Boating/Fishing Could Be Cool Too

Lance F

Lance F

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Lance F
Got a peek at the boating world yesterday. I know there are boaters here, but I know nothing about this stuff.
Checked out a year old 63' Bertram the owner called a sport fishing cruiser or something like that. It was quite luxurious with 3 cabins, gorgeous salon and helm worthy of a biz jet. Bertram built it as a boat show demo, and it had everything option wise.
I really liked the 2 2,000HP 16 cylinder turbocharged engines. The boat will go 41 kts :D, but the fuel burn at that speed way not disclosed :yikes:.
The boat was in Ponta Verda, FL, and we flew a Lear 35 (making this aviation related) to see it.
Heckofa fishing boat. Any downsides other than maintenance?
 

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Where I live is landlocked. Pretty big downside there. What do slip fees run anywhere near a decent sized body of water, anyway?
 
For some reason the boat in the first picture looks a lot shorter than 64 feet, more like 40 ft. 4000 HP seems a bit excessive as well. If it really is 4000 HP you can figure 250-300 gph at 40 Kt. Compare that to a TBM700 which gives 250-300 Kt at about 40 gph IIRC.
 
The fuel economy on that thing makes the Lear look like a diesel Jetta in comparison!

Sorry to say I know nothing about boats other than they're another black hole into which one pours money. ;)
 
Sailboats are not near as bad as powerboats...but you go a LOT slower! LOL
 
Lance F said:
Got a peek at the boating world yesterday. I know there are boaters here, but I know nothing about this stuff.
Checked out a year old 63' Bertram the owner called a sport fishing cruiser or something like that. It was quite luxurious with 3 cabins, gorgeous salon and helm worthy of a biz jet. Bertram built it as a boat show demo, and it had everything option wise.
I really liked the 2 2,000HP 16 cylinder turbocharged engines. The boat will go 41 kts :D, but the fuel burn at that speed way not disclosed :yikes:.
The boat was in Ponta Verda, FL, and we flew a Lear 35 (making this aviation related) to see it.
Heckofa fishing boat. Any downsides other than maintenance?
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Depends upon where you plan on keeping it and what you plan on doing with it.

For any boat kept on the coast in salt water you'll always have maintenance. I keep my boat at Daytona Beach on the ICW. Being Florida base means I pay a premium in insurance plus dockage is expensive. My boat is a 45 foot with a 15 foot beam so finding a dock is not too difficult but once you get above 50 feet it starts to become less available (again, depends upon location).
 
Rotor&Wing said:
Depends upon where you plan on keeping it and what you plan on doing with it.

For any boat kept on the coast in salt water you'll always have maintenance. I keep my boat at Daytona Beach on the ICW. Being Florida base means I pay a premium in insurance plus dockage is expensive. My boat is a 45 foot with a 15 foot beam so finding a dock is not too difficult but once you get above 50 feet it starts to become less available (again, depends upon location).
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Got to love Inlet Harbor & Down The Hatch :smile:
 
Please understand, this is the gentleman I fly for's world, not mine. But it's fun to hang around in it. I don't plan keeping it anywhere. The boss can put it anywhere he likes. I checked Bertram's website. This boat is a model 630 and has a 63'2" hull length per ISO 8666. The engines are MTU 16V Series 2000-2000HP. If it burns 300gph, that's still less than the Lear in climb .
 
Used to have a boat. Aside form the certification hassles of aircraft, boats can cost as much as airplanes to own and use. And certification is becoming a hassle for homebuilt boats now, too.

Dan
 
Dan Thomas said:
Used to have a boat. Aside form the certification hassles of aircraft, boats can cost as much as airplanes to own and use. And certification is becoming a hassle for homebuilt boats now, too.

Dan
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One thing about boats that's a bit different than airplanes is that many folks enjoy their boats without (hardly) ever starting the engines. Their use is kinda like a summer cabin that on rare occasions can be driven around a bit. While entertaining for little while, somehow sitting in my airplane isn't quite as satisfying in the long run as rocking back with a drink and friends on the deck of a boat on the lake.
 
Lance F said:
...
Heckofa fishing boat. Any downsides other than maintenance?
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It all depends on what you want a boat for. Something like that is great for heading out into the ocean for a few days with your buddies, or for travelling from place to place, or even for living on.

But, if you just want a boat that you can drop overboard and go spend a few hours on in your local river, that ain't what you want. You can't really do things like waterskiing, you can't beach it somewhere you think you might want to get out and explore. You've also got to be reasonably competent at handling large objects in tight areas, or you're going to ruin your (and maybe someone else's) expensive toy.

So it all depends on what you want out of a boat. Me, I'll take that boat, a nice 20' inboard, and a 14' outboard. :)
 
gismo said:
One thing about boats that's a bit different than airplanes is that many folks enjoy their boats without (hardly) ever starting the engines. Their use is kinda like a summer cabin that on rare occasions can be driven around a bit. While entertaining for little while, somehow sitting in my airplane isn't quite as satisfying in the long run as rocking back with a drink and friends on the deck of a boat on the lake.
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That, too. There are a lot of yachts that won't leave their slips for years and, as a kid, it always left me wondering, "why even have it?"
 
