If you had to do it all over again...

[OldDan1943]

Hmmm, knowing how my life would change, guests on board for 2 months, I'd look more carefully at the AT41 (2 SR and 2 heads)
I have made too many mods to consider moving up the the AT34 to an AT41

 

[caltexflanc]

I don't like either the "smallest you can stand" or "largest you can afford" mantras. Instead, I like Goldilocks.

The actual saying, by the late Skipper Bob is "don't buy the the biggest boat you can afford, buy the smallest boat you can be comfortable in".

That's the definition of a Goldilocks boat. We've known many people who were extremely comfortable living on and cruising full time in a 36 foot boat (in Bob and Elaine's case, and a couple of others, a Krogen Manatee). For us, it turned out to be a Hatteras 56MY. We could afford, and indeed looked at much bigger and more expensive boats, as we were coming from having lived in big houses, and the boat was going to be our only residence.

The Hatt proved itself as the years went on to be the Goldilocks boat for us. We had a very clear idea of what our "must haves" and "nice to haves" were, based on having chartered a wide variety of craft, then projecting that experience into what would be needed for full time cruising and occupancy, by us.

 

[nobles9596]

I was new to trawler ownership so I searched for over a year trying to find something mechanically and structurally sound. I paid for a survey and have been happy. Of course there was so much work to do to the boat and upgrades to be done.

If I was smart at the time, I would have been better off to buy a more expensive boat that had many upgrades already done, because they add up quick and takes much of your time, if you are doing them yourself.

I think next time I would avoid any boat that have lots of teak. Restoring and maintaining teak is something that NEVER ends. I guess that is the reason most newer boats have got rid of all the teak gunwales, handrails, deck trim etc.

I would also prefer a wider beam than 12'.


Maintaining and restoring a boat to your standards is true a labor of love.

 

[JohnP]

Don't have any regrets. We very satisfied with our current boat. I do have one bit of advice which I did not realize until we purchased "Venture". If you plan to cruise or stay aboard your boat any amount of time, you must have a comfortable sleeping quarters as home like as possible. Our aft cabin with a centerline queen, head and separate shower room is a perfect retreat after a hard day boating. Set the anchor alarm, take a hot shower and relax on a decent bed just makes us happy. Plenty of storage helps too. I think 36' is the minimum size to consider.

 

[Shrew]

Amen to that. One of the things I tell all my first time or new boat buyers is to "buy your second boat first". It will save you time, trouble and a boat load of money...

I cannot agree more.

 

[OldDan1943]

I was new to trawler ownership so I searched for over a year trying to find something mechanically and structurally sound. I paid for a survey and have been happy. Of course there was so much work to do to the boat and upgrades to be done.

If I was smart at the time, I would have been better off to buy a more expensive boat that had many upgrades already done, because they add up quick and takes much of your time, if you are doing them yourself.

I think next time I would avoid any boat that have lots of teak. Restoring and maintaining teak is something that NEVER ends. I guess that is the reason most newer boats have got rid of all the teak gunwales, handrails, deck trim etc.

I would also prefer a wider beam than 12'.


Maintaining and restoring a boat to your standards is true a labor of love.

Two reasons I went with the AT, lack of exterior wood and wider beam. My Nordhavan had way too much exterior teak. I ended up paying a company to maintain it, at great expense. It sure did look good.
AT makes a 43 and 48?

 

[Shrew]

We are the sum of our experiences and we only learn from our mistakes. I would not be here, nor would I be who I am had I not made the decisions I made along the way. Embrace bad decisions and relish the mistakes. They make you a wiser person in the long run.

As a child, one of the most frequent statements I would hear from my parents was:

"LOL.....well I guess you won't do THAT again!!"

 

[OldDan1943]

We are the sum of our experiences and we only learn from our mistakes. I would not be here, nor would I be who I am had I not made the decisions I made along the way. Embrace bad decisions and relish the mistakes. They make you a wiser person in the long run.

As a child, one of the most frequent statements I would hear from my parents was:

"LOL.....well I guess you won't do THAT again!!"

And, "bet that will leave a mark."

 

[Codger2]

If you had to buy a boat all over again, what would you tell your younger, boat buying self?

