On Topic: Looking for boat recommendations
 

On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 04:01:07 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

Your GB is gorgeous, but GB type boats just aren't my style.

Unfortunately, I have a need for speed.

===================================

I guess we could put in a turbo. :-)

On Topic: Looking for boat recommendations
 

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 02:27:59 GMT, "Bill McKee"
wrote:

the POTUS sent
me an invitation to a job I did not want.

=================================

I think a lot of us got that one.


Christmas 1964. Went to the wrong address, mom had remarried and moved. I
was working in another state. Gave me a lead time, to go see Sgt. Higham of
the USAF.

On Topic: Looking for boat recommendations
 

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 11:10:06 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

Heh. I was reading one of my zillion magazines the other day about a
62' Hatteras that was being built with twin 1200 hp turbocharged MAN
12 cylinder diesels - supposedly, it was able to do something like 50
mph.

I can't imagine what the fuel bill would be.

===================================

It's fairly easy to make some estimates.

2400 total hp, typically 2/3 at full cruise = 1600.

Figure about 1 gph for every 17 hp = approx 95 gph.

Estimating 30 kts cruising speed, approx 3.2 gals per nautical mile.

Those are pretty typical numbers for big planing sport fish and motor
yachts. It would certainly add a few dinero to the fuel bill for our
5,000+ NM this year. But if you're paying something like $2M for a
boat like that, what's another $50K/yr for fuel I suppose.

On Topic: Looking for boat recommendations
 

Here's my advice, based on several decades of boating.

Stay away from Bayliners. They're attractively styled and low priced,
but don't get suckered in. They tend to be cheaply built, as is
evidenced in little details like joints and fasteners. BOATING
magazine did a review of a Bayliner Trophy, which is advertised as a
rugged, offshore blue water fishing boat, and described the
construction as "flimsy." Sport Fishing magazine said they were "good
for inshore and protected waters."

I know major boat dealers all up and down the Texas coast, and almost
all of them refuse to take Bayliners as tradeins. They make their lot
look cheap (ever see used Yugos sitting on a Mercedes lot?), and later
when they fall apart their owners get ****ed off and bring them back,
etc.

I live and boat at a large (30,000 acres) recreational lake in central
Texas. Many times I've watched a Bayliner pull up to a gas dock, and
the gas boys would just sit there talking and ignore it, although
they'd jump to their feet if anything else pulled up. Really. I'm not
making this up.

Once I was looking at a 21' Trophy cuddy in a Bayliner showroom. The
piece of crap came with a 175HP Force. It'd probably do 20mph. I
pressed on the side of the hull with the tip of my finger, and the
outer layer of fiberglass "popped" in and out slightly with the
pressure. I thumped it with the heel of my hand, and it was like
thumping a shoebox. What a piece of crap. Try thumping the hull on my
12 year old Robalo sometime. It feels like concrete slab. Literally.

Well, I could go on. If K-Mart sold boats, they'd be Bayliners.

There are quite a few good boats out there these days, with modern
manufacturing technology. Look for little features and details, like
storage, seating, instrument protection, etc. as well as seaworthiness.


One boat I can recommend in your category that's been around for years
is an old standard, the Wellcraft Coastal. It's a proven veteran,
rugged and seaworthy, and is well known for making clever, efficient
use of space. Here's a link:

http://www.wellcraft.com/Boats/Boats....asp?c=1&b=220

Another one is this 26' Robalo, if you're REALLY serious:

http://www.robalo.com/265.htm

Good luck. I envy you, going shopping for a new 26 footer. Not
something you do every day!

Ron M.

On Topic: Looking for boat recommendations
 

"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 09:57:38 -0500, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 11:10:06 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

Heh. I was reading one of my zillion magazines the other day about a
62' Hatteras that was being built with twin 1200 hp turbocharged MAN
12 cylinder diesels - supposedly, it was able to do something like 50
mph.

I can't imagine what the fuel bill would be.

===================================

It's fairly easy to make some estimates.

2400 total hp, typically 2/3 at full cruise = 1600.

Figure about 1 gph for every 17 hp = approx 95 gph.

Estimating 30 kts cruising speed, approx 3.2 gals per nautical mile.

Those are pretty typical numbers for big planing sport fish and motor
yachts. It would certainly add a few dinero to the fuel bill for our
5,000+ NM this year. But if you're paying something like $2M for a
boat like that, what's another $50K/yr for fuel I suppose.

I wasn't that far off - I figured somewhere around 4/5 gpnm.

Sure would be nice though.

A while back on I think the Travel Channel, was a show on super yachts. Guy
built one with twin diesels and twin turbines. Was in I think the 140'
range and he got it up to maybe 72 knots.

On Topic: Looking for boat recommendations
 

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 17:05:25 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

I wasn't that far off - I figured somewhere around 4/5 gpnm.

Sure would be nice though.

==========================

Oh for sure. Before we got the GB, one of the boats on our short list
was a Hatt 55 sportfish with tower, outriggers, fighting chair and all
the trimmings. Mrs B really liked it a lot which is an important part
of the equation of course. It had a pair of DD 12V71 turbos and would
cruise in the mid 20s which would be kind of nice. When we started
working the the fuel consumption numbers however and looking at the
maintenance costs on the big turbo engines, it quickly became clear
that the boat would own us and not the other way around. Too bad, it
was a nice one. Most of the other sportfish we looked at in the 45 to
50 ft range were just not big enough to live on comfortably for months
at a time the way we did this summer. The GB is just unbeatable in
that respect, and fuel economy is much more reasonable at about 1 gpm
average.

On Topic: Looking for boat recommendations
 

On 23 Dec 2005 07:33:48 -0800, "Ron M."
wrote:

Good luck. I envy you, going shopping for a new 26 footer. Not
something you do every day!

==========================

True. We got a 49 footer last year after selling a nice Bertram 33.

We're working our way down now. :-)

Thanks for the information, I'll follow up.

I view Bayliners as a fresh water entry level boat, OK for the purpose
they serve, but not the right boat for here.