Completely Overwhelmed

[ranger58sb]

Around here, bottom growth is accelerated in the summer, not so much in the colder weather. Around here, if survey prep includes short-haul and power wash in August/September, followed by moving the boat to colder water relatively soon, I suspect it'd be reasonable to put off new bottom-paint until following spring. With some potential for hits in fuel economy, worth evaluating.

There are some more variables, though. If inspection suggests power washing isn't gonna cut it, maybe that'd be insufficient. Or if the hull is at the point where it really needs scraping or blasting and starting over with fresh bottom paint... the fuel hit may be more than any savings from putting off bottom paint another half-year.

And it helps to know if techs and facilities are available -- at affordable prices -- in the area where the work will be done. We can say we found FL costs and availability to be in keeping with our expectations when we lived down there.

-Chris

[FightinGravity]

Did you find a boat? I missed a week

[Eumelia]

Originally Posted by GalaxyGirl

I think that you, and some others, probably misunderstand my plan, definitely don't know me, and clearly have no clue of what I will, and can do.

GG, you will obviously do whatever the heck you want and that is fine because it's no skin off my back. However, if I see somebody I care about doing something that appears to truly endanger themselves, I will speak up. Based on the information you have presented, it appears to me that you are motivated by passion without experience. I'm just saying, from here it looks like the way you're going about this could be perilous to your finances and your health. You may say that's none of my business and you're probably right about that. So I will say no more. I wish you the best.

[Sandero]

Originally Posted by Eumelia

GG, you will obviously do whatever the heck you want and that is fine because it's no skin off my back. However, if I see somebody I care about doing something that appears to truly endanger themselves, I will speak up. Based on the information you have presented, it appears to me that you are motivated by passion without experience. I'm just saying, from here it looks like the way you're going about this could be perilous to your finances and your health. You may say that's none of my business and you're probably right about that. So I will say no more. I wish you the best.

To the contrary... GG is driven and passionate. Nothing wrong with that! In fact it's what drives people to create and DO things as opposed to dream about them and not do them.

She appears to be using whatever resources she can to inform herself. She's aware that she at the bottom end of the learning curve. She is not naive about hot long and steep the hill is.

Her agenda WILL require that she use all the help and advice she can get and she's come to this site and probably others to learn. Good for her. There is lots of book type knowledge to be had.

You can learn experience from a book, a web site or a movie. You gotta be there. And she will. She knows that in the beginning she wil HAVE to rely on a captain and perhaps crew. And she intends to get her training and experience with this captain on her boat. Who could fault that? She may determine that she is not captain material and decide that having a captain is the only way forward. Maybe maybe not. She's not there yet. What you can assume that she is a loving and caring mother and is doing this for her family and her children and would never put them in jeopardy. No mother would. No captain would.

She is not discounting the value of experience. And no one can have enough of it. Life is an experience of continual learning. Not everyone would choose her approach and not many are in her position to have this choice.

Think outside the box.

[chrisjs]

Neither her detractors (myself included) nor her most ardent admirers know anything about this person. Her apparent inability to answer even basic questions without resorting to this forum is concerning. She has not even begun to know which questions to ask or what problems she will encounter with her new vessel or with the crusing/live-aboard lifestyle. Personally I believe she is biting off more than most people can chew but only time will tell. I just hope she gets her boat and finds a way to fill her huge void of understanding without resorting to continually asking questions that she should be able to resolve with her own basic research. In the meantime, good luck GG. You are going to need it, regardless of just how gung ho you are!

[cdreid]

Chrisjs she's asked exactly what she wanted to know and most of her time has been spent either considering or rejecting things others suggested (such as power cats)
She knows what she's trying and her success or failure is up to her . if you and others dont think she "should be allowed to" or whatever.. why are you here?

[chrisjs]

I did not say she is "not allowed". I just think this thread has far outlived its usefulness to the community.

