Click for Walker Click for Burger Click for Comfort Click for JetForums Click for Perko

75 ft too big ??

Discussion in 'Feadship Yacht' started by bmar, Jun 5, 2010.

  1. bmar

    bmar New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2010
    Messages:
    17
    Location:
    san diego, ca
    Am looking at yachts in the 1-1.5 mill. dollar range. Dosn't have to be new but newer model. I want something that I don't need a captain or crew and will have the range to go to bahamas or Carrb. fron south florida and be able to have 3-4 people comfortably. Is 75 to big, to small? Thanks for any help.
  2. RER

    RER Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2009
    Messages:
    1,532
    Location:
    Newport Beach CA
    In general, finding a newer 75' at $1 to $1.5 mil could be difficult depending on what your definition of 'newer' is. An owner operator with 4 total persons aboard would have more than enough room in 65'... and your budget will go further. But more details are needed. What kind of cruise speed? Practical design vs Sunseeker type? Flybridge? Cockpit? You get the idea.
  3. bmar

    bmar New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2010
    Messages:
    17
    Location:
    san diego, ca
    hanks for the info. More of a practical design. Looking for something with enough size to have deck room for the wifes to lay out and still have tender, pwcs, ect. Comfort more important than day cruiser speed. Thanks.
  4. Capt Bill11

    Capt Bill11 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2006
    Messages:
    1,458
    Location:
    Sarasota/Ft. Lauderdale FL
    One of the older model 76' or 80' Lazzara's might fit the bill. And they are easy to handle and in your price range.

    Or if you like something a little more traditional looking, check out a 65' Marlow. Most Marlow's, if not all, come with bow and stern thrusters standard.
  5. RER

    RER Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2009
    Messages:
    1,532
    Location:
    Newport Beach CA
    I agree, the Marlow is a good choice. Caterpillar power and decent speed when you need it. Flybridge with boat deck. Wheelhouse with social space for owner operator. Cockpit, and what I believe is a must have for the owner operator, a full walk-around.
  6. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2005
    Messages:
    14,432
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    What is your experience level? How many days are you planning on being on a trip at one time? I've found that there are very few owner/operators capable of running a 75' yacht competantly and SAFELY. There is a lot of experience and skill involved besides steering the vessel. That's the easy part, the hard part is when something majorly happens. The right vessel that's 60-65' can meet your needs and your budget will go further as other people suggested.
  7. Fishtigua

    Fishtigua Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2007
    Messages:
    2,937
    Location:
    Guernsey/Antigua
    Yeah, I've gone to Carrb too, though the sit-ups are starting to help. :D

    A 70'ish boat should be fine for a couple to handle. Have look at the Flemings on the secondhand market. Great boats.

    http://www.flemingyachts.com/fleming75.html
  8. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 29, 2008
    Messages:
    8,120
    Location:
    Miami, FL
    welcome to YF

    the key thing in answering your question is your level of experience and how much you are willing to work while on vacation.

    a few things...

    first, there is a HUGE difference in the Bahamas and the Caribbean. on the charts, the Caribbean may appear to be jsut beyond the bahamas but sea conditions, winds, lack of shelter and distances make it a more demanding trip. Just something to keep in mind, if you are really serious about the Caribbean then you need a boat capable of handling that part of the trip, whereas for the Bahamas, just about any boat will do.

    About experience, teh big issue here is insurance. as you get over 50, 60', underwriters will review your experience and what kind of boats you've owned and run. Often, if the size jump is over 12 to 15' underwriters will require not only some training but a licensed captain on board for a certain period of time. there is lot more to operating a 60+ boat than just drivign and docking...

