"What we need is a bigger boat."...... Which one though?

JasonB

JasonB

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\"What we need is a bigger boat.\"...... Which one though?

Hi all,

Current boat - Bayliner Trophy 2002 Walkaround outboard powered - Sister Boat .

Yes, those immortal words were spoken this summer by SWMBO. This was then followed by "One that's big enough that we can go onboard on Friday evening and stay for the weekend." So now I have permission to look anyway.

I gave myself a budget of 50000(ish) euro with the following parameters to take into account:

Diesel - SemiDisp or Disp - 4 berth+ - 28-36ft -proper sidedecks- SecondHand - Crusing area southwest coast of Ireland - I have a deepwater mooring already laid - We have two kids, a four year old girl and a one year old boy.

I figured that by the time Junior Burns 2 is four we'll need to be close to buying.... So I guessed I'd have an enjoyable time browsing through the boat sales sites finding all those boats and narrowing it down to a couple, keeping an eye out for those that come up for sale nearby and having a look at them so that when the time (and money) comes we can buy .... I can't find anything after three months that really comes close to matching the specs! So obviously I abandoned the price/size/disp restrictions and just went looking and still didn't find anything - why? - I'm working on the asumption that as we have one boy and one girl that we should preferably have a seperate "room" for each.

"No problem" I thought after all, the early Westerly Centaurs were six berth ( a bit cramped in only 26ft ;-) ) which included two quarter berths so I presumed that some motorboat builder would have something similar (that was seaworthy) out there and scaled up to the 35-40ft length it wouldn't be platial is size but it would be workable - nada!

It seems that once a motor boat gets to 28ft plus everything just gets scaled up until you get to well above 40ft, i.e. bow double, aft double and then a Saloon that converts to a double. The more I thought about it I came up with two layouts.

Layout 1. Bow-two singles converting to double(or two singles at different heights), Heads and galley opposite a bunk room, raised saloon over engines, aft double with ensuite. the forward heads needs only to be that and the galley needs only to be oven, sink and chopping board in size - we won't be making 5 course meals.

Layout 2. Bow- double, Galley opposite heads/shower, raised saloon, Aft twin bunk rooms (one to port , one to starboard) with twin heads one on either side before the bunk rooms (or one head opposite a shower cubicle).

Both Layouts would seem to imply that they would be aft bridge deck. Another thought that occured to me would be to dispense with the lower galley and bring it up to the saloon like those Scandinavian boats that have the Galley in the cockpit area and hide it all in cabinets when not in use.

I 've seen all of these features on various boats but none with those combinations.

Please help!!! I think there are two questions.....

1. Does any boat exist up to 40ft that has anything like these layouts? I'm begining to think I may end up with taking something like a 70's Broom and getting my local boatyard to convert the aft cabin to twin bunk rooms. I do like the look of ones like these -
Broom37.jpg
Broom 37 Ocean

2. What do other people do with a child of each sex? (apart from leaving them at home ;-))

Thanks for any suggestions,

"Perplexed in Cork" - Jason
 
Re: \"What we need is a bigger boat.\"...... Which one though?

Hi Jason. Couple of thoughts spring to mind. We too had two children a boy and a girl and found two enclosed cabins was plenty as we had a forward and aft head, they could change there, and share the forward v-berth. Often if they brought a pal and one or other slept in the converted saloon (ie makeshift 3rd cabin). We later bought a boat with three cabins (ie fwd V, starboard bunks, aft double), but it was a mistake and we changed it for a two cabin with a dinette opposite gally instead of bunks. Sharing the v-berth was fun for them, like camping.

Either layout you suggest will require an aft cabin layout in a boat no less than 35ft to 40ft. The boat in your profile is a "Haines 31" charter which has a forward V berth for two kids and an aft double for mum and dad with a convertable saloon for visiting kids pals.

The photo of the broom you showed is a Broom 37 Continental, whereas the link you provided was a Broom 37 Ocean, and there is also a Broom 37 Crown which is the most spacious inside, but they all share the same hull. Pesonally I prefer the older "Continental" model in your photo because of the layout (ie 4+2), aft cabin windows, and twin side access doors into saloon as well as aft bridge. These have proven a popular family boat on the Shannon, but when new were capable of low planing speeds (ie 14kt), but now they are really used by most folk at displacement speeds due to their engine age. Inland perfect reliability is less of a problem with such older craft (ie 20-30 years), whereas on the SW coast you'd want to be looking for a very clean very well maintained one. Was never a fan of the Ocean variant as it wasted so much saloon space, lacked side doors, and had an awful galley setup. Personally the Crown or Continentals were the pick of their popular 37 series (built from 1970s to late 80s).