[rw58ph]

I hate to say this but I agree this discussion has wandered and address too many topics. Now don’t get me wrong I been one of her supports from the beginning.

[deckofficer]

Originally Posted by GalaxyGirl

Ok, my mistake. I was thrown off by all the cat pics. I'll check it out. Thnx.

Thread softly though on that forum. I've never seen a boating forum so full of Unlimited Captains and Engineers, and like me, they are sometimes full of themselves. lol

[Stu Jackson]

BOTTOM PAINT

In many cases, the selection of bottom paint is a local and localized choice. Many skippers have reported, both here and on other boating forums, that the choice of BP is based on where they keep their boat, and the success or failure of a particular brand/type of paint can vary greatly based on the boat's home berth. This is particularly true/reported in the Chesapeake.

That said, except for your first six months of travel and berthing in/near Boston, you may well be moving around quite a bit.

There may be folks here who could report on BP that worked well for them, in Florida as well as the northeast.

You also have to make a choice between ablative or hard paint, although on a powerboat I would guess hard paint would be the selection, regardless of the hull speed.

If it was my boat, I'd at least have at least one coat of new BP applied before I left. Why? The boat's gonna be out for a haul anyway for the survey. While the cost benefit analysis of fuel vs drag makes sense, it would be counterproductive to actually depart with a dirty bottom. Unless the PO has kept it clean and had applied new paint within a reasonable time frame earlier, you simply can't lose applying another coat before you leave, even after a power wash.

For many of us who have bought new-to-us boats, among the first things we've done is apply new BP. Goes back to my way earlier post about experience with buying previously owned boats. And someone else's suggestion to have a knowledgeable friend or in your case your skipper, suggest what is a reasonable approach for you.

Safe journey.

[deckofficer]

GG,

Still pushing cats. Malcolm Tennant is a top naval designer and more boaters with lots of cruising experience in powerboats are switching for good reason to cats.
Powercat Trawlers - Trawler Forum

[GalaxyGirl]

Thanks everyone for the well wishes and support. I will probably head to Florida either next week or the week after. I'm thinking that I should look at a few boats while I'm there, besides the one that I want to make the offer on.

I'm now working on a final list of boats to view in Florida. I don't want to waste my time or a brokers time looking at anything that I wouldn't possibly buy, so I'm trying to be careful about what to choose.

Bob, I will look at 1 powercat, just to be sure that I don't like them

Anyone here know how to research marine heat installers? I'm unsure as to whether a boatyard would do this kind of installation or a marine heat company, or private tech? I can't get much from google, maybe I'm searching incorrectly. Phil, maybe you know?

[Sandero]

For heating you can search by company and request a dealer. such as Webasto or Espar. The latter has dealer in I think MD, MA. The dealers are installers as well. They should be able to design a system and give you a proposal. Get at least a second or third bid. I purchased through Ocean Options and did the install myself but their after market service leaves a lot to be desired (my experience).

The Newport In Water boat show is coming up soon and it would something you would want to attend and you'll find heating dealer/installer exhibiting I would think.

[meme]

Originally Posted by cdreid

Chrisjs she's asked exactly what she wanted to know and most of her time has been spent either considering or rejecting things others suggested (such as power cats)
She knows what she's trying and her success or failure is up to her . if you and others dont think she "should be allowed to" or whatever.. why are you here?

[deckofficer]

Originally Posted by GalaxyGirl

Bob, I will look at 1 powercat, just to be sure that I don't like them

Try and take one out instead of just looking. The beauty of the powercat is how well you can handle it right out of the gate. Being comfortable handling your new boat in close quarters has its own beauty, right?

Tell the broker or owner your only looking at the cat because some old salty, slightly deranged boater has been badgering you to try one. I'm sure they get some buyers for that reason, buyer is sure he/she won't like a cat, go out in a sloppy sea state to discover no hull slamming and a smooth ride, come back to the marina to find how easy it is to maneuver, and then changes their mind and buys the cat.