What kind of boat should you buy?

[Robster_in_edmonds]

I responded to a thread on this topic recently, and FlyWright, one of the fantastic moderators here, suggested I start a thread specifically on this topic. Many people decide to get into the boating lifestyle and start by asking specific questions like what kind of boat should I get, diesel or gas, wood or fiberglass, new or used, big, medium, small, and so on.

I believe the best way to begin your boat search is to sit down with your significant other (if you have one), and over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine describe your perfect day (or week or month) on the boat. This will help you to determine the approximate size and functions of your boat. Answer these questions:

1. How old are you and your significant other?
2. How many kids and grandkids?
2 a. How many overnight guests do you expect to have on your boat on any given trip?
3. Maximum consecutive days on the boat per trip?
4. Are you OK walking up a dock in the morning carrying your DOP kit, towel and fresh clothes, and bathing in a public shower?
5. Do you want to go crabbing and fishing?
6. Do you prefer being tied up at a dock with power and water, walking to shopping and restaurants, or would you rather anchor out and see just a few other boats?
7. Do you prefer boating with others or being out on your own?

Let me tell you a little about my boating choices and the things my wife and I have learned so far. After owning a trailered waterski boat as young adults in in Ohio, we knew we wanted to get back into boating when we moved to a waterfront community North of Seattle.

After doing almost no research we looked at about four boats and bought a used 28-footer. The boat felt huge as we looked inside it: queen-sized bed in a cozy cavern, bathroom (head) with a sink faucet that doubled as a shower, two-burner stovetop. After two years, many weekends and a few 2-week trips, we learned that: using the head as a shower was inconvenient; walking down a dock with our DOP kits, towels and clothes in order to use the public shower facilities was not our cup of tea; my wife got claustrophobic in the bedroom cavern; the kitchen stove was too small to be useful for our cooking needs; a college-sized fridge was too small for us; my mechanical skills were somewhat limited and I required professional work on most systems.

During this timeframe we joined a small yacht club and on different club trips we got to see lots of boats and talk to their owners. We figured out we wanted: a boat big enough to cruise with another couple from time to time, which meant two bedrooms and separate heads with showers; a full-sized kitchen; a salon big enough for 8-10 people as we like to entertain (I play guitar in a yacht club band); a useable pilothouse for Pacific Northwest winter cruising; small enough that two of us can handle it, especially docking; ready to run, not a fixer-upper; fiberglass, not wood.

This helped us to narrow down our search to something in the 40-60 foot range. Our marina had slips that maxed out at 52 feet, narrowing our candidate list a little more. We sold the 28-footer. We checked out different production boats (Carver, SeaRay, Bayliner, Meridian, etc.) and decided a Bayliner 4788 had the layout and features we wanted and within a couple of months we bought our boat.

There are a few more elements to consider. As new boaters, joining a local yacht club meant we could buddy-boat with other club members, which took a lot of stress off us. In addition the members recommended the best mechanics, electricians, etc. and just as importantly steered us away from the "bad apples." We got to see the upgrades other people made to their boats and that helped us to prioritize our upgrades (diesel heat = yes, bow thruster = no). We made a lot of new friends.

We also found that while we love to anchor out for a few nights at a time we also enjoy tying up at a marina and using shore power and water to top up our batteries and water tanks. Walking the docks and admiring other boats is great fun and there is something special about sharing some wine with friends while sitting near the water on deck chairs.

So picture your perfect day or week on your boat. What are you doing? Who are you with? Where are you eating? Where do you shower and shave? In the evening are you enjoying the company of friends, watching a DVD by yourself, or stargazing? Once you have that picture you'll have a good idea of the boat you'll want to buy. Have fun!

 

[O C Diver]

1. How old are you and your significant other?
2. How many kids and grandkids?
2 a. How many overnight guests do you expect to have on your boat on any given trip?
3. Maximum consecutive days on the boat per trip?
4. Are you OK walking up a dock in the morning carrying your DOP kit, towel and fresh clothes, and bathing in a public shower?
5. Do you want to go crabbing and fishing?
6. Do you prefer being tied up at a dock with power and water, walking to shopping and restaurants, or would you rather anchor out and see just a few other boats?
7. Do you prefer boating with others or being out on your own?

Ok, here's how I would answer the questions.

1. Early 60s
2. That's what they make hotels and marina resorts for.
2a. Two. Drinks for 6, dinner for 4, sleeps 2 normally.
3. 120 days.
4. No.
5. Not off of my trawler, maybe the dinghy.
6. Anchor out 80%, dock 20%
7. Anchoring or docking with a friend for the night is fine, no flotilla cruising for me.

