BandB
I take your advice. Has anyone posted a list like this here for a liveaboard/LRC ? I would like learn from it.
I don't know but let me toss some of the things you might want to think about in developing one.
-Where do I intend to cruise 95% of the time. Where might I go 5%
-How many people aboard 95% of the time. How many 5%.
-What size crew. Single handing or normally two or more.
-How long do you see yourself on the boat at a time. How much of the year.
-Do you want a flybridge. You can find pros and cons discussed here.
-Do you prefer a separate Pilothouse or the helm an extension of the living area.
-What do you need in a galley. How much will you cook. What is the nature of your cooking. Do you need it up or down or care.
-What climate will you be in. This impacts the need for indoor vs. outdoor living space and for air conditioning and heat.
-Will you generally be at marinas or anchoring. This impacts electric requirements, water and other.
-What are the issues regarding sleeping quarters to you. Some don't want to sleep nightly in a v-berth in the bow, others don't care. Tied to number of people is number of staterooms and number of heads.
-On heads how do you feel about wet heads vs. separate shower stalls.
-How important is space in the engine room to you
-What kind of speeds do you want. What kind of economy do you require.
-What kind of head space. How tall are you.
-Means of moving between bridge and main deck and of moving to and from the engine room
-What kind of dinghy or tender, how will you use it. How do you prefer it handled.
-Twin engines or single or are you open to both. People will argue pros and cons but that is only relevant if you're open to both. I know all the pros can cons and still am not open to both. If single, do you require a get home engine.
-Stabilization. It's importance varies based on usage.
-Thrusters.
-Size of boat is really a factor of other things listed but it's very important in terms of what you can handle, what you'll be comfortable for, what you can afford both new and owning as a lot of expenses are tied to size.
-Maintenance requirements. Do you like dealing with teak or not.
-Will maintenance by DIY or paid.
-Again determined by type of cruising, but range needed, fuel capacity.
-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.
-Generators, inverters, solar all determined by your type of use and climate.
-How willing and capable are you to do a lot of work upfront. Some people spend a couple of years before they ever use their boat but love that aspect of it.
-People who you would like cruising with you whether family or friends. How appealing is cruising on it to them. If you want someone to join you then best involve them all the way and sure don't get something they won't want to spend time on.
I'm sure I've overlooked many things, but this might help you start.
