What boat would you move up to?

The problem I see with the arrow cat is the main cabin is just too tight on space. You have to walk around the captains chair to get any where. Susan and I looked at them really good but just did not like the lay out. For a big boat it seems cramped in the one space you will spend most of your time.

After thinking about it you might want to find a tolly or bayliner 28 to 32 that has been repowered or can be repowered.
 
Right now my '22 is the best boat for me. Living in landlocked Alberta with few suitable lakes for cruiser type boats, means that I have to travel long distances to boat. So pulling the boat to remote places like the Yukon (where I bought the boat) to Lake Powell and Vancouver Island is just normal for me when boating. Pulling my boat behind my F350 is a dream, I hardly notice it there until I have to stop somewhere and park. My near future boating plans have me travelling every year, somewhere. Vancouver Island this summer (Broughton Archipelago and Nootka Sound), Prince Rupert and Kitimat, BC, Alaska, Great Slave Lake and maybe Baja, Mexico. Someday, once I sell the ranch and fully retire, perhaps on Vancouver Island and don't need to pull the boat as far, I may consider a bigger boat. When my only decision for most of my boating is where to launch off Vancouver Island, then I will be happy to have a bigger boat. This might be a Tomcat or it might be a Ranger Tug 27. I would like to have something a little bigger with more interior comfort for longer cruises, a bigger bed, a little more elbow room. But I still want a boat that I can pull out of the water between cruises, move around the island more. I like to 22 for it's ability to get into tight places, not need much water to float in and still be safe and comfortable. To me it is kind of a floating hybrid of a Jeep and a VW camping van. This works for me at this stage in my life, but we will see what the future holds.
 
South of Heaven":1pa2ynn9 said:
You'll be cruising in the 10kt range though. Much slower that a C Dory.
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I have come to accept that as doable, especially if one is retired and has the time. Hell, even 8 knots would be fine in the right boat. Especially, if one considers fuel burn and the current state of fuel prices. If I could go 8 knots on a nice, luxurious trawler and burn 2 GPH vs 13 knots on a power boat that is burning 6-7 GPH...
 
I too consider this as we just moved down from a 51'. Right now boats to add to the stable, Camano Troll, American Tug 34', Nordic Tug (37'-42'), Don't care for any of the high powered planing boats that are on the market. I have no desire to spend that kind of money to get out to the fishing grounds.

I also realize that I only have a few more years with my 12 year old so whatever keeps him involved and enjoying the experience.
Life goals, environment (area we live), budget, etc all have influences on boat choices. I'd even go for a full displacement later in life as we draw closer to retirement. For the next five to 10 years our time will be exchanged for speed. So for today the C-Dory/Venture is a great boat for us.
 
South of Heaven":2rvxwirr said:
The Camano 31s are awesome. I had one. Very well built and great riding boat. You'll be cruising in the 10kt range though. Much slower that a C Dory.
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One of my happiest speeds 7-9 knots.
 
Another nice thing about the Nordic Tugs is that most can be pushed up to 15 knots. Mostly used for rarer safety runs as the fuel consumption goes up mightily.
 
Regarding speeds, my wife is happiest at 8-12 knots. With the chop we get on the Bay we find it's not comfortable going any faster unless we have to. Quite frequently I'll keep her at 7-9 even on calm days just to get us used to trawler speeds. The only way we'll afford fuel for our dream boat someday is if it's a trawler so we might as well get used to the slow speeds.

Took a peak at a couple Nordic Tug 32's yesterday at the marina...I may have to hold out for one of those.
 
starcrafttom":1k16fnb8 said:
The problem I see with the arrow cat is the main cabin is just too tight on space. You have to walk around the captains chair to get any where. Susan and I looked at them really good but just did not like the lay out. For a big boat it seems cramped in the one space you will spend most of your time.

After thinking about it you might want to find a tolly or bayliner 28 to 32 that has been repowered or can be repowered.
Click to expand...

Thanks I hadn’t even noticed the captains chair being in the centre of everything. I’m a fan of Cats and the Tomcat just can’t see it being worth trading up in Canada due to taxes!

Another choice is a 26 or 30 foot Commander made in Richmond BC. Good economy for a big boat in their diesel configuration.
 
starcrafttom":3l2ngbfc said:
The problem I see with the arrow cat is the main cabin is just too tight on space. You have to walk around the captains chair to get any where. Susan and I looked at them really good but just did not like the lay out. For a big boat it seems cramped in the one space you will spend most of your time.

After thinking about it you might want to find a tolly or bayliner 28 to 32 that has been repowered or can be repowered.
Click to expand...