Great question as I had the opportunity ($$$$) to answer that exact question about 5 years ago. Back in the 90s, we had an Ocean Alexander 42 Sedan that we just loved. We drove it all over SoCal at 20 knots (Diesel was $1.00/gal) and south to Ensenada, Mexico. Over the years I hankered for sport fishers, bought 2 and then went to trawlers. Had a Halvorsen 32 Gourmet Cruiser that we ran for 8 years and loved every minute of it. As I entered my 70s, my wife wanted a boat that had 2 staterooms and heads. (Having guests aboard gave her a stronger sense of safety???) We discussed all the different types of boat that we knew about and finally answered the question. When each of us was required to write down on paper the boat we had the most fun in, the answer was an Ocean Alexander 42' Sedan. After making a list of "must haves" we searched for the exact model that we both wanted. She stuck to 2 SRs & 2 heads, shower and I stuck to dinette instead of a down helm, hard top over the bridge, cockpit with side door and 15-20 knots of speed. 3 & 1/2years later and numerous boat searches & trips, the boat appeared in our own backyard. Sandpiper is an Ocean Alexander 42' Sedan, 2 SRs, 2 heads, dinette, hard top, cockpit with side door and an honest 17 knot cruise. It was worth the wait! Over the past 4 years I have added the bells and whistles I've always wanted such as :all new electronics, Maretron Fuel Management System, cameras, tackle center & Lexan bridge surround. If there is anyone that loves their boat more than I, he has yet to identify himself! On second thought, Al on Flywright might be the exception as I know of no one that enjoys his boat more than Al.

 

[O C Diver]

Buy your last cruising boat first. Understand if the boat is transportation to the destination or cruising is the destination. One is about how fast you can get there and the other is about how long you can enjoy the cruise. Make sure you can afford to maintain and use your boat.

And the most important thing:
Drinks for 6
Dinner for 4
Sleeps 2

Ted

 

[GFC]

I guess I should add sort of a PS to my earlier comments about not being able to do the trip around the coast of WA and up into Canadian waters. When we bought Beachcomber my MIL was 94. We figured she had 5 years left under her warranty (God administers all of our warranties!) and we'd have time to make that trip then sell the boat. After selling the boat we wanted to get a motorhome and start touring the US and Canada.

Given that I'm now 73, and we wanted to spend at least 5 years seeing the US, that suggests we make the move to a land cruiser sooner rather than later.

We're not in a rush to sell the boat but if the right checkbook strolled into the picture I'd be open to talking with him.

 

[Northern Spy]

If you had to buy a boat all over again, what would you tell your younger, boat buying self? Any regrets? Any tips?

Somewhat tongue in cheek.

Make more money so as to have more discretionary income. That is a big factor in boating, like it or not. I would have told myself to stop being altruistic when I turned down management positions to stay in technical positions because i wasn't qualified or didn't have the aptitude for the job. Turns out, many of the people who took those jobs weren't qualified and didn't the aptitude either.

That said, I would have been a lousy manager too, and probably unhappy to boot.

So maybe don't take my advice.

 

[kokopelliTim]

I would try much harder to balance my emotions (falling in love with a boat) versus realistically seeing what Im buying. (Rose colored glasses).

Also, being realistic about dreams (I will never sail around the world) and what I can and will really do in cruising....coastal and staying in warm weather.

But, these learning items came from experience and buying the wrong boat for me a few times and losing money. Finally I was able to see and know what i wanted/needed to fulfill my needs/dreams in the next few years of my life and buy accordingly (or wait til the right boat came along).

Now I have that boat and so happy.

 

[ranger58sb]

The actual saying, by the late Skipper Bob is "don't buy the the biggest boat you can afford, buy the smallest boat you can be comfortable in".

That's the definition of a Goldilocks boat.

Yes, I took some liberties...

But I don't thing Skipper Bob is right even as written. The "you can be comfortable in" part is likely a wide-ish window for many...

Or said differently, some can be comfortable in X space, more comfortabler in X+? space, and way more comfortabler in X*2 space.

And for some folks starting out, not really sure what they're doing... suggestions to buy on the small end leads to them buying their first boat first, their second boat second, their third boat third... etc... often with some two- or three-feet-itis nickel-and-diming them to distraction until they feel like they finally got it right.

I like to think doing all that "features analysis" I mentioned would get newbies a little closer to their third boat first...

But then again, it's just an opinion, not a factoid...

