What style should I buy?

[Birdman]

Quick intro, I'm still young (55) but semi-retired. I have had my current 30 Rampage for 10 or 11 years. I fish it once in a while both offshore (Tuna) and inshore (Striped Bass, Fluke/Flounder, Bluefish...), but my wife and I enjoy cruising both long weekends at the usual Long Island area spots (Block Island, Newport, RI, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, east end of LI/Hamptons...), as well as 1 or 2 week long cruises around the same. More and more, I am doing more cruising and less fishing. So I've been searching for a new boat, more geared toward cruising, but it would be great if it could still be fished from time to time.

I've been eyeballing and looking for the last few years, and have yet to find what I really want or "should" get. I even have a hard time agreeing with myself on the style of boat to look for! Some of the stuff I've been looking at are 38' to 42' Downeast style cruisers such as Legacy, East Bay (GB), Mariner, Sabre, Backcove… all around the 200k price range. One stateroom is fine as it's just my wife and I, but a 2nd is not a showstopper. I prefer twins (safety and maneuverability) and a minimum of about 15 knots is probably in order as I don't have the patience for sailboats.

All the while, I have also had a "love" for trawlers and that has always been on the back of my mind. I've looked around at a few trawlers at the boat shows to get ideas, but I know little about the ins/outs of them.

So the recent thread about Pilot House/No Pilot house got me thinking, maybe instead of the down-easter style I really should be looking at a 40ish size trawler instead??? So with that little background, what are your recommendations? Trawler, Down-easter, Pilothouse, no pilothouse...??

What should I be looking at? What styles, what brands? ALL comments welcome, good bad and ugly!

 

[Bacchus]

Chris
Welcome aboard TF
You have a big advantage over many coming here in that you have experienced both styles of boating.
I guess I'd start by listing your musts, wants & don't want for your ideal fishing boat.
Do the same for your ideal cruiser.
Now have your wife do the same... for both if she is Interested in both?
Then the hard part only you and her can do... prioritize based on your priorities re boating style/ use and how much of each you anticipate doing going forward.
The hard part... combine the lists and compromise to balance styles.
It seems like a fairly good chance you can find something that allows you to do both. It's a matter of which to try to optimize / improve vs willing to give a little to get a reasonable balance.
Dont forget to engage and isten to your other half... happy wife happ life especially true in boating.
I dont think even the experts here can make the above for you... but with the musts, wants & don't want they can provide some boats worth considering.

 

[BandB]

Quick intro, I'm still young (55) but semi-retired. I have had my current 30 Rampage for 10 or 11 years. I fish it once in a while both offshore (Tuna) and inshore (Striped Bass, Fluke/Flounder, Bluefish...), but my wife and I enjoy cruising both long weekends at the usual Long Island area spots (Block Island, Newport, RI, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, east end of LI/Hamptons...), as well as 1 or 2 week long cruises around the same. More and more, I am doing more cruising and less fishing. So I've been searching for a new boat, more geared toward cruising, but it would be great if it could still be fished from time to time.

I've been eyeballing and looking for the last few years, and have yet to find what I really want or "should" get. I even have a hard time agreeing with myself on the style of boat to look for! Some of the stuff I've been looking at are 38' to 42' Downeast style cruisers such as Legacy, East Bay (GB), Mariner, Sabre, Backcove… all around the 200k price range. One stateroom is fine as it's just my wife and I, but a 2nd is not a showstopper. I prefer twins (safety and maneuverability) and a minimum of about 15 knots is probably in order as I don't have the patience for sailboats.

All the while, I have also had a "love" for trawlers and that has always been on the back of my mind. I've looked around at a few trawlers at the boat shows to get ideas, but I know little about the ins/outs of them.

So the recent thread about Pilot House/No Pilot house got me thinking, maybe instead of the down-easter style I really should be looking at a 40ish size trawler instead??? So with that little background, what are your recommendations? Trawler, Down-easter, Pilothouse, no pilothouse...??

What should I be looking at? What styles, what brands? ALL comments welcome, good bad and ugly!

Sounds like a sportfishing boat makes sense to me.

