We went with a 30. Criteria: enough room in the V-berth to sleep two (one at
6 feet and one at 5'8). Stove, water (pressure), shower., cocktails 8, feeds
5-6, sleeps 2. Diesel, stout, six feet of headroom to mast, lower forward of
that.
Downsides, two in a V berth is still crowded, it rocks a bit up there, so we
sleep in the unfolded dinette and settee (I thrash around, so it gets a bit
tight), don't use the shower, as we go to marinas most of the time. Two
cylinder diesel vibrates (probably need new motor mounts).
Upsides: looks good after 30+ years (almost 20 under my care), sails well
(maybe not to its rating in light air, but OK everywhere else), built well.
For you: no quarter berth, (one adult in V berth, a couple of little ones in
dinette and another on settee, ??) may be a problem.
Figure out what your greatest interest is, then shop accordingly. Most 30
year old boats need attention, so factor that in. Figure on a year to learn
it....
And then have fun!
Gary Nylander
"Penniless" - 30-1
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dr. Mark Bodnar" <drbod...@accesswave.ca>
To: <cnc-list@cnc-list.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 12:01 AM
Subject: Stus-List Bigger Boat Question
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
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