What next? Honest suggestions appriciated.

[stormchaser]

It's time for Saraswati to go to a new home. She was my dream, not ours. I loved being a full time live aboard. It didn't work out well once I added in a wife and 5 year old girl (now just turned 8). Back in April we moved ashore, with the thought that we'd try holding on to her for a season and see how much we use her. She left the slip 4 times. Frankly, a HATT 53 is not a good day boat. So, she's going up for sale in the spring and we will be looking for something smaller and faster. Looking for 26-32 feet, overnight accommodations for 4, 2 adults in one bed, 2 kids in a second birth. Cruise speed from 18-22 and reasonable miles per gallon (above 1.5, hopefully above 2.0). Diesel is greatly wanted. The boat in the lead for us is the Mainship Pilot 30 Mk 2, rum runner/soft top. Or the Apreamare 9 meter (30 foot). Any other suggestions?

 

[bhostrawser]

Albin made something a few years ago called a family cruiser. I see a few Albins out here, and I don't know a lot about them but they sure look nice.

Here is one:

http://www.galatiyachts.com/all-use.../30.0-FT/LAKE-CHAMPLAIN-VT-US/details-4374238

 

[Jaxfishgyd]

If the Mainship was built from the late 1990' thru 2000, run away... They were BADLY made in that time from in St Augustine... I know as the marina next to mine when I was in Jacksonville was their main N.Fla dealership and it was scary what they did to them (#8 wire for the windlass for example).. The newer ones are fine once they changed to being built in the new plant...

 

[rmatt]

I have a friend with a Mainship Pilot. I could tell you a lot about the construction however by biggest complaint is that it is an extremely wet boat. I'm talking two foot waves and they are on the windshield. If there is no fresh water washer system for the windshield it only takes a few passes with the wipers and you cannot see.

 

[fissioneng]

Nordic Tug 32?

Not a lot of options in this size range for diesel. The Albin 28 is pretty small but might work.

Your speed requirement excludes most of the trawlers like the Grand Banks 32.

 

[Pascal]

I'd stay away from mainship as well... Apremare? Those I have seen had some silly things like cleat placement and dint seem to age very well.

I d try to stay in the 35 to 40' range, below that is going to be real crowded and limit your options and comfort even in a mild chop on the bay. Accommodations on anything smaller is going to be like camping...

Why not a Hinckley picnic boat or downeast / lobster boat? They re the perfect day boats with single level cockpits and decent accommodations for occasional overnight. And they're pretty good looking.

 

[seasalt]

I had the same concerns about my larger boat being too unwieldy for short cruises so I settled on this 35' Albin TE Sport Fish with twin Cummins 370's. So far it has been just what we needed.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

My son had a 32 Hatteras and that would be a good choice. The only issue is that the diesel version used very heavy 300 hp Cat 3208 engines. These were way heavy and not thrifty on fuel at all. The gas engine version was a much better choice. Some have been updated with lightweight Yanmar engines.
Another great little boat is the 28' Bertram. There are lots of them around and they are great sea boats. They originally had gas engines but switching to Yanmars is pretty popular.

 

[SeaEric]

You didn't mention a price range. For the Chesapeake's shot chop you'd be better with a little more water line length than 32' for a decent ride. Last week I was aboard a 39' Apreamare 1999 in South Florida that was very nice. It's a donation and the price and terms are attractive.

Hasn't your 53 already been on the market for almost a year?

 

[Pascal]

I have never really understood why some folks seem larger boats are more trouble to take on short trips.

Whether a boat if 30' or 53', you will have the same number of lines, and power cord to undo. The same number of engines and Genset to preflight and start... The other 20' of hull make little difference. Sure th smaller boat may only have a 30amp cord instead of 50 but that doesn't make any difference.

If you don't go far and don't have to go fast, fuel will not be much worst either...

 

[bhostrawser]

I have never really understood why some folks seem larger boats are more trouble to take on short trips.

Whether a boat if 30' or 53', you will have the same number of lines, and power cord to undo. The same number of engines and Genset to preflight and start... The other 20' of hull make little difference. Sure th smaller boat may only have a 30amp cord instead of 50 but that doesn't make any difference.

