Converse48
Well-Known Member
So... I sold Festivus, my 2007 44DB last fall. I didn't really want to, but let's just say that "marital difficulties" were a major contributing factor. Nonetheless, the search for the next boat began before the ink was dry on the contract.
Criteria:
I looked at many, many boats up and down the eastern seaboard and I kept coming back to the 2002 480MY sitting in the parking lot of my marina for the winter. I know the owner and I knew that he wanted out since his kids are older and they just don't get the use out of the boat. He and I had discussed a possible deal in broad terms over the past summer. For a whole host of reasons, I'm not going to get into the particulars, but let's just say that we were able to work out a deal that is a true win/win.
So, pending sea trial and Cummins inspection of the QSM-11s, I will be the proud captain of a 480MY!
So let the fun begin:
1) "It looks like a sneaker" I'm not going to deny that. But have you SEEN that aft cabin? Also, the back deck/helm (which is fully air-conditioned) is quite a bit more Dancer-like (i.e. social) than that on a DB. Ok, so it's eight feet off the water instead of three. You can't have everything. And I once described this as the ugliest boat ever made, but then I was reminded about the Carver mariner series, and the Silverton motor yachts. So it's not the ugliest, but it is ugly. Get over it. I have.
2) "It's a pig in 2-3' beam seas and isn't as good of a sea boat as a 54' Viking" Probably true, I certainly can't doubt the source (Frank W), but up in the cozy confines of the upper Chesapeake Bay for me to see 2'-3' beam seas I would need to be tooling about in a named storm. Perhaps that's why the per-capita count of MYs is much higher on the Sassafras River than in most places. So my water isn't "manly"? Boo hoo. I'll take the beautiful, winding, deep, tree-lined, sandy-bottomed, warm, salt-free Sassafras over any other place on the Bay. True, I will probably see some "real seas" when I come to Atlantic City in July (!) and when I do, I will just hold on for dear life and just smile to myself about that aft cabin... have you seen that aft cabin?
3) "To replace the engines you need to cut a hole in the side of the boat" Also seems to be true; I can't imagine weaseling a QSM-11 through that cockpit door. So if the engines need to be rebuilt at some point we will cross that bridge when we get to it. In the meantime, the engine room is actually quite roomy as far as access to everything. Also, I really wanted a boat with QSM-11s. I had nothing but success with my QSCs and I've heard/read nothing but good things about QSMs.
So, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Fire away!
Criteria:
- Under 50' (not a MUST, but I really wanted that so I could keep my current slip)
- Three staterooms; my two kids are 14/12 boy and girl, we virtually live aboard so I wanted them to have separate staterooms
- Access to the water for my 80 pound dog (no ladders to the water!)
- An air conditioned helm station
- Further down the depreciation curve than my 2007 44DB, ideally ten years old or more.
- The ability to cruise at a minimum of twenty knots
- CAT 3196s need not apply
- Detroit 2 cycle diesels need not apply
I looked at many, many boats up and down the eastern seaboard and I kept coming back to the 2002 480MY sitting in the parking lot of my marina for the winter. I know the owner and I knew that he wanted out since his kids are older and they just don't get the use out of the boat. He and I had discussed a possible deal in broad terms over the past summer. For a whole host of reasons, I'm not going to get into the particulars, but let's just say that we were able to work out a deal that is a true win/win.
So, pending sea trial and Cummins inspection of the QSM-11s, I will be the proud captain of a 480MY!
So let the fun begin:
1) "It looks like a sneaker" I'm not going to deny that. But have you SEEN that aft cabin? Also, the back deck/helm (which is fully air-conditioned) is quite a bit more Dancer-like (i.e. social) than that on a DB. Ok, so it's eight feet off the water instead of three. You can't have everything. And I once described this as the ugliest boat ever made, but then I was reminded about the Carver mariner series, and the Silverton motor yachts. So it's not the ugliest, but it is ugly. Get over it. I have.
2) "It's a pig in 2-3' beam seas and isn't as good of a sea boat as a 54' Viking" Probably true, I certainly can't doubt the source (Frank W), but up in the cozy confines of the upper Chesapeake Bay for me to see 2'-3' beam seas I would need to be tooling about in a named storm. Perhaps that's why the per-capita count of MYs is much higher on the Sassafras River than in most places. So my water isn't "manly"? Boo hoo. I'll take the beautiful, winding, deep, tree-lined, sandy-bottomed, warm, salt-free Sassafras over any other place on the Bay. True, I will probably see some "real seas" when I come to Atlantic City in July (!) and when I do, I will just hold on for dear life and just smile to myself about that aft cabin... have you seen that aft cabin?
3) "To replace the engines you need to cut a hole in the side of the boat" Also seems to be true; I can't imagine weaseling a QSM-11 through that cockpit door. So if the engines need to be rebuilt at some point we will cross that bridge when we get to it. In the meantime, the engine room is actually quite roomy as far as access to everything. Also, I really wanted a boat with QSM-11s. I had nothing but success with my QSCs and I've heard/read nothing but good things about QSMs.
So, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Fire away!
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