 

[Comodave]

We are on our 23rd boat at this point. We have had many different styles of boats but what works for us may not work for anyone else. Our requirements for the current boat were no tall ladders for us due to aging and our dog. We wanted 2 cabins and 2 heads in order to have the occasional guests aboard. We wanted a flybridge and an enclosed aft deck for some protected outdoor area for sitting. We ended up with a 41’ sundeck. It has 3 to 4 steps between levels which works for us. It has the 2 cabins and heads. It has an enclosed flybridge and sundeck. The sundeck will accommodate 4 chairs and a large cooler for sitting comfortably. We did not want a lower helm so we didn’t get one but we did add a permanent hardtop on the flybridge for inclement weather. The sundeck does make line handling a bit tougher on the stern but we added a stern thruster to help with that. It would be nice to have a cockpit but we were limited by the size and weight of boat that our local yard can haul. Ours pushes the travel lift close to it’s limit. I would recommend making a list of absolute must haves and also nice to haves and start looking at boats that fit your list. Good luck.

 

[IRENE]

I will offer why we went with our design, of which there are many manufacturers. I am not discrediting any other design - we like them all.

We chose a pilothouse as we are in a climate where we like protection from the elements. We also chose a design with the galley, salon, and aft deck on the main level/same deck. Most of our time during the day is in these spaces or outside, so we can see outside when cooking, eating indoors, or relaxing inside. We do go below for using the head, sleeping, and maintenance.

I recommend you get on and experience as many as possible...the field will narrow. I would also consider your exit strategy; you don’t want to be stuck with something (or take a bath) WHEN your mission or desires change. Finally, if I were coastal cruising I would want some speed capability. We like the Back Cove and similar boats.

Good Luck

 

[Birdman]

Must have's are really easy and short:
- 3.5 draft or less (Intercoastal LI [Great South Bay] is VERY shallow)
- Island bed
- "Dry head" (separate shower stall in head)
- Twins diesels
- Easy to access/both motors (I dig the Great Harbour N37 somebody posted in the Clostaphobic thread, except it's really slow at 7knots)
- Outdoor deck / cockpit to fit 3 or 4 chairs minimum (no enclosed cockpit or aft cabin style boat)
- Possible to fish it once in a while, but main purpose is to cruise.
- Easy bow access

 

[ranger58sb]

What Bacchus said about listing your individual must haves/want to haves/nice to haves... and then compare, negotiate, etc.

The fishing part suggests sportfish, convertible, maybe a cockpit motor yacht, maybe a trawler with decent cockpit area, or maybe a downeast boat ditto. Do you want a raised saloon with 360° visibility, or are you good with living in a cave? That might influence you choice of downeast versus all those others.

One of our must haves for the current boat was a real saloon (we got tired of the previous cave). Next was a flybridge. The third must have was "no ladder". That limited the search by quite a lot...

-Chris

 

[Rufus]

Sounds like a semi-planning cockpit motor yacht style (with a sundeck as a bonus) checks all the boxes if you want a compromise between slow speed efficiency and the option of a faster cruise speed. This one has a cockpit for fishing among other things, two cabins/heads, relatively small twin diesels, spacious salon with huge windows all around. efficient Monk hull, upper and lower helm (which doesn't eat up space for a pilothouse), large sundeck with three steps to flybridge for maximum outside living. Draft is about 4 feet. No better design for maximizing space utilization. You're young, so a few short staircases and ladders wouldn't be an issue. We're in our 70s and manage just fine, even with an older dog and a bionic knee. I'd be careful about flat(ish) bottom boats.

 

[koliver]

Sounds like a semi-planning cockpit motor yacht style (with a sundeck as a bonus) checks all the boxes if you want a compromise between slow speed efficiency and the option of a faster cruise speed. This one has a cockpit for fishing among other things, two cabins/heads, relatively small twin diesels, spacious salon with huge windows all around. efficient Monk hull, upper and lower helm (which doesn't eat up space for a pilothouse), large sundeck with three steps to flybridge for maximum outside living. Draft is about 4 feet. No better design for maximizing space utilization. You're young, so a few short staircases and ladders wouldn't be an issue. We're in our 70s and manage just fine, even with an older dog and a bionic knee. I'd be careful about flat(ish) bottom boats.

View attachment 88995

You will be surprised how you can adapt (boat=compromise) if you thought there was one particular type that you wanted, but another type actually does all of that and more. Tri-cabin layouts usually provide two complete heads, while sedans only one. Steps instead of ladders. nice sundeck, functioning flybridge with easy access. All of your boxes checked!