-Chris

 

[HiDHo]

I think I read that Skipper Bob’s boat was a Krogen Manatee 36. We bought our Manatee 12 years ago, I think Bob’s comment about comfort and size may be because of the Manatee’s design. Yah comfort is definitely a individual choice and with the many boats to choose from most people can find the right fit.
The Manatee for a couple checks off many of our wants in a boat. Walk around queen, u shaped galley, fuel burn economy, covered back porch, pilothouse 360 view, 3’ draft. This is our second trawler, we started with a Monk 36, it also fit our needs and served us well doing the loop.
“ If we had to do it all over again” I love the 44’ Defever and N37 but budget constraints made those choices unrealistic.

PS, our Volvo TMD31A engine has been reliable and thanks to auto parts store cross reference, parts have been no more costly than the Monk’s Perkins, or both of our Cape Dory sloops Volvo engines.

 

[NightCrawler]

This week we celebrate 4 years full time on board. With nearly 9,000 miles under the keel, we both say if we won the lottery, we'd keep Shangri-La.
In our late 60's now our criteria when we bought this 42 GB Classic has proved to be spot on.
No ladders
Galley up (fewer trips up & down steps)
One level weather deck - no hopping up and down a trip hazard.
All maintenance, as far as we could tell, done by skilled tradesmen
Island bed.

All of these concerns were focused on ease of use and safety. We love traveling and just the ease of docking and dedocking without need for dock hands has been priceless.

 

[slowgoesit]

I agree with you approach 100%

We did similar.

You also end up with a boat equipped the way you want it.

If we sold Sandpiper for a $1 tomorrow, we would not have any regrets. We have 20 years of great memories.

I'll help you have no regrets, okay? And I'll give you TWO dollars! Do you accept Paypal?

 

[AlanT]

Several people have mentioned that they would have done pretty much the same thing but with better timing. That is my "do over" wish. I wish I had done our adventure 10 years earlier. I retired at 49 and we moved aboard our Hylas 49 then spent four amazing years cruising (mainly in the Med). We did this at 49 because I had convinced myself that financially I was retiring so needed financial backing for that retirement. Ultimately I wound up going back to work, and enjoying that adventure returning to the workplace, when we returned from sailing at 53 only to retire again at 59 probably for good this time. If I had had the confidence at 39 to know I would still be very employable at 53 We would have left as younger, fitter 39/44 year olds and stayed out longer.

 

[syjos]

I'll help you have no regrets, okay? And I'll give you TWO dollars! Do you accept Paypal?

Sold for $2. Wow sold for twice asking price.

Who said boat prices were going down?

 

[Group9]

I think if I started young again, I actually would put more money into boating, and less money into other places and activities, as the boating has brought my family and I the most pleasure by a huge margin.

 

[cardude01]

I’m glad we bought the newest boat we could afford. She’s a 2008 year model, and even with that age it still seems like I work on her fairly often.

Yes, she’s pretty small and doesn’t really sleep more than 2 well, but nobody travels with us anyway except for our college age boys every once and awhile. But then the small size is kind of nice because she’s easy to handle single handed, and fairly simple to work on.

 

[MurrayM]

Several people have mentioned that they would have done pretty much the same thing but with better timing. That is my "do over" wish. I wish I had done our adventure 10 years earlier....

We adventured in early adulthood (hiking & sea kayaks) before permanent job/career, mortgage, or parenthood when in excellent physical health. Don't have so much 'stuff' as some of our peers, but have a wealth of memories.

Would definitely do that again, despite the reduced purchasing power later in life.

 

[JLD]

I haven't bought my big boat yet, although I possibly might this Summer/Fall.

Make sure you really understand your wants/needs and how you will use your boat. If you haven't already read the Boat Search 101 thread, do so. This is the part that I have struggled with as I retire in 2 years and we haven't yet decided were we are retiring to, although the list is narrowing.

If you buy a boat that needs projects done, only initially complete those projects which are absolutely necessarily or safety issues. Let a season pass with using the boat to be absolutely sure this is your dream boat. If you do a refit, you will seldom get back to money that you have sunk into the boat.

Don't be in a rush to buy a boat, buy the right boat at the right price at the right time.

Good luck with your search!

