Can a retired Airman own a yacht?

Ritere2Cruise, if you have been stationed in Ramstein or Spangdahlem, you will find the weather and the culture at and around Kadena AFB quite different. The Steaks are pretty expensive off base. In the mid eighties there were a lot of jokes going around in the US Air Force about those gay F-15 pilots at Kadena. The F-15 drivers took a lot of Sh..... at the bar in the officers mess all around the world at that time .

But when being relocated to the continental US for your last assignment before retiring, I would concider buying, what the specialists here on YF call, a project. With your technical education and skills, you should be able to do almost any type of major overhaul and renovation on a 50 to 60+ ft yacht. And this inside, outside and for the complete machinery. Given your long timeframe of 10 years and buying a low priced hull but worth being renovated, could save you a lot of money. Personal labour will cost only time. And the long time frame would allow you buying parts and material as available money permits. And this forum is the greatest base of knowledge and advice any do it yourself could find.

In Europe, we have several companies and associations which provide plans for self building kits with some additional support in training and advice and even prefabricated parts. With aircrafts it is called homebuilts, with boats most likely the same. I am sure something like this exist in the US too.

I like your idea, very realistic approach. A man must have a dream. And I can tell you, I still miss my first life in the Air Force. But I was never good enough to be a technician, with my two left hands, I could only become a pilot . Enjoy your tour.

If you do attempt this please video it to entertain the rest of us.

I think HTM09 is on the right track, and your interest in Hatteras is probably sound. Skip the house; when you return from Kadena, go straight to boat. Pascal's comment about 50-60' being the sweet spot sounds about right, and there's also the additional interior space offered by some designs (MY or CPMY) over others (SF, like ours). I'm guessing a 58' Hatt YF (for example), probably has 4x the interior space we have...

Wouldn't start with a real "project" boat (aka wreck) though. Believe I'd go for a boat in good shape already; there's enough updating and maintenance you'll want to do anyway, even on that. (I'm my own engineer, and mostly fix or clean something every day, even on a relatively modern boat that was in decent shape when we bought.) Unless upfront $$ is a critical shortage, make it easy on yourself. Start with a good boat, immediately do (or have done) all the initial heavy lifting it might take to make it the way you want it, maintain it from there, enjoy life.

Yes, there are probably still maintenance jobs you'll want to hire out... but your skill set seems about right to me. Learn more as you go (plumbing, sanitation, wood and 'glass work, etc.).

Thanks for your service.

-Chris (USAF, '73-79)

Until recently I've been running a 1981 56 Hatt

The Performance Estimates were:
Economy 1200 rpm Speed 9.3 kts 12.5 gph
Cruise 1800 rpm Speed 12.1 kts 35 gph
WOT 2300 rpm Speed 17.1 kts 70.6 gph

We generally cruised at around 11 kts, burning about 22 gph. Respectible for a 72,000 lb boat. Granted filling up 1020 gals can put a dent in your Visa card, but it's pretty standard on a boat that sze.

I don't think WOT comes into the recommendations at all, especially on older engines. Running at cruise does. Taking Nycap's numbers then run 6 hours at economy mode (9.3 knots) and 3 minutes at cruise, then you'd cover 61.85 nm and use 92.5 gallons of fuel so .67 nmpg or 1.50 gpnm.

Certainly a single engine trawler is going to consume less. 2 nmpg would be reasonable and a 6 knots or so some would approach 4 nmpg. Just using 2 nmpg at the same 9.3 knots then you're talking 30.93 gallons for the same distance. That's a savings of $150-180 for that day. There are other cost savings to be associated with a trawler and a small single engine as well.

Reasonably easy livin' at 9 kts.

Probably even slightly better with slightly newer 4-strokes (Cats, Cummins, whatever).

We do what OB suggests: putter when we can (but with op temps in the recommended range, easily enough accomplished), run at cruise briefly -- usually toward the end of each leg.

Unless we're in "a hurry" due to unavoidable weather or whatever.

1200 RPMs is enough load on ours to run in the recommended temp range; even anything above 800 RPMs works, once we get there.

-Chris

Not sure about mfg recommendations, but these old Detroit's are work horses. We had them on several crew boats I ran, and we just did what we did. Lots of idling and slow speed work and long hours at 1900rpm. (I almost never bring a boat to WOT though.). On this boat we did most of the running, days on end in places like the Erie Canal, at about 1200rpm, naturally I'd blow it out when possible, but a leaking oil pan gasket also kept us slow as well. I figure that a 30 year old Detroit has gotten every kind of abuse possible already and survived.
I'm old school, not an engineer, and run way too many different boats / motors to know everyone's recommendation. So I run 80% when possible, and try to get there at least 1 hour out of 8 when possible. Private boats don't have set practices and routes like military and commercial ships though. I used to work for one owner who knew nothing but WOT on his 1050 MANNS. That's why an engine survey is always part of a purchase. You'll seldom run into maintenance records like you're used to.

Hmm, HTM09 flew F-4s and I am a 767 pilot.
You talking about us?
Real old to more painful?
Right on.

This is an interesting thread...Fighter Pilots! Hmm, built a few homes for them......interesting characteristics. Even when they turn commercial. One thing they have in common, got to be careful now because some are prob on YF, they are perfectionists. To the inth degree.
rcrapps, no comment.
No complaints though, paid their way! We still friends too.
As to the OP, good advice from all here.
Pascal has the size right, 55' is a lot of boat if it is not a convertible. However, I find it very telling that some of the most experienced and knowledgeable members on YF are not going to retire on bigger boats, instead suggesting trailerable type vessels.
Says a lot about what these guys have seen in the way of money being spent on our passion.
So with that in mind I tread respectfully when I say, go for it! Tomorrow is too late.
If I had your background and training i would NOT hesititate on buying a 58 Hatteras Yachtfish or similar. Take your time and get the best available.
Fuel costs: one of the least costs on my annual budget.
There are a lot of good boats to choose from, enjoy!

It might surprise you to know that at the other end of the business when loading 100 times that amount that the fuel suppliers don't normally take Visa, it is done mostly on credit settled by invoice once you are an established customer with a broker.

No surprise at all. Most large transactions are done that way, and in fact I'm old enough to remember when almost all credit was handled that way in the days before Visa, M.C. and Unicard. Also, the limit for what some companies will accept on a card is lowering as the banks raise the % they take. Just used the term Visa for literary convenience.

When I first started on yachts nearly all bills were paid by folding green stuff for the most part.

Yep, we're old.