 

[FlyWright]

I struggled with the same questions when I was searching for a vessel at age 50, 5 years before retirement. I considered sportfishers, smaller fishing boats and sedan trawlers. I was swayed by the trawler's economy and tank sizes. I settled on efficient and slow 85hp twin Perkins but would have been just as satisfied with larger 200HP engines to provide a turn of speed now and then. In the end, I'm very pleased with small hp naturals and adequate tankage to provide for a week's anchoring for two or 2 weeks on the hook for one.

I catch sturgeon during the fall-spring months then switch to cruising the Delta during spring-fall months. My big 'needs' were full, safe walkarounds to allow me to fight a fish 360* around the boat's perimeter and enough room to fish and cruise comfortably. Last time out I landed my personal best in a 20 minute full-on tug-of-war with a fish that well exceeded 100", 325+# and over 50 years old while single handed....no net boy! (Since it was much larger than any NBA players, I named the fish "Shaquille".) The fight took me all the way around the boat's rails and demonstrated to me the value of safe walkarounds. I could never have landed that fish on a sportfisher or other vessel with narrow 6 inch ledges to reach the bow.

 

[South of Heaven]

You will be surprised how you can adapt (boat=compromise) if you thought there was one particular type that you wanted, but another type actually does all of that and more. Tri-cabin layouts usually provide two complete heads, while sedans only one. Steps instead of ladders. nice sundeck, functioning flybridge with easy access. All of your boxes checked!

Very true. I never thought I'd end up in the boat that I bought. BUT I did. And I love it. There is no perfect boat...

 

[Comodave]

Very true. I never thought I'd end up in the boat that I bought. BUT I did. And I love it. There is no perfect boat...

Maybe not but a Fleming 58 comes pretty close.

 

[Lollygag1]

Perhaps consider engaging a broker who can help you narrow the search criteria. We found this was a great wa to quickly determine what was going to be the best fit, after which it was just a matter of hunting down the right one. Good luck

 

[Birdman]

Thanks for the comments folks...… still searching! ;-)

 

[Imp]

Some of the stuff I've been looking at are 38' to 42' Downeast style cruisers such as Legacy, East Bay (GB), Mariner, Sabre, Backcove… all around the 200k price range. !

In your boat budget don't forget to allow for upgrades like A/C & post-purchase outfitting. Circa 1990 I spent close to 70k outfitting my 35' cruising sailboat with electronics, inverter, generator, canvas, dinghies, anchors, chain, liferaft & other safety gear, spares, etc. (That figure included the cost of the new toilet plunger & bucket that would serve as my washing machine for the next few years.)


Most co$ts of proper outfitting are not recoverable when selling. Custom canvas (it's ALL custom) alone can easily run into tens of thousands of dollars. For that reason, consider a late model, already kitted out, of one the boats you like. You'll still need to add gear that suits your boating style, but likely not as much as when buying a new "naked" boat.

 

[Birdman]

In your boat budget don't forget to allow for upgrades like A/C & post-purchase outfitting. Circa 1990 I spent close to 70k outfitting my 35' cruising sailboat with electronics, inverter, generator, canvas, dinghies, anchors, chain, liferaft & other safety gear, spares, etc. (That figure included the cost of the new toilet plunger & bucket that would serve as my washing machine for the next few years.)


Most co$ts of proper outfitting are not recoverable when selling. Custom canvas (it's ALL custom) alone can easily run into tens of thousands of dollars. For that reason, consider a late model, already kitted out, of one the boats you like. You'll still need to add gear that suits your boating style, but likely not as much as when buying a new "naked" boat.

Thanks, I'm all over it, I've been around this block a few times. I always tell people: "Owning a boat is a LOT more expensive than buying one!"

 

[South of Heaven]

Birdman: Over the winter I was shopping for used boats and had a similar target budget ($200k). One thing became clear very quick. $200k doesn't get you what it used to!

I love downeasts as well but couldn't find any that fit my needs. They were either too fishy (huge cockpit) and less interior space or too expensive. However I was always looking for 2 staterooms, a single stateroom would've been a deal breaker for me. I'm also a full time liveaboard. If you're only looking for a single berth DE boat then you may find a nice one if you keep looking.

