I guess anyone who enjoys boating as much as we do can argue that even one day without a boat is too long and something needs to change. Having recently passed the nine month mark since the sale of our last trawler combined with my better half (Mary) advising she is done boating (ouch), has left us both (mostly me) trying to figure out our next journey in life.
Staying in touch with a few who still own boats and reading updates posted on TF from those commissioning their new boats has kept me interested in possibly one more new build. Add in the past few weeks of long walks along the bay and different harbors watching all the boats and Mary agreed we need another boat. What type of boat and how will we will use it is the big question and something I recently mentioned on another post. Even with her endorsement I know there will be times I will be alone on the boat. Not sure if it will be trawler, sailboat or Downeast style day cruise but in the end it doesn't matter as long as it is a new build and I can enjoy the process.
For those who don't know me I grew up on the water on the east coast (Long Island, New York) fishing, clamming and just messing around on the water. Moved to southern California after college and have enjoyed 30 plus years of boating along the coast with trailered boats and a few trawlers. We lived aboard (part time) in San Diego on one of our trawlers which looking back were the of best times. I think it was the combination of a new adventure / life style, our age and situation all at the right time. Glade we did it but would not do it again.
As with most everyone on TF our needs and desires change over time which can make the choice of "which boat" interesting, challenging and fun. If its not fun then why do it? So as we look forward to "our last" new build one thing that will not change is the process we use to find that boat and this is what I plan to focus on with this thread. I would like to share our experience (yes, we did this on TF before with the last boat and received many thanks so why not do it again) with the new members and hope they can learn a thing or two.
This time it will be a little different since we will be researching two boats at the same time. Crazy, yes but we miss the water and need to find something smaller that gets us back to boating ASAP while we look for the "last boat" which will take a few years to complete. Its amazing how long the wait is today for a new build. The process will be same but with a few adjustments for the different boats and we expect the same results "finding the right boat for us".
So standby for a lengthy thread that will include the highs and lows of what we call "riding the wave" to find the next boat. At least I think that is what I called it the small book we wrote many years ago when we purchased our first Nordhavn.
For those who may think we have deep pockets and this is no big deal please wait. We are not wealthy and like others have had to sacrifice a few things in life for this life style. Out true success I believe has been finding the right boat and timing. If you are fortunate with both you can actually limit your investment losses (boats are a depreciation asset) and in some cases even "break even" (OK, get real close). Hope you enjoy....
John T. - N4050, N4061, N3522, H38E Former Trawler Owner
Staying in touch with a few who still own boats and reading updates posted on TF from those commissioning their new boats has kept me interested in possibly one more new build. Add in the past few weeks of long walks along the bay and different harbors watching all the boats and Mary agreed we need another boat. What type of boat and how will we will use it is the big question and something I recently mentioned on another post. Even with her endorsement I know there will be times I will be alone on the boat. Not sure if it will be trawler, sailboat or Downeast style day cruise but in the end it doesn't matter as long as it is a new build and I can enjoy the process.
For those who don't know me I grew up on the water on the east coast (Long Island, New York) fishing, clamming and just messing around on the water. Moved to southern California after college and have enjoyed 30 plus years of boating along the coast with trailered boats and a few trawlers. We lived aboard (part time) in San Diego on one of our trawlers which looking back were the of best times. I think it was the combination of a new adventure / life style, our age and situation all at the right time. Glade we did it but would not do it again.
As with most everyone on TF our needs and desires change over time which can make the choice of "which boat" interesting, challenging and fun. If its not fun then why do it? So as we look forward to "our last" new build one thing that will not change is the process we use to find that boat and this is what I plan to focus on with this thread. I would like to share our experience (yes, we did this on TF before with the last boat and received many thanks so why not do it again) with the new members and hope they can learn a thing or two.
This time it will be a little different since we will be researching two boats at the same time. Crazy, yes but we miss the water and need to find something smaller that gets us back to boating ASAP while we look for the "last boat" which will take a few years to complete. Its amazing how long the wait is today for a new build. The process will be same but with a few adjustments for the different boats and we expect the same results "finding the right boat for us".
So standby for a lengthy thread that will include the highs and lows of what we call "riding the wave" to find the next boat. At least I think that is what I called it the small book we wrote many years ago when we purchased our first Nordhavn.
For those who may think we have deep pockets and this is no big deal please wait. We are not wealthy and like others have had to sacrifice a few things in life for this life style. Out true success I believe has been finding the right boat and timing. If you are fortunate with both you can actually limit your investment losses (boats are a depreciation asset) and in some cases even "break even" (OK, get real close). Hope you enjoy....
John T. - N4050, N4061, N3522, H38E Former Trawler Owner