Is it big enough!

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derekbland

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Opinions please.

We are looking to buy a motor boat. It is almost certainly going to be a flybridge. The plan is that year one (this year), it will be based in the UK and then 2019 hope to start several years adventure starting with west France and Northern Spain and then on to the Med.

We have been looking at boats from 42 - 52'. My feeling at the moment is that a boat such as Princess 45" or Fairline 46' will do the job. I did see a 2000 Fairline Squadron 52 which was gorgeous but the price was a little over our budget. I also need to weigh-up berthing fees and burn rate and so to the question; to use as a part live-aboard, up to 8 weeks at a time, do you think that a 45/46' be big enough.

Cheers.
 
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Good point! And so the large majority of the time it will just be my wife and I. My daughter and son will visit for the odd week and possible bring a friend but around 90% of the time it will be 2.
 
You would probably get more response on the MOBO forum which is mainly where owners of this type of boat post.
 
I suggest the only people who can answer your question are you and your wife, as it's highly subjective. But if it helps I have seen couples living on 36 sailing boats, and think the volume on a similar length motor boat is greater. So I would expect most people would find a 45/46 mobo big enough to live on for a few weeks. But to reiterate, it's a highly subjective.

A further thought for you is that you already recognise that the bigger you go the higher your costs will be. But be aware that once you go over 40' the number of berths available goes down so it can be harder to find a vacant berth. E.g. In Cameriñas in northern Spain, a popular stopping place, they might take 40 boats up to 40', but have only 2 places for 45' boats. In that location there is ample anchoring, but that is not always the case.

Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
Thank you. Useful re length v berthing availability as I hadn't really thought about that. I intend to plan well ahead although I understand spontaneous coast-hopping might be more difficult. We envisage staying at some marinas for maybe a week or two and hire a car to look around and so we don't intend to blat around every day, doubt we could afford it.
 
Is It Big Enough!

Opinions please.

We are looking to buy a motor boat. It is almost certainly going to be a flybridge. The plan is that year one (this year), it will be based in the UK and then 2019 hope to start several years adventure starting with west France and Northern Spain and then on to the Med.

We have been looking at boats from 42 - 52'. My feeling at the moment is that a boat such as Princess 45" or Fairline 46' will do the job. I did see a 2000 Fairline Squadron 52 which was gorgeous but the price was a little over our budget. It will be the two of us most of the time but my son and daughter will be visiting for a few weeks over the year not necessarily at the same time. Assume each brought one friend then the maximum would be 6. I also need to weigh-up berthing fees and burn rate and so to the question; to use as a part live-aboard, up to 8 weeks at a time, do you think that a 45/46' be big enough.

Cheers.
 
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Re: Is It Big Enough!

Good Point. Mostly just the 2 of us but my son and daughter will be visiting for a few weeks over the year not necessarily at the same time. Assume each brought one friend then the maximum would be 6.
 
Re: Is It Big Enough!

I read ^^^ something along the lines of “spending up to 2 weeks @ a place and hiring a car to explore inland due to cost of fuel issues “?
Getting mixed messages here - assume by the Q you have not a lot of boat experience?
If so you landed in the right place - so to speak - Welcome btw

1st a 15m boat is plenty big enough to accommodate the living requirements you request .
2nd - sail boats are generally Beamer and its beam that restricts berthing .
There are norrower beamed 15 M - take a look @ Cranchi aptly names Atlantic range of 15 M ish fly bridges
3rd - linking to the 1st point - have you considered a displacement boat ( similiar dims ) one engine save fuel @ 8 knots and in the season while it’s stifling hot inland in the Iberian peninsula and every car park packed not just with tourists but with ,opportunist car / handbag thieves everywhere - you can be enjoying a relaxing cruise all day at sea , for peanuts compared to “ bombing along “ in a planning boat .
4 th - Med spec - you are gonna need a geny / Aircon , binimi , plenty of outside space , good tender etc , poss a degassed boat , plenty of storage if having extended periods aboard .

If I where you bin the romantic sail away from the UK idea Go straight to the Med
Buy one already out there - appropriately specced up in say the Easten Med - and reverse the trip head W
If you like it thus far then head to Gib , stick your nose out and “ do “ Portugal with a view to the UK .

It may help to disclose your budget for the boat ,
Your estimated annual running costs ( inc what you think the fuel bill will be ) that you are prepared to chuck @ it .

That way you will receive the full might of the wealth of the mobs forum advise and experience .
 
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Re: Is It Big Enough!

We have a squad 52 and spend up to nine weeks at a time on it, we have had motor boats in the 30 and 40 foot range and they are OK for weekends and the odd week but the bigger you go the more home comforts your going to get, there is normally just the two of us with the occasional guests ,the costs aren't that much more, for the extra space you are going to get from 40 to 50 , for us one of the things we have noticed is the way we run the boat, with a forty plus foot boat running at displacement speed would only be in perfect conditions or on inland waterways,but with a longer hull we find it a lot more comfortable, and we tend to spend a lot of time at 7 to 9 knots depending on tide ,which is tick over, and makes for very relaxed cruising when conditions allow,and when they are not we cruise at 20 in just about anything,
And no we are not selling :)
 
Re: Is It Big Enough!