About your speed requirements: You mentioned a 15 knot minimum. That will almost
entirely knock you out of the traditional trawler world. Many of the guys on this forum are cruising at 7-10 knots and are quite happy with that. So keep that in mind. A "real" trawler will be a slow vessel. But this is a topic for debate and HAS been debated on here many times; IMO there is no hard and fast rule to what a trawler is. There are lots of folks on this forum with sportfishers, cabin cruisers and the like. Nothing wrong with that (unless you ask Nomad Willy!).

Your engine preference will also steer you away from most traditional trawlers. Most of the folks on here have a single diesel. However there are some twin configurations. Many older Grand Banks and that ilk had smaller Lehman twins (some even had larger twins). But a single diesel seems to be the norm for a "trawler".

I can give you some real world reviews from my boat shopping over the winter. I toured and really liked the 2005 Mainship 400 Trawler. Beautiful boat! Very beamy and stable. Big, single diesel. Decent generator power. Thrusters, 2 AC's etc. Around $180k before negotiations. I liked it very much but I didn't like the large cockpit. I felt it was like wasted space because I don't fish and would rather have more interior space. I also didn't like the small double bunk guest room (but you may not mind it). Very nice boat but didn't check all my boxes.


I then toured a 1998 Bayliner 4788 CPMY. LOVED IT!! I WAS VERY CLOSE TO BUYING THIS! Don't be fooled by the Bayliner name. This is a well built yacht and has cult like status. It's an amazing layout. You have so many different living areas; you really get that big boat feel but still under 50 feet. The salon and galley were one of my favorite areas. Huge living area in the salon. Very cool boat! I didn't pull the trigger because I honestly thought I wasn't ready for a 50 footer yet. I do a lot of solo cruising and line handling may have been tricky on the 4788.


Have you looked at the Silverton's in the 40ish range? You can find some beautiful boats with your budget. Good luck. The shopping part can be fun but also stressful....Sometimes brutal actually. Lol

 

[Birdman]

Birdman: Over the winter I was shopping for used boats and had a similar target budget ($200k). One thing became clear very quick. $200k doesn't get you what it used to!

I love downeasts as well but couldn't find any that fit my needs. They were either too fishy (huge cockpit) and less interior space or too expensive. However I was always looking for 2 staterooms, a single stateroom would've been a deal breaker for me. I'm also a full time liveaboard. If you're only looking for a single berth DE boat then you may find a nice one if you keep looking.

About your speed requirements: You mentioned a 15 knot minimum. That will almost
entirely knock you out of the traditional trawler world. Many of the guys on this forum are cruising at 7-10 knots and are quite happy with that. So keep that in mind. A "real" trawler will be a slow vessel. But this is a topic for debate and HAS been debated on here many times; IMO there is no hard and fast rule to what a trawler is. There are lots of folks on this forum with sportfishers, cabin cruisers and the like. Nothing wrong with that (unless you ask Nomad Willy!).

Your engine preference will also steer you away from most traditional trawlers. Most of the folks on here have a single diesel. However there are some twin configurations. Many older Grand Banks and that ilk had smaller Lehman twins (some even had larger twins). But a single diesel seems to be the norm for a "trawler".

I can give you some real world reviews from my boat shopping over the winter. I toured and really liked the 2005 Mainship 400 Trawler. Beautiful boat! Very beamy and stable. Big, single diesel. Decent generator power. Thrusters, 2 AC's etc. Around $180k before negotiations. I liked it very much but I didn't like the large cockpit. I felt it was like wasted space because I don't fish and would rather have more interior space. I also didn't like the small double bunk guest room (but you may not mind it). Very nice boat but didn't check all my boxes.


I then toured a 1998 Bayliner 4788 CPMY. LOVED IT!! I WAS VERY CLOSE TO BUYING THIS! Don't be fooled by the Bayliner name. This is a well built yacht and has cult like status. It's an amazing layout. You have so many different living areas; you really get that big boat feel but still under 50 feet. The salon and galley were one of my favorite areas. Huge living area in the salon. Very cool boat! I didn't pull the trigger because I honestly thought I wasn't ready for a 50 footer yet. I do a lot of solo cruising and line handling may have been tricky on the 4788.


