Plans/Designs for Great Loop Cruiser?

Hiya -

We've had some serious discussions in our family about taking a year or two off and doing the Great Loop cruise. I've been searching the interwebs for the ideal boat, and I have a few candidates but they all seem to need something to make them just right. I have no problem purchasing a design that's "pretty close" and then paying the designer to make the necessary changes - but before I go that route, I'd like to get a feel for what else is out there. I know there are other designs similar to my current favorites that I just haven't found yet.

Here are my current favorites, in order of preference, and with a brief commentary for each.

• Moon River 48. This is the closest thing I've found to the ideal design. I'd like a bit of flare in the bow, and some tumblehome aft, and I'd rather have a single engine that doubles. Otherwise, this is pretty close, and I'm in contact with Devlin about the plans.
• Crabbersbank. I love the look of this boat, but she's too long by about 10' - and even at that length, she doesn't have a lot of interior space. Also, the plans aren't for sale...
• Red Wing 40 Hybrid. There are actually three different versions of this plan, but they're all pretty similar. I like the layout, but I'd like a covered aft cockpit, and I'm not terribly keen on the idea of passing through the aft stateroom every time you enter/exit the boat.
• Jolly Man 57. I really like this design, but it's about 10' too long and has too many staterooms and heads.
• Diesel Duck Seahorse 462 Sedan. I really like the interior layout on this one, but I don't think the designer offers the plans for this one for sale.
• Aurora 50. I like the interior layout of this one, but I'm not wild about the profile, and it's just a *hair* big at 50'.

So that's my current list of bookmarks. What else is out there? What am I missing? I'm looking for something suitable for ICW/Great Loop, Inside Passage (possibly), European canals (unlikely but possibly). IF we get her built in time, the kids (one boy, one girl) will accompany us on the Great Loop cruise. That will likely be the one and only time we have guests aboard for an extended time, so the second stateroom needs to be useful for something else - small office, sewing machine, reading nook, etc. I'd prefer a single large head to two smaller ones.

Fire away - and thanks in advance for your suggestions.

 

As I see it there is no one design I like that fits my likings .Of course Dashews fbp 64 and Tad Roberts 5602 epitomise a modern passagemaker and also Bruce Roberts ty55.(but with a cost) A design that combined simple wood construction aka George Buehler with modern dashew asthetics in a pre 50ft boat would have some takers .Having a flush aft cabin which could be used for a tv room with a convertable double bed which leaves a nice flush aft deck plus a cabin forward with toilet and shower maybe a guest cabin Baiscally a shortened 5602 built with buehler simplicity for the home builder .Also dutch-barges have aft cabin trawler

 

https://youtu.be/cagzes33m1Y


designer

http://www.cor-d-rover.com/