jdray
06-17-2005, 08:20 PM
Hi, all. Newbie here.
I've just embarked on a journey to learn about motor cruisers. For about a year now, I've had the (crazy?) idea that I wanted one and, since the idea hasn't gone away, I'm starting to get serious about learning what I can. It will be years before I buy one, but that's fine. By the time I do, I should know enough to keep myself out of too much trouble.
This whole thing started when my wife and I, who are avid novice kayakers (flatwater, with plans to move into the surf zone soon), read a magazine article on "kayak mothershipping." As you may know, the concept is to have a support boat to live aboard while doing day trips with a kayak (or two). When we were younger, the idea of pitching a tent on a rocky shore and camping with whatever gear we could stow in the holds of a kayak would have appealed to us. The idea sounds romantic now, but we know ourselves well enough to know how miserable we'd actually be.
There are several "floating B&Bs (http://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/2004/jj04dir.php)" in nearby British Columbia; former fishing trawlers and whatnot that have been made into "sleeps-10 with a dining room and library" sort of micro cruise ships at one end of the spectrum. What we're interested in is more like what's in the cover photo seen here (http://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/2004/jj04editorial.php); something small, with the right kind of design to carry a couple of kayaks on the roof, but big enough to sleep four and have a small galley and head.
That boat in particular has more uncovered space than I'd really like, and it looks like more wheelhouse than cabin. But the hull design appeals to me, as it looks narrow enough to trailer without needing special permits or driver's licenses. On this site, I found the Tanton Pic-Nique (http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/2105/sort/1/cat/all/page/1), a design I like the floorplan of, but it's quite wide. Something in the middle appeals to me. I like the cabin design (or what you can see of it) on this sailer (http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1528), with the wheelhouse at the rear and what looks to be a lot of living space forward.
At any rate, as Portland, Oregon residents, we've got access to a lot of water hereabouts. The Willamette River runs right through the middle of the city, and the Columbia is at it's northern border. We're probably sixty miles by river from the Pacific, and with lots of great boating spots up and down the coast, trailering a small cruiser to a favorite bay or inlet somewhere has a lot of draw. Furthermore, the San Juan Islands are a scant three hour drive north of here, but several hundred miles by waterway, as you'd have to go down the Columbia, up the Washington coast, then south into the straight.
I know this is getting a little long, so I'll wrap it up. A few of the questions I have are these:
What disadvantages are there to a narrow hull design? I imagine that you'd be more affected by sitting in chop than with a wider boat. True? That might make camping aboard a little uncomfortable.
What sort of speed does a boat like this achieve without going nuts on an engine? Am I crazy for wanting to be able to cruise at 20 knots?
In a related question, how big does an engine need to be to make decent speed without being a speed demon? The blurb for the Tanton boat I mentioned says, "power is anywhere from 220hp to 650hp." That's a wide range. Given that boat design, how fast do you go with 220 hp? How about 650? I imagine that a 650 hp diesel would suck down the fuel pretty quickly.
Lastly, I've noticed that late-60's Tollycraft cruisers can be had for what seems like a really affordable amount of money (sub-$20K). Some ChrisCraft fall in the same category. They look like you get a lot of boat for the money if you're willing to go "classic." I personally like the classic lines of the old cruisers. Are you buying a "hole in the water to throw money into" if you buy an old boat and try and remodel it?
Thanks for whatever info you can give me. If nothing else, this looks like a fun community to play in.
Cheers.
J.D. Ray
Portland, Oregon
I've just embarked on a journey to learn about motor cruisers. For about a year now, I've had the (crazy?) idea that I wanted one and, since the idea hasn't gone away, I'm starting to get serious about learning what I can. It will be years before I buy one, but that's fine. By the time I do, I should know enough to keep myself out of too much trouble.
This whole thing started when my wife and I, who are avid novice kayakers (flatwater, with plans to move into the surf zone soon), read a magazine article on "kayak mothershipping." As you may know, the concept is to have a support boat to live aboard while doing day trips with a kayak (or two). When we were younger, the idea of pitching a tent on a rocky shore and camping with whatever gear we could stow in the holds of a kayak would have appealed to us. The idea sounds romantic now, but we know ourselves well enough to know how miserable we'd actually be.
There are several "floating B&Bs (http://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/2004/jj04dir.php)" in nearby British Columbia; former fishing trawlers and whatnot that have been made into "sleeps-10 with a dining room and library" sort of micro cruise ships at one end of the spectrum. What we're interested in is more like what's in the cover photo seen here (http://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/2004/jj04editorial.php); something small, with the right kind of design to carry a couple of kayaks on the roof, but big enough to sleep four and have a small galley and head.
That boat in particular has more uncovered space than I'd really like, and it looks like more wheelhouse than cabin. But the hull design appeals to me, as it looks narrow enough to trailer without needing special permits or driver's licenses. On this site, I found the Tanton Pic-Nique (http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/2105/sort/1/cat/all/page/1), a design I like the floorplan of, but it's quite wide. Something in the middle appeals to me. I like the cabin design (or what you can see of it) on this sailer (http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1528), with the wheelhouse at the rear and what looks to be a lot of living space forward.
At any rate, as Portland, Oregon residents, we've got access to a lot of water hereabouts. The Willamette River runs right through the middle of the city, and the Columbia is at it's northern border. We're probably sixty miles by river from the Pacific, and with lots of great boating spots up and down the coast, trailering a small cruiser to a favorite bay or inlet somewhere has a lot of draw. Furthermore, the San Juan Islands are a scant three hour drive north of here, but several hundred miles by waterway, as you'd have to go down the Columbia, up the Washington coast, then south into the straight.
I know this is getting a little long, so I'll wrap it up. A few of the questions I have are these:
What disadvantages are there to a narrow hull design? I imagine that you'd be more affected by sitting in chop than with a wider boat. True? That might make camping aboard a little uncomfortable.
What sort of speed does a boat like this achieve without going nuts on an engine? Am I crazy for wanting to be able to cruise at 20 knots?
In a related question, how big does an engine need to be to make decent speed without being a speed demon? The blurb for the Tanton boat I mentioned says, "power is anywhere from 220hp to 650hp." That's a wide range. Given that boat design, how fast do you go with 220 hp? How about 650? I imagine that a 650 hp diesel would suck down the fuel pretty quickly.
Lastly, I've noticed that late-60's Tollycraft cruisers can be had for what seems like a really affordable amount of money (sub-$20K). Some ChrisCraft fall in the same category. They look like you get a lot of boat for the money if you're willing to go "classic." I personally like the classic lines of the old cruisers. Are you buying a "hole in the water to throw money into" if you buy an old boat and try and remodel it?
Thanks for whatever info you can give me. If nothing else, this looks like a fun community to play in.
Cheers.
J.D. Ray
Portland, Oregon