Have you looked at the Silverton's in the 40ish range? You can find some beautiful boats with your budget. Good luck. The shopping part can be fun but also stressful....Sometimes brutal actually. Lol

Thanks for the comments/info. Forget the Silverton's, I'm not a fan of them at all. I've never been on one I liked, and they have a bad name around LI for the most part.

You mention the 40 Mainship had a "big cockpit" area, too big for you. I've eyeballed (only around the docks) a few 40 mainships because I like the "look" of them and always wondered if it would fit the bill for me. BUT, I always notice there is really no cockpit, barely enough room for a chair or two. So I wonder if there is another version of the 40 mainship available than the ones I've seen?

I do like a larger cockpit, I don't need it huge like a fishing platform area, but I like being outdoors, that's why I boat in the first place. I hate with a passion the motoryachts that have no cockpit, like the stern statetroom type boats... I just don't understand them unless your just living on the boat, that's another story I guess. But I want to back into the slip, and hang out in the cockpit in the sunshine, or anchor up and do the same. Indoors is for cooking and sleeping.

 

[South of Heaven]

Thanks for the comments/info. Forget the Silverton's, I'm not a fan of them at all. I've never been on one I liked, and they have a bad name around LI for the most part.

You mention the 40 Mainship had a "big cockpit" area, too big for you. I've eyeballed (only around the docks) a few 40 mainships because I like the "look" of them and always wondered if it would fit the bill for me. BUT, I always notice there is really no cockpit, barely enough room for a chair or two. So I wonder if there is another version of the 40 mainship available than the ones I've seen?

I do like a larger cockpit, I don't need it huge like a fishing platform area, but I like being outdoors, that's why I boat in the first place. I hate with a passion the motoryachts that have no cockpit, like the stern statetroom type boats... I just don't understand them unless your just living on the boat, that's another story I guess. But I want to back into the slip, and hang out in the cockpit in the sunshine, or anchor up and do the same. Indoors is for cooking and sleeping.

Silvertons have a bad name in L.I? Really? That's odd since they're New Jersey boats.

The Mainship 400 Trawler is the boat I was referring to. Here's a Yacht World link.

https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2005/mainship-400-trawler-3539051/

Btw, I love my aft cabin layout. Good thing there are so many different boat choices out there for all of us.

 

[Benthic2]

An alternate suggestion: Since compromise could lead to an unfishable boat that doesn't cruise well, would it be possible to fully commit to a trawler with no fishing amenities, and then trailer something like a 20-25 foot dedicated fish boat ???

 

[Seevee]

Thanks for the comments/info. Forget the Silverton's, I'm not a fan of them at all. I've never been on one I liked, and they have a bad name around LI for the most part.

You mention the 40 Mainship had a "big cockpit" area, too big for you. I've eyeballed (only around the docks) a few 40 mainships because I like the "look" of them and always wondered if it would fit the bill for me. BUT, I always notice there is really no cockpit, barely enough room for a chair or two. So I wonder if there is another version of the 40 mainship available than the ones I've seen?

I do like a larger cockpit, I don't need it huge like a fishing platform area, but I like being outdoors, that's why I boat in the first place. I hate with a passion the motoryachts that have no cockpit, like the stern statetroom type boats... I just don't understand them unless your just living on the boat, that's another story I guess. But I want to back into the slip, and hang out in the cockpit in the sunshine, or anchor up and do the same. Indoors is for cooking and sleeping.

I'm on the same page as you. I have the Mainship 400 and it comes close to being the perfect boat for me. While I don't really need speed, there's a few times where 15kts would have made a huge difference. Mines a single and the twin will do the 15kts you want. I could argue the merits of each. I like my single for the simplicity and the fact that engine maintenance is dirt simple and I can totally access all sides of it. Also, while docking can be an issue, I can't think of a time I couldn't get in when the twin would. With my bow and stern thruster, docking is relatively simple, but I'm still learning.

My absolute requirements included the back cockpit to enjoy the air. I've sat out there a number of times with 4 of us. Stairs instead of ladders. A reasonably accessible walkway around the boat and a helm door for single person operation. I really don't like the aft cabin boats with no cockpit and a dangerous ladder to the swim platform.

The Bayliner 4788 is a GREAT boat. Tons of room, shallow draft, very comfortable. Personally I don't like pilot house boats... a waste of space. I prefer an open concept, like the Navigator (great interior), but for me the draft wouldn't work, plus a difficult single handed boat.

