May be in the market, again....

Apologies. I do use a yacht controller in certain situations. 99% of time I am doing it from bridge and between cameras and wifey giving me distances we haven’t killed or broken anything yet. she is really pretty good but dockhands not so much.

in terms of sea keepers while on the hook sleeping…..not really. Don’t think we have ever done it. Most of the time on anchor we are pretty protected.

Some clarification on Aleutian 59: the 835hp variant will NOT do 20kts cruise. That variant cruise is 16-18kts at 80% load. The 1000hp variant will do a 20kt cruise at 80% load. Aleutian 59 full displacement is approx 120k lbs at full load.

Wasn’t planning to jump in, just scrolling through the forum, but I’ve got to say... you’ve actually already narrowed in on most of the right candidates for what you’re trying to do. That shortlist is pretty solid.

You’re 100% on the right track leaning Cummins in this size range. Honestly, once you spend time around these boats it’s hard not to end up there compared to pod-driven setups.
That’s usually the deciding factor more than people admit...

You’re already circling the right platforms too. Hatteras is still kind of the “logic baseline” here, layout just works, everything is where it should be, and it’s built around actual use. The Ocean Alexander 58–60 PH is also absolutely worth a serious look if you find a Cummins-powered one with the right layout. Just keep an eye on the all-in number if you’re trying to stay tight to that $1.5M budget.

Oh I gotta mention though.. while it’ll do around 20–21 knots, it doesn’t really give you that “fast” feeling you get in something like a Sunseeker or MJM. It feels more planted and composed, which is great offshore, but might not scratch the itch if the goal is something that feels noticeably quicker underway (especially with the wife factor in

Also, Princess and Sunseeker are nice boats, no doubt, but they lean more Euro day-cruising, and once you factor in Volvo dependency and pod-heavy setups, they start to drift away from what you’re actually optimizing for here.

Honestly, your shortlist is already pretty dialed. At this point you’re not really missing anything obvious, you could dig up a few more like Johnson, Hampton, or even some Marlow models in that same semi-custom Taiwan space, but they all kind of live in the same world as the Hatteras/OA direction you’re already looking at. I'd say its more about finding the right individual boat(layout, spec, etc.)

Either way, happy searching! curious to see what you end up landing on, keep us posted.

As an owner of a 2025 Riviera 64' SMY, I think you made a good decision. My boat has MAN's and V drive straight shafts. Did you look at the 64 SUV, which has the same? If you get good pod service where you are, doesn't matter. The Riviera quality of construction/components has been great. Their service is top notch here on the east coast, not sure about west coast. They have flown up to me a couple times to address any issues that have come up. PM me if you every have any questions about the boat/systems. Enjoy!!

Just read thru this subject thread and never saw any mention of the possibility of another form of a vessel to make multiple trips to Catalina Island,...which I believe is the primary destination for the gentlemen on this discussion looking for a new vessel??

Please excuse my throwing in a curved ball,....a powered cat that a good friend of mine once bought,...and I so wanted to buy from him when he decided to move back on land.

I'll open it up with very nice trawler style 62 footer that was designed by the late Malcolm Tennant of NZ. This was a custom built boat by an owner of several previous sailing-charter cats, that now wanted a powercat for cruising the Bahamas and beyond. That owner/builder subsequently sold it to a good friend of mine who had also previously owned a large sailing cat.

I can't help but think of this wonderful vessel I just spent a few days aboard in Palm Beach. It was recently grabbed up (purchased) by a good friend of mine for his own liveaboard & treasure hunting purposes, so it is not available. I'll present a few details and photos as an example of what I consider a really nice liveaboard cruising vessel that is not too audacious while accomplishing most of what you have in mind plus a few extras...great dive and explore boat.

I'll post some pics I took while visiting a year ago. Look at the interior room available in this vessel,....and that great galley and big saloon. One master stateroom in one hull, and two guest staterooms in the other.












Then how about the great aft deck and its additional galley, outdoor grill, and dining area.

This vessel drafts 3... feet, and is powered by two 6 cyl Cummins engines of 210HP . It will do 17 knots while using a fraction of the fuel of many yachts this size. It is highly maneuverable with those twin props widely spaced apart. Its easy to get on and off the tender from those swim platforms, and in fact could easily carry two tenders (his and hers), or other water toys. It has a generator and a watermaker, and a highly insulated refrig box and freezer that only requires running one engine once every two days. Its self-sufficient. The cost...less than $1M. I envy his choice.

I have a PDF magazine article about her if anyone wants to read it?

I commented early on in this thread. I also had an Offshore 62 which sold so fast it made my head spin, I loved the boat and it did everything well. I did purchase a new boat and like you I had many boxes that I wasn't willing to give up on this time. This time I listened to my gut and although considered my wife's opinion I stood my ground since I'm the writing the checks and maintaining my dock ornament behind my house. I ended up going with a very clean and well maintained Eastbay 54 SX with C18's. Unfortunately this nugget is in Harpswell Main, closer to freaking Scotland than Newport Beach, CA. Like you everything I looked at had Pods which is a road I'm not willing to go down. I have had such great luck with Cats I really wanted to stay in that arena. I have a CABO 40 with C12's in Cabo that I fish hard and it runs like a Rolex if you maintain them. The Eastbay is a completely different animal. Tight engine room but the build quality seems to be several steps above my Offshore, which I spent 5 years trying to get as much Taiwan out of the boat as I could. Good luck with your new boat. Hopefully you bought it on this coast and are not going through the logistical nightmare I'm going through trying to get the boat to Ensenada.

There is a ship that loads in the Northeast once or twice a year and then will ship to Ensenada, I think its Sevenstar. I could run it down from Maine to South Florida for you if you end up having to ship out of South Florida. Check with Sevenstar or Ocean Transport for shipping.

Hi Capt. J, I am loading it in Morehead City on SevenStar how do I contact you ?

Send me a private message with contact info. I am located in Pompano Beach,FL which is quite a ways away from Morehead City. But I could get it to Morehead City for you and get it loaded for you.