Looking at this Grand Banks 46: lots been done to it

[BruceK]

I saw Tanui. The Alaska hull looks more slippery than the GB, I`ve a recall the Alaska hulls are supposed to have special design features, worth researching. I visited Kettering last year(by road), huge marina, maybe there`s a reason the broker isn`t more help. Alaskas come up, esp in Qld, for a better price range it needs to be older( still younger than the GB).

 

[Gypsy Island]

@BruceK, I have been looking at that other one (the older one at $380K; it's named "Tainui"). I have had extensive back and forth with the broker, and like the GB we're talking about here, the ad describes its fast cruise at 16kn, and top speed as 23kn. The raw water sides of both engines were done, but five years ago—and perhaps longer. In our area, five years is the limit, and three better. It is colder in Kettering, though.

Fuel curves better than the GB; about the same consumption at 15kn as the present boat.

16.5 tonnes.

The reservation is that quite a few of the images are of a sister ship—I have asked the broker to ask the owner to re-do these, but nothing so far. No holding tank info.
View attachment 159770

A quick calculation shows this is the consumption for one engine!

 

[Kit_L]

@Gypsy Island: thanks for pointing that out. Our present boat, despite legs, is looking better and better...

@BruceK: if you can find a reference to Alaska hull design, please do forward.

 

[SteveK]

@Kit_L Interesting discussion here.
Where we are we have Georgia Straight that can resemble offshore conditions. Admiral is always queezy until our current boat. Lenght does matter in improving the ride.
I have experienced a rented 45 cat in offshore conditions and was amazed by the ride, in comparison in confused waters than my 45.

From what you have said I wonder if the 46GB could ever compare to the ride of your 40 cat. I do not think it will be improved, in fact a step backwards.
Have you looked at a 45 cat? I wonder if the vertical issue would be eliminated.

 

[Kit_L]

@SteveK: the vertical accelerations I talked about were on the longitudinal axis (hulls moving up and down quickly with respect to each other in confused seas). I am sure a 45' cat would be better WRT pitching motions, though. Up to certain wave heights, our cat is very comfortable, and becomes more comfortable as I power up, but above that certain height, not only becomes uncomfortable for her, but if combined with a decent following sea swell hitting either quarter, overwhelms the AP. So this means steering down the face of each swell by hand and reversing the direction at the trough, and this gets old quickly (again because legs do not steer precisely). On the marine rescue boat I drive, those conditions would be completely unremarkable (it's a planing hull, with 2 x 430hp Yanmars) and it's really this experience that made me think about how planing hulls can smooth a ride.

But the GB is 20+ tonnes, so would require a lot of power and a lot of fuel to do that (the MR vessel is ~8 tonnes from memory). And any live-aboard boat will likely have significant weight.

I have not calculated just how much time we are offshore compared to on the commercial mooring we now occupy (or at anchor), but I'm sure it's something like the common 90%/10%, time wise. The point of mentioning that is I probably need to be more patient and wait for better weather windows!

 

[Mac2]

Just curious. You mentioned your wife likes to zip from harbor to harbor. Is that because of time constraints, or an attempt to avoid seasickness? A lot of your conversation is about the motion of the boat making your wife seasick. I'm wondering if a slow, heavy boat would make a difference? I know for me, the fast/snappy motion of a boat makes me nauseous and tires me out quickly.

 

[SteveK]

Just curious. You mentioned your wife likes to zip from harbor to harbor. Is that because of time constraints, or an attempt to avoid seasickness? A lot of your conversation is about the motion of the boat making your wife seasick. I'm wondering if a slow, heavy boat would make a difference? I know for me, the fast/snappy motion of a boat makes me nauseous and tires me out quickly.

If you mean wallowing compared to pounding, there is that difference.

On the marine rescue boat I drive,

Yes I have been there/done that. The driver does not feel it like the passenger, have someone else drive and you sit without a view out front, without the feel of the wheel and the expectation.

 

[Kit_L]

@SteveK: I've had a lot more experience off-shore in bad conditions than my wife has; that is part of it. But when I'm not driving (there are usually two crew aboard who share the duty), not having the wheel does not make any difference to me. I know these reactions are individual. Perhaps if I had to go below to a smelly engine room, I might feel differently. If I do go back to a monohull, it will be stabilised—so not wallowing! And your Bayliner—is it stabilised?

@Mac2: the action of our cat is much smoother if we get up on the plane (~13kn; relatively efficient at 15kn), but sometimes conditions don't allow these speeds, as you know. And half the time she drives our car to the next destination; this is a real benefit too.

 

[SteveK]

And your Bayliner—is it stabilised?

No, and if that became a necessity I will quit boating.
What I found and this is an example, My GB36 straddled 2 waves, the Bayliner straddles three. And that extra lenght made the ride smoother for the Admiral and our dog.
Probably we have that gene in common that it cannot get too rough enough if we have to or want to go.