[PUP] Let's design the perfect passagemaker

[Douglas Cochrane]

Dear Ones,

As a relative newbie to the power cruising world, I'd like to thank all of
you for sharing your thoughts, opinions, and experiences with the rest of
us.

Ken Williams must have met us at Trawlerfest or somewhere when he wrote:

"I've never sold boats, and have no idea what the average customer might
look like, but will hazard a guess:

- Age 60
- Husband and Wife
- Just retired. Dreamed of living on a boat
- Lots of boating experience, but not really. (day cruises on smaller
planning hulled boats)
- Likes to tinker. Willing to do many small repairs themselves
- Needs to sell home, or downsize to buy their trawler. It's a material part
of their life. Not just an idle purchase.
- Roughly $600,000 to spend on a boat
- Annual budget for living, maintenance, everything boat related, under
$50,000"

Ken certainly nailed it for us.

When we went over to the Dark Side, our first big power boat was a 50' wood
Ed Monk Sr. design circa 1965. We bought the "Ursa Major" in San Diego and
brought her up the coast to the Puget Sound and Gulf Islands. She is
currently back in our home port of Newport, Oregon awaiting her new owners
to come along.

Last Spring at the Anacortes Trawlerfest we found what we think is the ideal
cruising boat for the demographic Ken described: a 46' Nordhavn. We bought
the "Four Seasons", hull #70, from Russ and Donna Sherwin. The Sherwins had
the Four Seasons built and lived aboard for eight years whilst cruising from
Mexico to Alaska several times. So far we haven't been far with her - just
the inland waters of British Columbia. Next Spring we plan to head north
inside Vancouver Island and in 2010 we'll probably go to Alaska. Then maybe
we'll join some of you big guys on a passage.

In the meanwhile I'll be sitting back enjoying your founts of wisdom. I
don't imagine I'll be able to contribute much as we are newbies. My only
opinion worth sharing at this point is that I was in the software business
for 25+ years and trust computers about as far as I can throw them. Sure, I
keep a couple of PC's running at all times whilst underway for redundant
chart plotting. But I'll always keep my paper charts handy. So, Scott
Bulger, if you want to sell your drawers full of paper charts, I'm
interested.

Best wishes to all of you. Fair winds and clean diesel!

Douglas & Gerry Cochrane
M/V Four Seasons, N46-70 - currently lying in the Inner Harbour of Victoria,
B.C.
P.O. Box 752
Yachats, OR  97498
541/913-0632
Douglas_Cochrane at msn.com