* Vic Smith wrote, On 4/9/2007 10:00 PM:

So scuttling the Mac idea, what do you recommend?
I need = 2' draft, decent live aboard accommodation for 2,
no more than 30k ready-to-go.
No blue water or heavy weather sailing.
Used mostly for gunkholing West Florida and the Keys.
You sure seem to know your boats, so any advice appreciated.


My first choice for this type of cruising was (and is) a catamaran.
However, it will be difficult find one at $30K; the cheapest I've seen
is about $60K for an old, but serviceable cat. This, however, would
be huge compared to a Mac.

My second choice would be something like this:
http://www.marshallcat.com/
The problem with these is that the larger one at 22 feet is too wide
to take long distance on a trailer. (You can still use a trailer, but
it's a wide load and the mast is not easy to step alone.) But you
would be pretty much guarantee that you'd the prettiest boat where
ever you went.

Third choice would be one of the many "clorox bottle" trailer boats,
of which the Mac is the epitome. However, I would also consider a
small powerboat; personally, I probably get more use out of this:
http://www.parkerboats.net/pages/boa....jsp?boatid=18

There a few bits of info you haven't offered us: First, does this
need to be a trailer boat? Second, are you looking for new, gently
used, or a fixer upper? And if your perfect boat stretched your
budget, would you go for it?