Boating newbie - advice required please.

hi and welcome nick!

i think you're on the right place for your questions, here on the forums are many people with the right knowledge, i think i can just help you with the answer if there's a boat for your needs.

there are a lot of boats fitting your needs, maybe you money limit allows you just to buy a used boat but thats probably the best choice.

there are a lot of builders around europe but maybe your first step should be a boat show like "hanseboot" or "boot" (these are german boat shows).

Your "cooking facility" may be your most tricky requirement. Better known as the "galley", these can be quite compact, even on largish boats. Cooking on a large stable yacht in a peaceful marina is one thing, on a 25 foot cork tossing about on the waves, quite another. So a lot of casual boaters limit their onboard cooking to opening up a hamper with cold sandwiches

In any event, expect most cabin boats 25' and up to have some sort of galley unit tucked away inside the cabin. Open boats, such as bowriders, do not have any real galley. Maybe just a tiny sink.

Here are links to some more threads that may help:

Good thread on the basic stuff - New here and have some questions..

No need to wait for a boat show, we can bring you one! - Greece Small Boats Show

You may want to browse the web sites for some builders. Here are links to most of them in Europe - Boats Of Europe

You will find that this boating madness never ends ....
Kelly Cook

Tricky bit now is the fridge (versus a simple ice box). I think that puts your minimum boat size at about 30'. Keep in mind that your fridge will not stay chilled unless your boat is in a slip with shorepower. Or you run the generator lots. So usually at the end of a boating excursion you will need to empty out the fridge.

cold cuts Kelly

Choosing our first boat can be a bit like buying our first computer. We may feel that all we want is a word processor, e-mail and to play a few simple games - then we discover the internet, downloadable music, file and picture sharing, adventure games on-line and suddenly our wonderful new toy is totaly inadaquate for the job!

It can be the same with a boat. Once you've got it, you'll want to take your friends out! You'll discover that the Isle of Wight is but a short hop away and there are some lovely bays to anchor overnight in. Set off on a Friday evening and sail back on Sunday afternoon after a great weekend on the water in good company.

May I suggest two things to get you started. Consider buying the very best that you can afford in terms of accomodation and crusing ability - and in this, a used boat might offer you more scope than a new one for your money. It doesn't have to be huge, just give you enough room to be flexible. Then do as the guys above say - go to the boat shows and see what's on offer but also go down to the marinas and the yacht club - talk to folk who've been doing it for years - you'll find them helpfull and willing to let you learn from their mistakes.

I wish you well on your journey of exploration and may this be the begining of a lifelong passion for being afloat.

Good luck

i found an other webpage direct from a builder of sweden, well known but a bit expensive, "nimbus boats" i think you can look through their models and see what length of boat is valuable for your needs

http://www.nimbus.se/

a boat with little galley and bathroom is this one
a nice 25'er
http://www.nimbus.se/modelPageR2007.aspx?pageid=682

i'm not sure - i've heard that they're something about 200k € makes around 135k GBP.

you'll better contact them directly - they can even send you a full price list i guess.

Nimbus can be dear. In the UK market I think you will find prices for Bavaria, Beneteau, Jeanneau, and Sealine a little easier. Here is another boat show thread to have fun with -

Southampton, UK - Boat Show Tour - 25-Sept-2005

Kelly

i've to say, i agree with kelly

Hi Nick,

The comparison to your first computer is completely true. When you start spending more time with your boat or make friends at you marina, I guarantee you that sooner or later you will stay onboard longer and after having some (or a lot) of sundowners you will not want to drive home. A small cabin and a well equipped small galley will start making sense.

If you're about to make a test drive, imagine how it would be when you spend a weekend onboard.

I would advise you to visit the Southampton boatshow next month.

My picking for your budget would be the Catcruiser 45 build by Linskens Shipyards in Holland. The Catcruiser is a very versatile yacht which is perfectly equipped for daytrips and weekends. It's value is also very good because it's build in aluminium for a price brokers will usually put you in a GRP tub. It has a CE certification and handles coastal waters pretty nicely as well.

You can check it at http://www.linskensshipyard.nl/catcruiser/en/site/index.html

Don't forget a new or used Lagoon......a smaller lagoon could fit his needs and wants whether it be a powercat or sailing cat.

U may consider a solar fridge/freezer- the technology is improving all the time.
there are some draw backs related to any space limitations- the size of the solar pannel/s, the extra batteries to run it (3 days minimum on some systems) and where to put the fridge/freezer untis on the inside.

be aware that-
1. thermo-electric fridges work on ambient temperatures and are only suitable for short term storage.
2. the compressor type fridge/freezers are suitable for medium and long term storage.

it all depends on what u require and where u can place it all.