Ted

 

[JLD]

I think the list is a good start, as realistically sizing a boat seems to be the most difficult thing for many. Some folks buy boats that are too small for their cruising needs while others seem to buy boats for their whole families, whether or not they will actually come.

Respectfully, however, the first item on my list is BUDGET. This drives the rest of my decision making. We will be looking for a couples boat, big enough for one family/friend for a short period of time, and they better be close, as we ain't buying a big boat!

We plan of doing a lot of things when I retire in 1 1/2 - 2 years, and boating is just one of those things.

Jim

 

[Boulton20]

Originally Posted by Robster_in_edmonds
Hi Boulton,

Ok, now we are getting somewhere. Before I spend too much more time on this, please answer the following:
1. How old are you and your wife?
2. How many kids and grandkids?
2 a. How many overnight guests do you expect to have on your boat on any given trip?
3. Maximum consecutive days on the boat per trip?
4. Are you OK walking up a dock in the morning carrying your DOP kit, towel and fresh clothes, and bathing in a public shower?
5. Do you want to go crabbing and fishing?
6. Do you prefer being tied up at a dock with power and water, walking to shopping and restaurants, or would you rather anchor out and see just a few other boats?
7. Do you prefer boating with others or being out on your own?

When you get that homework posted, we can really give some suggestions!

Rob
Just a little background about the two of us. We both hunt and fish, we are outdoors people at heart. Both of us grew in the Pugut Sound region, being around and on the water. For the last 17 years we have lived in central Washington, making trips west to crab and salmon fish. We currently live the off-grid lifestyle an have spent considerable amount of time Boondocking with RV's. So being alone and self sufficient, is what we are living now. And we love it!

1. We are both planning on retirement in 2027.
2. We have 2 adult children, no grandkids.
2a. Planning on only 2.
3. Before retirement, probably a week. After retirement, whats to stop us from doing all summer.
4. Yes we are ok, with using public facilities. Not a new thing for us.
5. YES You forgot shrimping, clamming and oysters. We fully intend to eat our way through the inside passage. This would not be our primary fishing boat, we currently own a 20' fishing boat. But we plan on doing those activities, while underway.
6.We see marinas as a nessesity, not the destination. We are very comfortable on our own, boat to boat partying is not on our bucket list.
7. Boating with others, would not be out of the question.
8. Budget, $150K Hoping to stay at this price point, with the full knowlege that this is a moving target
9. Wood and bright work to a minimum.

 

[menzies]

I responded to a thread on this topic recently, and RTFirefly, one of the fantastic moderators here...

 

[BandB]

I responded to a thread on this topic recently, and RTFirefly, one of the fantastic moderators here,

Wifey B:



Seriously?

Adore RTF, but a moderator?

 

[Slowmo]

Some good input here. One thing I'd keep in mind is that a rule of thumb I got from an experienced shipwright: maintenance costs roughly double every 5' of length. The other thing to consider is single vs twin engines. Of course with twins you have redundancy but that also means twice the maintenance cost.

The purchase cost of the boat is just the starting point, unless you're buying a brand new boat you should expect to spend a significant amount on annual maintenance. I've seen various figures but from my personal experience we spend 10-15% of the purchase cost each year in routine maintenance. I've seen figures in the 10-20% range are typical.

So keep in mind how much you're willing and able to spend to maintain the boat each year. In some ways this is as important as how much you spend up front.

 

[Slowmo]

One additional comment. I see you have a 20' boat now. We own a 40' boat in the PNW and also have a 21' boat on Lake Tahoe. Don't make the mistake of thinking a 40' boat has twice the maintenance cost of a 20'..not even close. It's orders of magnitude different. I mention this because I've seen people make this mistake thinking that they can scale the ownership cost with length, you can but it is exponential not linear.

 

[Baker]

I think your fundamental foundation(best day on boat) is flawed. I personally would try to imagine the worst day on the boat and how the boat can handle that bad day! To put it another way, your "best day on the boat" theory can be fantasy. And when you get to caught up in fantasy, you end up with the wrong boat. I have always said on here, there is fantasy....and there is reality. We want those two things as close as possible to determine the type of boat to get. AN example of this is "grandkids" and "how many people can it sleep". You mention these things in your list. The answers to those questions are unknown and mostly a "fantasy". If you buy your boat based on that, then you are likely to buy the wrong boat. Because the reality is kids and grandkids do not visit as often as you think. And people don't spend the night on the boat either. As has been said above....drink/party 6-8. Eat 4. Sleep 2. So you should buy a boat centered around the needs of YOU and your SO....nobody else. When the friends, kids, and grandkids come, you can make it work when that time comes. I could go on........

