LongJohn
Senior Member
Apologies for such a long post.
I'm thinking about my last boat. My current boat is still a great one. She's shown me over 4,000 miles of inland rivers, but she's going to be more than I can handle by myself in the not too distant future. I want my last one to meet my future needs, and I want to continue my boating style for a long time. I'm a river guy and spend a lot of time on the hook in small quiet coves, so shallow draft and a LARGE cockpit are musts. I don't need speed, but I'll need to be able to overcome 7 mph current. I'll need bow and stern thrusters and a YachtController/DockMate to single hand. I expect to have these installed.
The admiral insists on a queen bed that she can walk around 3 full sides. A second cabin will send the wrong message, but 2 heads is usually a good idea. The fewer steps up and down, the better.
A ~48X14 houseboat meets most needs, but their flat-bottom hulls makes them ungainly to maneuver and expensive to move. It's hard to find them with diesel power, too.
Suggestions? I've thought about buying an old aluminum crew boat and making the required conversions. They aren't pretty, but done right it could be an elegant solution. A lot of potential for expensive problems there. too. I'd need the right yard.
I'm thinking about my last boat. My current boat is still a great one. She's shown me over 4,000 miles of inland rivers, but she's going to be more than I can handle by myself in the not too distant future. I want my last one to meet my future needs, and I want to continue my boating style for a long time. I'm a river guy and spend a lot of time on the hook in small quiet coves, so shallow draft and a LARGE cockpit are musts. I don't need speed, but I'll need to be able to overcome 7 mph current. I'll need bow and stern thrusters and a YachtController/DockMate to single hand. I expect to have these installed.
The admiral insists on a queen bed that she can walk around 3 full sides. A second cabin will send the wrong message, but 2 heads is usually a good idea. The fewer steps up and down, the better.
A ~48X14 houseboat meets most needs, but their flat-bottom hulls makes them ungainly to maneuver and expensive to move. It's hard to find them with diesel power, too.
Suggestions? I've thought about buying an old aluminum crew boat and making the required conversions. They aren't pretty, but done right it could be an elegant solution. A lot of potential for expensive problems there. too. I'd need the right yard.
