Cruising dreams and plans.

[ksanders]

I’m an admitted wanna be cruiser. I love boats, and harbors, and life on the water.

When we traded our fantastic 2859 Bayliner for our 4788 Bayliner in 2011 the goal was, and is to use it as a exploration platform. Right now we are using our boat to make “local” trips out of our home port of Seward Alaska. My work allows an incredible amount of time off, and we utilize that time off to stay on the hook for about a week at a time.

The plan post retirement is to use the bost to explore the west coast. I would love nothing more than to harbor hop our way south, one harbor at a time, spending a week or more at each location exploring. Places like Southern Canada, and the California Delta, and all the little towns along the way are our goal.

So...

What are your cruising plans?
Do you intend to upsize as you age to allow more time cruising?
Do you intend to cruise locally, or go exploring?

I know of several people on the BOC that live aboard in the summer and winter in a warmer location. Does that sound interesting to you?

[yachtman]

I am from Washington State. I have always wanted to cruise to Alaska and back but I cant.do that until I retire which will probably never happen.

I now cruise locally Washington inland lakes and San Juan islands, Canadian coast. I would also like to move up to a 40's ft something boat but that also won't happen until I can have more time to spend on it. Maybe a 40 foot avanti , I love the wellcraft portofino 43 foot.

[Download_Complete]

I am buying a boat in February-ish timeframe, and I am buying a 21 foot trailered bowrider. I also see myself as a cruiser, or more specifically, a trailer boat vacation-taker. I plan on taking trailer-vacations down to Kentucky Lake and the south east where I can rent lake cabins with a dock. I also want to get back up to the 1000 Islands where I grew up, and also up to Canada to my stepfather's cottage for a week or two.

I don't see me upsizing. I have experience in 18 footers, 24 footers, and given the above, I have put a lot effort into shopping for a new boat that is compact enough to accomplish the above while still offering big boat features. I am approaching this next purchase as my last, or nearly last boat I intend on purchasing. I plan on keeping the boat VERY long term.

I want to cruise locally AND go exploring. Having a boat on a trailer will allow me to, for instance, haul down to the Keys if I wanted to.

[Mocoondo]

Aggressively shopping diesel trawlers at the moment with the goal of starting the Great Loop fall of 2018, or later, depending upon where the boat is located. Already had one on contract but it failed to survey so the search continues. It’s a bucket list item that I want to do while I am young enough to enjoy it and the logistics right now make the next couple years a perfect window of opportunity.

[ksanders]

I would LOVE to do the great loop!

I won’t say it’s on theretirement plan list, more like the retirement hope list.

Here in Alaska many of our neighbors snowbird. Most own a second home with Arizona being the popular destinatin due to it’s relativly inexpensive prices coupled with it’s mild winter (Nov-March) weather. We have looked at Arizona and just cannot see ourselves parking there for the winter.

Our boat is our second home, a snowbird home we can move anywhere along the west coast we choose.

I really like Santa Barbera, Morro Bay, Monterey, places like that.

We looked at San Diego and it’s just too big city for us, although we really liked Buena Vista marina.

We have also heard great thngs about the little towns on the California delta, but we have never been there ourselves.

This is one we are going to have see how it shakes out.

[Jim_Gandee]

My buddy and I are planning to cruise his 5788 from Long Beach, Ca. to Florida via the Panama Canal starting next November. The stars have to align but that’s the plan thus far. Can’t wait to get to the warm, clear waters of the Caribbean!

[Jeffw]

We hope to cruise all eight of the Channel Islands off the SoCal coast. I've been out to Anacapa twice, and Tara and I have been to Catalina many times. We can do this island hopping with our 2858, but we think a 3988 would be so much more comfortable and enjoyable. Just trying to find the right one, stay tuned...

[Download_Complete]

I would LOVE to do the great loop!

I won’t say it’s on theretirement plan list, more like the retirement hope list.