If you don't go far and don't have to go fast, fuel will not be much worst either...

Going to disagree with this. OP is looking to simplify, it sounds like. 30ft boats he is considering mostly have single engines, no gensets, and are going to be easier to handle, easier to get to shallow anchorages/marinas, easier to maintain, and easier to clean up after a short excursion, and more forgiving on the wallet.

Could be wrong, but I don't think a twin diesel sportfish is what he is looking for, as his original thoughts were downeast style, a much simpler boat. As you sort of state, going down 20ft of waterline but keeping many of the systems, doesn't really change the equation much.

Yes, finding a simple 30ft boat that is fairly quick and is comfortable enough to spend the occasional night on with 4 people, it is a bit of a challenge, and thats why he is asking for some help. It can be done though, without a doubt, there are just some tradeoffs.

Paying for a 53' boat year round to only use it a few times for short trips doesn't make much sense to me either.

 

[seasalt]

Pascal,

Let's say one is at A&B Marina in Key West and wants to spend the difference between paying for 35 feet rather than 54 feet. That would buy a nice meal (for one).

 

[saltshaker]

I have never really understood why some folks seem larger boats are more trouble to take on short trips.

Whether a boat if 30' or 53', you will have the same number of lines, and power cord to undo. The same number of engines and Genset to preflight and start... The other 20' of hull make little difference. Sure th smaller boat may only have a 30amp cord instead of 50 but that doesn't make any difference.

If you don't go far and don't have to go fast, fuel will not be much worst either...

I think there's a huge difference. For me a smaller boat means no bridge openings to deal with, many more places near by that I can't get into with a big boat, faster boat means I can head out and back for short runs when I may not have that much time. Faster boat opens up places that you may not have enough time to cruise to on a short schedule with the bigger boat, much less boat to wash after a run, much less boat to maintain, lower storage and yard expenses, the list goes on and on.

 

[thoward]

Not sure 1.5-2 mpg at 20 knots is going to happen in a cruiser. The rest depends on your location and use. While I like having the big boat, I put substantially more yearly engine hours on the 30' CC and it actually took up less of my time.

 

[Pascal]

I know a smaller boat requires less maintenance, costs less to operate, dock etc... I was simply referring to what some see as the extra hassle to get th boat out of the slip, not cost or complexity.

 

[saltshaker]

I know a smaller boat requires less maintenance, costs less to operate, dock etc... I was simply referring to what some see as the extra hassle to get th boat out of the slip, not cost or complexity.

Getting in and out of the slip isn't the issue. It's everything else that goes with running a big boat. I never worried about the tide when I had my 46C. With the extra draft of the 65, tide has become an issue. I don't want to leave or return when the tide is too low. Came in one day when the tide was exceptionally low. Ended up spending a couple of hours afterward cleaning out the strainers and AC lines. Everything was packed with silt. A smaller boat will be much easier to use and requires much less of a commitment, which is what he's trying to accomplish.

 

[Freeebird]

This may boil down to how much are you going to have to lose on your 53 in order to purchase a more economical boat? It's the ultimate catch 22, sort of like spending tons of money on a repower to save fuel. Then comes the inevitable sale of the new boat and losing again. You're a smart guy, do the math as it pertains to your particular situation.

 

[jim rosenthal]

If I was looking for a boat in that size class, I'd look at an MJM 34. They are expensive new, and hold their value very well, but they are sturdy, economical to run, very well laid out, and I've seen a number of them on the Bay, so evidently people like them here.

 

[rsmith]

If I was looking for a boat in that size class, I'd look at an MJM 34. They are expensive new, and hold their value very well, but they are sturdy, economical to run, very well laid out, and I've seen a number of them on the Bay, so evidently people like them here.

If I were looking at that size range I'd want a 36 like yours

 

[Mike36c]

Come back to slip and wash that extra 20', that's why I still own a 36. But for fun, easy to run, descent fuel economy, probably even dry store (rack) a 33 express like a Grady with outboards might be the ticket.