Thanks I hadn’t even noticed the captains chair being in the centre of everything. I’m a fan of Cats and the Tomcat just can’t see it being worth trading up in Canada due to taxes!

Another choice is a 26 or 30 foot Commander made in Richmond BC. Good economy for a big boat in their diesel configuration.
 
After 16 years of ownership of our 2005 CD 25 Cruiser, we really have no desire or reason to go "bigger," especially since we have just re-powered with the Suzi 200. We have comfortably cruised the San Juans, Canadian Gulf Islands, Desolation Sound, and once to Alaska. We have towed it to Lake Powell four times, and to Florida for the Great Loop once, cruising on it for eight months over 5,428 miles. Can you do that with a Nordic, Camano, Mainship, or most any much larger boat? The CD 25, like our little house in Birch Bay, seems to fit us to a tee. We do need to solve the centering on the trailer problem though!
 
I'm not sure that I have moved "up," as I kept my CD 16. I own a 16 because it is the smallest CD that can still do almost all that I want. Almost.
That's when I decided I would also like something bigger. Bigger, but as small as possible.

No dogs on board. I've never even seen a boat large enough that I would want a dog aboard. What a hassle when the Frisbee goes overboard. How do you keep squirrels on board for it to bark at? And rowing ashore to poop? No thanks. I do have a pet onboard, but with none of those hassels.

I looked at the Camano Troll and then found that the Camano Gnome is really what I would like. No flying bridge. The cost/benefit of a FB in the PNW just isn't worth it in my experience. But the Camano Gnome seems to be rare as hen's teeth. I had owned and loved a Monk sedan cruiser, a design that is famous in the PNW, but those are mostly wood. Monk's "new" trawler designs (beginning in the 70's) are mostly available in fiberglass and some of them retained the practical elements that made his sedan cruisers so great.

I bought a 30' 1981 Tung Hwa trawler for about $100K less than a Camano Troll. The actual designer is unknown. Some claim a Monk connection or at least influence, but by 1981 Monk's influence could be asserted on just about any trawler. One of the big selling features for us was that the dinette was raised and opposite the helm. People sitting at the dinette have almost the same view as the helm. Compare that with a fairly standard design where your guests or spouse are sitting in a hole behind you that only has windows above eye level. Or a galley down in a hole in front of the helm where the cook not only can't see but the steam rises and condenses on the forward windows so that the skipper can't either. Can't even make a cup of coffee underway.

Yes, it is small. Perfect for two people and easy to solo. Four people isn't too cramped. It is set up to sleep 6, but I plan on removing the two settee bunks as they are functionally useless. 80 hp 4 cyl Ford Lehman. I've done 11 knots, but that was with a favorable current of 4.5 knots. So 6 knots is realistic at 1,550 rpm and about 1.2 gallons per hour. It is the type of boat where paying attention to currents can almost double your fuel economy (or cut in half your transit time). 250 gallons of diesel. 120 water. Easily a week between marina stops.

Obviously a completely different mindset is required from a planing CD. Other than the Canadian border having been closed since a month after we bought, we have been really enjoying it.
 
Asking questions and accumulating information before buying
is good. Since there are so many personal opinions and variables,
boat choice is entirely personal.

Simply put, it falls on you to choose.

Aye.
 
We were looking to move up. But after some searching, both boat and soul, we determined that our 22 cruiser was just the right size.
 
...the Camano Gnome is really what I would like.
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I'm not a fan of galley down boats and neither is the Admiral. No matter what brand, size etc. Down in a hole, cooking...

Feel the same way about sail boats. Like a gopher from Caddyshack. Stick your head up, look around...back down the hole.
 
localboy":7ur2538u said:
... Down in a hole, cooking...

Feel the same way about sail boats. Like a gopher from Caddyshack. Stick your head up, look around...back down the hole.
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I don't know, less distractions from the task at hand?
 
A huge reason we love our C-Dory is that on a hot summer day here on the Chesapeake, we can close the door, turn on the AC, and enjoy having a cup of tea or G&T, grab a book, and not feel like we're "down below" inside our boat. Don't think we could ever go to a cruiser style boat, or even most down-easts, where we have to go "down" inside. Basically, we need a boat that's designed for PNW rain and cold, because we need it for the AC! So, as far as moving up, we're pretty much sold on a tug style, or an enclosed pilot house, or possibly a flybridge boat - but if it's a flybridge we'd like stairs vs a ladder so our dog can go up and down. Or we stick with the C-Dory.

A Nordic Tug 26 just popped up for sale here so I'm going to look at it just to see if it really has much more room.
 
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