Recommendations for 50-60’ boat for Pacific Northwest

Here’s a good read on a couple who learned the ropes in what many would consider not a suitable boat for cruising remote PNW waters. It just goes to show that it really comes down to the owner operator’s experience and their appetite for growth on the water. Making it a family adventure spreads the learning curve to all and makes for a better group of boaters:

https://mvdirona.com/2010/01/bayliner-4087/

Not saying a Bayliner 4087 is the solution for you, but a great example example of what and how a good hands on operator can take a basic boat far beyond what people expect.

I generally spend a couple weeks per year on a friend's boat out of Seattle cruising everywhere from Olympia, The San Juans, Vancouver to Ucluelet. The first few years, he had a planing boat (40 SR Sundancer) and has now graduated to a 43 Nordhavn trawler (which after owning for awhile they moved aboard last year in Ballard). The Sea Ray was a lot of fun during the summer months and the ability to get pretty much wherever we wanted to go in a few hours was nice. The downside was the amount of large debris floating around the sound came up extremely fast when running at speed which made every trip feel like we were playing a game of russian roulette with the running gear. Along with this, the canvas enclosure and lack of diesel heater made boating during the winter months not as enjoyable as we had to constantly be plugged into shore power or running the genset. Owning a fast boat myself, I wasn't sure whether I would like life at 7kts. After taking my first trip on the Nordhavn, I definitely see my wife and I purchasing a displacement boat when we leave the Great Lakes and aren't as tied to life on land and work schedules that come along with it. It takes longer to get to the destination, however the enclosed pilothouse, stabilizers and systems allow you to actually "live" while underway and the trip becomes part of the destination. Along with this, the number of marinas and anchorages close by in the PNW allow you to easily break up the trip if you don't want to have long days underway. The only downside of a displacement boat in the PNW is the fact that you do have to time the tides whenever possible as given the large tide swings and accompanying currents, it can make a relatively long boat trip even longer if you're going against the tide.

My friends have a youtube channel (MV Freedom Seattle) that you may want to check out. They regularly upload videos and do a good job of highlighting various destinations in the PNW as well as addressing questions and sharing their experiences with regard to selecting the right boat for them to cruise the area and beyond.

Max

If you are new to boating, $600,000 is a lot to tie up without knowing what you don’t know.
Go smaller, get the basic cuddly cabin, stove, sink, head sleeping space for 4. Keep her in the water, get used to locking, anchoring, docking, pumping out, battery maintenance, and all of the stuff that I have learned to love and deciding if this is the way forward. Then move up in size and accommodations and complexity.

I second the follow MV Freedom on social media. They are doing a nice Q&A at the end of the YouTube videos over the las several weekly episodes.

Sounds like you are ready. Pod drives do have something to do with insurance rates, keep that in mind as you shop. It's interesting I draw 3'6" with my zues pods as they are tucked up a bit in hull 'tunnels'. I operate in skinny water that is sure to have debris, as in entire trees with root balls intact after winter storms. Columbia River to be more clear. I do like to cruise at hull speed so keen eyes and local knowledge is helpful for sure. So far so good. Take 'er easy and enjoy the skyhook feature while you need to hang out for any reason too as is fuel dock line, bridge opening, just getting fenders sorted before entering marinas...

Some thoughts. I recommend you speak with local folks who are in the business of servicing Zeus pods. Preferably whomever has been servicing the boat you’re considering. You will improve your chances of getting objective, unbiased intel. Also if you haven’t already done so, an online search will find comments from owners on other forums discussing the pros and cons of Zeus pods based on their ownership experience.

One more thought. Review the maintenance log to see what work has been done on the pods to date.

One more thought. Make sure your wife is comfortable with your choice and don't take a chance on getting her in rough weather the first time out. That situation has killed a lot of new boaters dreams. Probably a good reason to charter before you buy.

I would really stay away from pods having seen a couple of disasters, and my father in law being laid up for an entire season ater catching a deadhead that ripped the pod right off. Twin screws are great, and a simpler solution, and a Nordhavn would be a good choice as well (though more speed is a real bonus dodging ferries 6-8 knots can feel very slow sometimes). With a boat that size you really need to go no more than 15-18 knots max around here, as any faster, and you won't miss the log that appears out of nowhere. You just can't adjust fast enough at 50+ ft. At that size and budget stabilizers should be a must as well, since it can get very rough in the sound and Georgia Straight. It can be a real washing machine out there with steep mixed conditions that come up fast. I have a Canoe Cove 53 that is stabilized and is a great boat for out here. I did not have your budget to play with though, and dollars make for more options. A well kept West Bay Sonship would likely make you very happy.

We are very active cruisers based in Seattle/Lake Union and are now on our 4th vessel in the area. A 35' Express cruiser, a 63' Tollycraft, a 60' Californian LRC (Navigator), and now onto the big vessel. They all have been wonderful vessels for the area. Pods are totally fine for these grounds and they are plentiful. Just be mindful of the maintenance is all and stay on top of it. While Meridian isn't exactly the top of the line manufacturer, they produce a solid product that are very common in these waters. If its the 441 listed by Alexander under contract it looks like a well equipped vessel. Right in your budget and will allow you to explore the area. You will need to be mindful of the bad weather/small craft advisory days as that vessel will get tossed around a bit in those conditions, but if you avoid those it should provide you with a great experience. As for debris, its not as bad as some make it out to be. In the spring, just keep a good eye out and don't just set Auto Pilot and sit back. Summer there really isn't all that much out in the waters. We put 250-300 hours on a year here and as long as you keep a general eye out you will be fine. Honestly we probably have to avoid something that would cause any serious issue a handful of times a year. Other than that, maybe on the cruise from Seattle to the SJI you may have to alter once or twice for smaller debris that is pretty obvious.

From here you will learn a lot about what you like and don't like and should this one not be the perfect fit, will at least give you more info on what you want for the next vessel. yes, there is always a next vessel lol.

Best of luck with the purchase!