Best boats for mechanics, plumbers, electricians,

[Tim R.]

I disagree

My Pearson 28 had great access to everything except checking the oil in the A4 and then all I did was add an extension to the dipstick which made that easy. Large sail lockers to get down in and do work on the rear of the engine, tranny or packing gland. In some aspects, access on the Pearson was easier than on my current Ericson 35. Smaller boats keep systems simple so there just isn't as much to work on.Tim R.

 

[Zaphro]

Specifically....

I've crossed oceans on 500 ft Navy ships, screwed around on a kayak, hobie cat, sunfish, and a Columbia 34 that was is old as I. I now live for messing around on my Catalina 34. They all have one thing in common: boat design is about seeing how much stuff you can fit into a finite space and displacement for a price. I've yet to find a boat where the first design concept was; will there be easy access everything on board. I'll tell you, my Catalina is the easiest boat I've had to work on, but at the same time it's my passion. Is it work if you enjoy it? Your best bet is go down, find a boat you like, make friends with the owner, and help them with some maintenance... Of course this person will likely think you're insane and try to have you committed, immediately after the project is complete.Every boat has advantages and disadvantages. The only way to find out is to crawl around in one and find out. You might be able to reach the water tank, but the fuel tank can only be seen with an inspection mirror or a trained monkey with a camera strapped to his head. The engine compartment might be easily accessable, but the steering gear can only be reached by a double jointed midget with a dislocated shoulder. Guess which is going to spend more time broken?In my Cat 34 I can reach both water tanks with ease, the batteries are easily accessible, the engine is reasonably accessable, the fuel tank I can touch in two different places if I stretch. The water heater and plumbing are pretty easily accessable, but you don't want to have to change it. The companion way hatch is large. The electrical switch board is accessable, but could be better. The waste tank is easily accessable. I've changed out all the through hulls, only the galley sink gave me a problem, but I have an after market refrigeration and pressure water that kinda get in the way. The keel bolts are easy to reach with a torque wrench. The steering gear is somewhere under the cock pit... somewhere, the blood usually rushes to my head before I finish looking for it.... I could go on... then again when I say it's easy or hard... define that.Every owner of a boat will tell you how great their's is; what they like may drive you nuts.

 

[sailortonyb Allied Mis]

Ross

I not only cant crawl under the kitchen sink, but lately I can barely fit through the companionway. Soon as I lose 50 lbs, easy access will become a little more of a reality. Tony B

 

[DanW9494]

My desires

I would like to get a fin keel, light to moderate displacement with high ballast to displacement ratio, beamy and somewhat flatter hull with only cosmetic blisters, no wood, fractional rig, shorthanded capable, older boat which has a generous double berth, separate shower from the toilet, good ventilation and plenty of light, good access to the things in the initial post to make it easier to replace and maintain, and will need new sails, rigging, plumbing, electronics, repowering and possibly new appliances, cabinetry, and upholstry. It will be transported, so the mast will be removed and redone.I mentioned the $150,000 price as a restored, maintained, sail away price. I would look for an older model for the project, since i don't want to be bored for a couple of years.If it wasn't for my distance from the ocean, or if i could sail every weekend, i would buy a sail away boat and enjoy it. I don't want to be stupid, but i'm looking for more than cosmetic work to bring good value and reliability. Probably, a different sweet spot than most. Any insight on that is welcome.While my situation is requesting certain details, i would welcome comments directed to the initial post, since we usually discuss other matters in boats, and prize them for other attributes.

 

[Ross]

DanW. Now you have started to define the

boat you want. So start making a list of the things the are important as positives and as negatives thenyou can start looking at boats. Put the things in correctable and not correctable catagories, list deal killers. This is not something to decide on a subjective basis be objective and hold out for what you want.

