SeaSport, C-Dory any other options?

[DannyArcher]

Hi Everyone,

I am looking to cruise from Florida to the Bahamas next year (Feb 2018). I work overseas on a 3 month on 1 month off roster (hopefully 2 on and 2 off next year!). Originally, I was looking at 35-40ft older trawlers...but now I am starting to think it would make more sense to buy a newer but smaller boat. What are everyone's thoughts on a couple in our 30's cruising in a SeaSport (27ft), C-dory (25fr) or do you have any other suggestions.

My budget is for the boat is around 55K

Requirements:

1. Head (ideally enclosed)
2. Kitchen/dinette with stove w/ burners
3. Good fuel economy (max speed of vessel 15knots or greater)
4. Adequate water and fuel capacity for cruising
5. Space for storage
6. V-berth bed long enough for 6'2ft individual
7. Safe offshore (Safety to me means reliable, rugged and designed for conditions I will hopefully never experience)

Thanks everyone!

[tuffr2]

To do what you want to do there are a lot of choices. Many types of power boats and sizes will fit your needs. Look at mid 2000's gasoline powered cabin cruises (Regal, Rinker, SeaRay, Bayliner, Glastron) the smaller Ranger Tugs, C-Dory.
Look at Carver and Cruisers Motor Yachts.

Good luck

[NewMoon]

We cruised big western lakes and the Inside Passage up through SE Alaska in our C-Dory 22. Great simple and seaworthy little boat.



Upgraded after seven years to a diesel Bounty 257 Offshore Pilot - similar to a 27-foot SeaSport, but considerably nicer interior. Have put some 40,000nm on her in the last 18 years, mostly on the Inside Passage. More creature comforts, lovely smooth ride - another great trailer boat.



New Moon is now for sale - we've upgraded again to a Nordic Tug. Holler if you're interested. Description follows:

One-owner 1998 Bounty Motor Yachts 257 Offshore Pilot, 25'7" hull length, 8’6” beam, 29 ft overall, including bow pulpit and swim step. HIN: BTJ25730H797. USCG documented vessel # 1061651.

Green hull, white topsides with green trim, red Pettit Hydrocoat bottom paint. Garage kept in dry-air Utah, typically from September to May. Buffed annually with 3M Finesse-It, and waxed to a shine. Carefully maintained, always kept in excellent condition. Veteran of many BC and SE Alaska Inside Passage trips.

Fine cruising and fishing boat, particularly well designed/equipped for a 26-footer. Especially nice interior. Compares very favorably to Sea Sport or Skagit-Orca.

Very strongly built, hand-laid top-quality fiberglass. Stainless hardware includes large solid cleats, one-piece welded large diameter bow rail, side rails on cabin roof, grab handles at rear of cabin, and ladder to upper helm. Sturdy swim step (¾ length), nice transom door, and telescoping boarding ladder. Diamond non-skid surface in cockpit, on swim step and cabin roof. Aggressive non-skid on gunwales and foredeck.

Main engine: 260hp Volvo Penta KAD44P diesel, with 290 duo-prop sterndrive. Electronically controlled, 24-valve, turbocharged and supercharged. 6,502 engine hours, and runs as well as when it was first broken in. Dual switchable Racor fuel filters. Reverso gear pump for oil changes. Maintenance records complete and detailed.

Fully loaded, cruises at 16-18 knots, getting 1.8 nmpg. Or she cruises slow at 6 knots, getting 4.5 nmpg. Max speed heavily loaded is 25-26 knots. Transom deadrise 19 degrees - crushes the chop.

Diesel tanks: 60 gal starboard, 50 gal port. Fuel range at slow cruise more than 300 nm, with a substantial reserve. Kicker: high-thrust electric start Yamaha 9.9, on a robust motor bracket, easily raised or lowered. An EZ-steer connects it to the stern drive, so it can be steered from any of three helms. Kicker gas tank: 10-gallon partition of port-side tank, with its own gauge and Racor filter.

Rather than a heavy full flybridge, Bounty designed a sturdy but light aluminum half tower which seats two or three. Teleflex SeaStar hydraulic steering (cylinder rebuilt spring 2015). Helms have Volvo’s electronic throttle and shifting – no cables to maintain. Main and upper helms have engine gauges and trim tab controls.

