PNW Jeff
Veteran Member
Hey Everyone,
My wife and I just submitted documents to attempt a pre-approval for a boat loan. Once we hear back on that (hopefully with a 'green light'), it will be time to seriously start the search for our perfect boat. With that in mind, I wanted to share some info on how we intend to use a boat, our "must have's" and "wants", and then get your opinions and feedback on whether a particular boat I'm lusting after might be a good fit or if I'm looking at the wrong thing all-together!
First off, here's my current "baseline" for what a perfect boat looks like given our needs, desires, budget and personal taste. I'm not saying this is THE boat, but I would LOVE to hear feedback from this awesome community as to what the good, bad or ugly might be with a boat like this....so that I know if my head is even in the right place right now in terms of what a "good" boat might look like.
I'm not speaking so much about the condition of the boat (unless you notice an obvious issue from the pics)...as I realize that would require a thorough survey, mechanical survey and sea trial. So, i'm more thinking along the lines of layout, mechanical setup, etc...
The "baseline" boat: Used 1991 Ocean Alexander 440 Sundeck, Bellingham, Wa - 98229 - BoatTrader.com
Now, here is some additional info on how we will be using the boat, what layouts we are looking for, etc.....
* We will be living aboard the boat FULL TIME in the Pacific Northwest
* Realistically, the majority of our time will be spent at the marina, hooked up to shore power. HOWEVER, we do plan on taking the boat out for some cruising around the sound. Day trips, weekend trips anchoring or mooring and maybe some 1-2 weeks trips up to the San Juans. As we gain experience, perhaps the Inside Passage to Alaska would likely be the furthest we would go.
* Regarding layout. A fully enclosed sundeck is a NEED for us. We recently stayed on a 42' Grand Banks for 3 nights as an inital "test run". It was a nice boat, but it really seemed like not having a covered sundeck in the PNW is a massive waste of the space above the aft cabin (for liveaboard purposes anyway)
* Regarding our boating experience: We are members of a sailing club and have taken a few courses to get the certifications necessary for them to let us sail the Puget Sound on our own. HOWEVER, when it comes to boats larger than 30', or power boats in general, we have ZERO experience. I fully intend on taking classes (diesel engines, electrical systems, etc), and likely hiring a captain to spend at least a few days with us once we get the boat.
Ok, I'll cut myself off here. Sorry for the long post. Again, as the title says, hit me with a dose of reality. I'm lusting after Ocean Alexanders, TollyCrafts, and some DeFevers right now. I think I've we've got the layout dialed in (sundeck, aft-cabin CPMY). I think we've got our ideal size dialed in (42-46').
So....am I on the right track? Am I an idiot? Am I missing something? Does a boat like the one I showed lack something that is, in your opinion, important or critical given out intended use? Let me know!
Oh, one more thing. Thank you in advance for your feedback. This community has been beyond amazing, helpful and informative. Every single time I ask a question, the feedback and advice you supply is above and beyond what I could ever hope to expect!
My wife and I just submitted documents to attempt a pre-approval for a boat loan. Once we hear back on that (hopefully with a 'green light'), it will be time to seriously start the search for our perfect boat. With that in mind, I wanted to share some info on how we intend to use a boat, our "must have's" and "wants", and then get your opinions and feedback on whether a particular boat I'm lusting after might be a good fit or if I'm looking at the wrong thing all-together!
First off, here's my current "baseline" for what a perfect boat looks like given our needs, desires, budget and personal taste. I'm not saying this is THE boat, but I would LOVE to hear feedback from this awesome community as to what the good, bad or ugly might be with a boat like this....so that I know if my head is even in the right place right now in terms of what a "good" boat might look like.
I'm not speaking so much about the condition of the boat (unless you notice an obvious issue from the pics)...as I realize that would require a thorough survey, mechanical survey and sea trial. So, i'm more thinking along the lines of layout, mechanical setup, etc...
The "baseline" boat: Used 1991 Ocean Alexander 440 Sundeck, Bellingham, Wa - 98229 - BoatTrader.com
Now, here is some additional info on how we will be using the boat, what layouts we are looking for, etc.....
* We will be living aboard the boat FULL TIME in the Pacific Northwest
* Realistically, the majority of our time will be spent at the marina, hooked up to shore power. HOWEVER, we do plan on taking the boat out for some cruising around the sound. Day trips, weekend trips anchoring or mooring and maybe some 1-2 weeks trips up to the San Juans. As we gain experience, perhaps the Inside Passage to Alaska would likely be the furthest we would go.
* Regarding layout. A fully enclosed sundeck is a NEED for us. We recently stayed on a 42' Grand Banks for 3 nights as an inital "test run". It was a nice boat, but it really seemed like not having a covered sundeck in the PNW is a massive waste of the space above the aft cabin (for liveaboard purposes anyway)
* Regarding our boating experience: We are members of a sailing club and have taken a few courses to get the certifications necessary for them to let us sail the Puget Sound on our own. HOWEVER, when it comes to boats larger than 30', or power boats in general, we have ZERO experience. I fully intend on taking classes (diesel engines, electrical systems, etc), and likely hiring a captain to spend at least a few days with us once we get the boat.
Ok, I'll cut myself off here. Sorry for the long post. Again, as the title says, hit me with a dose of reality. I'm lusting after Ocean Alexanders, TollyCrafts, and some DeFevers right now. I think I've we've got the layout dialed in (sundeck, aft-cabin CPMY). I think we've got our ideal size dialed in (42-46').
So....am I on the right track? Am I an idiot? Am I missing something? Does a boat like the one I showed lack something that is, in your opinion, important or critical given out intended use? Let me know!
Oh, one more thing. Thank you in advance for your feedback. This community has been beyond amazing, helpful and informative. Every single time I ask a question, the feedback and advice you supply is above and beyond what I could ever hope to expect!