GL: Great loop boat suggestions

[Bob Clinkenbeard]

Respectfully...my thoughts on this.


> Just a couple thoughts on the perfect loop boat:
>
> 1, We should all be able, by now, to recite this in our sleep. "Don't buy
> the biggest boat you can afford.  Rather, buy the smallest boat you can be
> comfortable on".

REPLY:
Agree, but cost plays the biggest part of boat purchases for most of us.

>
> 2. A "slow" boat cannot go fast, but a "fast" boat can go slow.  Good  to
> know when in an emergency or running ahead of the weather.  Options, 
> back-up
> plans and contingencies are a good thing.

REPLY:
>From past experience, not all boats that go fast can go slow....at least not 
with comfort and ease.  A deep V planing hull with an outboard or an inboard 
with an outdrive will wander from side to side at slow speeds and there is 
nothing you can do about it except keep correcting.  True, sometimes you can 
just let it wander and it will come back...somewhat, but it is a PITA.  I 
sold a great boat because of this and would never buy a fast boat and expect 
it to go slow again.  Wrong kind of hull shape for slow long distance 
cruising.  Look for an inboard with a keel for your go fast boat.

>
> 3. Diesel, gas, inboards, outboards, I/O's, whisper-jets, sails or oars 
> ...
> they all have their good points and their bad.  It comes down to what you 
> are
> comfortable with.

REPLY:
Comfort is a small consideration when choosing power.  My boat burns less 
than a gallon of diesel an hour at 7 knots...how about less than $25 a day 
for cruising?  For most of us...money is the major consideration here for 
long distance cruising....weekend boaters who want to get from point A to B 
with a short time frame generally choose fast planing hulls.  Each boat has 
a purpose, you can use a gas planing hull to do the loop or cruise distances 
but be prepared to spend $ and plan the fuel stops accordingly.

>
> 4. Probably the two most important considerations for a comfortable 
> cruising
> life are "water draft" and "air draft".  And, when it comes to  that, 
> express
> cruisers (like the infamous Sea Rays) make a lot of sense.   And, at 7-9
> knots, express cruisers produce a smaller wake than most  trawlers.

REPLY:
I have to disagree here.  First express cruisers have deep V planing hulls 
and wander badly at those speeds.  They leave a wake.  Semi-displacement and 
displacement hulls on most trawlers are designed to create little or no wake 
at "hull speed" which falls into the 7-9 knot range.  Only when exceeding 
their hull speed do they dig in and create a wake to be concerned about.

>
> 5. Whether cruising around your favorite lake, heading out tuna fishing,
> kayaking down your favorite creek or cruising the Great Loop .... it is 
> not, at
> all, about the boat.  It is much more about the people, experiences and 
> the
> journey.

REPLY:
The boating experience is difference for all of us.  I like to go slow and 
see everything I can.  At slow speeds you tend not to disturb things around 
you and therefore there is more to see and enjoy.  I like the economy of 
going slow and get pleasure with the pace.  Seems to be less stress when 
navigating with time to study the charts and anticipate the next move rather 
than speeding along and having to intensly watch ahead for dead heads, other 
boats, shoaling, etc.
But.....I love to go fast too!  Nothing like flying along on the water at 55 
mph and having the power to pop out of the water and onto plane.  Amazing 
how fast you can "get there".

WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO :
We all have our preferences and make our choices based on them....the rest 
of us give our opinions based on our preferences while we wile away the 
hours waiting to get back on the water again.:>)



Bob Clinkenbeard
24' custom trailer trawler
http://home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-aboardbobbinalong