BoatBanter.com - Looked today ( Boat Choices)

Hi Wendy,

I looked around in the Kemah area a couple of weeks ago. I think I looked at
a couple
of the same boats you did. That PSC 34 didn't appear to have been very well
taken
care of. May be okay, but I steered clear of it. Glad to see you did too. I
am not at
all impressed with PSC anyway. Can't for the life of me figure out what
everybody
sees in them and why everybody is so willing to pay 50% more than a
comparable
boat. I wonder if you happened to take a close look at the joinery work in
that boat?
The 34 also seemed like a very small boat to me.

I did not look at the Pedrick because everything I looked at said he
designed the boat
as a cruiser/racer, not for offshore work, contrary to the standard Cheoy
Lee. Offshore is
what *I* plan to do with a boat, which brings me to my main point, buying a
boat that
matches the intended use. I apologize if the point has already been made. I
did a lot of
serious thinking about where I wanted to go. How many people would be going,
what size
sails I wanted to handle, how fast I wanted to get there, etc. I also gave a
lot of thought
to how much time I expected to spend at sea versus at the dock or at anchor,
and what
compromises I wanted to make in those areas.

I will suggest a couple of boats that might interest you, that are in the
Kemah area.

First, since you like the Tayana (I did too) you might like the Tayana 42.
Also known as
the Vancouver 42. The Center Cockpit model has a long fin keel instead of
the full length one.
The interior is massive. Lots of storage, big cabins, the saloon is more
like a living room.
There was one down that way for a pretty reasonable price.

There is a Mao Ta 36 which is another Taiwan built boat that I don't know a
lot about. I
have not looked at it yet. The pictures of it are beautiful. I think they
are asking $85K.
http://www.yachtworld.com

Also, a bit more expensive, is the Slocum 36 at the Higgins Smythe docks.
Very stout
heavy boat with a really neat interior. A/C, Heat, etc. Very pretty boat.

Money wise, yes, teak decks are expensive to replace, but it can also cost
just as much to
replace a rotten or leaking cast iron water or fuel tank if you have to tear
out the entire galley
to get it out and back in. Many 15-20 year old cruisers have those tanks.
Diesels are also
thousands to replace. Keel bolts, etc The boat yards I have inquired at tell
me that the vast
majority of teak deck replacements do not require major work to deck itself.
So far I am not
so fearful of teak decks. They look great and offer the best non-skid
around, even when wet,
which is what I want alone in the middle of the ocean. A survey I read a bit
ago said that most
owners spend 25% of the sales price getting the boat back to the condition
they want it in.
Don't take that wrong, I am not trying to rain on your parade. I am in the
same parade. It just
made me rethink about financing, down payments, etc. not to mention the cost
of the boat.
Do I spend more to get a better boat, or buy less boat to have more left
over.........?????

Boats!!!! Complicated Business.

"Wendy" wrote in message
...
I had a close look at four boats today, all offered through brokers. The
experience was a pleasurable one; the brokers were pleasant enough and
quite
helpful. The weather was a bit cool for my taste, though. Anyway, here's
what I looked over in the order in which I saw them, along with my
thoughts:

Cheoy Lee Pedrick 36, 1985 Model: This boat is simply a very good looking
boat; it has loads of visual appeal and has been well-kept. The teak deck
is in quite good condition, as are the topside fittings and rigging.
Belowdecks, the engine is easily accessible, the cabin layout is sensible
and not ostentatiously ornate. She has a genset, which is a plus, but no
stove- a definite minus (one could easily be added, however). She's
radar-equipped, no SSB or GPS. She would be a fine live-aboard and
coastal
cruiser, and should handle longer range cruising as the tankage is more
than
adequate. I'd like to research Cheoy Lee's more; I liked this boat. At
an
asking price of less than $60,000 she is well within my budget.

Pacific Seacraft Crealock 34, 1990 Model: Nice boat; she has a spartan
interior and a non-nonsense air about her. This boat is clearly designed
for ocean passages. Living aboard would not be difficult, but again the
boat is designed to go anywhere, not sit on a dock. At just under
$100,000
she is out of my price range, so I didn't really seriously evaluate all
her
features.

Cabo Rico 38, 1981 Model: She was once a nice boat, but neglect has sadly
hurt her. The below $80,000 price reflects the condition she's in; it
would
take a lot of work to bring this boat up to snuff. The teak deck is shot.
I would take a pass on this boat; I don't want a project.

Tayana 37, 1982 Model: Wonderful boat, she has lots of room and is built
like a tank. She has a Perkins, which I like as I have lots of experience
with them. She's air-conditioned as well, a must in Texas. Very beamy
and
not at all claustrophobic, the boat is clearly designed for comfort and
safety. She is equipped with a wind generator as well as a wind vane
steering system. She has no navigation station; the large quarterberth is
designed as an aft stateroom. I would prefer a nav station, but a fold
down
table sort of thing could be easily added by a carpenter. Electronics
consists of an SSB; a radar and GPS system would have to be added (I am a
Garmin GPS junkie, I'll freely admit that :) Her asking price of $85,000
is
within my budget, though I would have to scrape for any planned add-ons.

It should be apparent that the first and last boats I looked at were the
two
which appealed most to me. I have distinct reservations about a teak
deck,
and while the Cheoy Lee is not the dedicated ocean passage boat that the
Tayana is, she would no doubt provide years of performance and
satisfaction.
The Tayana represents security, comfort, and hominess. She has many of
the
features I would like in a boat, and probably represents the better
investment of the two. It's quite clear to me that I am not exactly sure
what I want at this point in time, although I am sure that as I continue
to
research and actively start sailing that this will become self-evident
before I buy. I understand now why searching for a boat can take quite
some
time.

Wendy