Greetings, all -<br /> <br />In about four months I'm going to buy a motoryacht here in Florida, then move to the Florida Keys. I'm going to put in my 360 days, get a 6-pack charter license, then open a scuba diving business. I plan on living on the boat, and it'll just be me.<br /> <br />I've been around boats my whole life, but never anything larger than 23 feet. And certainly never anything like a motoryacht. As such, I thought I'd ask for a few opinions on what brand & model to buy.<br /> <br />The good news is, I don't have a lot of requirements, and there are zillions of yachts for sale in Florida. So, once I decide on a make & model, I should have a decent selection to choose from.<br /> <br />Here are my requirements:<br /> <br />- 31' to 41'<br /> <br />- $40K to $80K<br /> <br />- Room on the aft deck to store scuba gear<br /> <br />- Swimming platform and access to the water<br /> <br />That's it. Basically, just a standard motoryacht, but able to accommodate six scuba divers.<br /> <br />After spending a week on the used boat sites, I've somewhat narrowed it down to a Mainship or a Carver, with Silvertone still in the running. And while I certainly haven't settled on any particular model, I have a few preferences. The Mainship Sedan Bridge with the fiberglas steps leading up to the flybridge is pretty nice, and I think the Carver Mariner is a slightly better-looking ship than the Santego, but there are lots of models to choose from.<br /> <br />The Silvertone doesn't appear to be a bad ship, but it just doesn't seem to have the same attention to detail that the other two do. But, granted, you can only tell so much from looking at pictures on the computer.<br /> <br />And yes, I should go see them for myself, but at the moment I don't own a car. But, even if I did, I'd still be here asking for your opinions. Nothing beats asking the old hands with experience.<br /> <br />Your thoughts, fellow boaters?<br /> <br />Thanks,<br />Joe<br />Lakeland, FL
