On the hunt for a boat

Chummer said:
Bit of a weird rule. Once you’re in it doesn’t matter but the boat can’t be older than 30 years to begin moorage there
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Seems a bit arbitrary. My boat is 41 years old but has been rebuilt so there's not much but the hull that predates the rebuild. I would have thought a survey was more relevant.

A bit like the collector car program. Once the car is accepted there are no standards for it to remain in the program.
 
Eden Island said:
Seems a bit arbitrary. My boat is 41 years old but has been rebuilt so there's not much but the hull that predates the rebuild. I would have thought a survey was more relevant.

A bit like the collector car program. Once the car is accepted there are no standards for it to remain in the program.
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Ya the old glass boats, once the rot is been taken care off,are a thousand times better then boats today imo 1/2 “ thick glass, the keel is like 2” thick laminated from both sides, no chop gun.
 
Buckethead905 said:
I believe that’s a factory pod, I looked at one of these many years ago. If I can recall they had some porpoising issues with them, you could research that. That boat looks like a really solid deal.
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Not a factory pod. Mounted way too low. Tab cylinder is mounted above the platform.
Most likely functions however water will roll across that swim bracket. Either wrong leg length or just poorly designed
 
Bill 310 said:
Same at Reed Point.

Moorage is transferable on the sale of your boat if it meets the age requirements and you sell your boat thought the Marina's approved yacht broker https://thunderbirdyachtsales.com/
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That sounds a little monopolistic. I would be hesitant to put any old boats at my money making marina if they weren’t surveyed and inspected by a good marine electrician, maybe just charge a fee for reviewing the survey but if you have more customers than you can shake a stick at might as well keep the rich customers coming in. Crazy how many boats explode and burn up.
 
kaelc said:
That sounds a little monopolistic. I would be hesitant to put any old boats at my money making marina if they weren’t surveyed and inspected by a good marine electrician, maybe just charge a fee for reviewing the survey but if you have more customers than you can shake a stick at might as well keep the rich customers coming in. Crazy how many boats explode and burn up.
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Starting Jan 1/25 every boat had to have 3 million of Liability.

I see the value of having a Marine Survey - we had two done during our build.

Any new vessel to the Marina cannot be over 30 years old

I remember when we obtained moorage we had a lot of documentation to complete and I think I either had to submit a survey or I just included it

There are no dock boxes allowed and finger piers can't have stuff stored on them No Dinghy's in your slip or on the Fingers

It seems that a lot of folks have professional cleaners detailing their boats. (not me)

There is an unofficial Marina FB page and a few years ago some of the members of the Freedom Boat Club thought that their membership gave them special Marina Privileges such as complementary guest parking when their friends showed up. 😁

The gas bar at Reed Point gives volume discounts I took on 470 litres a few weeks ago and got a 3 cents per litre discount

I walk the docks some days (free boat show) and since we have been there the boats all appear to be in very good condition.

Bad Marina Decision

When that Private Marina opened up in False Creek in the 90's a non boating friend tried to convince me to buy a slip . A boat was the furthest thing from my mind at that point .

I think a 40 foot slip was about 70K and a bit more if you wanted to by an underground parking spot to go with it.

I bought none he bought two and rented them for years and then sold them for stupid money .
 
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Chummer said:
I’m in the market for a “new to me” boat and I’d like to get some input as I know there’s a ton of experience here. This might be a little long winded as I’ve got some thoughts to get out so bear with me

Right now I have a 1986 17ft arima sea chaser. It’s been a great first boat for me fishing the local waters and gaining some experience. I’ve made the decision to look at getting something else for a couple of reasons
  1. I’d just like something a bit bigger, everyone understands that. I’d also like the ability to spend the night in the cuddy
  2. We somewhat recently moved basically across the street from reed point marina. My current boat is too old to get in there (they have a 30 year old rule)
Currently my boat is dry stored without a trailer. It’s stored a distance from our house and is a bit of a hassle to launch and retrieve. This has made it so we don’t end up using the boat as much as we’d like. Now that we live 1 minute from a marina we would love to get something we could moor there and try to use it as much as possible. Basically really try jumping into the lifestyle and see if we get full use out of it.

I first started looking at the class of boats such as the campion 542 and double eagle 185. I’ve realized I don’t think sleeping in these would be very comfortable (I’m 6’2) and I also wonder if I would immediately have 2 foot itis again since it is not that big of a jump from what I have now. Maybe I’m incorrect in this, I’d love to hear from people who have them. Thinking a step up into the 21-23 ft range may be better

I’ve seen a seaswirl striper 2101 and Wellcraft coastal 232 recently that checked a lot of the boxes I was looking for but they both got snatched up quickly.

