What should I buy?

At that budget with that family, I'd say this:

http://au.**************/core/listi...nits=Feet&access=Public&listing_id=74489&url=

Indeed with kids the yacht fish is a better choice than the MY. Much easier to get to the water. The 58YF is almost identical to the 53MY plus the cockpit

a cheap repo is fine if you have the time and skills to fix it. If you have to pay $90 an hour yard rate, forget it !

Your threads on Vista and Silverton have been closed and directed to this thread. Please do not open a new thread for each boat you find...

I just merged all his threads together.

VidaAqua, as AMG requested, please do not open new thread on the same subject, no matter the brand.

The first of the three, listed as a flushdeck, is a Tri Cabin. Flushdeck is misleading because all these hatts are flushdeck

even though the TC has nice lines (thks to a longer bow). I m not a big fan of the layout with the bi level saloon. I believe the market agreed since it was not produced for very long as the 50/53/58 hargrave design dominated the small MY market thru the 70s and later on with more variants well into the 90s

the 58 TC is similar to the 60s designs and didn't survive the success of the Hargrave designs

the 58CMY is a nice boat but doesn't have a large aft deck. Most owners will tell you that the act deck is probably the best part of these boats and where you spend the most time. Even in summer time ventilation is excellent on the hook thanks to the aide decks bringing a lot of air to the aft deck

These are examples of some nice Californians out there which I'm sure could be bought for the same money as the older Hatts if not less.

1. California Yacht For Sale

2. California Yacht For Sale

3. California Yacht For Sale

4. California Yacht For Sale

5. California Yacht For Sale

6. California Yacht For Sale

7. California Yacht For Sale

8. California Yacht For Sale

All good boats to look at except the M/Y. With small children, the cockpit is not only a safety factor, but a major enjoyment factor as well. That's why I like the one I posted, it has a large cockpit for putting all the water toys, fishing gear, dive gear, surf boards.... Boating, especially in warm water areas life Florida, is about getting in the water and enjoying what it has to offer, and the cockpits really enhance that and do so adding a great margin of safety having stairs and bulwarks rather than ladders.

The links don't work for me

There's excessive code tagging on them. Delete the "url"s in the brackets and everything outside of them

My fault guys. Edited on the fly from my my PDA. Why on earth we needed 8 links to YW, I don't know! One would have been sufficient.

Should be fixed now.

I have a very nice 1988 50' Bertram close to you in Connecticut which I just put on the market. New interior, rebuilt 8v92's etc all done over the past three years. two state rooms plus bunks sleeps 6 very easily. Your price range is a little off but not all that far. Specs are listed in the Sportfishing Yachts For Sale" section.

This guy has some thoughts on Carver http:www.yachtsurvey.com/boatreviews/Carver370.htm

Besides saying what you'd expect about Carver I took special note to something said that relates to something I've heard from various people on several threads. Sorry for the hijack. "Typically, we don't survey a boat until its 3 years or older. What we were seeing in the boat shows and at the dealer's docks certainly looked good. But, then, all new boats look good. It takes a while for the shine to wear off and the boat has some miles under its bilge before we begin to see whether they're really made of the right stuff."

It does make sense. Banks and insurance companies typically don't require surveys on new boats, and they are under warranty so a typically less than sophisticated small boat (I'm considering anything under 100' small in this reference) buyer won't see the value in having an independent survey done on a new boat. I don't personally see the wisdom there as I have never seen a new boat with no issues and often times a good survey of the new boat would prove a value beyond the cost. For those new to boating, a good surveyor can be the best value they have in the purchase process because (s)he gives them perspective and information beyond what the salesman and "his buddy who has had a boat for years" can, potentially saving them from a very costly purchase decision.