Starchanger
Member
Hi all!
Just made my first post herehttp://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s9/offer-but-no-answer-26899.html but wanted to make sure and not derail a really informative post.
Anyhoo, hubby and I are very close to purchasing our first boat. We've been "looking" for about 5+ years now and are finally in the financial and mental position to not only take the plunge, but we've decided we're might even go live-aboard as well.
I work in healthcare, and hubby has recently retired from the Navy after 20+ years of busting knuckles on diesel engines in the bowels of Navy cruisers. I'm bringing the $$$, he's bringing the boat knowledge (although I have been hard at work learning and have already taken several boating courses!). Because of the changes in healthcare, I decided to travel for work for the past couple of years. We own a home overlooking the Everett Marina / Everett NS which we rented out until this October. We are seriously considering NOT moving back into it. Not because it's not lovely, but because, frankly, we downsized CONSIDERABLY while traveling. We have literally been living out of hotels, small (<1000sq ft) houses, and a 17ft vintage travel trailer for 2 years. We sold almost everything to do so (and have saved TONS of money not buying more stuff to haul around). We still have some large stuff in storage (a bed, washer/drier, fridge, and my old race car, etc) but to move back into the house would require many thousands in furnishings, kitchenware, yard utensils/machines, etc....not to mention all the maintenance to keep the house up, etc. Money is not really the issue....it's the fact that we don't want to buy the stuff again. You see, since we were military for 20 years, we have bought and sold/given away entire households of stuff MULTIPLE times over the last 20 years. We're over it.
Since we've learned to live MUCH smaller, and because we've wanted a boat FOREVER, we're thinking about just going for it. We will likely keep renting out the house, or we'll sell it (since it's in a really desirable neighborhood) and move north to Bellingham, where I am in negotiations for office space. My new office will be in the Bellweather Center at the Port of Bellingham, and the "dream" is to have the boat moore at Squalicum and I'll just walk to the office!
As for the boat, like most newbies here....I'm here to reconcile what I "think" I want, with what is realistic, affordable, and safe.
Initially, (5 years ago) we just wanted a weekend cruiser, but now that we are considering liveaboard, the boat, and budget, has grown in size. Someone posted an amazing list on the other thread, so I've copied and filled in as much as I can answer, while still in the learning phase:
Budget: under $250,000, but under $125,000 would leave us money for lots of improvements. (We've already priced moorage & are aware)
LOA: under 50', but more than 36' (I just need more room)
-Where do I intend to cruise 95% of the time? Puget Sound
-Where might I go 5%? Victoria/Vancouver, CA & Coastal Oregon?
-How many people aboard 95% of the time? 2
-How many 5%? 6?
-What size crew? 2, but would like hubby to be able to single-hand
-How long do you see yourself on the boat at a time? daily
-How much of the year? All year
-Do you want a flybridge? No idea....have to read up on pros and cons...
-Do you prefer a separate Pilothouse or the helm an extension of the living area? PILOTHOUSE...now that I've been on boat layouts, I have confirmed that I hate have the helm in the salon!
-What do you need in a galley? Large fridge, stove, microwave
-How much will you cook? Probably most nights, but nothing fancy...we've been cooking on a 3-burner propane stove in our trailer for 2 months now, lol!
-What is the nature of your cooking? See above
-Do you need it up or down or care? Prefer up
-What climate will you be in? COLD. Honestly, this is my biggest concern as we are already quite familiar with the cold, rainy, icy winters that we get in Everett/Bellingham. However, I'm actually most concerned with simply walking off the boat and up the dock, rather than being cold onboard.
-Will you generally be at marinas or anchoring? Marina
-What are the issues regarding sleeping quarters to you? I'll likely need my own space...hubby snores and is a big/tall guy. He'll elbow me to death in a typical v-berth
-On heads how do you feel about wet heads vs. separate shower stalls? Prefer separate shower (with a tub or seat!), prefer 2 heads, but 1 will do
-How important is space in the engine room to you? Hubby is a big/tall guy...he'll probably need/want some room
-What kind of speeds do you want? Moderate? at least 8kn?
-What kind of economy do you require? Moderate? I am going to assume this is just like cars....if you want to go fast, you're going to burn more fuel. We'll look for a happy medium?