 

[sailortonyb Allied Mis]

Catalina 36

For $150,000 or just a tad more, you can buy one hell of a new Hunter, Catalina or Benny.A new Catalina 36 will definately be larger inside than most older 40 footers. The difference will be in volume. The newer boats are much beamier than the older ones and also easier to service.Add newer technology into the equation and i would beyond the shadow of a doubt, buy a new boat if I had $150K.As a boat progresses in size, the cost of the parts grows disproportionately. A new Catalina should fill almost all of your requirements. I have to admit, I am very partial to Catalinas since i owned 2 of them - a 25 and a 30. Tony B

 

[Bill Roosa]

Except for the "no wood"

and separate shower you are describing a Hunter legend 37.5 If by no wood you mean the hull then you are describing a 37.5. She has a roomy head and the shower -sink faucet works fairly well. The cost is well within your budget and you could get a very well appointed used boat for $150k. In fact you would have a hard time finding one for that much.

 

[DanW9494]

No wood outside

Since we live 3 hours from the Channel Islands, 4 hours from San Francisco if no traffic, i would rather not spend weekends doing maintainence once slipped. I want the reliability of a new boat for 5-10 plus years, which is why i want to replace so much on a used boat. I want to buy a boat that has those replaceable things already discounted in the price.I'll check out the 37.5Thanks, Dan

 

[Les]

This is an interesting question...

I'd like to wade in on this question, albeit, a bit late. And some have already suggested part of my answer. The Hunter 37.6, 380 and the 386 were well designed by the Hunter Group. Henderson had yet to appear on the scene and this design group did a lot of listening to owners of earlier Hunters. All of the models that I have listed have easy access to just about any part of the boat that might need maintenance or repair. In the eight years that I've had my 1999 Hunter 380, I have pretty much been in every nick and cranny adding for the most part new gear. The only place it does not hold up is changing the water impeller on the Yanmar and someone on this list has a great photo forum showing how to add a hatch at that exact spot that takes care of that access problem. Also, I've had professionals work on my boat and they all have mentioned it had pretty good access. The only professional was the fellow who installed my Webasto furnace with the tubbing, etc. My electrician has mentioned several times he wished all boats had this much space in the wire runs. For what its worth....These boats seem to be selling for about $150,000 or less depending upon location and the amount of gear on them. A good boat for the price and a good cruising boat.Les

 

[Tom S]

