Jimmy Buffett just bought a New Sail/Gamefishing Boat,...motorsailer

Discussion in 'Motorsailers' started by brian eiland, Nov 21, 2015.

  1. brian eiland
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    brian eiland Senior Member

    My suggestion,...don't treat your project as a business. Boatbuilding and marketing is a very tough business. I know,...and take a look around at the number of failures compared to the successes. Its particularly tough in the upper size ranges where each individual wants something different. Look at yourself, and how many different designs variations you have wandered thru trying to reach a decision.

    Build yourself a boat you can afford and go off and have some FUN with it,....much more rewarding! ..and while you are still young enough to do it,...and unattached to be able to do it.

    Hey maybe you could set up a shop to build these pre-cut kits for other folks that don't want to do it themselves. Much less up-front investment, and much less capital tied up. And MUCH less troublesome trying to meet Euro standards to sell to a Euro client.
     
  2. jorgepease
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    jorgepease Senior Member

    I hear you Brian, but I already made the mistake of building one home built boat and it's ok because it was relatively low dollar but something like this, is going to be built as a business to CE specs, with warranty, manual etc...

    Once built however, enjoying is the name of the game and my market is mainly going to be people I know or meet while sailing around. I am def not going to turn my love of boats into a rat race business, I just want to make sure I get full resale value.

    Also I want dual citizenship, access to EU markets is just a side benefit. Most of my friends are scattered across the globe, starting a business helps me with all the paperwork. I have another design which I have sleeked out a bit. I am in love with it but I am scared to show it to you lol. Will post it once I take it further. Cheers
     
  3. brian eiland
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    brian eiland Senior Member

    Here's an interesting few observations by a fellow over on SailingAnarchy

     
  4. brian eiland
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    brian eiland Senior Member

    Well... the primary winches appear to be inside the cabin, right next to the helm :?:

    [​IMG]
     
  5. brian eiland
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    brian eiland Senior Member

    couple more comments from SailingAnarchy

     
  6. brian eiland
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    brian eiland Senior Member

    Some good observations to keep in mind...

     
  7. jorgepease
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    jorgepease Senior Member

    I disagree with maint issues. He has the dividing wall or canvas, the rest of the stuff outside is like any other boat and Buffett will have a primo covered slip anyway. The two props issue?? I wouldn't have one without two props, he probably will motor most of the time and sail slowly when he is trolling. The draft is def the worst part of this design if he wants to drift across the flats and visit sandbars.
     
  8. brian eiland
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    brian eiland Senior Member

    But a soft canvas is not going to keep out any petty thief of perhaps you navigation instrumentation, etc, that might be located up at that helm station. Then again this is going to be a tough job to guard against in any 'open boat configuration'.

    You have to believe that any boat like this is NOT always (hopefully) going to be housed at just one particular nice homeport covered slip. And hopefully it will find time to be out in a variety of outdoor settings and geographically different locations (off the beaten path you might say).

    I want to consider both a single and dual prop design in this 'alternative vessel'. I think there are a number of folks that could well get along on a single-engine / single-prop configuration, particularly if it was a 'steerable prop'. Plus there is a lot of space, and weight, and, maintenance, and initial cost savings involved with a good single engine installation.

    Shallow draft is a BIGGY,...if you really like to fish the flats on occasions, or just go gunk holing/exploring. or maybe go explore all those MANY little islands surrounding Cuba for instance. Or how about exploring the world's second largest reef, the one off Belize/Cancun.
     
  9. brian eiland
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    brian eiland Senior Member

    Speaking of single engine installation possibilities, I just ran across this old posting of mine,...

     
  10. jorgepease
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    jorgepease Senior Member

    maybe, but I still think that keel was the biggest mistake.
     
  11. brian eiland
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    brian eiland Senior Member

    Chain or Carbon Mesh door/gate to inner deckhouse

    Here's a crazy thought,...what if you had a deckhouse somewhat similar to that one on the Earthling catamaran above, and that aft opening could be closed off with a 'chain mesh/carbon mesh' gate affair :?:
     
  12. jorgepease
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    jorgepease Senior Member

    I have been thinking about stuff like that, gates which just roll away into the roof like commercial storefronts have. Just have to be something lightweight.
     
  13. brian eiland
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    brian eiland Senior Member

    Shallow Draft is KING

    Surfari is a tidy build and interesting design, BUT I don't think it is really the correct boat for him.

    From all I have read, he REALLY likes to fish the 'flats' ...bonefish and other sporting varieties.

    That vessel with its twin props, weighted keel/draft, non-kick-up rudders, is not a vessel that he is going to be comfortable taking into shallow water. My guess he will get nervous as it approaches 7-8 foot of depth. And if you go aground in that thing, you are STUCK



    Shallow Draft is KING
    On another occasion I did a trip with a Louisiane 37 catamaran that drew 19 inches of water with the CB's up and the rudders kicked up.

    I took that same Louisiane 37 catamaran down along the backside of the outer islands of Cape Hatteras, NC,.....Pamlico Sound,.... (there were times we were pulling the boat along while walking the shallows....what a great trip that was). I'm sure there are not many boats of that size that have ever made that trip,...particularly the portion from Orcacoke down to Beaufort

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  14. brian eiland
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    brian eiland Senior Member

    Louisiane 37 catamaran

    This is the 37 foot Louisiane catamaran I am speaking about, ...not bad accommodations for a 37 foot cat.

    It had twin double berths, twin heads, saloon area (bit smallest), kick-up centerboards, kick-up rudders, and a retractable 9.9 4-stroke outboard that could drive it at 7.5 knots.
     

    Attached Files:


  15. brian eiland
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    brian eiland Senior Member

    Shallow Draft is KING, again

    I wonder how long it will be before he puts that 6.5 draft vessel aground. And when you do that with a monohull vessel you become more firmly aground as your heel is decreased....you're stuck.

    SHALLOW DRAFT is KING
    I can't emphasis SHALLOW DRAFT enough. Here I am defining shallow draft as 4 feet or less. The Chesapeake Bay (America's largest inland water bay) has a few navigable deep water channels, but the vast majority of its area is 4.5 feet of water or less on average. If you truly want to explore the Chesapeake Bay and its many tributaries (one of the truly great cruising areas), you better have a shallow draft vessel.

    Ditto for the Outer Banks of NC (I once did them in a 37 foot sailing cat that I could kick up its CB's and rudders to draft only 19 inches). Its nice to have a shallow draft for the Florida keys, and the 10,000 island area of SW Florida, and those inside waterway passages of the west coast of Florida.


    Gunkholing is so much fun, and you miss some of this fun when your vessel draws too much water....you end up passing many delightful spots for fear of running aground.

    And don't forget the Bahamas that whole chain of islands is structured on a shallow ocean shelf that is a delight to go cruising across rather than around, especially with those crystal clear waters. Shallow draft is king!

    I would suggest a vessel with shallow draft and well protected props and shaft systems. The protected props and shafts will save you a lot of heartache and money when you make those few mistakes that many new boaters (and a few of us older ones as well) make on occasions.
     
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