53MY compared to 61MY?

[MikeP]

I've always been a proud member of the "Buy High, Sell Low" school of finance anyway! But boats are the same as cars - neither one will do anything but make you poorer. To paraphrase an old saying: "How do you get a million bucks in the boat business? Start out with two million bucks!"

So to see a 1980 53MY sell for considerably less than what I paid for ours 4 years ago seems normal since it's four years older than it was then.

Some issues for us would definitely be the slip space and that rear deck thing. Another BIG issue that I reluctantly must consider is maintanance. I do ALL the work on our boat; I like doing it and I know the mechanic and his capability! I think I must realistically consider whether I am physically able to maintain a 61 at the same level I maintain our 53. Frankly, I don't think I can, especially now that I am no longer 5 minutes from the boat.

The admiral and I have discussed asking (sea) Eric to find a 61 for us to look at when we are back in Piney Narrows in Sep. Of course that's how we ended up buying a 53 - looking at one!

It would probably be a lot smarter to NOT look...

[Avenger]

Mike, I thought you wanted something with a cockpit for your SCUBA diving activities? Or would the bigger swim platform on a 61' be good enough?

[SKYCHENEY]

As is always stated here, every boat is a compromise. When we started looking for the "right" 53MY, we looked at a buck of dogs. Then when we saw our 53ED, we ended up buying her. The Admiral loved the large salon and the boat was in great shape. But......we lost our back deck.

I asked the Admiral what boat she would like if it were not this one and she now thinks that we need a back deck like the 53MY. But, she says that she would not be willing to give up the extra room in the salon just to have one. You know what that means don't you, Mike? That means 56MY, 58MY series I or II, or 60MY.

I think we have gone through this same thing that you are experiencing right now. It tends to come and go, but it doubt it will ever go away. That's just part of boating. Some call it one-footitis.

I think you should look at a 61MY and maybe even some other models. Even if you think you might like to own one, then you will have another problem--finding one. I don't mean that there aren't many out there, but finding one that is in the condition of your current boat will be a chore. That is probably the main reason that I choose to hold on to what I have. I don't want to start all over again with more projects. There is something to be said for "knowing" the boat that you run, knowing the maintenance, the systems, and every little detail.

Good luck on what ever you decide. Heck, maybe I'll buy your 53MY. Of course the Admiral might have a different idea.

[Sparky1]

"I've done pleanty of single handed sailing and have had to had situations where I had to be "caught" by the dock hands."

well, maybe getting caught by dock hands is normal when sailing (without an engine) but not when running a 25+ ton boat... nobody can "catch" you, they'd better not even try.

falling overboard off a 53 ? how the heck do you do that unless you do something really stupid...

I have been looking at big boats and think the 53 is too small. A friend of mine fell off a bigger boat in a storm but wasn't alone or underway but just setting the anchor to ride things out. His wife was able to handle the boat but she didn't think he was stupid for falling off. Good thing she was there.

I never saw anybody try to dock a sail boat without an engine before. That would be really stupid but I guess dock hands can help tie boats up when there is only one person on the boat as long as they know what they are doing and listen to the captain. I just hope they remember to duck when the sail boat boom swings around and clears the dock.

[StratPlan61]

Mike, you might consider looking at a 61' CPMY, it is the 56MY w/ckpt. That way you keep an aft deck space - and the 56'/61' CKMY has a wide aft deck. Remember this is a galley-down boat, like your 53'MY.
If you look at a 61'MY it will be a galley-up boat and I'm guessing your Admiral will like that configuration alot - even if she doesn't think so right now. Trust me. The separate pilothouse is also very nice - a few things it is hard to imagine liking - until you experience that configuration on a few trips.
You're going to be in big trouble once you look at a 61'. The maintenance is no worse than your 53, time wise. All of the same systems, larger ERs, larger genny ER. As we age, the galley-up is very comfortable, so is the inside ladder to the FB.

Bear'
1984 61' MY Strategic Plan

[MikeP]

I know we'd like the galley up and the separate pilothouse. It's funny re the pilothouse...

When we first started looking at 53s we liked the ED with the separate pilot house. THen, after looking, we decided we DIDN"T like a separate pilot house. NOW, we think we would like the separate pilot house.

But one thing I'm wondering...I do all the docking from the lower helm in the 53. The visibility is much better all around than from the flybridge. With a separate pilot house I guess that's not possible, right? Do you do your tight maneuvering from the FB?

Re SCUBA - yes, a cockpit would be great...Though I don't know how much scuba I would do in the CHesapeake other than boat work. The water visby is even less than in LI sound, at least in the very limited areas I have seen. Then again, I only did boat work SCUBA in LI as well so it's not really a big issue I guess.

[jim rosenthal]

Mike, what you need isn't a 61MY. You aren't thinking clearly here. What you need is about a 15' Airstream. Spend a month on that- THEN go back to Brigadoon and tell me it feels too small. Repeat this process until you realize you don't want a bigger boat.

Incidentally, some musician around here wrote something called "The Bigger Boat Song" which is all about this.....I think it even mentions Eric by name.

[MikeP]

"You aren't thinking clearly here"

Oh right, like that's news!

Not thinking clearly got me a boat in the first place (and a 2+2 E-Type).

I checked on airstreams but the smallest I could find was around 19ft - the "Bambi" model ( I still get teary-eyed thinking about his mom,)

http://www.airstream.com/product_lin...ambi_home.html

[StratPlan61]

Mike, reread my earlier posts in this thread. I do everything from the PH, only use the FB for nice days off-shore cruising.

Bear'
1984 61' MY Strategic Plan

[dastahl]

You guys are so lucky, there is a 61CPMY somewhere in Kent Narrows. Its in Yachtworld. Big Saloon, big aft deck, galley down like the 1510s, and a 5 foot cockpit. 12-71TIs for economy, pilot house, its got it all. Two sold in Fl under $400K.
I've been trying to get down to see it myself. If you guys go to see it contact me, its safer to go as a group.
Skooch
42 LRC
Worton Creek MD