Now, although I have friends that are full time live aboards on the MS400, it would be too small for me on a full time basis.

Lots of choices.... and different strokes. Just a lot of choices for different wants.

 

[pattormey]

Look at this one

Quick intro, I'm still young (55) but semi-retired. I have had my current 30 Rampage for 10 or 11 years. I fish it once in a while both offshore (Tuna) and inshore (Striped Bass, Fluke/Flounder, Bluefish...), but my wife and I enjoy cruising both long weekends at the usual Long Island area spots (Block Island, Newport, RI, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, east end of LI/Hamptons...), as well as 1 or 2 week long cruises around the same. More and more, I am doing more cruising and less fishing. So I've been searching for a new boat, more geared toward cruising, but it would be great if it could still be fished from time to time.

I've been eyeballing and looking for the last few years, and have yet to find what I really want or "should" get. I even have a hard time agreeing with myself on the style of boat to look for! Some of the stuff I've been looking at are 38' to 42' Downeast style cruisers such as Legacy, East Bay (GB), Mariner, Sabre, Backcove… all around the 200k price range. One stateroom is fine as it's just my wife and I, but a 2nd is not a showstopper. I prefer twins (safety and maneuverability) and a minimum of about 15 knots is probably in order as I don't have the patience for sailboats.

All the while, I have also had a "love" for trawlers and that has always been on the back of my mind. I've looked around at a few trawlers at the boat shows to get ideas, but I know little about the ins/outs of them.

So the recent thread about Pilot House/No Pilot house got me thinking, maybe instead of the down-easter style I really should be looking at a 40ish size trawler instead??? So with that little background, what are your recommendations? Trawler, Down-easter, Pilothouse, no pilothouse...??

What should I be looking at? What styles, what brands? ALL comments welcome, good bad and ugly!

Check this out: contact me if interested.

https://anchoryachts.smugmug.com/Sterling-Atlantic/Sterling-Atlantic-45/

 

[hayesdvm]

What a timely and interesting thread. I also have been looking at trawlers for several years trying to decide what the best compromise would be for us as we are semi-retired (I work 3 days a week) and am to slow down more in the coming year or two.

We have a house on the water in Washington, NC and I have a Boston Whaler Montauk 210. Great multi-purpose boat, but if the weather turns bad, you are in the weather. No place to hide, really. Last weekend a group of us traveled by water down to Beaufort for the weekend. The weather was nice, but windy, and as luck would have it I developed an engine problem in Adams Creek. Thank goodness it wasn't half way across the Neuse, as it was a bit rough out there. So, I got towed to Bock Marine and got pulled out and our friends continued on in their boats to Beaufort and came back and picked us up in the courtesy car.

What I learned from the trip down and back as we passed lots of trawlers and sailboats heading north up the ICW is that I am not quite ready to go 7-9 knots. Frankly, I don't have the time to only go that slow until I am fully retired. So, as I considered my boat choices when I got home, I decided much like the OP that I wanted a boat that could cruise at 15-20 knots with decent fuel consumption, have an enclosed cabin with nice finishes (to please the wife) and the ability to go out and spend the weekend on the hook at Cape Lookout or anywhere else we can get to over a 4 day weekend. It would be nice to get something used that will retain value reasonably well.

I do not really care if single or twin engine, but really don't like the idea of pods due to the number of logs in the water here in NC. So, would have to go back 10 years or so to get back before pods on some boats (Sabre for instance).

I do like the Back Coves and the Mainship Pilots, from the lines of the boats and the size. Very easy to handle, even single handed if need be.

I will look forward to reading the thoughts of others, and would particularly like to hear about experience with the pods. I know they are fantastic for navigation in close quarters, esp. with the MJMs (bit out of my budget), but I worry about the maintenance and fragility.

Mark

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

I would cross Downeast boats off your list if you are looking for a twin engine boat.

 

[Rigtyme]

You’ve had lots of advice, here’s a recommendation, look at a Navigator 44. We’ve been boating since the early 70s. We made the natural progression from sail boats, to trawlers, to sport fishers, to motor yachts, and down to express cruisers. We then moved to the Navigator. We chose the Navigator because its a pilot house design that has a small cockpit you can fish from, an up galley and dinette, where you can see everything around, which the better half loves. It also has two staterooms with queen beds and separate heads and stall showers. We cruise about 14 knots, with a very stable ride. US built. If you can find one, suggest you check it out.