    How much are you willing to work? there is a lot more to operating a 60 to 80' boat than just driving and line handling. Maintenance, minor repairs, cleaning, etc... take time almost on a daily basis and as you get over 50/55' it becomes more time consuming. Here in the US you can stop at marinas at yards and get stuff done, although at close to $100 an hour labor it adds up very quickly and you will not save any money compared to having a captain on the boat... in the Bahamas, it's harder and more expensive. a simple problem can often bring your vacation to a grinding halt unless you can fix it yourself, something many owners operators can't do.

    as to which boat is best for you, you need to consider what your needs are. room to stretch in the sun isn't an issue in that size range obviously but when you mention tender AND pwc then you're going to have to eliminate quite a few boats, unless you're willing to put up with having one of them on the swim platform, something i really do not like. In my view, it's an acceptable compromise on a small boat but having the swimplatform blocked by the tender of PWC is a major PITA. that's just an example of the compromises you have to make and again, it comes down to what your priorities are.

    If you're going to spend time in the Bahamas and Carib., then sea handling will be important as well as redundancy and for instance having two generators would be high on my list.

    in short, as you go thru the items that are important to you, you may realize that you either need to drop some of them of your wish list or step up in size, in which case a crew (at least a captain) will be necessary.

    at that stage, go to boat shows, walk marinas, browse Yacht World to see what appeals to you.
  9. bmar

    bmar New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2010
    Messages:
    17
    Location:
    san diego, ca
    Well, the wife came up with idea(hate it when that happens) but maybe step up to 2 mill in price and go say with 80-100 ft and have one full time person which solves alot of probs. (teaching, drive when I don't want to, there when problems come up, maint,ect). I only have around 6 mos exp. so have alot to learn.
  10. Capt Bill11

    Capt Bill11 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2006
    Messages:
    1,458
    Location:
    Sarasota/Ft. Lauderdale FL
    You are not going to have a properly maintained 100' boat with just one person. Unless you allow them to use day workers and subs as needed and hire crew when you're moving.

    And the same would go for an 80' unless you're at the dock a lot and don't travel much.

    If you move a lot and want a properly maintained boat, I'd strongly suggest a getting a mate.

    If this is out of your league financially, then, IMHO, you should look at smaller boats that truly can be maintained and run by one person.
  11. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2008
    Messages:
    11,205
    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    I think everyone picked up on the lack of experience from the first post which is why all the references. With 6 mos. experience you will absolutely need a captain on any 75, and someone to care for the boat & to deckhand. Even if you could find an insurance company dumb enough not to require it your life, your boating enjoyment and your odds on staying in boating for more than a year wouldn't be worth a plug nickle. Once you're talking 80' to 100' you'll need someone with engineering skills as well or you'll be broke down and broke fast.
  12. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2005
    Messages:
    14,432
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    Having a full time Captain on a 75' MY is my recommendation and shouldn't interfere with your cruising, only enhance it. Also if you're cruising a lot, a 75' (depending on brand/style) might even be too much for one person to run/maintain/clean). A 75' should have 4 staterooms and you and your guests should still have plenty of privacy when wanted.

    A 90-100' would need a crew of 2 bare minimum and would benefit from a crew of 3 unless you are self sufficient with keeping the interior clean, cooking, and that sort of thing and give the crew enough downtime to keep up with maintanence.

    I can tell you right now, you won't get insured without a captain unless you're trading up from a 60-65'. I had one owner who just went through that. He had a 45' for a few years, traded up to a 70MY. His insurance company and all of them stated he needed a Captain on board everytime the vessel left the dock.
  13. bmar

    bmar New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2010
    Messages:
    17
    Location:
    san diego, ca
    Thank you all for the info. One other question, would I be better served to acutaly hire a captain (or someone) first to aid in the buying process. I can look at spec and equipment sheets on a boat all day and not know what I'm reading. (ie: knowing one engine from another, type of fresh water makers, ect). Also would seem like a good idea to have that person there for sea trials, ect.
  14. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 29, 2008
    Messages:
    8,120
    Location:
    Miami, FL
    yes, while having a captain assisting you is no replacement for a survey, there are many things an experieced captain will notice that you wont. you'd be surprised at some of the flaws you see on boats, even in the 60-90' range and if not flaws jsut things that raise red flags and will save you trouble as well as wasting a few thousand dollars on a failred survey.

