27-32 foot seaworthy power boat

I am looking at 27-32 foot older boats (given my $10000 or so budget) and cannot decide. I want to occasionally trailer the boat, I prefer twin outboards, and prefer some amenities, such as a head and accommodation for 4. Yet the most important aspect is seaworthiness. I do not care if it is a fishing boat or cruiser. Please let me know if you have any ideas. Thanks.

 

There's a huge difference between a 27'er and a 32'er in terms of accommodation, weight, power requirements, etc. You may want to define your needs a little more, possably with a specific model or two. Also trailering for boats of this size is often limited to over size permits or marine transports. 27 and 28 foot craft can fall into the trailerable width limits usually, but once over this size, the beam gets over the limits most of the time.

In terms of a 10K budget, well this is a bit light. A 32'er for 10K will need everything, engines, transmissions, electrical, cosmetics, etc. A 27'er at 10K will probably also need most everything, but the pieces will be cheaper respectively and it may still be running.

Preform a search for 30' powerboats and see what strikes your fancy. It'll give you an idea of what's available and the general range from projects to full up clean examples of well equipped vessels.

Obviously not trailerable without permits and likely marine transport and not a project, though likely needs work, still a representative examples of an older, west coast boat.

http://www.powerboatlistings.com/view/5378

http://www.powerboatlistings.com/view/6480

Not west coast, but . . .

http://www.powerboatlistings.com/view/5917

 

Timo, where are you going, North Atlantic or the Gulf of Mecico, what do you mean seaworthy? Lake Superior worthy? I suggest you being by defining your cruising area. Are you going offshore?

As PAR mentioned, trailerable at 8.5' will place limitations on the length unless you get into some specialized home built types and they will begin to suffer on the seaworthy side.

Accomodations, do you need 4 berths or a double and let the kids use an air matress on the floor? There are convertable dinettes in smaller boats.

An outboard, are you thinking twin 150s or an old 50 hp? A newer used 150 may be 10K, your intended use will likely set the requirements for power and types.

You can find some 27-30' I/Os for 10K that may run well for a few seasons, auctions, estate sales, bankrupticies and at inland lakes, but not usually listed by a broker. Includes trailer too. There are many that will run through the Keys and the ICW, or the Great Loop, none of these would be ready or capable of heading to northern passages offshore.

With what is available, selections are thin in this basement market, IMO, I have similar requirements but some other odd requirements as well that keep me from pulling the trigger on these boats. What I have seen is that, as PAR described, maintenance and fitting out will need to be done, not as bad as he suggested in all cases with everyting, but most likely something.

With your 10K, you might consider looking at boats in the 25K range, offer 20K and finance the other 10K, you'll end up with a better boat that is closer to going, and get by for less in the end. Boat repairs, engines, etc. are very expensive if you are not a DIYer! Unlike cars, don't let age scare you off, it's all about condition, in these less expensive crafts.

 

further on a boat...

I am not set on accommodation, since someone can always use the floor, I am willing to compromise on accommodation and amenities for a more seaworthy boat. I suppose my biggest problem is the idea of two gas inboards, which is typical for cruisers around 27-30 feet. I prefer twin four stroke outboards (around 150 each), more common on sport fishing boats than cruisers, so I am starting to turn toward a sport fisher rather than a cruiser.The area I will be in is the pacific NW, from Washington up to Alaska.

http://nanaimo.kijiji.ca/c-cars-veh...tiful-28ft-Zeta-Suncruiser-W0QQAdIdZ392736997

 

PS, the link I sent is for a decent cruiser, but I think I will look for a sport fisher in the same price range.

 

seaworthy

Everyone knows that in sailboats a 26 foot MacGreagor will quickly send you to Davey Jones' Locker, but a cheap 27 foot Catalina could pull you through. So I am just wondering if anyone has recommendations for power boats around 27 ft on the Catalina side, not the MacGreagor side. I would rather have a few people sleep on the floor with a seaworthy boat than tons of accommodation on the less seaworthy side. So my seaworthy concern is not seaworthy for a small lake, but offshore Pacific NW.

 

There is nothing wrong with a McGregor, and a cheap Catalina with the usual rotted keel backing plate will sink in a storm. Offshore Pacific NW seaworthy, will not qualify any of the usual powerboats in that range. They are mainly for protected waters and fair weather. A trawler or whaleboat type will be better. There are surplus Navy launches that could fit the bill.

 

The most expensive boat you can buy is a cheap fixer upper.........

 

Hay! As John Vigor notes, a Catalina in good condition can take you anywhere, yes, sail around the world (if you want to get anywhere cheap), whereas everyone knows that the MaGreagor is a small lake boat. You would be insane to take it anywhere offshore. You are crazy on this line.

But you are right about a trawler, I have been considering that option. I just do not like the idea of not being able to get out of bad weather fast.

 

This is not a cheap fixer upper
http://nanaimo.kijiji.ca/c-cars-veh...tiful-28ft-Zeta-Suncruiser-W0QQAdIdZ392736997

 

This one also seems alright

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/198...e-Hard-Top-1925609/Dartmouth/MA/United-States

 

Tell me:
-what is your definition of "offshore pacific"
-how long and what season you would be in this "offshore pacific"
-how much time you have spent in the area
-do you have any idea of the tides and currents on the BC Coast?

I have a non trawler (look at my profile) power boat,been up the coast and on the outside almost every year of my 35 years.

Go into any marina in Washington or BC,and count how many trawlers there are.

For $10k? That's hard to do.

 

How about something like this:
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1987/Aquasport-290-XF-2441974/Portland/CT/United-States

or

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/list...rency=USD&access=Public&listing_id=63750&url=

If I was a millionaire, then this would not be difficult to work out.

 

power boat / sail boat

Perhaps I am wrong, but working out a 'seaworthy' power boat around 27-30 feet seems infinitely more complex and controversial than figuring out a 'seaworthy' sailboat (e.g., Albin, Contessa, Bristol and other obvious examples).

 

What about Albin power boat?

You have spent 30 years kayaking and boating,or 30 years living in the area?

Kayaking around Van Island is a great thing,I did it, but it's a totally different than the inlets and channels.

December? Then you'll need a closed boat with diesel heat and a back up wood stove.

Sailboats: outside of the Gulf I have seen sailboats sailing only when offshore..and even then-rarely. The other 99.9% of the time they are motoring.
6 knots is not too useful in channels with 4 to 15 knot tides with 15 minute slacks. You spend most of your time waiting for current/tides to change.
Or you get up at 4 am to catch the tide.

With a faster boat,you wake up whenever you want and just push on the gas a little bit more
..