Help a sailor find a power boat.

[JR_West]

When I lived on the East Coast of the US, I sailed a lot—lived on them for 6-9 months at a time. Carabiean, Brizal, etc. Monohulls & Catamarans. Have about 10Knm under the keel.
I moved to the PNW, and like a good sailor, I bought a sailboat: aluminum, pilot house/deck salon. But I motor 90% of the time. The PNW isn't about multi-day passages. It's about one beautiful cove to the next. I'm less interested in how I get the next spot than the spot itself. My wife and I will anchor for days and stare at the seals, eagles & trees. Then, find a new bay. Repeat. Even when it rains, it's beautiful.

I'm looking in the 45 foot range. Same as my sailboat.

I thought I would like trawlers, as I'm used to going slow. Turns out I don't. My wife calls them "cruise ships". I like boats that make you feel connected with your surroundings and are always inviting you to step outside. The trawlers I've been on seem like they are more about the interior of the boat itself. I'm not there to look at the salon's fantastic grain-matched walnut paneling. I've never had a TV in a boat I owned, and I won't start now.

I find myself being drawn to the Targa/Sargo walk-around sedan-like boats. Everywhere in the salon has a nice view. The windows are at shoulder height or lower in every seating position. The cabins are a bit small but are better than a sailboat. They happen to be fast, which would "be nice" but not a must for me. They look easy to single-hand. I think I'd be able to dock or grab a ball by myself. The side decks arn't far off the waterline.

I don't think I'll be staying aboard for more than a month at a time. Maybe the occasional trip of 2-3 months. I doubt I'll go much farther north than Glacier Bay.

I will assume the marketing/reputation is correct, and they are great in a seaway. I can't find much info on how they are at ancho, which is where I'll be most of the time. There isn't much info on their deadrise, which might give an idea.
I don't expect any power boat to be better at anchor than my current sailboat with/ 19tons of lead in the keel (except a catamaran). But I would like to know which boats are better or worse than others. I don't want to listen to a generator (or anything really), so a seakeeper is out of the question for me.

I'm also somewhat drawn to the steel Dutch aft/cabin thing. Linsen.. but those don't exist out here.

So let me have it. What am I being an idiot/n00b about? What kinds of boats should I be looking at? What super important thing am I unaware of?

Thanks,
-JR

 

[Greg2]

Power consumption on a mobo tends to be higher than a yacht so given your intended use it might be worth thinking how you will keep things going during extended periods at anchor given that you don’t want to listen to a genny. That probably means somewhere to put sufficient solar panels will be something to consider.

The Saga / Targa kind of boats do have deckhouse roofs that might fit the bill in that regard and they will also meet your other requirements. I don’t have any personal experience of them but they have a good reputation.

 

[JR_West]

My comment about generators was more about running one 24/7 to have the seakeeper on.

I have a bit of solar on my current boat, but not much. Depending on cloud cover, I run the generator for about 45 minutes every 2-3 days at anchor. My loads include induction cooking, a diesel heater, and a water-cooled fridge/freezer. I run the watermaker when the generator is on.

Aside: my sailboat has separate isolating chargers for shore power (aluminum isolation), as well as a normal charger/inverter. When I run the genny, I can use both to charge. So the genny is at 80% load, and it charges the LiFiPo batteries VERY quickly. Nothing has caught fire yet.

 

[ss2016]

I am a sailor but hands dictated it was time to go to the darkside. I bought a Sargo 31 and am delighted with it. The build quality and feeling of security when the weather is against me. Returning from IoScilly, crossing the Channel etc.. After a yacht, stability at anchor is a bit odd but this season I will try a line from the anchor rope to the middle cleat. I think that will stabilise it. Quite a bit of room for solar panels on the roof thought that might steal some of the sun roof. Perhaps enough for what you want on a 45. We can manage about 36hrs with just lights and fridge. Cook by gas. Panel sits aft of the arch. It's easy to handle for docking etc.45 you would have a sternthruster so very easy.
Not sure what else to say. Ask if I can help.

 

[Farmer Piles]

I have 200W of solar on the cabin roof of my 32ft MOBO and they keep the three 110Ah batteries topped up. When we are at anchor the batteries are normally fully charged by midday - fridge, lights, radio and water pump - so not a heavy draw but very reassuring and great not to have to run the engine or a genny.

 

[andy59]

I have 200W of solar on the cabin roof of my 32ft MOBO and they keep the three 110Ah batteries topped up. When we are at anchor the batteries are normally fully charged by midday - fridge, lights, radio and water pump - so not a heavy draw but very reassuring and great not to have to run the engine or a genny.

That sounds good, do you need bright sunny days for that performance ?. Thinking about getting some solar on board , we have 550 AH / 24volt to trickle charge, was thinking of about 400w .

 

[Farmer Piles]

The amount of sun makes a huge difference. That said, most of our boating is done in nice weather and when the days are long. You would still have the second half of the day to keep boosting the batteries. Of course it depends how much you are drawing. Even if the solar didn't keep up it would massively increase the time interval between hook-up or engine charges.
As I said, it is also a massive confidence booster knowing that your batteries are being topped up daily.

 

[ossi64]

Well my take would be a seapiper 37. The boat has a design that prioritizes simplicity, accessibility, and ease of maintenance. As we always say...keep it simple. No fuss boat!