    oen example: a couple of years ago, I helped a buyer who was looking at boats in that size range. I noticed that the one at the top of the list had been Awlgriped: nice and shiny paint, beautiful but that raised a big red flag. Broker denied any knowledge of damage... took me a while but i finally found evidence of hurricane repairs behind a screwed access panel inside a hanging locker. Probably woudl have showed up at survey but at that time a dew thousands would have been wasted...

    and if you're new to this, making sense of survey reports isnt' always that easy...
  15. Capt Bill11

    Capt Bill11 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2006
    Messages:
    1,458
    Location:
    Sarasota/Ft. Lauderdale FL

    Yes. After you have narrowed down your parameters and the list of boats that meet them.

    Be sure the person you hire has been on a number of different types and brands of boats. And has a strong mechanical back ground to judge the condition of the boats you will be looking at.

    And make sure they have no "dogs in your hunt".
  16. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2008
    Messages:
    11,205
    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    First sit down with a captain over lunch. He'll help you narrow your parameters so you'll only be looking at a few types of boats. There shouldn't be any charge for this beyond the lunch check. Maybe do it with 2 or 3 captains so you can also get a feel for who will be a good fit for you. Next, start your hunt narrowing down the possibilities based on price, location, type of boat, engines or whatever else is on your must have list. Once you've narrowed the list hire the captain to go with you for a sea trial. You'll surely be wearing rose colored specs. He won't. Finally, bring that captain along for the survey and final sea trial. He can make sure that the surveyor gets to see what he wants to see (there was a recent thread about a battlewagon being seatrialed in calm Lake Worth only later to find out it was garbage) and can help interpret the surveyors findings. A good surveyor will tell you about every potential problem, even those that really are no worry. The captain will explain which are which. By this time you should also have a good feel for the captain and know if this is the one you want taking care of you and your boat.
    P.S. Don't use your brokers recommendation of a captain or surveyor. Ask about and get your own.
  17. david_japp

    david_japp Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2005
    Messages:
    369
    Location:
    london

    Hi
    I went through all the same questions, having stepped up from a 50ft classic wooden sailboat built 1938 that I needed a paid hand (or 2) to crew and wanting more space but less agravation, (ie NO CREW). I eventually went for a 60ft vintage displacment Feadship MY (Alto pka Tiky) that I 'm currently rebuilding (she may eventually be for sale if you're interested!!). I went for a steel round bilged displacement hull because they are more comfortable in heavy sees and also more econmical to run. We reconfigured the interior with a large owner's cabin and ensuite head nice guest cabin with bunks, which is served by the day head. Up forward we have a nice galley with mess seating and a double cabin up forward with its own head. That way we can accomadate 2 extra guests or 2 crew , as needs dictate.
  18. bernd1972

    bernd1972 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2011
    Messages:
    301
    Location:
    Flensburg, Germany
    It´s all a question what you want. If you don´t mind having crew aboard you can think about 75ft. + , from 75ft. up you should want at least 2, a captain and mate, perhaps a couple. From 80ft. on a crew of 3 would be adequate if you don´t want to take duties yourself.
    If you want to be your own skipper, take care of the boat and be able to go without paid hands aboard you should remember that 65ft. is a reasonable size limit for being operated by an owner couple. And even in that size you´ll spend you holiday as a janitor at sea.
  19. motoryachtbill

    motoryachtbill New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 20, 2010
    Messages:
    6
    Location:
    Bradenton, FL
    I have found most owners are capable of running (driving) a 75’ boat with some practice, but can your wife handle a wet ¾” line? Do you want to wash it at the end of the day? As the boats age the number of days spent waiting for vendors goes up quickly (Uline, CAT, Northern Lights) – do you want to sit and wait for these guys at the Marina. Given a fixed budget, I would rather have a newer smaller boat if I were running it myself. If you are going to have a captain on a larger older boat make sure he can turn a wrench too. A good captain will save you thousands in yard bills.