Here in Alaska many of our neighbors snowbird. Most own a second home with Arizona being the popular destinatin due to it’s relativly inexpensive prices coupled with it’s mild winter (Nov-March) weather. We have looked at Arizona and just cannot see ourselves parking there for the winter.

Our boat is our second home, a snowbird home we can move anywhere along the west coast we choose.

I really like Santa Barbera, Morro Bay, Monterey, places like that.

We looked at San Diego and it’s just too big city for us, although we really liked Buena Vista marina.

We have also heard great thngs about the little towns on the California delta, but we have never been there ourselves.

This is one we are going to have see how it shakes out.

The Cali delta is one place I would love to see.

FOr those of you who do the Great Loop, DO NOT skip the 1000 Islands in the St. Lawrence. You could spend an entire summer there and not see everything.

I am too far away from retirement to even think about it. I would love to do the Great Loop, but I think what I would like to do more is targeted vacations with a trailer boat. Want to go to the 1000 Islands? It's a 1 day drive. The FLorida Keys? 2 days. The Lake of the Woods up on the MN/Canada border? Snap your fingers and off you go.

[bobofthenorth]

We downsized into our current 2755 from a 43 Defever. Before we bought the Defever we were strongly advised to buy a 4788. I never regretted buying the Defever until it came time to sell. Selling a known item like a Bayliner would have been a lot easier. We cruised the Defever to Alaska twice - the photo is from North Sandy Cove in Glacier Bay which was one of our favorite anchorages. Once I get done refurbing the 2755 we plan to cruise the canals in eastern Canada. Eventually we'll likely trailer it to Prince Rupert and return to Alaska. Crossing Dixon Entrance at 20+ knots will be a lot more enjoyable than doing it at 6 knots.

[nwboater62]

In about Two years I will be in the market for a 4788 and will be a live aboard here in the great PNW and will travel the San Juan's and Canadian waters (as I do now) and plan to make the inside passage trip North.

[fritzman]

My short term plan is back to Ketchikan AK, I travel by road to Prince Rupert and then splash the boat in to cross the Dixon and up for a bit of fishing and perhaps, up north it depends of other potential crew members having the time, the Admiral will not go is there is a 6inch ripple on the water.

[ksanders]

My buddy and I are planning to cruise his 5788 from Long Beach, Ca. to Florida via the Panama Canal starting next November. The stars have to align but that’s the plan thus far. Can’t wait to get to the warm, clear waters of the Caribbean!

That will truly be the trip of a lifetime.

[ksanders]

The Cali delta is one place I would love to see.

FOr those of you who do the Great Loop, DO NOT skip the 1000 Islands in the St. Lawrence. You could spend an entire summer there and not see everything.

I am too far away from retirement to even think about it. I would love to do the Great Loop, but I think what I would like to do more is targeted vacations with a trailer boat. Want to go to the 1000 Islands? It's a 1 day drive. The FLorida Keys? 2 days. The Lake of the Woods up on the MN/Canada border? Snap your fingers and off you go.

I see a cabin cruiser in your future. Perfect for getting on the water with the family. We loved our 2859’s and our 2452. Perfect boats for camping!

[Download_Complete]

I see a cabin cruiser in your future. Perfect for getting on the water with the family. We loved our 2859’s and our 2452. Perfect boats for camping!

I won't lie....that's where my heart lies. I would love a fast twin engine express cruiser on a trailer, but that starts getting into REALLY big money.

I do have recurring dreams of a 1988 2955 Avanti with full canvas, a refub, and twin Volvo V8 350s with AQ series Duoprops....that would be fun.

My dad lives out near Dubuque IA on the Upper Mississippi. That's a boat camping mecca.....tons of sandy beach islands to pull up on, build a fire, and spend the weekend there.

[shade2u2]

In the next couple of years I hope to cruise from Ohio to Louisville & from Ohio to Pittsburgh in the other direction.
I hope to make the trip from Ohio to the gulf in the future. That will probably be in my next boat (37-41).