Dutch steel aft cabin layouts, mostly single engine offer great space for their length, but in salt waters will need more cosmetic maintenance than inland. If you are happy with displacement cruising, then one newer well maintained engine may imho be safer and prove more reliable than two badly maintained very old ones in a twin (ie 1970s old perkins parts no longer available for some models).

Another option is to buy and convert a young ex-hire vessel sourced on the Erne as they tend to sell them off after only 4 to 5 seasons due to the grant schemes in NI. At least the boat will be fresh and have low hour engines. I would NOT touch an ex-hire boat from ROI with a barge pole, as they are retained in service for 10 to 15 years and hacked to death, but the Erne hire fleets are fresh and seem better cared for by both the clients and hire operators. It's a tall ask for the budget but in the current climate there are deals to be had.

As to which one, it sounds like mid 1980s aft cabin dutch steel, or grp broom, birchwood, haines, freeman, etc.
 
Re: \"What we need is a bigger boat.\"...... Which one though?

We had an Ocean 37 for quite some years and it was an excellent seakeeping boat with the twin sidewinder Perkins. The galley is a bit cramped but quite useable for a family of 6 for 2 weeks holiday which we did for many years. Cruising was 12knots with a maximum of about 17-18knots. Initially we had problems with leaking windows but Eagle Boat Windows got that sorted thankfully as the semi-displacement is a wetter ride. The aft deck was great when you have an all over cover too.
 
Re: \"What we need is a bigger boat.\"...... Which one though?

Hi,

Have you thought of a Birchwood? The TS31 was a great and well built boat. It has a Double berth front cabin (sometimes a V) and the galley is in the stern cabin with the Dinnette. The dinnete can then be used for the kids and you get the front cabin, You also get a decent saloon up above because the galley is in the stern. For 31ft I think it was the best layout available and they will do everything you want.

There is one HERE to give you some ideas.

Plenty around, but be aware of ex-hire boats. In thiose days Birchwoods were well built!

Cheers

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Re: \"What we need is a bigger boat.\"...... Which one though?

The super van craft are wonderful inside and have classic lines, BUT problem is the hugh amount of maintenance required to keep the super structure looking smart. Most of these are stored permenantly indoors in boat houses on the dutch canals. A pal of mine has a lovely one, but she is not happy being out doors even for one Irish summer. If kept in a boat house, or covered they look superb, but otherwise a lot of work to take on.

The Birchwood is more practical and a very nice boat too.
 
Re: \"What we need is a bigger boat.\"...... Which one though?

Thanks Froggie,

Interesting what you say about the three cabin layout being a mistake and sharing the heads as a changing area - I guess I'm still a big newbie when it comes to the kids. We used to spend our summer weekends and holidays in a mobile home near the Old Head of Kinsale but it was just myself and my youngest brother at the time and we used to sleep in seperate bedrooms to have our own space - I guess all kids/siblings are different.

I agree with you on the looks of the Broom37 I think Emerald Star used to have them as their "flagship" many years ago and I always fancied them - I may be wrong though! I had considered a Freeman 32 when we were looking for the last boat but it was too retro with the rounded windows and the later 33's leave me cold unfortunetly.

I do have a soft spot for the Birchwoods as it was on one of the Derg Line Birchwoods that I got my first trip on the shannon 28 years ago!

I would like steel but with salt water I too am a little bit wary of the Maintnance!

Cheers,

Jason.
 
Re: \"What we need is a bigger boat.\"...... Which one though?

Looks like a "proper boat", maybe out of my price range though.

I think there's another boat called a "Sea Ranger" (can't find one at the moment on the web), of which there's one on the Marina I sometimes berth in and she looks right to me and I think there a bit cheaper.

Thanks,

Jason.
 
Re: \"What we need is a bigger boat.\"...... Which one though?

Stop! Don't show me anymore like that! I'll be booking the flights over if you keep doing things like that to me! ;-)

(Well ........ Ok, show me more!)

Thanks,

Jason
 
Re: \"What we need is a bigger boat.\"...... Which one though?

Thanks Peter,

I had come across those 31s but I didn't fancy the look of them, but that one appears to have lost the daft looking (IMO) decals on the ones I'd seen.

With my affections for Birchwoods she'll certainly be in the mix but I'd really like not to have to use the saloon as a bed - I like the idea of an area that's bed free when it's just us. When there are friends aboard that's a different matter.

Jason.
 
Re: \"What we need is a bigger boat.\"...... Which one though?

If a displacement boat is a possibility, why not think out of the box. A sailing catamaran has enough bunks for your family - even one that is only 30 ft long. It will motor as fast as any displacement mobo, so you dont actually have to sail at all if you dont want to. and it should be a lot cheaper!!!!
 
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