Get a compressor fridge so much better at keeping your beers cold

Another Newbie

So I attempted to start a new thread, but for some reason was unsuccessful. I believe it was due to a lack of privilege.....

So as the title states my wife and I are new to the idea of being yacht owners. I've spent my a good portion of my life on the water, but it has been more for sports and recreation. I learned to water ski when I was 4 and stayed pretty consistent through college (now 29).

My experience with larger boats (over 30') is pretty limited. The majority of my knowledge comes from what I've been gathering online the last few months along with some whale watching and deep sea fishing excursions I've been on. But we are very serious about working towards our goal of being owners. She is currently in grad school for another year, so we are more looking to the future.

We plan to take a power yachting course that is offered in San Diego California. It's 7 days and teaches you the ins and outs of owning, operating and navigating a yacht. We fully understand the necessity to ease our way into the world of yachting and in no way plan to just head out and buy a yacht. I'm an engineer by trade, and understand the need to know what you're doing before you do it.

I've been doing a lot of reading (including this forum) and I'm struggling to identify the type of boat to buy. I'm trying to identify a boat that suits are needs and maximizes price, size and amenities (like we all are). My thought is that while I gain knowledge and experience it would be helpful to know what kind of boat I plan to end up with. So I can ask more poignant questions along the way. Just want to clarify I'm not trying to put the cart before the horse.

I've read a lot as far as hull type, fuel type, number of engines, displacement, etc. and it's a lot to take in and analyze. I was hoping to get some help identifying some yachts that people think would be a good fit and place to start.

Our intentions and use for the yacht.
-Lots of weekend trips but would like to have the opportunity for longer trips including blue water travel.
-in time, I would like it to be a boat we could captain ourselves. From what I've gathered that puts us in the 30-50 foot range, but open to hearing input.
-Range is much more important than speed.
-Not worried about a lot of beds, I'd prefer it to be more friendly to host groups of friends on day trips. One bed is honestly plenty.
-Lots of exposed lounging area would be nice. Like I said we would likely host a lot of friends and family, which likely wouldn't happen on days with poor weather. So the more opportunity to be in the sun the better.
-Definitely a power yacht, at this point we're not interested in learning to sail.

Some other things of note that I believe are important from what I've gathered: potable water capacity, AC/DC inverter (I was expecting this list to be longer but after a long day of work I think my brain is tired).

Lastly, I think we would be looking at a $100,000 to $300,000 price range. Obviously within our price range we are looking at something used and in turn balancing wants and age.

I do understand this is a pretty hard question to answer as there are so many variables. But again, really just looking for a good place to start.

Thanks in advance to those who take the time to read and respond.

Welcome to YF. You've come upon a resource that will probably be able to help you more than any other. Acquaint yourself with the search feature here. Type in Newbie, New boater and any other variation you can think of for new boater or new boat owner, etc. You'll find your prime topics covered many times in many ways.
Your dollar amount is in the right neighborhood, and that is the first thing to be considered. Any boat can slow down, and slow equals fuel economy, but a bit of speed is also nice when you're going someplace for lunch or trying to outrun a storm.
Form what you've written so far I'd direct you toward an express cruiser in around 40'. Something along the lines of a Formula 40PC. They cruise at about 22kts., topping out at about 27 kts. and burn about 22 gph at cruise. they have a nice salon and stateroom, but their real beauty is up on deck. The cockpit comfortably seats 11-15 people and have a very spacious foredeck. I've attached some pics of one I run to give you an idea. (This one's not for sale BTW)
One advantage of the express style is that you don't feel nearly the amount of rocking you do when up higher. Another is that it's easily handled by one or two people.
A boat like this, a few years old and in good condition could run you less than $200K

Thanks for the response. I did a little looking at "cruisers" on yacht world, they are pretty slick. I had been more looking at motor yachts, sedan bridges, and fly bridges. I just did't think that the cruisers would have the range I was looking for (not that I ever actually looked it up). After a second look I do like these models. I saw there are one and two engine models, are there any advantages? What kind of range does yours get? Have you done any blue water traveling with it? Not entirely sure if I am using this term correctly. But some day I would like to have enough experience to be able to travel the world, possibly the West coast of the americas through the south pacific and southeast asia. At what point does a boat become capable of this?