Need advice going to the next level...

To address cost of ownership.

You've not listed one category in your boat expense and that is insurance.

I'll mention property taxes but seeing you're in Rhode Island I recall there is none there on boats.

Now, as to maintenance, we budget our major expenditures on an average annual basis as well. This would include rebuilds and painting and items like that. I'd estimate that increasing your average annual maintenance above the $80K. We budget $120K for a similarly sized boat. When looking at maintenance, don't overlook the fact you have two engines, two generators, watermaker, heads and sewage system, stabilizers, thrusters..all of which require maintenance.

Also, don't overlook the cost of a tender and toys.

50 GPH all depends on the boat, engines, and how you run it. Your number seems reasonable for an average as I'd estimate 70 GPH at cruise and 25 or so when running at an economic speed.

Also, communications costs. Are you going to have satellite or settle for cellular and the occasional Wifi. Phone, Television, Intenet? These costs can run you from $5,000 to $50,000 per year.

Crew, you don't mention what type positions. As you approach 90', a crew of 2 may become a bit small. Much of it depends on what you and your wife intend to do. A 90' charter would typically have a crew of 3, but often on a private boat you can do with fewer. As to cost of crew, don't overlook payroll taxes and other fringe costs if you're going to be flagged in the US. Depending on what you offer that could run you 15% to 25% of wages.

Then I'd just toss in some budget considerations that aren't directly boat related. Dining and Entertainment. How much you intend to eat in restaurants will vary that greatly. What you and your family intend to do in various places. I know if you didn't cruise you'd have these expense, but cruising can increase them, depending on cruising lifestyle. Don't overlook the cost of meals for the crew in addition to your family. Then are you going to take breaks? Any flights home? When the boat is hauled you have lodging for you and your crew. Then a practical consideration is time off for your crew and possible flights home for them for vacation time.

You may be able to get other information as they should have some form of maintenance log. I'd also like knowing a bit about the history of the ownership of the boat.

If one of these boats isn't the magical one, then I'd suggest finding a buyer's broker and using them to help in the process. They still have incentive to make a sale, but that isn't tied to a specific boat.

6' is what I'd consider the maximum draft for the minimally constrained. I have friends who cruise those areas with a 47' Nordhavn, which is 5'11" draft and only have a couple of places they can't go. We have cruised them with a 6'6" draft but at that point do start finding a few more challenges to work around. Most of the time I've observed someone with a 6' draft run aground, they would have run aground with a 5' draft, just maybe a few seconds later.

We find an 85' quite good for the number of passengers and the type cruising you have in mind so I think you'll find the 88 or 90' also. Now, you didn't mention the type boat. Coming from both a trawler and a sport cruiser background, you could go either way. However, this is not just a boat, it's your home or long long long vacation home. Styling becomes a bit less important and utility and function more so. Having a nice aft deck and having a flybridge are important spaces. Even some bow seating is nice for evenings and escaping the kids. The size of living spaces indoors and out are important.

You will also need to take crew sleeping and relaxing areas into consideration. Stacking crew members on shelves (ok, small crew cabins with bunks) may be ok for a weekend, but not for 2 years. You need to think about what kind of relationship you and your family want with the crew and find crew that fits that. Everyone sees it differently. However, you're not just hiring capable crew, you're choosing housemates. You and the crew are going to be living in one vacation home.

One item I didn't mention in my other post but reflected in my maintenance numbers is HVAC.

I would increase the fuel burn average. an 80' Hatteras MY will burn 140 gph at cruise. But you can run it at 10-12 knots at 25-40gph and offset that number. You're budget for everything seems about right, maybe increase it to $500k at times depending on what needs to be upgraded etc. Depending on usage and location. Some locations dockage is 1/3 to 1/4 of what it is in others.

I wouldn't say that 6' of draft would be very limiting for what you want to do, I wouldn't go much that past 6' of draft. An 80' Hatteras MY is worth looking at and offers a lot of volume for it's length. So does an 86' Jefferson, except they only cruise at 14 knots. The Hatteras will run 22 knots at cruise. An 85' Pacific Mariner is another good one to look at. Not sure what other brands you're looking at.

Your best bet would be to find a very knowledgable Captain or someone in the industry to inspect each boat with you prior to offer/survey/seatrial. Then if what they see is well maintained, follow through with offer, surveys/seatrial, and etc. I do that service for a number of owners and have in the past but am located in Ft. Lauderdale.

I agree with Olderboater, a crew of 2 would be fine with an 80', but as you approach 90'+ would be really stressing them, unless you're totally self sufficient on the interior and allow for them to hire a stewardess part time or day workers, but you have a little room in your budget possibly for that.

Following up on Capt J's comment of taking someone with you. I equate it to battle unarmed. You may be familiar with certain things and certain type boats but you need someone knowledgeable in the range you're looking.

Also, notice he mentioned boats with lots of space. An 80' Hatteras is spacious with 4 staterooms, a very decent crew cabin for 2, flybridge, very nice salon. An 85' Pacific Mariner basically has the same accommodations.

By comparison sport models from people like Sunseeker or Riva would not have that space. Even their "Sport Yachts" have small flybridges and have crew cabins that make me think of rooms you might send someone to punish them.

The 80' Hatteras actually has 2 nicely sized crew staterooms in the stern and a large head. 1 with a queen for the Captain and another with bunks for a total of 3 crew plus a large chest freezer back there.

I think you've answered your own question… I would suggest finding the right captain for you, and then let him/her help you to find your boat. That way, they will have to actually live with the decision that they help you to make.

One of the keys to meeting your two year goal of $800k is the condition of the boat when you buy it. With you setting out on a two year plan, I'd make sure everything needed was fixed up front, either by the seller or by you.

I'd also be a bit flexible in the Captain's salary as you might find the right person for $85k but you may find the perfect candidate and he or she might cost a bit more based on experience and work record. I've always felt, better to have the best at the top end of the range than average at mid range.

As Ken points our, Captain involved in boat choice can't then complain about the boat chosen.

We run an 2008 85' Pacific Mariner that's traveled from Canada to Costa Rica and from Key West To Boston with a crew of two. It's about as simple as a modern 85' Motoryacht can get while still having the features you would expect. Four double guest cabins plus two crew cabins and a total of six heads. We run at 15 knots burning 73 to 74 gph. In between cruising it's looked after part time by a local. Like I said, simple.

We run at 22 knots using 90 gph. At 15, we only use 42 gph. But ours is a more recent engine. Ours has been from Alaska to Boston. One can probably find a 2008 for about $3.5.

We chartered two of the ones on the market and they were in very good condition.

Now, the Hatteras 80 has an almost identical layout. Probably can get a 2009 for around $3.5. It will use 10-15% more fuel than the Pacific Mariner.

Both of these typically have 3 person crews when chartered and 2 when run by owner.

MTU 12V2000 ...and I should have said 15-17 knots.

For budgeting on the conservative side I'd recommend:

https://luxyachts.com/management/operatingcostcalculator