Dalesman
Member
I have been looking for a trawler for about six months, with the intention to do the loop later this year. We had pretty much decided on a Monk 36, which is the right size etc, for my wife and myself. There are several for sale at the right price (under $100,00) and we have even looked at a few in the Boston area. Which is the problem. I am in Florida and the boats of interest are about 1000 miles away. Yes, I know I can pay someone to move it and yes, I could do it myself, but both those options are expensive and time consuming. Just FYI - I discussed this with a professional captain and were up to $16,000 before we stopped counting - and that assumed nothing went wrong. On balance, I would rather use that money for repairs or improvements.
On Wednesday I looked at a Ocean Alexander 40 located in Fort Lauderdale. Right price, a little larger than I wanted but designed by Ed Monk, so it looks a LOT like a Monk 36. It also has teak decks and twin engines - both things I had hoped to avoid. So to my question. Does anyone out there know anything about the Ocean Alexander 40's ? Are the teak decks problematic ? Will having twin diesels (Lehmans) mean my fuel consumption is much worse ? Does the extra four feet mean I am going to paying a lot more for slips and maintenance ? Of course the interior and exterior are larger, which is "nice" but not essential. So really what I'm asking is: should I buy a Monk 36 in Massachusetts and deal with the hassle of getting it to Cocoa Beach, or should I buy the Ocean Alexander which I can get to Cocoa Beach with no trouble at all. What would you do and why ? You can assume that I would have a thorough survey done of ANY boat, so let's assume price, condition and age are all essentially the same. I have mixed feelings, so all opinions are welcome.
On Wednesday I looked at a Ocean Alexander 40 located in Fort Lauderdale. Right price, a little larger than I wanted but designed by Ed Monk, so it looks a LOT like a Monk 36. It also has teak decks and twin engines - both things I had hoped to avoid. So to my question. Does anyone out there know anything about the Ocean Alexander 40's ? Are the teak decks problematic ? Will having twin diesels (Lehmans) mean my fuel consumption is much worse ? Does the extra four feet mean I am going to paying a lot more for slips and maintenance ? Of course the interior and exterior are larger, which is "nice" but not essential. So really what I'm asking is: should I buy a Monk 36 in Massachusetts and deal with the hassle of getting it to Cocoa Beach, or should I buy the Ocean Alexander which I can get to Cocoa Beach with no trouble at all. What would you do and why ? You can assume that I would have a thorough survey done of ANY boat, so let's assume price, condition and age are all essentially the same. I have mixed feelings, so all opinions are welcome.