Costs of different size boats.

[stranded]

In some marinas you will invariably have help, but life is much easier if you have a crew member handling the stern lines. They may also be required to then take the lazy line and run forward to attach to the bow. Further east you will find lazy lines less common and will have to drop the anchor and then back up to the quay, so a windlass control at the helm is very useful - ideally a wireless remote which you can operate from anywhere. MIne also has the bow thruster on the same handset.

It is then you will appreciate why an aft cockpit and walk through transom is so popular, although the drop down type that is becoming common is less useful.

Yes, we've done a lot of Med mooring in the past in aft cockpit boats, so a fair idea of what to expect. I might be surprised with the CC, but tbh I am not expecting it to be that much harder. If there is help ashore my wife will, as in the past, chuck a line at said help before taking the lazy line forward. If no help, she will try to lasso, fail, then step ashore with a stern line and I will pick up the lazy line. Might take me, what, a second longer to grab the lazy line, but reckon I can make up that time on the journey to the bow along wide clear side decks rather than teetering along the ledge and around the Bimini that is necessary on some full beam aft cockpits. Anchoring should if anything be easier than we have experienced before as with bowthruster and anchor controls at the helm swmbo can concentrate fully on getting a stern line ashore. So we will see, but at the moment I am interested rather than worried!

 

[jimbaerselman]

So, costs.

So far, this thread suggests that fitting out your boat depends on what sort of cruising you'll be doing, and in what areas. A boat "new" will often need some 25% to 30% inventory or modifications to suit spending months at a time on board. An older boat will often already be equipped - but with older gear which may be running out of life - or too power hungry compared with modern options.

[url]http://www.jimbsail.info/going-foreign/boat-prep[/URL]
lists many considerations, and gives links to authoritative sources about maintaining safe and adequate water supplies, power management to support fridges, communications, lighting, choice of dinghy, gournd tackle and lots more. Including reliable spare delivery sources, and links to the relevant pages of Vyv Cox's site for anything to do with engines/fuel/oils.

Lack of preventive maintenance becomes expensive - blocked fuel filters are a common cause of engine failure after a first bumpy passage of the season - lack of awareness of the need for regular fuel cleaning routines to keep the bugs at bay. Frequent battery replacements due to inadequately controlled charging routines. Posts about these problems are all too frequent on this forum. Solving them after the event steals your cruising time, as well as adding to costs!

 

[GrahamM376]

Even by 37/ 38 foot the cockpit in a Moody CC isn't generous.

How many more do you want on board?

 

[Muddy32]

The one thing that seems to be missed in choosing a boat to live in/on is where do you sit in comfort, for all/both occupants. You will spend a lot of time sitting down reading/watching/playing/working. Many saloons don't seem suited to my frame. But I do have one seat, and it's not the loo!!

 

[pandos]

I am doing the same budgeting/ assessment at the moment and my plan is to get the biggest boat I can from the 80s that will fit within the 4m by 12m box that many of the Spanish marinas seem to use as one of their charging bands.

I do all of my own maintenance and engine work so I am happy to get a good hull that needs upgrading in terms of electronics etc rather than a lighter newer boat, with middle aged electronics and an engine with electronics and a turbo....

A Sun Fizz 40 seems to fit the bill. Even though some sites give the size as being slightly over 12m on the Jeanneau specifications the overall hull length is less than 12m and I suspect the pullpit may account for the extra few centimeters, This can cut and modified to allow easier over the bow access in the process.

interesting series on youtube by a guy who has bought a similar boat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKTr6TUz0Q4&t=2s ( you may need to keep your finger near the fast forward button but a good insight into boat purchase and maintenance/upgrades)

Tony

 

[Denek]

I am happy to take care of most of the maintenance myself including engine service/ repairs. I am now looking at boats between 32 and 36 feet. I don't really want to go bigger then 36 feet as if they are over this they are going above my budget When I get back to the U.K. Intend to look at as many boats in this range as possible to get a feel of what we need.
Thanks to this forum I have done a complete u turn on what I thought I wanted. Like you I would be happy with an 80s boat but it will need to have been re engined and have had the standing rigging replaced.
7 weeks till I come home to start on the search!

 

[Brent Swain]

Oversized boats have killed far too many cruising dreams, more than any other causes.. 32 to 36 feet is not much of an increase , going to 40 feet is huge!
32 to 36 seems ideal for what you are doing.

 

[dcr]

Oversized boats have killed far too many cruising dreams, more than any other causes.. 32 to 36 feet is not much of an increase , going to 40 feet is huge!
32 to 36 seems ideal for what you are doing.

 

[dcr]

Hi Denek
Suggest you Google and look at a 32ft Nordship with 6 full berths in 3 cabins and centre cockpit. Ideal live aboard for summer months and economical to service and maintain with the below space approaching a 36 footer.

Cheers, dcr

 

[LadyInBed]

Living space isn't totally related to the length of the boat.
My Colvic Countess 33 has much more living space than most single hull boats of the same size and more than quite a few 36 footers.

 

[Brent Swain]

A Hughs 31 has far more interior space than a Hughs 38. My 26 has far more interior space than an Alberg 30 or a 34 ft Colvin . An older Spencer 42 has 14 feet wasted on cockpit, and is less distance from the front of the cockpit to the stem than my 36 has.
Seems many older designs were deliberately designed to minimize interior space, in any way that they could.

 

[sailaboutvic]

In some marinas you will invariably have help, but life is much easier if you have a crew member handling the stern lines. They may also be required to then take the lazy line and run forward to attach to the bow. Further east you will find lazy lines less common and will have to drop the anchor and then back up to the quay, so a windlass control at the helm is very useful - ideally a wireless remote which you can operate from anywhere. MIne also has the bow thruster on the same handset.

It is then you will appreciate why an aft cockpit and walk through transom is so popular, although the drop down type that is becoming common is less useful.

Has Tranona have said and aft cockpit is much easier to moor stern on , but there no reason why a competent skipper and crew should have any trouble mooring a CC boat .
We have had aft cockpit yachts for year until last sept when we change for a CC , one of the first things I modified was to be able to contro the windlass from the helm , so now when going stern too my partner drop the anchor letting out about 30 mts of chain then return back to deal with the lines while I continue sorting out the anchor from the cocpit .
It's all really a matter of team work and knowing what going to happen next .
As for laze lines that's isn't any different , she pick up the line and all I have to do is walk out of the cockpit and pass the lines over to who ever on the pontoon , if it happen there no one there to give us the laze line then we rev the boat in to the pontoon while she step off passing me the laze line and in the mean time I just throw one of the mooring lines on the pontoon ready to be picked up .
Advances of CC are , more privately when you stern on , more room to lie down , safer in seas and less likely someone just going to walk on board and nick stuff .