Jim

 

[syjos]

If you buy a boat that needs projects done, only initially complete those projects which are absolutely necessarily or safety issues. Let a season pass with using the boat to be absolutely sure this is your dream boat. If you do a refit, you will seldom get back to money that you have sunk into the boat.

Jim

I agree 100%

I've witnessed too many people buy a boat, with and without issues, and immediately start major unnecessary projects or trying to make the boat perfect before taking it out. They get bogged down with too many projects at once and get overwhelmed or go way over their budget.

Or they finish all the projects, go boating and realize the boat is not right for them.

After we bought Sandpiper in the winter, spent 5 months repairing the items noted by the surveyor and the absolute must do's. We looked like the Clampetts when we went cruising that summer with unfinished projects.

We had a great first cruise and also found things in need of repair and projects planned but found unnecessary after using the boat for three months.

 

[boathealer]

I am (unintentionally) NOT in the "buy your last boat first" camp.

I have an ugly 30-year history of far too many boats, fixing them, upgrading them, one built up from a deconstructed bare hull (before and after photos of that boat below).

In that time, I have learned more about boats, electrical, engines, and water systems than I ever could have imagined - most of it through mistakes and do-overs.

What I got from all of that, though, is a skill set that allows me to do just about anything on my current, 'forever', boat. I assign all of the previous labor and cost with all of the other boats as "training", boat yard cost savings, and "done right"-ness. None of which I could have gotten anywhere else.

Also, through this process i learned what I wanted in a boat, and more importantly what I DIDN'T want in a boat - everything from hull shapes to thru-hull locations to rudder stock configurations to electrical systems and much more..

Just one man's opinion......

 

[Seevee]

I'm also in the camp of "don't buy your last boat first". I've had several over the years and missions and goals change, as does the boat. There were a few that I shouldn't have bought, but they were still a learning experience and had fun with every one of them.


I wish I would have gotten into larger boats way sooner and did more boating trips. I didn't realize how cheap to own and operate larger boats were. I bought my first "live aboard" trawler boat, I had already retired. I would have liked to have done more trawler boating early on in life. I did do a ton of light plane flying all over north America, so I've seen a bunch and don't have the desire to try the RV route.



And while I am perfectly happy with my current boat, I could easily get another one... could be bigger or smaller.



I did a fair amount of research prior to buying the trawler and looked for features that I felt were valuable to me. Some included, no teak, easy walk around for locking and docking, fly bridge, galley up, covered cockpit, no ladders, and good electronics.

 

[Simi 60]

I haven’t any regrets, mind you, but if there is one piece of advice I would yield to, it would be to look for that particular vessel whose previous owner is burned out from spending gobs of project and upgrade dollars, leaving you to reap the benefits.

Wise words indeed.

 

[boathealer]

Wise words indeed.

Second that!

 

[Wayfarer]

I kinda wish I had my 1st trawler back.

I don’t feel like I made a mistake but I needed a different boat when we went to Alaska than we did before and now. We bought the Willard (name Willy)...And if we can keep up w the moorage the Willard will serve us well.

I feel like this forum would look very different without Willy around. She's a TF icon.

...
Having said that, hopefully you'll be able to walk away from your boat after a trip, glance back, and think it's the best boat for you in the marina.

I'm frequently struck by how lucky I am, that I get to feel that way.

Also, being realistic about dreams (I will never sail around the world) and what I can and will really do in cruising....coastal and staying in warm weather.

I used to think I'd be cruising around the world, and couldn't do it without a Nordhavn. Thankfully you all talked some sense into me.

If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't change anything. Sylphide was lovingly crafted and maintained by an owner who knew what he was doing. He built her to use her just as I wanted to. She's interesting and unique, and way more boat than I was looking for, and I got all of that for what I consider to be a very fair price. I'm lucky. As others have said, if I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd keep Sylphide, and give her some new gadgets. And some new paint.

And a new poop tank.

 

[Peter B]

The actual saying, by the late Skipper Bob is "don't buy the the biggest boat you can afford, buy the smallest boat you can be comfortable in". That's the definition of a Goldilocks boat.

Nah, I call that the Baby Bear's Porridge kind of boat...

If there is anyone that loves their boat more than I, he has yet to identify himself! On second thought, Al on Flywright might be the exception as I know of no one that enjoys his boat more than Al.

I will see you, and up one Walt, by coming up with another. Mark and his Coot..!