Can I captain a mini-yacht?

First off, there ain't no such thing as a "mini yacht". Any more than there is such a thing as a mini mansion.

As far as the rest goes, with your back ground I would think after spending some time with a captain who is good at training owners you would be good to go. Just take your time and don't yell at your wife. Two competent people can handle a 55' to 60' boat no problem. Hell, I've watched incompetent people manage it.

Oh, and I'd stay away from Azimuts or most any other Italian "mini yacht" if I were you. There are to many other better choices out there IMHO.

One thing troubles me a bit, i.e. "I'm accustomed to using the steering wheel to some degree, because stern drives are directional, unlike straight shafts." You should know at this point that you dock a twin I/O the same as a twin shaft drive, just keep the drives straight. The other question mark is what kind of DH is your wife? These questions alone indicate that a captain is called for, at least for a few lessons. You should consider it money well spent. You'll also want to check with your insurance carrier as they could require a captain for a period ranging from a few lessons to the first year.
I'd also 2nd Capt. Bill's recommendation on boat choices.

boat handling

of all the many skills needed to run any boat of any size,yours or someone elses,docking and manuvering the boat are just a small part of what you need to get it done.maintaining,cleaning,troubleshooting,all these things are part of running and owning your own boat if you dont want to toss money to the pool of hungry folks ready to help you take care of your boat.8 days out of 10 most yachts dont move,docking and tieing up are usually the biggest cause of nervousness but the smaller of problems in the big picture.try to get used to not using a bowthruster unless you really need it.twin screw boats are very easy to run.just like backing your car into a tight spot is not the only part of driving.
and for the love of anything nautical,dont buy any italian flash looking boat.unless you like running a volt meter more than your boat. dont let any of this put you off getting your dream on though.
good luck

Yes, you can steer in with twin I/O's (and sometimes it is necessary such as with some big go-fasts or twin Ob's on a big Grady or with Axius drives), or sometimes combining techniques. It's rarely necessary with a Formula 370SS though, and a bad habit to get into.
I really wasn't trying to "pick apart" the OP, and I don't see that in the other's posts here. Just trying to give him the facts. IOWs, go for the 50 or 60, but plan on at least a few lessons.

BTW Mark, Welcome to YF.

You and your wife should be fine right off the dock, BUT, having a fairly competent captain with you for a day or 2 should help ease the transistion. Also there are better boats than Azimut but the 55 is one of their better models, And stern drives were made to be steered in reverse! no matter if you have 1 or 4! Have fun shopping

I'd 3rd staying away from the Italian yachts. How about a 64' Hatteras MY (later model)?

You are going to have a little learning curve when docking a 60' over a 37'. If you are very good with docking what you have, then you should adjust very quickly. I would recommend having a Captain for 6 months. Or at the very least, hire a Captain to run the boat to and from Florida the first year. You will gain a lot of knowledge just sitting next to a good Captain on a trip like that. I would also say 6 different days of docking lessons including bow thruster, spinning the boat, with current, with wind, and how to properly tie the boat. Your insurance is almost definately going to mandate having a Captain for that size jump, at least when the boat moves and probably for the first year.

There is a heck of a lot more to learn when going from a 37' to a 60'. The main thing is docking and un-docking is one thing, but navigating and planning and plotting trips takes a lot more knowledge and care. The next thing you're going to have to learn is all of the systems and how they work, are maintained, and are repaired. There are a lot of them on a 60' in comparision to a 37'. There is a lot more maintanence on a 60' as well.

I think that if you're competant and your wife is into learning and doing it, then in a few months you should be good to go on your own.

Id also suggest the Hatt, but its not 55-60'. In american boats, you have the 58 Sea ray(great all around boat) Carver 56'(great river lake boat) Hatt 60'(great boat,alot of money) what else?

Sounds like a fun choice! Most of us here are captains that get to work on these boats, not own them, so no biased opinions!

Start going to boat shows if and when you can and get on many different styles and brands of boats till you narrow down what features you like most in the boats you see. Take lots of pictures and video so you can refresh your memory as needed on those features. Keep a log as well.

After you get an idea what you think you would like in a boat see if you can charter one or one similar, with a captain, for a week or so. And get a feel for what it would be like to live on and run it day to day. Pascal, another forum member, has Hats in your size range that he charters I believe.

Also think about how you will be using the boat. Mostly just living on it at the marina with day trips from time to time? Coastal and ICW cruising only, or trips to the Keys and Bahamas from time to time? How you envision using the boat can make a difference in what you look for in and end up with. Not to mention with fuel prices climbing you should consider how much speed you really need.

One thing you haven't focused on here is, How are you planning on using the yacht? What area are you going to be cruising in? How far do you plan on doing a trip and for how long? Do you have time constraints, such as limited time away? How many people on board on your trip? Any constraints such as speed? This will really help everyone here into pointing you in a good direction as to the type of yacht to look at.

U have a 50' Viking and my girl friend has a 29' Formula with twin stern drives. Because of the size of the wheels and the distance between them, it is actually much easier to maneuver the Viking than the Formula. You should have no problem with the larger boat with a little practice. Good advice to hire a captain for a few times. Good luck.