As Porto said, you'll likely find a Med spec'd boat in the Med, but if you're new to boating, spending a year in local waters, with lots of advice from fellow bertholders and support services that all speak English will probably help to smooth the learning curve considerably.

As for size, once the shine of actually having a boat wears off, your attention will always be drawn to the practicality of spending time aboard. Such as, do you want a washing machine, need a domestic size fridge / freezer? Do you want to prepare proper meals or just a bacon roll? How many clothes do you want to store in the wardrobes, do you want separate heads / bathrooms from your guests, do you want to spend a lot of time away from marinas? Then you need to decide how much you are going to spend and then start balancing the compromises - boats are ALWAYS about compromises, how ever big and how ever much money you have (do I really want to spend the money on a 2nd helipad just in case Paul Allen wants to drop in for a beer?). Lots of people hereabouts will be more than happy to give you their advice... welcome!
 
Re: Is It Big Enough!

If it were me I'd buy the boat that served the best purpose for it being a boat - i.e cruising not a floating hotel. For a couple a Swift Trawler 34 would be great for this - with enough berths for friends to stay weekends. I wouldn't enter the realm of a boat that had a washer / dryer etc on board. Spend the money on alternative accommodation if need be - use the marina facilities - that's what you pay for.
 
Re: Is It Big Enough!

At the risk of the obvious as boats get longer they get wider and taller - so as you go up in feet the overall space starts to expand dramatically. Bear in mind a 50 foot boat has engines not far off twice the size of a 40 foot boat and fuel tanks to match.

So how much space do you like to have? I like a lot which is the sole reason I have a 58 foot boat - there are 50 ft boats with the same number of cabins.

If you are living on it then as above practicality rules. Space / storage and w washing machine being your friend.

Taking a boat by sea to the med is a very long way, and when you finally get to Gib it is still another 500 odd miles to Mallorca.

That long way will take time - life is a journey and the Atlantic coast of france ( I was there for 5 years) is lovely - but reading between the lines budget maybe an issue. This is the case for us all in some way or other - but you may find starting in the med an overall much nicer way to go. A long trip on an older boat that will almost certainly have issues( not show stoppers but it will hit your wallet) and if you are new to boating which seems to come through then overall I would think that the med is going to match your dream more closely than a long trip down the atlantic coast of France and Portugal.

There are many on here who berth in St Carles on the Spanish mainland and it offered astonishing value for money ( probably a quarter of the price of say Mallorca) .
 
Re: Is It Big Enough!

In terms of boat length, we have a 39' Fly. The longest we have spent on board is 1 week, however, I would happily spend several weeks on board. With a fly there are several "space" options, upstairs, cockpit, saloon and cabins. We have 2 en-suite cabins, very comfy for 4 on board for a week, probably not for longer. Mooring availability and charges are worth considering. We can moor most places. Longer than 40' and the choices become more restricted, until you get into super yacht territory, where you just drop the hook where convenient. We have a domestic fridge/freezer, and plenty of "liquid" storage. We don't do a great deal of cooking on board. Boating for us is to chill, so we eat out when we want a gourmet meal, or live on things that are easy to prepare with minimal washing up! We have a small washing machine, but have never used it. I get through far fewer clothes on board, trunks, shorts and T's. I suppose I could use the marina launderette for the 3 T's I get through in a week :ambivalence:
 
Re: Is It Big Enough!

I assume the 40 foot + issue is for the UK? When I was on the Atlantic coast of France we had a 40 foot boat and we were big - bigger would have been fine but required some degree of planning.

In the med unless the boat is huge size is not really an issue for berthing other than the bill!
 
Re: Is It Big Enough!

Thank you for all the advice. To respond/answer a few questions. We do want a planning vessel as I want to feel the wind blowing through my bald patches or as I refer to the, solar panels for a sex machine.

We do intend to do "pottering" depending on whether we are in a going from a - b or exploring mode. We do not want to just do the coast, hence hiring a car or getting on a train and exploring inland. For us this isn't just about being on the water but exploring the countries of the Med. We may even get a B&B on occasion.

With regards to cooking. We want to do more "shop for that day" type eating depending on where we are but I agree that it would be better to have a larger fridge-freezer. Provided I can cook some bacon and make a spag bol or chilli, we don't need a massive oven. Fresh produce, Med style food, olives, freshly grilled sardines........ mouth watering!

I have owned smaller motor boats in the past and also managed to get on a Princess 50' and Targa 34' many years ago on a couple of occasions.

Re money, I have an allowance for berthing based on research with the marinas that I am interested in. I have allowed 4 x the amount that I am told it would cost to service the 2 x engines with parts. I have also allowed for lifts, clean and antifouling and a contingency on top of this. I also have an allowance for initial personal kit. I am going into this with my eyes open financially and am expecting it to cost plenty but that's the price of living the dream.

Regards clothes - a few well chosen bits would do and we are practical people and so quite often I will wash stuff out whilst having a shower. I often do this when on holiday. I know it is hardly the same thing but I have driven down to the Vendee for 2 weeks with a caravan many years ago with 2 adults and 2 children and so managed the space pretty well. My wife is a very hardy bird (ooh that's not PC) and so can rough it. She built her own house in the Falklands years ago with her ex and lived in a porta cabin for two years.

Bottom line is, we have to try it and will only regret it if we don't.
 
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