Lance F said:
Got a peek at the boating world yesterday. I know there are boaters here, but I know nothing about this stuff.
Checked out a year old 63' Bertram the owner called a sport fishing cruiser or something like that. It was quite luxurious with 3 cabins, gorgeous salon and helm worthy of a biz jet. Bertram built it as a boat show demo, and it had everything option wise.
I really liked the 2 2,000HP 16 cylinder turbocharged engines. The boat will go 41 kts :D, but the fuel burn at that speed way not disclosed :yikes:.
The boat was in Ponta Verda, FL, and we flew a Lear 35 (making this aviation related) to see it.
Heckofa fishing boat. Any downsides other than maintenance?
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380 gallons per hour+generator fuel. It has 16v2000 MTU/Detroits in it and if you run it above 37 kts for a normal operating speed, you'll be putting crankshafts in it in about 400hrs. Bertrams used to be a good boat, but since they sold out to Rodriguez Group, they're pretty much fluffed up junk like all the other RG products.
 
tdager said:
Sailboats are not near as bad as powerboats...but you go a LOT slower! LOL
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Size for size, mile per mile, you can operate a diesel powered displacement hull boat for the same 10 year costs as a sail boat. You'll go slightly faster, consistently, and in any direction you want to go. Voyage times are considerably shorter as well. You also get more living space. Wind may be free, but sails and rigging sure as hell aren't, and most sailboats operate under power a majority of the time when travelling anyway.
 
Henning said:
380 gallons per hour+generator fuel. It has 16v2000 MTU/Detroits in it and if you run it above 37 kts for a normal operating speed, you'll be putting crankshafts in it in about 400hrs. Bertrams used to be a good boat, but since they sold out to Rodriguez Group, they're pretty much fluffed up junk like all the other RG products.
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So you're talking >$1,000/hr. to run the thing, when you factor in all of the other costs (insurance, etc.)?

Yeah...I'll stick with Boston Whalers. :)
 
Henning said:
Size for size, mile per mile, you can operate a diesel powered displacement hull boat for the same 10 year costs as a sail boat. You'll go slightly faster, consistently, and in any direction you want to go. Voyage times are considerably shorter as well. You also get more living space. Wind may be free, but sails and rigging sure as hell aren't, and most sailboats operate under power a majority of the time when travelling anyway.
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True...that is why I would LOVE one of these if I had the money:

http://www.boats.com/boat-details/Nordic-Tugs-42/17792181
 
Obi Heed Kenobi said:
That, too. There are a lot of yachts that won't leave their slips for years and, as a kid, it always left me wondering, "why even have it?"
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Bat Cave.... Where else you gonna take your hookers? It's a floating cocktail condo/weekend retreat/doghouse on the water. Plus if you're in a good marina, there's always good people around who will feed you and get you drunk.
 
Well, Lance; if you buy it you could inhale me through your exhaust, or just tow me as a tender. 19.5', Merc Cruiser 3.0 I/O. The first sail(?) of the year was on the ocean to Boothbay Region Boat Yard, around Southport Island and Cape Newagen.

Just playing around at never more than 1100 rpm and never above 25 mph: re-familiarization run.

HR

Oh, the lady in the other boat? Turned out to be the baby sitter for the race car driver and sign painter who had done my store signage years ago; and I hadn't see Jon Marsh in several years.

Qualifying clarification: And the young lady's boyfriend was along for the cruise in Jon's boat.
 

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Henning said:
Size for size, mile per mile, you can operate a diesel powered displacement hull boat for the same 10 year costs as a sail boat. You'll go slightly faster, consistently, and in any direction you want to go. Voyage times are considerably shorter as well. You also get more living space. Wind may be free, but sails and rigging sure as hell aren't, and most sailboats operate under power a majority of the time when travelling anyway.
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Interesting.

Is that also because you don't go in a straight line when you sail and are tacking back and forth? It is more fun to sail, though, at least for me.
 
And then it was time for a shake-down cruise.

Hendricks Head Lighthouse(Southport Island), en route to Boothbay; and a lovely ship at mooring.

HR
 

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tdager said:
True...that is why I would LOVE one of these if I had the money:

http://www.boats.com/boat-details/Nordic-Tugs-42/17792181
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Too slow and inefficient. You want something that can cut through its bow wave.

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Let me know when you're ready to build.

image010.jpg
 
Anthony said:
Interesting.

Is that also because you don't go in a straight line when you sail and are tacking back and forth? It is more fun to sail, though, at least for me.
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Sailing is a lot of fun (when there's wind) but not a very practical way of getting somewhere. Kinda like sailplane vs airplane. I used to sail a lot but don't get out much anymore despite having two small sailboats at my house. Most of my water time is spent on (or more likely behind) a boat like this:

http://tinyurl.com/nautique
 
Anthony said:
Interesting.

