I'm still looking at boats, reading emails from this list and learning lots. Right now I'm sitting back, watching the market, looking to new boats that come up, and trying to figure out where I want to end up. Maybe some more experienced listers can offer some thoughts (on or off list).
I know that everyone has there own criteria - but I'm trying to figure out the right boat for me. My Mirage 24 is quite small - 5ft of headroom (only my 8 yr old can stand up), not enough space to sleep 5 (me and 4 kids), lacks an enclosed head, no functional galley, noisy and smelly outboard. I envision wanting to do some more sailing - little further out of the harbour, some overnights (effectively boat camping with the kids), maybe a long weekend away with the girlfriend.
But we've all heard the cracks "2 best days in a boater life - the day he/she buys their boat, and the day they sell it", or "A boat is a hole in the water you pour money into" - not really encouraging. So, why, if they are so terrible does everyone get 2 foot itis?
Feel free to espouse on why did you end up with the boat you have? Do you wish you stayed smaller/cheaper/simpler? What would you say to yourself if you could go back and offer advice? Was this the best decision ever? If you could make a change what do you want? A bigger galley? Bigger cockpit?
My temptation was to find a 29-30 foot boat that would work, thinking that would last me for years with the kids and still be a manageable size when they are off. Keeping costs reasonable, maintenance manageable and enough boat to venture further afield.
Right now I could buy a local C&C 33 (with and Atomic4), or a local C&C 30 (diesel), or there are 29's, 30's and 34's within reach - the prices are similar. I plan on climbing aboard a few different boats to get a feel for size and space, but I'm trying to figure out what I'm getting into without having to learn the painfully hard way! I'm leaning towards a diesel (only because that seems to be common opinion and gas on my current boat has it's downsides), wheel steering and something fairly stable (so kids and girlfriend aren't barfing over the side -- which I gather eliminates the 29's from the list). Price wise I'd like to stay below $20000.
I have the cash set aside to buy the boat, but clearly bigger is not always better, the maintenance and insidious upkeep costs can add up quickly. I was able to do a quick sand and bottom paint on my M24 in 2.5 hrs. Assuming the cost and workload multiply with the displacement I'm guessing a 30ft (being twice the displacement) would be double the effort, a 34ft 3 times the work. At what point is it more work and you wish for a smaller/cheaper boat?
Thanks in advance for the advice, Mark -- --------------------- Dr. Mark Bodnar B.Sc., D.C., FCCOPR(C) Bedford Chiropractic www.bedfordchiro.ca --------------------- There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval. - George Santayana _______________________________________________ This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album http://www.cncphotoalbum.com CnC-List@cnc-list.com