Electronics: 24-mile Furuno 1732 4KW radar, Simrad EQ32 fishfinder, and Garmin 2006C chartplotter with detail chips covering the Inside Passage. Icom M127 VHF radio with hailer and fog signals, and Cel-Wave 9’ antenna. Kenwood AM/FM/CD with Bose speakers. Powerful 2-bulb searchlight, controlled from inside helm. Upper helm: Lowrance 28XC-HD fishfinder/chartplotter, covering coastal US and BC, and interior lakes.

House battery bank: two 12v group 31 Sears Platinum AGM’s (same as Odyssey). Starter bank: two 12v g34 Sears Platinum AGM’s. All new 2014. Stock alternator upgraded to 75-amp Balmar, MC-614 multi-stage external regulator, set to AGM charging.

Shore power (30A) can run charger, water heater, refrigerator, and other 110V devices, like a small electric cabin heater, and phone and computer chargers. Two double 110V GFCI outlets, at front and rear of cabin. Freedom 10 inverter/charger charges at 50A from shore power. Inverter provides 1000W of 110V AC from batts when not plugged in to shore power. Link 2000 battery amp-hour monitor also controls inverter/charger.

Norcold DE541 (3.1 cu. ft) fridge with freezer, 2-burner Princess propane stove, deep sink, 6-gal water heater using either engine heat or shore power, and hot/cold cockpit shower. 36-gal fresh water tank. Pur/Katadyn 40e watermaker (new membrane and seals 2015) extends cruising range between water stops. Sealand Traveler head (freshwater flush) has both pumpout and underwater discharge via macerator pump.

Cabin heat (from engine coolant, like a car) is Heatercraft - quiet and effective. Built-in windshield defogger takes air heated by engine coolant and pumps it through a plenum under the dash to three outlets, one for each windshield. Three pantographic windshield wipers.

Dinette’s forward seat back is switchable, so it can become a forward-facing co-pilot seat for two. Sleeps three adults – dinette converts into a comfortable 6’10” bed.

Many high-quality drawers/cabinets - lots of storage for 26’. Storage also under cabin sole. Interior surfaces are formica/teak. Gray fabric insulates the hull interior - retains heat very well, without condensation. Seats and berth cushions are tan sunbrella. Interior very functional and good looking. Large sliding windows with screens. Great visibility in every direction.

Ground tackle: 300 feet ½” three-strand nylon spliced to 42’ of ¼” HT chain. Rocna 10kg (22lb) anchor. Lewmar 600GD horizontal-axis windlass, with rope/chain gypsy and rope drum. Controls at main helm, with foot switches at bow. Spare anchor: 7.5kg Bruce, with 260’ of ½” three-strand.

Fishing gear includes four built-in rod holders, two Scotty rod holders, rocket launchers for two rigged rods, and two Scotty Strongarm downriggers. Raw water cockpit washdown hose, and live bait bag which attaches to the transom, each with its own pump. Fish-cleaning slot with drain built into transom, and 30 inch cleaning table with a rod-holder mount. Large fish well with drain and macerator pump, which can also serve as a storage compartment.

Triple-axle Pacific trailer – scrupulously maintained, with new disc brakes and actuator in 2014. Green sunbrella road covers.

Extensive spares: Balmar alternator, starter, windlass, props, belts, impellers, filters, and many smaller parts. Manuals and maintenance records for all equipment. Log is available for inspection.


More photos here:

https://goo.gl/photos/Y5rAZ9ADQ1WdqrmC8

[DannyArcher]

Ok, so instead of me having a type of boat in mind what kind of boat do you think would best fit my needs. What is your ideal Bahamas cruiser AND what is a good recommendation given what I am looking for?

1. Good fuel economy
2. Cruise above 10knots with top speed around ~20 knots
3. Rugged/seaworthy
3. Comfortable for 2 people
4. Enough water and fuel capacity to explore outer Bahama islands
5. 30-40ft boat in the 50-65k range.

Thanks!

[sailpower]

Mainship 30 Pilot or Pilot Sedan, 1999-2001 vintage should fit your budget.

[DannyArcher]

Oooh I like the look of that boat! Now to read up on it!