Re: 23-24 Ft Cruiser recommendations for the Adriatic Sea
I agree with your first post when you claimed that a 23'-24' cabin cruiser would be ideal. If you could find a used Seaswirl from 2001-2002 24' you would be happy I'd bet.
Here is the lowdown. My parents are going to retire and spend 2-3 months on the Croatian islands in a couple of years. They want to buy the boat now. They like boats but are not avid boaters. I am and for me the bigger the better as it gives me more options. Adriatic Sea - where my family is from - is not as rough as the ocean, but its certainly not as calm as a lake. While (inbetween islands) I do not think any waves (unless a big storm) are big enough to flip the boat over, the winds do change and it can get quiet choppy.
The primary purpose of the boat is to get us between islands and all the little islands in between. They do not fish and there are no small kids that go on the boat. They have an apartment on the island so overnighting is not an issue for the most part. They also do not watersport, but it does not mean
1. First I suggested getting a RIB Inflatable like a Zodiac because its easy to maintain. However, on the choppy seas over there I doubt they will enjoy coming back and getting splashed. Also the RIBs are small and there is not space to bring friends and cruise, or lay down and sunbathe when cruising. And RIBs are not well know for their longevity therefore they ruled it out.
2. We looked at 24-25ft crusiers but I think it might be too much of a boat for my father to handle. He has been around boats but he is not that into it (like me). I think a smaller boat will be easier to handle which is a big plus for him. Also, once we get into the 25ft category its a problem with Marina space and storage on the island especially in the winter. With a smaller boat we can get a space easier to store in a cover somewhere safe from winds (can tie it to corpo-morto (I am not sure what it is in English but that's what it is in Croatian) and then use a small dingy to get to it.
3. A boat versus inflatable is good and they prefer a cabin because of the choppy seas and the ability to store electronics and other goods in there when returning home against the winds. Also, as they get older they like to take afternoon naps while others are swimming/snorkling away. Therefore a Cuddy Cabin would be ideal.
The budget is approximately $25-$34k for a like new (3-4 years old) boat that is troublefree at least for the initial duration.
I really really like the Grady white and can see how this is something that we can keep for a long time. However, when compared against a Sea Ray 215 (or equivalent leisure boat competitor) it's not the most practical. I can see that it has most space optimized for Fishing and there isn't a lot of space to load up guests, drink coffee, or just sunbath. It is a type of boat I'd take out in challenging seas and go out and fight the waves in, but this is not their cup of tea. Also the outboard engine is ok but as far as sea access etc the inboard seems to be more optimized use of space for diving and swimming.
I wonder if there is a compromise.
The give a comparison - most local boats in Croatia are about 20-25ft with a Cuddy cabin and a smaller built in engine (like 25hp diesel). They are not cruisers but they are big and sturdy enough to go when the seas get rough. Speed is not a factor there but it's nice to have a boat that can get us fast where we want to. Most of the local boats aren't produced anymore and are quiet old and would be difficult to maintain.
Tomorrow we are going to go and look at the Leisure Sea Ray at our local dealer. Then we will also see a Grady White at another dealer hopefully over the weekend.
I will report my results back but if there are other boat types with 20-22 ft long with a small cabin that are neither fishing and leisure I am open to suggestions.
Thanks!