 

[sdupleich]

Have you considered a Beneteau Swift Trawler? We have a 2014 50' and we absolutely love her! Just found an older model that works for your budget though not sure how it works for fishing. Forgot to mention that our ST50 cruises at 17 knots though will also happily cruise at slower speeds depending on the conditions and your mood. Tons of creature comforts and very capable in rough water.

(I'm not affiliated with any yacht broker and this is not my listing)

https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2004/beneteau-swift-trawler-42-3245757/?refSource=enhanced listing

 

[Codger2]

By now, after reading all the above, you must be more confused than ever! All advice given has been honest and well intentioned, albeit biassed as hell! Everyone loves their boat and they want others to fall in love with it as they did! Conclusions:get a 40ish, twin engine boat with a nice cockpit that runs in the middle teens to 20 knots WOT. (Diesels of course.)

I'll throw out my own personal bias with a few pics....a boat that took my wife & I 3.5 years to find. It's a 42 footer, twin diesels, 2 staterooms & 2 heads, fly bridge and cruises at 15/18 knots. (20.5 at WOT.) No wood on the outside but lots of plantation teak on the inside. Side door for easy loading to a nice cockpit. (Mandatory!)

Note: Click on Codger2 and view the Sandpiper album!

 

[Birdman]

Ok, been a while on this thread, now that the summer is over lets find me a boat!!

Of course, I had one of the BEST offshore tuna fishing summers of my life, went more, caught more than ever before, so that is NOT helping with my decision. However, my wife and I did do a couple of longer range/2 week cruises this summer, which of course stirred the pot to try and find a more comfy boat. Even put a few offers in, but didn't get them. So still searching...

I would cross Downeast boats off your list if you are looking for a twin engine boat.

And why is that? Legacy Yachts, East Bay/Grand Banks, Mariner Yachts, Sabre among a few others are all twin diesel downeast cruisers. Duffy's and Webco's are not the only style of downeast boats!

By now, after reading all the above, you must be more confused than ever! All advice given has been honest and well intentioned, albeit biassed as hell! Everyone loves their boat and they want others to fall in love with it as they did! Conclusions:get a 40ish, twin engine boat with a nice cockpit that runs in the middle teens to 20 knots WOT. (Diesels of course.)
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Yep, aint that the truth! Add in a good season of fishing, and some longer cruises this summer and that doesn't help either.

So I almost bought a 40 Legacy that went up for sale, these are my favorite down-east boats, twins, 20+ knot cruise, island bed, dry head, nice layout for us but the problem is there are very few of them around as they stopped making them in 2007/08, and only made 30 or 40 of them before that. Tartan has bought the molds and name and started making the 42 and 36, but they are not making the 40 and I don't want a brand new one (hello $$) anyway. The 40 I looked at was just not in the best of shape, and needed more work and upgrades than I really wanted to do.

But I do really like the older Sabre 38's which are now called Sabre 40's. But the new 40's leave a lot to be desired on the layout. The new layout is a horror show, and Sabre knows it. They admitted to me they need to change it but they are selling them and don't want to waste money re-tolling.

The 44's and 45's listed/advised to check out are nice, but too big for me. I'm in the Great South Bay (read: LOTS of skinny water, and small slips). You can get a 45' boat no problem, but you will be limited to where you can go, and what slips will be available (large slips are limited), so I want to avoid that.

So what else we got??

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

What do you think makes a Grand Banks downeast other than a marketing term? They are nice boats but all of those you mentioned have very little similarities to a Duffy, Webco or other DE...If they work for you great! Kind of like the term Fast Trawler...

 

[Birdman]

What do you think makes a Grand Banks downeast other than a marketing term? They are nice boats but all of those you mentioned have very little similarities to a Duffy, Webco or other DE...If they work for you great! Kind of like the term Fast Trawler...

Easy, it's a "Downeast Cruiser", a hull designed after some of the characteristics of a true down-east commercial boat, but designed for twins and amenities instead of economy and fish storage.

Is it a marketing term? Sure. So is "fast trawler", but they are both real things, or a particular styles. So what's the issue?