[vin457d]

Hello All,

My wife and I are growing tired of the same local sand bars we currently frequent in our runabout, and with our family growing we've decided it's time to consider yachts/sport cruisers and do some family excursions to the Caribbean... We attended the S. Florida Boat Show and got some ideas of where we want to be in size and price (now all we need is some guidance).

We are a family of 4, and I am sure once we begin touring the islands we will grow to 6 with in-laws, we are not interested in doing any fishing from our boat, we have access to plenty of fishing boats in our extended family

What we want/need
Capable of island hopping
We need 2 state rooms or comparable

What we liked
36' Searay Sundancer & Sedan Bridge
35' Monterey
39' Doral Boca Grande
37' Larson
37' Cruiser Yachts

Any of these we should stay away from?? Anything we should consider not listed above?? Any tips that could be offered prior to purchasing?? We don't mind used but would like to be 2003 or newer???

Sorry for all the questions, we are trying to orientate ourselves as much as possible now and plan our purchase for Jan/Feb...

[Loren Schweizer]

OK. Look-- I'm not a boat snob.
I have driven a 13' Boston Whaler to Bimini and back to Fort Lauderdale when I was a stupid kid.
I helped deliver a 33 gas-powered Bertram to Curacao many years later.

Moronic credentials---got 'em.

But the possibility of six people on a sub-forty foot boat would suggest leaving all the steak knives at home.
I mean, are you nuts?
Two staterooms and six people will not make for a friendly environment after, say, an hour or so.
If it were me, I'd think about a 49 DeFever Cockpit ( sleeping two in the salon) two-stateroom boat at the least.
Less than that, fly down-island and pitch a tent on the beach, Big Spender.

[KCook]

But the possibility of six people on a sub-forty foot boat would suggest leaving all the steak knives at home.

Good one Loren!

lonewolf Kelly

[AMGinfl]

Hi Vin,

My wife and I have gone through the same process for the past year. I hope that my post can give you some insight and save you some time.

We had a similar requirements, and looked at some of the boats you and your family are considering. After months of hourless research and discussion with brokers and users on this forum, we came to one conclusion:

For us, It's a wiser decision to purchase a older Tiara, Bertram, Post or Viking. We did have to increase our budge a bit but since we began looking at an older models, it wasn't that bad. My feeling is that these boats are SOLID and will last a long time if properly maintained. They're also easy to work on should you decide to do the work yourself or hire someone to do it for you. We sea-trialed a 43 Tiara yesterday, and the ride was extremely smooth and soft. I have not been on any of the boats you mentioned, so I don't know about their ride.

I also think that anything under 40 feet would be too small.

We have an excellent borker that was very patient and helped us narrow down the best value for our budget. I'd be happy to refer him to you if you want to drop me an email.

Best of luck

[Walt Vosicka]

Vin,

I'm a gearhead that has worked on everything from fighter aircraft, high performance race cars to boats (yachts). I am a marine tech and a budding designer.

For my opinion Sea Ray is the answer. However, a little bigger than you posted. Here's why:

1. Sturdy...I've worked on a number of 30'+ cruisers that were used regularly on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Haven't seen any hull breaches to amount to anything.

2. When you move up...and you will move up! Resale is a good factor to consider. As boats go, Sea Ray holds it's value a little better.

3. Service...you will have to get the thing serviced! Sea Ray uses Mercury drivelines and pretty good equipment all the way round. Another plus is that there are Mercury and Sea Ray dealer/repair facilities all over. You won't get
stranded for too long if there are catastophic problems. I know for a fact that Sea Ray is pretty good in standing behind their products if you go new.

So there you have it...get out the checkbook. If you want more opinions,
write me back.

Walt Vosicka

[Seafarer]

The "biggest" feeling smaller boat I've traveled on was a 36' Saberline Fast Trawler - two fully separate staterooms (fore and aft) for separating kids when they need space, quiet, efficient, and seemingly decent ride and quality. They're also not terribly expensive. My experience was in the Chesapeake and out to Chincoteague & Assateague Islands.

I don't claim to have any great working knowledge of the brand or its flaws/merits vs. other boats, but I'd definitely look at them as well.

An older (10+) Sabreline is probably in the same price range as any of the others you've mentioned. Or stretch a bit and go up to a more recent 43' or 47'.