The boat will definitely be used for fishing but will also be used to just cruise and explore so some extra comforts are a plus. Basically not looking for a 2 seater. Hard top or full Alaskan cabin are also a big plus to make the boat more comfortable year round. The boat will primarily be used in local Vancouver waters and Howe sound

Looking to stay with outboard power as it’s all I’ve ever known. There definitely are a lot more options in boats that I’ve been seeing with inboard power though, so I am open to hearing peoples experiences. Also primarily looking at fibreglass for ride quality in the size range

Trailerable would be nice. I have the ability to tow around 7000lbs comfortably. This is not an absolute deal breaker for me. In my mind I’d like to be able to tow it to a destination a couple times a year and be able to take it out myself for maintenance and storage at times. But ultimately I would consider trading that for a better option that I couldn’t trailer

I’d like the boat to be as new and good condition as possible (who wouldn’t) but I am realistic about boat prices and my budget. I’ve had experience with dealing with gremlins from previous owners and I would like to avoid as much of that as I can this time around

Lastly I’d like something that will reasonably economical to run. Reed point is long run from most of the fishing grounds so I’m not looking for a monster that will cost $500 every time I take it out

Budget would ideally stay under 60k. It is possible to stretch it a bit more for a really great option but I’d like try to not have that creep. Since I do currently have a boat to use I’m willing to be patient

Sorry for the long winded write up and potentially crazy list. I’ve been doing as much reading as possible of similar threads that have come up over the years and have become addicted to looking at listings. Any recommendations of boats I should be looking at that may fit the bill (or ones I should avoid) are much appreciated. Also any general boat buying tips or listing sites I may not know about would be great.

Thanks in advance for any input and advice
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not sure if you bought your boat yet. After a lot of research and input, I ended up getting a Campion 542 for my first boat. 2018. It has ended up being the perfect boat for me. I fish the East island side primarily, but I do take it to Ukee etc. when wind is fine. It is perfect set up for 2-3 to fish, the layout is perfect. It has a very sporty ride, economical to run and has been faultless. I can easily tow it everywhere. I am 6' and can sleep in the cuddy if needed, I have lots of friends with larger boats from 34 kingfisher, North River, Thunderjet Alexis, and I think we all prefer to use mine for the reasons above. We use theirs when required. Theirs are great, when required, but for general run about and fishing, I would not change. It is shocking the fuel cost difference. Build a good group of friends and all share boats. They will appreciate your economics and you will appreciate being able to go offshore Hali fishing..
 
Just returned towing from Port McNeill to Victoria, after spending 10 days aboard our 23' Hourston - I/O Volvo diesel D3-200 in Queen Charlotte Straits and the Broughtons. At 7700 lbs on the trailer, its within range for a modern 1/2 ton to tow, although I've made that same tow with a GMC Yukon rated for 7200 lbs. This boat is on the upper end of what you could tow but checks your other boxes except the I/O. Most boats this size won't have the cruising amenities. Fuel consumption was 6 USG/hr at 22 mph -- lots of junk in the water, so I wasn't running my usual 24-26. We've got over 500 hours on the Volvo, and other than maintenance its been trouble free.
 
Jonnywwdb said:
not sure if you bought your boat yet. After a lot of research and input, I ended up getting a Campion 542 for my first boat. 2018. It has ended up being the perfect boat for me. I fish the East island side primarily, but I do take it to Ukee etc. when wind is fine. It is perfect set up for 2-3 to fish, the layout is perfect. It has a very sporty ride, economical to run and has been faultless. I can easily tow it everywhere. I am 6' and can sleep in the cuddy if needed, I have lots of friends with larger boats from 34 kingfisher, North River, Thunderjet Alexis, and I think we all prefer to use mine for the reasons above. We use theirs when required. Theirs are great, when required, but for general run about and fishing, I would not change. It is shocking the fuel cost difference. Build a good group of friends and all share boats. They will appreciate your economics and you will appreciate being able to go offshore Hali fishing..
Click to expand...

A little embarrassed I didn’t update the thread already but thankfully it’s because I’ve been busy with fun stuff the last couple of weeks. I did end up purchasing a boat, a seaswirl striper 2101. I was able to get the boat in the water in the marina a couple minutes from home. Now that it’s in the water I’m already getting close to using it as much in a couple weeks as I used my old boat in 4 months last year. Very happy with the performance so far

Thanks to everyone for the help and this thread and private messages.

IMG_1718.jpegIMG_1703.jpeg
 
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