Best roomy boat around 30ft

Have you looked at the Hardy Seawings 305? Sleeps 6, beamy, well built and reliable. We have 8 for sundowners in either cockpit or down below. And they age well.
 
Bayliner 285

6 berths including king size with door to mid cabin, unlike most others at this size. Search the word Tardis on here and you will find references to the amounts of space it has compared to other more expensive brands in the same size range. Sportcruisers that is.

You could have a relatively new one eg 2007 or later even, for your budget, althoug single engine only. And diesel.
 
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gordhouse said:
We have been well pleased, it is a good sea boat with loads of modern extras.
Very economical with shaft drive and wheelhouse + patio doors.
Only reason we would think about changing is for something with more acc. without being too long. Otherwise we will be quite happy to stay with the 805.
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I've come to the conclusion that the 805 is the boat to have ... I've scoured the web/brokers/manufacturers sites and this one has come out on top of the list of boats I'm looking at ... wheelhouse with a forward facing seat for the mem sahib, 2 berths, single diesel and heating if possible and maybe a bowthruster. Dinette in the wheelhouse. Also looks like the Nanni version is preferable. Having to give up sailing so one of these is going to be the best bet I think! Small enough to be manageable on my own. What's not to like?
 
Galago said:
I've come to the conclusion that the 805 is the boat to have ... I've scoured the web/brokers/manufacturers sites and this one has come out on top of the list of boats I'm looking at ... wheelhouse with a forward facing seat for the mem sahib, 2 berths, single diesel and heating if possible and maybe a bowthruster. Dinette in the wheelhouse. Also looks like the Nanni version is preferable. Having to give up sailing so one of these is going to be the best bet I think! Small enough to be manageable on my own. What's not to like?
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There are 4 berths, not two. Two permanent ones in the fore cabin and the dinette makes into another large double. Enough room for four adults for a few days, we've done it. Or tons of room for two adults and a couple of grandchildren.

We also thought the Nanno was preferable when we bought ours, a decision we haven't regretted for a second.

As for a bowthruster, i wouldn't get too caught up with that one. Like most single shaft drive mobo's, the 805 doesn't steer too well going astern. It basically ignores the rudder and goes more or less straight back, apart from the prop walk that is. The prop walk is the most significant factor when going astern, unless it's really windy, the stern of the boat walks to port. Great if you're mooring port side to, not so helpful if you're going starboard side to. I can't see where a bow thruster would help this. It's totally pointless trying to steer it astern, so i don't even try. Just set the boat up, knowing it will walk to port and be prepared to correct too much walk by having the helm set to bring the boat back in line by going forward a few feet now and again. We've had ours four years now and have always moored stern in, without any thrusters at all.
 
I only need two berths so two more is a bonus. I keep my boat on my own pontoon at the end of a creek in Port Solent, currently a long keeled classic sailing boat moored there and nothing goes astern like one of those! ... very awkward berth as well which is why I fancied a bowthruster to help out - stern pulling to port is good. Plus side is that the boat is ten feet from my kitchen door! I also have to lock in and out from here so bowthruster might help in the lock. I can no longer run up and down decks to grab at ropes and any help I can get is ok.
 
Galago said:
I only need two berths so two more is a bonus. I keep my boat on my own pontoon at the end of a creek in Port Solent, currently a long keeled classic sailing boat moored there and nothing goes astern like one of those! ... very awkward berth as well which is why I fancied a bowthruster to help out - stern pulling to port is good. Plus side is that the boat is ten feet from my kitchen door! I also have to lock in and out from here so bowthruster might help in the lock. I can no longer run up and down decks to grab at ropes and any help I can get is ok.
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Mostly just two of us on ours, so we keep the fore cabin made up. Only use the dinette for guests.

Most of the time we have had the boat she was moored at Shotley, in Suffolk, behind a lock. Was a posh lock with floating cleats at the side, could simply drop a stern line on and leave the boat in forward gear, which kept the bow in. Although ours doesn't have one, there are a few around with bow thrusters.
 
Yes I do similar with the boat I've got now ... we've got pontoons which go up and down in the lock so I hang a rope from my centre deck cleat and drop it over a pontoon cleat back by the cockpit then motor slow ahead with the stern pushing in and a rope round the tiller ... the lock people get a bit iffy if you leave the engine running when they've got a lot of boats in the lock which takes ages so it's easiest to grab their permanent ropes off the pontoon for fore and aft and use mine off the centre deck cleat as a spring ... Sunday evenings can be a long one! Going out in the mornings I tend to go about 7ish and have it to myself!
 
I've been looking (on the net) at Pedro boats and am very impressed with their accommodation the fact that most have thruster and single shaft engine (my preference) and in Holland, where there they know how to build steel boats, the prices.

Plenty of different ages and sizes to suit OP's price range.
 
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