-What kind of head space? How tall are you? Hubby is 6'2"
-Means of moving between bridge and main deck and of moving to and from the engine room? I don't know what I'm supposed to know here
-What kind of dinghy or tender, how will you use it? No idea, but we'd only likely use it on occasion to get to shore if we're anchored out with friends somewhere.
-How do you prefer it handled? Davit
-Twin engines or single or are you open to both? Dual, MUCH preferred. I'm paranoid. When I was a little kid, my uncle bought a brand new, center console, sport fisher. On the maiden voyage, it left us stranded, under the Fort Myers bridge, in a severe thunderstorm. I will never forget my grandfather coming to rescue us in a friends boat. Granddaddy did NOT like boats. I was only 7 at the time...still remember it like it was yesterday. Lol! (Boating PTSD???)
-Stabilization? I'm ignorant here
-Thrusters? Yes. This will be a 40'+ boat
-Maintenance requirements - Do you like dealing with teak or not? Teak is mandatory....I love the stuff. I know it's a pain. I still want it.
-Will maintenance by DIY or paid? DIY for small stuff, Paid for big.
-Visual appeal. Not to others, not what others like, what you like. Most of us don't want to own a boat we think is ugly. Most of us can accept perhaps plain or simple but not something we just don't like - we're drawn to older Carvers and Grand Banks types, although we LOVE Tugs....just haven't seen any that have an open salon that I like.
-Generators, inverters, solar all determined by your type of use and climate? Likely all of the above at some point, but not a deal-breaker if not there initially.
-How willing and capable are you to do a lot of work upfront? Very willing. We completely restored our vintage trailer, and I turned my 95 Cobra into a 10-sec quarter-mile car (I'm actually more mechanically inclined than hubby...I just have to learn the new systems). We have done almost all of the restoration and maintenance (including plumbing/electric) on our houses...including the 1924 Craftsman we own in Everett. We anticipate buying sometime in the next 3-4 months, so would have several winter months to do some fixing....although we don't want to buy anything that has any major issues.
-People who you would like cruising with you whether family or friends? We have a few close friends and I think they'd all be fine with whatever we'd buy, lol! If not, we'll make some new friends who do!
If you're still reading, thanks for your attention and perseverance! Can't wait to learn from all of you, and further refine our search.
Just made my first post herehttp://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s9/offer-but-no-answer-26899.html but wanted to make sure and not derail a really informative post.
Anyhoo, hubby and I are very close to purchasing our first boat. We've been "looking" for about 5+ years now and are finally in the financial and mental position to not only take the plunge, but we've decided we're might even go live-aboard as well.
I work in healthcare, and hubby has recently retired from the Navy after 20+ years of busting knuckles on diesel engines in the bowels of Navy cruisers. I'm bringing the $$$, he's bringing the boat knowledge (although I have been hard at work learning and have already taken several boating courses!). Because of the changes in healthcare, I decided to travel for work for the past couple of years. We own a home overlooking the Everett Marina / Everett NS which we rented out until this October. We are seriously considering NOT moving back into it. Not because it's not lovely, but because, frankly, we downsized CONSIDERABLY while traveling. We have literally been living out of hotels, small (<1000sq ft) houses, and a 17ft vintage travel trailer for 2 years. We sold almost everything to do so (and have saved TONS of money not buying more stuff to haul around). We still have some large stuff in storage (a bed, washer/drier, fridge, and my old race car, etc) but to move back into the house would require many thousands in furnishings, kitchenware, yard utensils/machines, etc....not to mention all the maintenance to keep the house up, etc. Money is not really the issue....it's the fact that we don't want to buy the stuff again. You see, since we were military for 20 years, we have bought and sold/given away entire households of stuff MULTIPLE times over the last 20 years. We're over it.
Since we've learned to live MUCH smaller, and because we've wanted a boat FOREVER, we're thinking about just going for it. We will likely keep renting out the house, or we'll sell it (since it's in a really desirable neighborhood) and move north to Bellingham, where I am in negotiations for office space. My new office will be in the Bellweather Center at the Port of Bellingham, and the "dream" is to have the boat moore at Squalicum and I'll just walk to the office!
As for the boat, like most newbies here....I'm here to reconcile what I "think" I want, with what is realistic, affordable, and safe.
