we spent less than
you're budgeting... so obviously it can be done.

Fair Skies- Doug King

DSK wrote:


We wanted a boat small enough to explore small coves & creeks, shallow
draft, medium/long range, good comfort for a couple (by our definition),
and NO FLYING BRIDGE. Took about 3 months of looking pretty hard, but we
spent less than you're budgeting... so obviously it can be done.

Fair Skies- Doug King


May I ask why NO FLYING BRIDGE?

On Sun, 05 Nov 2006 22:18:27 -0600, Cal Vanize
wrote:

May I ask why NO FLYING BRIDGE?

Good question. We love our flybridge and almost never use the lower
helm except in miserable weather.