Is that also because you don't go in a straight line when you sail and are tacking back and forth? It is more fun to sail, though, at least for me.
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Sailing is fun until you have to get somewhere. Tacking has a lot to do with the time factor. On the professional level, sailing sucks because: Sailboat owners are genetically predisposed to being cheap and own sailboats because "wind is free". When I show them hard number comparisons they curl up in a fetal position with a bottle of Pusser's and mumble things about stinkpotters... The other related problem is that sailboats don't pay worth a crap because there are idiots willing to do if for room and board because "they love sailing" and cheap owners are glad to take them on at that.. It's like the regionals in the airline business.
 
Lance F said:
Any downsides other than maintenance?
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You mean other than slip fees, insurance, and paying the crew?

I would not buy a 63' boat as a first-time boat owner without having at least a professional captain on board. It would be a situation similar to a first-time aircraft owner buying a PC-12. Lots of ways to get yourself hurt or hurt others that you don't know about yet. Lots of ways to pour money down a hole that you don't know about yet, either. Step into the water gradually or get a pro to help.

As with planes, if one were to purchase this boat one would want a thorough pre-buy. Around boats those are called a "marine survey". The insurance company is going to demand one anyway.
 
Henning said:
Sailing is fun until you have to get somewhere. Tacking has a lot to do with the time factor. On the professional level, sailing sucks because: Sailboat owners are genetically predisposed to being cheap and own sailboats because "wind is free". When I show them hard number comparisons they curl up in a fetal position with a bottle of Pusser's and mumble things about stinkpotters... The other related problem is that sailboats don't pay worth a crap because there are idiots willing to do if for room and board because "they love sailing" and cheap owners are glad to take them on at that.. It's like the regionals in the airline business.
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Very interesting. Never thought of the "wind is free" = cheap thing, but that does make sense. Yeah, the guys I used to know that did the sailing thing for hire were all pretty much "Cap'n Ron" types. Not our Cap'n Ron, of course, but the one Kurt Russel played.

Lance. I hear ya. We ended up running the engine some of the time on the sail boat so we could get to a dock at a decent hour for an overnight.
 
gismo said:
Sailing is a lot of fun (when there's wind) but not a very practical way of getting somewhere. Kinda like sailplane vs airplane. I used to sail a lot but don't get out much anymore despite having two small sailboats at my house. Most of my water time is spent on (or more likely behind) a boat like this:
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This one works for me (plus I don't have to pay for anything...):

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(Don't get many good pictures of the boat you are on...)
 

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Anthony said:
Very interesting. Never thought of the "wind is free" = cheap thing, but that does make sense.
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The wind may be free, but sails ain't. And if you aren't buying new kevlar / carbon / mylar / unobtainium sails on a regular basis, you aren't winning races.
 
the wind may be free, but with a screwed up back like I've got (I'm walking with a cane since yesterday) I can't see me being able to reliably do what MUST be done on a sailboat - back goes out in a storm and I can't respond, that's worse than an oops... :( I love sailboats, too. :(
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
The wind may be free, but sails ain't. And if you aren't buying new kevlar / carbon / mylar / unobtainium sails on a regular basis, you aren't winning races.
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Oh, I know. I meant "wind is free" = OWNER is cheap. I know that sales, rigging and everything else on a sale boat means large $$$.
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
Black River in Port Huron Mi.
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Is that like a mile south of the Blue Water Bridge? I think I have been there but I don't remember the marina looking that nice. Of course that might be due to the 40+ years elapsed. I grew up living on Lake St Clair and ran all over the lake and river in my misspent youth.
 
gismo said:
Is that like a mile south of the Blue Water Bridge? I think I have been there but I don't remember the marina looking that nice. Of course that might be due to the 40+ years elapsed. I grew up living on Lake St Clair and ran all over the lake and river in my misspent youth.
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Yup. And it's changed a lot over the last half a dozen years.
 
John Baker said:
I think half the boats in San Diego Bay are owned by people who live in Phoenix, Arizona. Summer homes.

John
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More than half.... 97% of boats in San Diego never leave their slips, yet have a professional maintainer come once or twice a month to clean and get waxed a couple times a year. They get used on the three summer holiday weekends as cocktail condos. What happens is people buy them with the "Sunny Southern California, Bikinis and Beaches" lie firmly implanted in their heads from the Hollywood portrayal. "Look Mabel, it's Sunny and 72 every day in San Diego" They don't realize that it's cold as hell on the water there. It is the best place to buy boats though. You get great deals on low use boats that see reasonable maintenance.
 
Henning said:
More than half.... 97% of boats in San Diego never leave their slips, yet have a professional maintainer come once or twice a month to clean and get waxed a couple times a year. They get used on the three summer holiday weekends as cocktail condos. What happens is people buy them with the "Sunny Southern California, Bikinis and Beaches" lie firmly implanted in their heads from the Hollywood portrayal. "Look Mabel, it's Sunny and 72 every day in San Diego" They don't realize that it's cold as hell on the water there. It is the best place to buy boats though. You get great deals on low use boats that see reasonable maintenance.
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I lived on my sailboat for twelve years in San Diego Bay while I built my business. I was in my thirties and early fourties. I really had a good time. True, in the winter it would get downright chilly, frost on the docks and such, but most live aboards have heaters. It was downright cozy once you got settled in for the night. I was in a slip, so I had electrical and telephone hook ups. Cell phones were still in the lab in those days.

John
 
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