Noob Questions About Boats

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by jyl

you mean a ferry to carry my p/u towing my trailer boat that carries my bicycle trailer with my kayak

don't forget the Ducati either

[jyl]

So I have wangled my way onto two friends’ boats in recent weeks, just to check things out.

The first was an older 35’ SeaRay. It is a pretty affordable boat to buy and run, according to my friend. “Affordable” translates to about $40K to buy and $10-15K/year for everything - slip, maintenance, fuel, insurance, haulout when needed, repairs, accessorizing, etc - I guess everything is relative. Not meaning any disrespect to my friend, I wouldn’t be interested in owning that boat. It was pretty small on the inside, when underway I felt kind of like I was in a car - meaning, you basically sat in one place. Yes, it could move along at 25 kt, but then it was kind of like being in a really loud car that was still going to take hours to get anywhere. And when you do get to that pretty cove, the cabin didn’t have much more room than my Westy Vanagon - maybe two people could occupy it for a weekend but felt that that’d be the limit.

The second was a ‘71 Grand Banks 32’. That was also a pretty “affordable” boat to buy and operate, per that friend. Bought for about $30K (plus the boathouse, don’t know what that cost) and about $10-15K/yr - slip, maintenance, fuel, repairs, insurance, upgrades, etc. However, that annual cost is because my friend does almost all the work himself, the boat is his primary hobby and he’s both capable and resourceful, and since the boat lives in the boathouse he can keep ahead of the projects. That boat was a lot more appealing to me. It is slow (8 kt tops, a single old diesel at 125 hp) but had about 4X as much room to move around compared to the other boat, was pretty quiet, and seemed like a pretty comfortable place to spend a few days. My friend goes off single handed for a month at a time in it. He claims the 50 year old wooden hull doesn’t leak - much - or at least not regularly - but he did install a “Y” so that his engine can pump out the bilge in emergencies . . .

Well, the research continues.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Well to be fair, 8 kts is always going to be quieter than 25 kts. Assuming the Sea Ray was probably twin V8s, they can make a lot of noise when you’re really on it. A diesel is always going to give you better fuel efficiency and lower RPM which should translate into lower NVH in the cabin. I also wonder if build quality comes into play, because better made boats tend to be quieter.

Sounds like a worthwhile experience, that’s how you learn what you like and dislike.

[jyl]

The Grand Banks was also a single engine. I asked my friend if he would rather have twin screws, given that he’ll go from Portland up to the north end of Vancouver Island alone. He said he’d rather have the simplest boat with the fewest systems and the best protected propellor (I guess the skeg protects it?). He also said he can spin his boat in its own length and doesn’t need two engines or a thruster. I calculated his fuel economy and looks like about 3-4 mpg (miles not knots) at his usual cruising speed.

[911 Rod]

It's just a matter of what you want.
Day cruiser? Weekend cruiser?
Personally I'd prefer the SeaRay. Pachanga?

[greglepore]

Trawler style boats like the GB are very popular with older cruisers who have some time on their hands and want to travel a bit. Slow, but who cares when the voyage is the point. Much quieter. Smoother ride, although they roll more, which is why they often have steadying sails (tiny sails that resist roll). More wood and cabinetry.

SeaRay is actually a pretty high quality fg boat as far as express cruiser style boats go. But they're really set up for short hops of a few hours. Loud, thirsty, faster,generally not as well finished.