Some Advice Please

[b_mac]

Hey there,

Just joined and I think I am in the right forum. Looking for some help. Long story short I have been wanting a boat for about 20 years. Finally going to purchase this fall or spring of 2016 and start boating for the 2016 season. I live in alberta but vacation for about 3 weeks back in nova scotia. So financially it does not make sense to own a boat and I totally get that. However I am still going ahead with it.

Here is my question: would it be better to put the boat in the water when I get home and pull it as I leave, or fly down early summer and let it sit tied up to a dock the entire summer until I come down later to use it? (And potentially some of my family members use it a couple of times throughout the summer if they wanted) The boat would be periodically checked on maybe every couple of days. Too much of a risk?

And as far as type of boat goes I would be getting a 28-32 foot cruiser type 7-8 years old. Not sure of the brand. Been doing lots of research but mostly focused on the layout more than anything else. I've always wanted to have enough room for my family and friends to be on the same time. Probably buy one of the cheaper brands as the boat will never be used much. Is this sound logic?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Seymore]

Originally Posted by b_mac

Hey there,

Here is my question: would it be better to put the boat in the water when I get home and pull it as I leave, or fly down early summer and let it sit tied up to a dock the entire summer until I come down later to use it? (And potentially some of my family members use it a couple of times throughout the summer if they wanted) The boat would be periodically checked on maybe every couple of days. Too much of a risk?

How do.

Excuse me, I don't understand your question.

[Seymore]

Originally Posted by b_mac

And as far as type of boat goes I would be getting a 28-32 foot cruiser type 7-8 years old. Not sure of the brand. Been doing lots of research but mostly focused on the layout more than anything else. I've always wanted to have enough room for my family and friends to be on the same time. Probably buy one of the cheaper brands as the boat will never be used much. Is this sound logic?

Yes, that's sound logic. The boat is nonetheless an investment, so tend to get one that holds its value well for when you want to sell it and get a bigger one.

[Red Sky]

A boat is only an investment if, as a few people think, you consider personal enjoyment as profit. Don't get me wrong, I cherish every opportunity that I get to sail or just to be on the boat at its slip. But, rarely, if ever will you recover the amount of money that it cost to keep and maintain a boat properly.

[gah964]

Originally Posted by Red Sky

A boat is only an investment if, as a few people think, you consider personal enjoyment as profit. Don't get me wrong, I cherish every opportunity that I get to sail or just to be on the boat at its slip. But, rarely, if ever will you recover the amount of money that it cost to keep and maintain a boat properly.

wise word and keeping a boat out of water helps to keep it nice, that's a no brainier.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, b mac.

[GPSocal]

b mac

Some suggestions:
Shop for a boat in the dead of winter; prices are better
Find a marina in Nova Scotia that offers dry or stacked storage. (Stacked storage will have some length and weight restrictions)..
Keeping an unattended boat in the water over the summer 2,000 miles away would be stressful.
Calculate the economics of chartering a boat for three weeks/year. When you finishing using it you write a check and be done with it. Also gives you chance to tryout a variety of brands and hull types.



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Molly Brown
Surf City, USA

[b_mac]

Than you for the replies.

I have a lot to learn. My day dreams far surpass my knowledge on boating, hence why I found and joined this forum.
Totally agree the word investment is probably the wrong word for a boat but i am thinking the enjoyment I will get out of it will be worth it.
I did ponder the whole charter thing but end of the day, I want my own.

[Red Sky]

Originally Posted by b_mac

Than you for the replies.

I have a lot to learn. My day dreams far surpass my knowledge on boating, hence why I found and joined this forum.
Totally agree the word investment is probably the wrong word for a boat but i am thinking the enjoyment I will get out of it will be worth it.
I did ponder the whole charter thing but end of the day, I want my own.

b_mac,

It is absolutely worth it.

There's nothing quite like having your own boat, no many inanimate objects can become part of you like one.

Don't pass up the chance to sail with others on their boats either. I spent 18 days this past summer helping a friend bring his back from Hawaii to San Francisco, it gave me more than one day to remember for the rest of my life.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by b_mac

Here is my question: would it be better to put the boat in the water when I get home and pull it as I leave, or fly down early summer and let it sit tied up to a dock the entire summer until I come down later to use it? (And potentially some of my family members use it a couple of times throughout the summer if they wanted) The boat would be periodically checked on maybe every couple of days. Too much of a risk?

And as far as type of boat goes I would be getting a 28-32 foot cruiser type 7-8 years old.

There's another option: haul it when you're not nearby, or keep it in a "boatel" (aka high and dry storage) and have it launched when you anticipate using it, stored when you're not around.

This is an especially useful approach to inboard-outboard boats, which don't do as well leaving the outdrive semi-submerged in salt water (assuming you keep it somewhere in the south) as would inboard or outboard mechanicals.

-Chris

[FamilyVan]

This sounds like a bit of a nightmare to me, there is a lot of maintenance required on a boat, and unless you have very deep pockets, you need to be there for it.

I know Alberta is by no means a good place for sailing, but Nova Scotia is a long way away.

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[Suijin]

Sticking to your specific question, if you're talking about a powerboat cruiser then given your particular circumstances it's no contest in my opinion. Keep it in dry stack storage, which is alternately referred to by some as boatell. In case you don't know what that is:



Some of these are even covered, which has the advantage of protecting your boat better.

It's a bit cheaper (ymmv depending on the marina facilities) than a slip and ultimately safer since the boat is not sitting (relatively) unattended in the water. You call the marina ahead of your arrival and they should have it sitting in the water waiting for you when you arrive.

[a64pilot]

Most forklifts in Fl won't pick up a 30' boat, and then there are weight limitations too, I have to assume Canadian forklifts are similar to Fl ones, Usually around 25' is about the limit for "rack and stack" as it's also called.
But don't forget trailer as a possibility, but leaving a boat pretty much un-attended for 11 months, surely means the first week your back on it will be spent fixing systems that quit from not being used for almost a year?

Now if your talking sail then rack and stack isn't an option, but of course 30' is on the small size and easily handled too, same for bigger power boats, just need a sling lift, I'm not familiar with cranes.

[FamilyVan]

I would recommend trailerable too. That way if it doesn't work out in Nova Scotia, you can trailer her back to Alberta.

Then you can use it on local lakes and rivers, Lake Winnipeg, or BC. The only catch is there isn't much trailerable at 28-32 feet.

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[JPA Cate]

There are a number of Canadians on CF, I'm wondering if specifically targeting them to chat about your plan would be a really good idea. My own thoughts are that it will just turn out to be too hard, in the long run. You have to prepare the boat for storage (how many days will that take?) and then prepare all systems to go to sea and be reliable in a challenging climate. Not that it could not be done, but that it will be a deep pockets kind of expense, plus the hassle. YMMV, of course, but maintenance of this sort of mistress at a distance ...... Mmmmmm!

Ann