Re: Questions about cabin cruisers
My 2 cents: I have a 1975 28ft - 9.5 beam single engine Bayliner Bounty command bridge.
Trailering: My Bounty the perfect balance, as it is small enough to trailer home and fix up and save in slip rental fee's, and yet large enough to live aboard for one person , even two people. My Bounty is definitely very comfy with two people toss in a kid or two for weeks at a time.
With over 6ft of head room below, the command bridge allows you to drive open air in summer and enjoy the view from above .
With the upper bridge fully enclosed canvas I can drive from above in drizzle and rain if needed and keep the upper bridge clean & sealed.
When You go to longer than 28 ft your more than likely to have two engines and I don't want the double expense & double hassle plus extra weight all for better close quarter handling, no thanks.
You 'can' find longer wider singe engine boats. I have a kicker so I actually do have two engines, 'winks'.
Full time in slip : If you are planning to always keep the boat in the water than I would suggest that you get the biggest command bridge boat You can afford ( longer than 28ft ) with 30+ feet then You will not just have an RV-studio apt on the water like mine, you will actually have a house on the water.
For those of you with 25 to 50+K to spend skip this rest:
The key words are 'afford' and 'fix up'. A wide beam 10 + & deep draft is a super bonus when it get choppy and rolling off shore.
If you can afford to keep a boat in a slip, if you can afford a larger boat and if you have the were-with-all to fix up your boat you can bargain shop an older clean rig and fix it up or just buy a turn key.
I am lucky and blessed that I like fixing things up and modifying things so an older solid rig is perfect for my kind of guy. I also like the older boats with the strait lines ( flat bow-deck). once you get over 30+ ft then the Carvers/Bayliners etc.... of those years look absolutely 'regal' , the term Yacht comes to mind instead of the word 'boat'.
My Bounty is a minimum boat for long term stay aboard cruising.
Get w 'real' engine, My boat has a small V8 305 ( under powered ) MercChevy ( 12knots ) so it is s-l-o-w which is ok as I mentally slow down and r-e-l-a-x when I get to the dock but power = on plain = speed
At about 1k mi per gallon, it is simple math to know how far and long you can go in a mid to smaller single screw cab cruiser with what ever size gas tanks
If You get a 28ft or longer ft boat make sure You have at least a 383 / 400hp engine , and I would recommend the counter-rotating DuoProp or Bravo III lower unit as that will make the boat 'get up and go' so much better than a single prop unit.
Lastly the Admiral ( wife ) will REALLY appreciate a boat with 'amenities' when doing a two day weekend to two week vacation.
Men tend to to be Pirates, we fish we drink beer and smoke cigars and everything else is secondary, ahhhhhh but to keep the Admiral and kids happy ( which keeps you happy ) reverse that thought process as I have done. > You got to have reliable electrical power for the DVD movie player, hot running fresh water / cold refrigeration / real cooking stove top/ microwave / warm cabin on cool days & nights and cool cabin on hot days and nights and very comfortable sleeping accommodations and new carpet and or flooring , then you have a classy boat that is truly comfortable with pride of ownership, and not just a guys weekend 'fishing boat' or floating BBQ.
Don't skimp on the amenities, an old boat is nice when they are clean and 'ship shape' , but lack of modern appliances and systems is a 'drag' .
I hope this is helpful .
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