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Need Some Basic Advice and Guidance

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by tipsord, Sep 4, 2006.

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  1. tipsord

    tipsord New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2006
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    Location:
    Arizona
    I am looking to move up. I currently have a 36 ft Cruisers in Arizona, but want to buy a motor yacht. I am looking at a Florida location so that I can travel to the Keys, Bahamas, etc. I am thinking that I want (maybe need is a better word) about a 60 ft motor yacht to be able to cruise safely and comfortably in the ocean. Is that in the ball park? I need some basic guidance around size of boat needed to cruise on the open ocean waters. I've read about stabilizers, are they necessary? Are there some brands to stay away from as they are cheaper and may be great on a lake but not on the open ocean? Are some boats easier to operate without a crew? What options should I view as must have vs. nice to have? Etc., etc., etc.

    As you can tell, I am looking for some very basic information so that I can get my search focused. I am in no hurry to buy and will take my time to do the necessary research before I jump into this. I am looking for direction that anyone may have. If you could do it all over again, what would you tell me?

    Thanks in advance!

    Greg
  2. KCook

    KCook Senior Member

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    Location:
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    Gosh, did I scare everybody off? :confused:

    Anyhoo, Greg, did you have in mind a traditional yacht -
    [​IMG]

    Or the more contemporary euro style -
    [​IMG]

    Kelly
  3. Loren Schweizer

    Loren Schweizer YF Associate Writer

    Joined:
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    1,352
    Location:
    Coral Gables/Ft. Laud., FL
    Greg, you mentioned you were looking for "basic information".
    As Kelly's display of threads & photos point out, there is much to consider.

    Compare, for instance, the two yachts shown above.
    It takes a practiced eye to find which boat is equipped with the babe on the flybridge and that is the type which comes highly recommended. :rolleyes:
  4. Loren Schweizer

    Loren Schweizer YF Associate Writer

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    oops.
    That's what I get for multi-tasking. :eek:
  5. KCook

    KCook Senior Member

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    Good eye Loren. However the other yacht does sport a RIB for trolling the beach for babes :cool:

    Kelly
  6. A boat buyer sould think of the old standby, who, what, when, and where.
    Who will normally be on the boat 2 people, how many guests, children, pets and more?
    What type of use do you expect for the boat, day trips, extended cruising, entertaining, fast boat, slow boat?
    When do you plan to use the boat, year round, weekends only, this year, two years from now?
    Where do you plan to cruise, east coast, west coast, ICW, islands, local?

    By seriously considering what your needs are rather than just your wants, you can narrow your search to a few styles of boats that work for you. And of course when you see the right one you have to fall in love......
  7. tipsord

    tipsord New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2006
    Messages:
    2
    Location:
    Arizona
    Kelly,

    Thanks for the reply. I have been out of town and just got to your post. This has been very, very helpful. As I have read through, it has helped me sort through some other questions to be answered.

    I would like to have the ability to eventually operate the boat without a captain or crew (after a lot of training of course!). Based upon that, bow and stern thrusters seem like a must.

    I live in Phoenix, so the West Coast is preferrable and would allow me to use it more. But are there really that many places to "explore" on the West Coast? The idea of cruising around the Keys, the Bahamas, etc. off of Florida seems much more attractive, but there is a big trade off in how much time I would be able to spend on the boat. Can you or someone give me some ideas on West Coast use?

    Regarding look, I prefer the Euro look, but that's not the most important part to me. I am looking for a "roomy" interior with the right equipment. Looks would be secondary or tertiary.

    It seems to me that the logical next steps would be to attend some yacht shows. I have read a lot about the Miami show. Are there similar shows on the West Coast? If so, what would you recommend? Additionally, it probably also makes a lot of sense for me to charter a yacht with my wife to get a much better feel. Any suggestions here?

    Thanks so much for your help!!

    Greg
  8. KCook

    KCook Senior Member

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    Location:
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    Well cruising the California coast is mainly a port-to-port game. With Baja and Catalina Island as excursions and diversions. Which has is points. To me the high bluffs of California are more scenic than the low coasts found back east. And civilization is never far away (Baja obvious exception) if there are medical concerns.

    Then from Puget Sound up to Prince William Sound offers some of the best "exploring" on the Planet! Subject to a shortish summer season. Here is another thread for a sample of that - "Mystique" in Alaska - nice pics!

    So I think climate preference/tolerance should be a major consideration.

    Afraid you just missed some of the major boat shows on the west coast. Next one is Long Beach - International Sail & Power Boat Show . But I dunno whether that show will feature many big yachts. Some of the real big shows are just ahead of us on the east coast -

    http://www.marinesource.com/Boat_Shows/

    If there are particular builders of interest to you then I would give their sales offices a call. They should be able to say which of these events will have a good showing of their boats.

    Kelly