Dene wrote:
I've owned a boat for 20+ years and yet this was the first time I've attend
the Portland Boat Show.

Impressions.....

1. We own a 25 foot pocket cruiser ('96 Starcraft 2531). After walking
through various 25 footers, we were relieved to find none as suitable as the
one we have. Our aft sleeping berth is the best design and size.

Whew!

2. The two boats that impressed us most were the 34 foot Glacier Bay
Catamarin and the 25' C-Dory Tom Cat.

Regarding the former, it had beautiful workmanship and design. My wife was
so impressed that ended up going through it three times. However, the new
30 footer they have coming will be even better (for us) at 150k less. One
reason is the placement of the galley....up on the main deck instead of
stuffed below. This allows my wife to be up at all times. The only reason
to go below is to use the head or sleep in the roomy queen size berth.

The sales guy mentioned that Glacier Bay is putting 190 hp Volvo diesels in
it, with COMPOSITE outdrive. Supposedly far superior than metal.

Discussion???

As I mentioned, the other boat that impressed us was the C-dory Tom Cat, a
25 foot trailerable cruiser. Very roomy design. Built like a tank. Well
suited for all weather boating and fishing. In a few years, when we do the
Alaska inland passage, that will be the boat of choice for us.

The Glacier Bay 30 footer will work fine for the Great Loop.

Fun to dream!!!

-Greg

It remains to be seen if the composite outdrive works, but if it does,
it solves two of the biggest problems with them, corrosion of the
outdrive when exposure to salt water and, even worse, electrolysis. On
larger boats, where the outdrive cannot be easily examined while the
boat is in the water, and AC power on the boat is a common thing, it's
not much fun to find your outdrives are eaten away when the boat is
hauled in the fall. I knew someone that this happened to, he needed two
new outdrives, he was not happy to say the least. The boat next to him
had a bonding problem, but never admitted it, that was his one and only
year in that marina.