 

[Alaskaflyer]

Unfortunately, one boat does not satisfy our "needs", though one might fit the bill for the Loop, and then another different one for life after

I'm also in the camp about your worst day being a better measuring stick, though that is probably because I used to operate in all weather for work when waiting something out wasn't always an option except for the very worst. I want a very capable boat for the trip that we want to take which is the loop with a very significant side trip for several weeks up to and across and around Lake Superior. But we need the air and hull draft to do the Trent Severn and perhaps even the Erie Canal. Oh, and three sleeping cabins. And preferably a single diesel.

At least it doesn't have to be trailerable

 

[FlyWright]

Wifey B:



Seriously?

Adore RTF, but a moderator?

I corrected the initial post that was in error. Robster got the "fly" right!

 

[FlyWright]

1. How old are you and your significant other?

62 and boating solo much of the time

2. How many kids and grandkids?

30-ish daughters out of state, not interested in boating.

2 a. How many overnight guests do you expect to have on your boat on any given trip?

Occasionally 1 or 2. I like having two staterooms with single bunks and double bed plus settee bunk which helps. Most times, the forward stateroom and its bunks act as storage and walk-in closet.

3. Maximum consecutive days on the boat per trip?

My record is 66 days at anchor (1 night on a dock) while gunkholing around the California Delta during the Covid Lockdown. Having 100 gal water and 40 gal holding allows 2 weeks for one aboard with daily Navy showers.

4. Are you OK walking up a dock in the morning carrying your DOP kit, towel and fresh clothes, and bathing in a public shower?

I'm OK with it but prefer using my onboard dry-head shower. To me, a dry head was high on the list and it gets daily use.

5. Do you want to go crabbing and fishing?

Yes, white sturgeon catch and release and striped bass fishing, occasional SF Bay fishing for shark and halibut. Having a large fishable cockpit with wide walkarounds makes this possible. I need to be able to walk all around the boat fighting fish exceeding 300 lbs while solo. 30-60 minute full-on tug of war battles are not unusual...then I'm sore for days!

6. Do you prefer being tied up at a dock with power and water, walking to shopping and restaurants, or would you rather anchor out and see just a few other boats?

I enjoy marinas and restaurants/bars sometimes but I also enjoy cooking and like to plan and prepare my meals. Much of the prep is done at home but on the long trips, I can restock locally then store, prep and cook onboard. Having two fridges makes this much easier and as the supplies dwindle, one fridge can be turned off to save power.

7. Do you prefer boating with others or being out on your own?

I do a lot of both. I boat alone and I meet up with friends on the water...sometimes with their own boats, sometimes they join me on FlyWright. The best part of boating alone is meeting new friends along the way.

After spending a total of 106 days on the water from 3/19 to 7/23, I found myself spending up to 14 days at anchor without relocating or docking. This required the use of my generator for about 2.5 hours per day to provide the electrons for my lavish lifestyle since I wasn't running the mains and didn't have solar. I'm installing 400W of solar to supplement the generator and should be able to limit my generator use to times of cooking lunch and/or dinner only. Theoretically, the solar should be able to provide about 75% (150AH) of my daily electron appetite of ~200 AH/day.

I looked far and wide for a boat that would allow me to fish and cruise in comfort while single handing with good water access/cockpit. The 34 Californian LRC seemed like the perfect fit at the time and has proven to be just that in real life for my needs and desires. I especially like having the lower helm door and flybridge which mostly serves as my 'attic with a million dollar view".

I would have preferred no exterior teak but got more than I wanted. The interior mahogany more than makes up for it...I love the look and warm feel inside without melamine or white paneling. I wasn't looking for "bristol" condition and I didn't get it, although she looked much better when I bought her 13 years ago. I affectionately refer to her as "comfortably imperfect'.

Having the stbd sliding side door plus two slide-open aft doors, the flow in and out of the boat is almost seamless in nice weather. Since we have few daytime bugs and little humidity in Northern Kalifornia, my three doors often
remain open while at anchor during the day. Having large salon windows with 360* views, it blurs the line between inside and outside. I like it that way!

One more thing...having a capable dink with enough speed to get around makes long-term anchoring much more feasible and enjoyable for me.