The urge has struck me once again. After 18 years without a "real"
boat I have weakened and am thinking of buying a boat! And this is
why I turn to you folks for advice. After being away from the boat
scene for so long I really don't know the models and types well enough
to start doing the boat search with any degree of direction.

So here is what I am looking for:
1. Something for offshore in the Gulf of Mexico (the islands off the
Mississippi Gulf Coast and AL, LA coasts)

2. Needs to be a flybridge type. The wife responds poorly to too much
sun and I like the view from a top station. Also needs a lower helm
station so that we can get in out of the rain and for docking ease
when short handed.

3. Needs to be capable of having a generator and air conditioning.

4. Would prefer twin engines -- most likely gas.

5. Needs to sleep four/six

Well, you are saying just go buy a trawler or something like that.
Yep, that would work but I would like to keep it smallish -- 25-32 ft
range. And there is the rub -- most smaller boats don't sport a
generator. We would be using the boat for trips to Horn Island for a
weekend ever so often and along the intercoastal waterway so being
cool at night is a *REAL* biggie and being a smaller boat would make
it possible for us to use one of the inside dry storage facilities.

Thanks in advance for any advice/suggestions

Bill
On a Bayou in Mississippi

Not sure about fitting a gen set, but how about the Cape Dory Flying Bridge
28? http://www.toolworks.com/capedory/specs/cd28pwr.htm or larger:

http://www.toolworks.com/capedory/specs/cd30pwr.htm
http://www.toolworks.com/capedory/specs/cd33pwr.htm
http://www.toolworks.com/capedory/specs/cd36pwr.htm

I think there is also a 40, but I have no links.

Robinhood makes some of these boats now from the same molds.

Good luck,

Ken
S/V Parfait
Raleigh, NC



"Bill M." wrote in message
m...
The urge has struck me once again. After 18 years without a "real"
boat I have weakened and am thinking of buying a boat! And this is
why I turn to you folks for advice. After being away from the boat
scene for so long I really don't know the models and types well enough
to start doing the boat search with any degree of direction.

So here is what I am looking for:
1. Something for offshore in the Gulf of Mexico (the islands off the
Mississippi Gulf Coast and AL, LA coasts)

2. Needs to be a flybridge type. The wife responds poorly to too much
sun and I like the view from a top station. Also needs a lower helm
station so that we can get in out of the rain and for docking ease
when short handed.

3. Needs to be capable of having a generator and air conditioning.

4. Would prefer twin engines -- most likely gas.

5. Needs to sleep four/six

Well, you are saying just go buy a trawler or something like that.
Yep, that would work but I would like to keep it smallish -- 25-32 ft
range. And there is the rub -- most smaller boats don't sport a
generator. We would be using the boat for trips to Horn Island for a
weekend ever so often and along the intercoastal waterway so being
cool at night is a *REAL* biggie and being a smaller boat would make
it possible for us to use one of the inside dry storage facilities.

Thanks in advance for any advice/suggestions

Bill
On a Bayou in Mississippi

Don't just buy anything but, decide and buy it, it won't be the best and it
will be a comprimise, but it will also save you another 18 years of wishing
you bought one

The urge has struck me once again. After 18 years without a "real"
boat I have weakened and am thinking of buying a boat! And this is
why I turn to you folks for advice. After being away from the boat
scene for so long I really don't know the models and types well enough
to start doing the boat search with any degree of direction.

So here is what I am looking for:
1. Something for offshore in the Gulf of Mexico (the islands off the
Mississippi Gulf Coast and AL, LA coasts)

2. Needs to be a flybridge type. The wife responds poorly to too much
sun and I like the view from a top station. Also needs a lower helm
station so that we can get in out of the rain and for docking ease
when short handed.

3. Needs to be capable of having a generator and air conditioning.

4. Would prefer twin engines -- most likely gas.

5. Needs to sleep four/six

Well, you are saying just go buy a trawler or something like that.
Yep, that would work but I would like to keep it smallish -- 25-32 ft
range. And there is the rub -- most smaller boats don't sport a
generator. We would be using the boat for trips to Horn Island for a
weekend ever so often and along the intercoastal waterway so being
cool at night is a *REAL* biggie and being a smaller boat would make
it possible for us to use one of the inside dry storage facilities.

Thanks in advance for any advice/suggestions

Bill
On a Bayou in Mississippi

If you're willing to go up to 32', you might want to check out the
Stamas 32, which was built over a period of years in two or more
convertible styles. Florrie and I owned one for a couple of years.

This baby had twin 350 Mercruisers (a pity -- I'd have preferred
Crusaders) and an Onan gas genny. I believe some of them were
delivered with diesels; certainly there is a huge amount of room in
the engine room on both the inboard and the outboard side of the gas
engines, and everything is to hand. The genny was under the cockpit
floor, and again there is a vast amount of room there. Dual stations;
interior finished in a nice Formica with chunky teak accents;
reasonable head/shower; V-berth; plenty of room for a sleeper/sofa in
the salon; huge, airy windows in solid aluminum frames. Black
anodized aluminum in various places outside, which of course "peels"
with the years.

Because of the huge size of the below-deck spaces it's easy to see if
there are any problems down there. The only quality issues we found
were rot in the painted wood supports for the water tank under the
cockpit. I'd buy another in a heartbeat if I was in the market for
that kind of boat.

Bear in mind that this is based on a sample of one.

E.J. Bleendreeble
http://www.casualsailor.com