Dan, now you are getting somewhere

It really helps that you define what type of boat you are looking for.I'm also glad you also starting taking about design and sailing characteristics. Just buying a boat for easy access would be the wrong place to start. It might pidgeon hole you with a boat that has easy access to things but sails like a bathtubI will say (as others have) with a budget of $150k you have a wide open choice of boats to choose from.As people said, most boats made recently would have pretty decent access for maintaining and replacing things like you mentioned. I think it was worse in the 70's and 80's. These days most manufacturers have learned that creating a boat with access to important things are being scrutinized by the boat buying public, so most have made that aspect much better. Each year they seem to do things a little better. Boats now seem to have better access to certain things than even 5 years ago. I'll tell you, there are probably 30-40 boats off the top of my head that would meet 95% of what you are looking for, with the only thing different being one or two things that make boats different.Since I know the Catalina 36 I guess I'll specifically address that boat (many listed here are good boats too and you should check them all out and see which one "feels" right for you.) To me and many others the C36 would be considered one of the best coastal cruisers in its class and one that would or could (and does) sail you across an ocean if you wanted. I know a guy that sailed his older C36 from Alaska all over the place and ended up in Maine. Not sure where he is now.I am the C36 MKII Tech Editor and I can tell you there isn't a thing you can't fix or replace on that boat. They have been making the basic Catalina 36 for over 23 years. Over that period many people have replaced or upgraded systems. There is a great active group of catalina owners (for most boat models they have) and have very good Websites that show all the different things and repairs and replacements on their boats. Check out the website here www.catalina36.com .The C34 is very similar (mostly the same boat as C36, just set up a little different) as are many Catalina'sActually Catalina does make their boats easy to be worked on and fixed if need be. Need to change out the Water Heater - "Can Do" (few screws to access cabinetry and there it is). Need to change out the any water tanks - "Can Do" (under berths and settees ) . Need to change out the Fuel tank - "Can Do" (behind Access Panel in aft berth). Need to change out Strut "Can Do" (Under Aft water tank). Need to change out Windlass "Can Do" (behind Access Panel in Forward berth). Etc Etc Etc.At least in the more recent past they also have included many different conduits throughout the boat that are fairly easy to access if you want to re-run wires or trace wires. (You can learn more about how they are specifically built on their website).Did you know there isn't a thing in the boat that can't be taken out of the companion way? That includes the engine and any and all water tanks, etc. It was designed that way. I have talked to the lead designer (Gerry Douglas) and they have designed things to be easy to be replaced or modified if needed.Now as far as your desires for certain features:1)fin keel (yes or wing if desired) 2)light to moderate displacement (I rate it moderate? d/l is ~220)3) high ballast to displacement ratio (Probably one of the highest Balast to Displament ratios you will ever find in these production boats. Its Ballast Ratio is a Huge 0.468 ! (Ballast/Displacement noted this is with an empty boat displacement). All things being equal The ballast ratio can give some indication of how stiff or tender a boat may be and how comforatble the motion might be. This accounts for the very seakindly feel to the C36. (Its all relative I do know that though) In one of Nigel Calder books he recommends a value of 0.30 or higher for an offshore cruiser. A Cabo Rico 38 is 0.33, a Catalina 42 is 0.36, a Haberg Rassey 39 is 0.37, just to give you some idea (albeit those are calculated with 2500 lbs cruising load)4) beamy and somewhat flatter hull (Basically yes - its all relative though)5) No wood (No exterior wood on most Catalinas built in the last 5-10 years?? Though I don't like all sterile so I have added some teak accents like doors and table etc)6) Fractional rig, (no, but the C36 rig is very easy to sail and maintain and the boat sails well)7) shorthanded capable (Many people single hand the C36 as I do. The C36 is well known that it can be singlehanded by most compentant sailors. I have done full day shifts singlehandling in 30kt winds and 6-10 ft seas. Its a nice boat)8) older boat (if you want you can get a 1983 C36 or a 2006 C36 Take your pick)9) which has a generous double berth (This is relative - C36 has 2 double berths with the aft being huge but low in parts as its under the cockpit. If you are looking for a true walk around bed-berth like your home you'd need to look at a C380 or C400 or such)10) separate shower from the toilet (no - and for a while that was something I thought I really wanted, now after 6 years with the C36, I realize its not that big of a deal and I like it the way it is. Most boats in this size sacrifice useful cabin space for that lost on the shower stall. The Salon on the C36 is one of its best features and I wouldn't want it to change a bit)11) good ventilation and plenty of light, (yes very much so. light and airy) 12) good access to the things in the initial post to make it easier to replace and maintain, and will need new sails, rigging, plumbing, electronics, repowering and possibly new appliances, cabinetry, and upholstry. (Yes, yes, yes, etc. As was explained above)13) It will be transported, so the mast will be removed and redone. (any boat even super yachts can be transported. I know the C36 is regularly shipped on the highways from the West Coast to the east coast buyersDid I miss anything

 

[Doug]

Hmmm

I've read through the responses and came to the thought I first had. Buy a boat that makes you proud and confident to be at the helm. You'll find a way to keep her going.

 

[sand sailor]

i got to say it

after listening to all the complaints about hard to get to places and problems with access to i cant complain about my santana 27' its simple adequite and to the point below deck with room for six and plenty of storage but very well complimented above for raceing when i mentioned my boat to the local yaht club they showed concern about me racing against thier fleet i told them not this season .they were very relieved .its wide fairly flat bottomed nice and stiff even after 40 yrs and weighs in at just under 5000lbs and it loves a good stiff breeze

 

[Fred]

Dan, I would reconsider the fractional

rig, unless you have a really good reason for your preference.You will almost certainly have a roller furling Genoa. When the breeze pipes up a bit a lot of us just fly that big Genny and roll up some of it if the wind increases. With a fractional rig the Genny is much smaller, main is bigger, and it's harder to use just the Genny. It's hard to beat a Catalina 36 or Hunter 37.A boat less than five years old that has been well taken care of may have a lot of expensive extras for quite a bit less that a new boat that you have to outfit. Some of the used boats really are better than new.