Initially, (5 years ago) we just wanted a weekend cruiser, but now that we are considering liveaboard, the boat, and budget, has grown in size. Someone posted an amazing list on the other thread, so I've copied and filled in as much as I can answer, while still in the learning phase:
Budget: under $250,000, but under $125,000 would leave us money for lots of improvements. (We've already priced moorage & are aware)
LOA: under 50', but more than 36' (I just need more room)
-Where do I intend to cruise 95% of the time? Puget Sound
-Where might I go 5%? Victoria/Vancouver, CA & Coastal Oregon?
-How many people aboard 95% of the time? 2
-How many 5%? 6?
-What size crew? 2, but would like hubby to be able to single-hand
-How long do you see yourself on the boat at a time? daily
-How much of the year? All year
-Do you want a flybridge? No idea....have to read up on pros and cons...
-Do you prefer a separate Pilothouse or the helm an extension of the living area? PILOTHOUSE...now that I've been on boat layouts, I have confirmed that I hate have the helm in the salon!
-What do you need in a galley? Large fridge, stove, microwave
-How much will you cook? Probably most nights, but nothing fancy...we've been cooking on a 3-burner propane stove in our trailer for 2 months now, lol!
-What is the nature of your cooking? See above
-Do you need it up or down or care? Prefer up
-What climate will you be in? COLD. Honestly, this is my biggest concern as we are already quite familiar with the cold, rainy, icy winters that we get in Everett/Bellingham. However, I'm actually most concerned with simply walking off the boat and up the dock, rather than being cold onboard.
-Will you generally be at marinas or anchoring? Marina
-What are the issues regarding sleeping quarters to you? I'll likely need my own space...hubby snores and is a big/tall guy. He'll elbow me to death in a typical v-berth
-On heads how do you feel about wet heads vs. separate shower stalls? Prefer separate shower (with a tub or seat!), prefer 2 heads, but 1 will do
-How important is space in the engine room to you? Hubby is a big/tall guy...he'll probably need/want some room
-What kind of speeds do you want? Moderate? at least 8kn?
-What kind of economy do you require? Moderate? I am going to assume this is just like cars....if you want to go fast, you're going to burn more fuel. We'll look for a happy medium?
-What kind of head space? How tall are you? Hubby is 6'2"
-Means of moving between bridge and main deck and of moving to and from the engine room? I don't know what I'm supposed to know here
-What kind of dinghy or tender, how will you use it? No idea, but we'd only likely use it on occasion to get to shore if we're anchored out with friends somewhere.
-How do you prefer it handled? Davit
-Twin engines or single or are you open to both? Dual, MUCH preferred. I'm paranoid. When I was a little kid, my uncle bought a brand new, center console, sport fisher. On the maiden voyage, it left us stranded, under the Fort Myers bridge, in a severe thunderstorm. I will never forget my grandfather coming to rescue us in a friends boat. Granddaddy did NOT like boats. I was only 7 at the time...still remember it like it was yesterday. Lol! (Boating PTSD???)
-Stabilization? I'm ignorant here
-Thrusters? Yes. This will be a 40'+ boat
-Maintenance requirements - Do you like dealing with teak or not? Teak is mandatory....I love the stuff. I know it's a pain. I still want it.
-Will maintenance by DIY or paid? DIY for small stuff, Paid for big.
-Visual appeal. Not to others, not what others like, what you like. Most of us don't want to own a boat we think is ugly. Most of us can accept perhaps plain or simple but not something we just don't like - we're drawn to older Carvers and Grand Banks types, although we LOVE Tugs....just haven't seen any that have an open salon that I like.
-Generators, inverters, solar all determined by your type of use and climate? Likely all of the above at some point, but not a deal-breaker if not there initially.
-How willing and capable are you to do a lot of work upfront? Very willing. We completely restored our vintage trailer, and I turned my 95 Cobra into a 10-sec quarter-mile car (I'm actually more mechanically inclined than hubby...I just have to learn the new systems). We have done almost all of the restoration and maintenance (including plumbing/electric) on our houses...including the 1924 Craftsman we own in Everett. We anticipate buying sometime in the next 3-4 months, so would have several winter months to do some fixing....although we don't want to buy anything that has any major issues.
-People who you would like cruising with you whether family or friends? We have a few close friends and I think they'd all be fine with whatever we'd buy, lol! If not, we'll make some new friends who do!
If you're still reading, thanks for your attention and perseverance! Can't wait to learn from all of you, and further refine our search.
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