Houseboat?

[BamaJohn]

19 hours ago, Whip said:

I am doing exactly that at this moment.

 

see above

Oh my...didn't know I was so late to the party....made my reply look really silly!  

[Whip]

34 minutes ago, bimmer2 said:

Oh my...didn't know I was so late to the party....made my reply look really silly!  

Could happen to anyone

 

🤪

[Whip]

On the TV at the marina/beach bar.

 

[Matts_12GS]

You might want to stay a little longer.   

[Whip]

After talking with a few of the locals this in the latest plan

 

Houseboats are too slow

 

 

[Matts_12GS]

In case you need more research...

 

Miami boat show starts on 2/13.  

[Whip]

My adventure for the evening 
 

TIKI TIME!!!!

 

[ltljohn]

That boat in your link looks like it is ready for a 3 hour tour......so Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale..........

[Whip]

I need a plan

[Whip]

[Whip]

Home for the week

[TEWKS]

Sweet view! 

[Whip]

Cap Tony’s and the security 

Edited January 17, 2020 by Whip

[TEWKS]

Looks a little like our old girl. 

 

[Whip]

I have been back in Colorado for almost a week with lots to do and people to see with boats and beaches on my mind. ....so I have spent a lot of time thinking about problems and solutions. 

 

To make the move work I have to figure out a way to keep motorcycles in my life because before all else I am a motorcycle rider. I can put my bike(s) and tools in a large utility trailer and park it at or near the marina. I don't mind having to ride 600 miles to find the mountains of Georgia or even the 2200 miles to get to my present location here in Salida Colorado.

So this could be worked out.

 

I don't have as much "stuff" has I used to so I think I can shrink it down to riding gear, shorts, tees, sneakers and a couple nice suits...no need for socks or underwear (Jimmy Buffet told me it is not necessary). I will need a good outdoor grill and a few pots, pans, forks, knives and maybe a spoon or two. The boat will have a medium size frig, small stove, freezer, and maybe even a dish washer. 

 

Originally I was thinking about a barge type Travis McGee houseboat that was until I talked with some of the locals. There aren't that many of them and they are more expensive, less sea worthy and harder to move than say a 40-45 foot aft cabin cruiser. These cruisers come with two or three cabins, full size bathrooms, living rooms and the ability to relocate to a different marina or even a ride to another part of the country say Bar Harbor Maine for the summer or even Alaska with enough time and money. 

 

I am a few years away and things could change.....but "If your dream don't scare you they aren't big enough" 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Matts_12GS]

Larry,

 

I'll be at the Miami boat show in a couple weeks, and can help gather any info you might want. 

 

I could probably find a guest room that weekend too if necessary

[Skywagon]

Larry...before you go buy and move to a barge, I strongly encourage you to look at trawlers like Grand Banks. Albin, Mainship, California, Cheuy Lee, etc.  This is just one example.  When we lived in San Francisco I owned  a trawler very similar to the one below. Sometimes we would spend a week or a month on it. We  They are awesome for living, touring, parties, meeting people, and friends you never knew you had..  They are great on fuel if you decide to take a short or long trip. We motored from San Francisco to southern California many time...we also went far up into the delta taking trips as much as 1000 miles. It has all the creature comforts of home and with a davit, you could even put a bike on board.  There are many brands.  I would strongly encourage you not to buy anything smaller than 40+ feet.  I think 46 is ideal.  You can find them from $100k to millions...Not all marina's accept live aboard.  There are usually limited permits given and it could be you would be on a waiting list.

 

I've been boating one way or the other my whole life.  If I can help, let me know.  You could always come back to Galveston and live aboard...or where I keep my current boat at Port Aransas.  

 

 

http://grandbanksmatch.com/featured-yacht-details/?boatID=7284399

https://www.boattrader.com/boat/1977-cheoy-lee-46-long-range-cruiser-trawler-7085710/

https://www.boattrader.com/boat/1985-cheoy-lee-long-range-trawler-6827573/

 

 

 

[Whip]

@Skywagon

 

That is closer to where I am.

 

Check out the YouTube I posted.

[Skywagon]

yep...saw that one.  nice boat.  Two main things to keep in mind is living space above deck..Having owned a SeaRay 440 pre the trawler we got very tired of being below deck where most of the living space is.  Below deck is confining.  Fuel burn.  Most cruisers sport big engines that burn lot's of fuel.  For example my 440 burned roughly 18 gallons per hour per engine while at 25kt cruise.  The great news is you could go that fast and faster.  It topped out around 40 but fuel burn was closer to 40gph per engine. at near top speed.

 

On the trawler at cruise was about 3-4GPH per engine and maybe 5GPH per side at near WOT.  The not so good part of that is normal cruise was about 7-8kts while full WOT was a whopping 15kts.  It had 2 volvo diesels...forgot which ones.  The SeaRay had 520 Fuel Injected V8's.  

[realshelby]

If this is anything like Motorhomes, or RV's in general, living in one is a LOT different from spending a few days at a time in them. Bigger is almost always better. The surprise will be the picky things you overlook if not experienced in using them. Stuff like a properly vented stove hood. A toilet (head) that is comfortable to use. A shower that looks big enough at first turns out to be one you dread using after a while. A bed that is actually comfortable. A couch and/or chairs that are actually comfortable to sit in for long periods ( not as easy to come by as you might think). A big enough A/C unit to keep it cool in high heat. Try to think how the layout will work long term. Stuff like where a tv is mounted actually kept us from buying a certain motorhome over another for instance. I very much like Skywagons thoughts on the low fuel burn types! 7-8 knots doesn't sound like much but it adds up. You can go through a LOT of fuel in a boat and there not all that many fuel ports out there! 

[roadscholar]

I'm with Skywagon, if you're spending a lot of time on it a big trawler is the way to go. Knew a guy that had a 42' Grand Banks, it was really nice on the inside and had plenty of room. Wasn't fast but it didn't need to be, we used to get 4 or 5 couples onboard and cruise up and down the river all day and well into the evenings, it was a ton of fun.

 

Growing up in central Fla in the 50's we had an uncle with a 49' 'riverboat', The Pastime (built in St.Augustine in 1901), they'd get 30 or 40 friends and relatives on it and cruise lakes Eustis and Dora on the weekends, party down : ) Only pic I could find, it's on the right, lot of deck chairs up top.

 

 

[Whip]

9 hours ago, Skywagon said:

yep...saw that one.  nice boat.  Two main things to keep in mind is living space above deck..Having owned a SeaRay 440 pre the trawler we got very tired of being below deck where most of the living space is.  Below deck is confining.  Fuel burn.  Most cruisers sport big engines that burn lot's of fuel.  For example my 440 burned roughly 18 gallons per hour per engine while at 25kt cruise.  The great news is you could go that fast and faster.  It topped out around 40 but fuel burn was closer to 40gph per engine. at near top speed.

 

On the trawler at cruise was about 3-4GPH per engine and maybe 5GPH per side at near WOT.  The not so good part of that is normal cruise was about 7-8kts while full WOT was a whopping 15kts.  It had 2 volvo diesels...forgot which ones.  The SeaRay had 520 Fuel Injected V8's.  

Good stuff!

 

Thanks

[Whip]

The latest plan