Best 30-32 foot offshore 80% cruiser 20% fishing ... help!

An Albin 28 or a 32 should satisfy your needs and there are a lot of them around and on the used market. The Albin 30 has a silly little space aft they call an aft cabin to stuff the kids in but it looks tight to me.

 

Thanks for your input but after looking around I realize a 36-40 will be the better size for me. Which boat builders would you recommend for bluewater offshore boating?

 

Do you mean for a new boat?

 

Let's say for a new up to 5 year old boat...

 

There are dozens of boats and types to choose from...

Back Cove 37
Albermarle 36
Intrepid 375 or 40
Bruckman 40
Hunt Surfhunter 36
MJM 40z
Cabo 40
Gradt-White 370

If you do some research and find a boat you like, then ask questions about it....this will be more productive

 

One of the primary issues that needs to be adressed is that with the rising cost of fuel these battlewagons are becoming incredibly expensive to operate. I know a number of people that have sold out of this market simply because the operational costs are so high. A 35 Bertram with twin 300hp diesels for instance is going to burn in the range of 50gal/hr at a cruising speed of 22kn. So a long day on the water is in the $1,500 range. A week of this and the trip is over $10,000 just in fuel.


I don't have a lot of experience in these, but I would be looking very heavily at something like a F/P Highland 35. By going with a cat instead of a mono you reduce the power demands substantially, and gain more room. Admittedly at the cost of load carrying, but twin 120hp are a lot easier to feed than twin 300hp.

 

Diesel engines produce about 20HP gal/hr. 600HP will use about 30 gallons an hour wide open. Cruising speed is usually about 80 % so that would be 24 gallons an hour.

 

The chart I was looking at was labeled /engine. It is certainly possible it was mislabeled.

 

I think this is an issue we've been over many times on this forum. Reality is that people do not run wide open all day, a few engine hours is a "days" or even a "weekend" use. In the US the average owner adds 30 engine hours per year, total! The cost of fuel is not an issue for most people, moorage and insurance are. Buyers want (and look at the market to see what sells), speed, comfort, convenience.

A new power cat is over $500k, a Bertram 35 is $50k, how much fuel can you buy for $450k? Payback starts in 30 years? Insurance on the cat will be far higher, moorage higher or impossible to obtain.

While there are many good reasons for buying a cat, economy isn't really one of them.

 

Tad,

The OP specifically stated he wanted a boat less than 5 years old. Assuming that we push it to 5-7 years old, most of the boats you suggested would also run well north of $400,000. Suggesting a catamaran in roughly the same price range doesn't seem all that unreasonable to me. If your contention is that a 40 year old boat can be had for a fraction the price of a 5 year old one, well I agree. But that isn't what the OP asked for.

You suggested a Cabo 40, while even a newish (2005) 35 is going to run well into $250,000 range. Which is just about the same as a powercat of the same size and age. The one I mentioned for instance has asking prices between 225-260.

 

Thank you all.

I appreciate all the input ... keep it coming while I research further and attempt to narrow the field.

 

Stumble.....

I was just responding to your comparison of the Bertram 35 and the cat

I have only a few uncomfortable experiences in powercats so I'll not be saying they're "best".

Unless the owner decides what he likes; sportfish, downeast, high-performance outboard, catamaran, or something else, and what his budget is, everyone will argue in circles.....

 

First of all thanks for all the input.

Second how is this for deciding what I like...

I know I want a boat up to 5 years old that is set up for 80% cruising and 20% fishing. It should be a sea worthy blue water boat that will be used in Florida and the Bahamas 200 miles offshore. I have a bridge I need to get under so I have a height restriction - no tuna tower for me. Approximately 40 foot boat with twin diesels and bow thruster and full electronics such as 48-72 mile radar, auto pilot, gps, finder, sat tv that sort of thing. I'd like a forward queen stateroom in the bow, a head with separate shower, a second stateroom with twin beds which can be pushed together to make a full size, second wet head nice but not an absolute, nice galley with a 2 burner stove good size fridge/freezer, well laid out dinette and salon. I did see a nice 41 Sundancer which pretty much had the interior layout I was looking for except for the fact that it is a 100% cruise and 0% fishing.

Alas which is the best boat for me???

 

Hey I was wondering if you ever came up with the best fit in a boat yet ?
I have been looking for close to a year now for the best fit in a live a board for us and I have seen lots of boats that may just be a good fit for you. Let me know and I can direct your path in that direction.
Jim.......P>S.....For as to me and My family.............it's pretty sure thing it will be a Nordic Tug 49 footer.
Very nice livable conditions and much room and still has a very nice size deck to fish from and oh yea....it can carry up to a 15 foot tender/dinghy with a 1000 lbs davit standard......Thats something else you should be thinking about too.

 

Now looking at 36' to 42'

Jim thanks for your input.

Please share your insights with me.

Thus far I have come to realize that I would be better served in the 36 to 42 foot range. I would like to sea trial a Tiara 36 and 39 and 42 open as those would best fulfill the cruise/fish combination I am hoping for. If I forget the fishing option a Searay Sundancer looks like a nice alternative.

They tell me the Tiara is the Mercedes, the Sundancer is the Cadillac while the Cruisers Yachts and Formula and Regal are the Chevys - would you agree with that assessment?