Ten Year Plan!!! oh, but the fuel...

I am constantly being pulled to spend more time on the water.

I just got a C248 last summer and have regretted zero hours spent on board, either anchored, at a marina, or even dry.

Not sure I would ever want to be FT live-aboard but I could imagine years ranging from 60/40 to 40/60. I have two great kids, 8 and 12.The youngest really likes all things boats, so she's all in. My older daughter likes being onboard, but doesn't have "it" the same way. Who knows what happens when they grow up.

In the meantime I imagine a future...

My boat is so nice. Fairly easy to trailer, launch/retrieve, and store. Super fun to operate, dock, fish, explore. Big enough to handle all the weather I want to be "boated" in and then some.

Looking at Meridians and all boats that size and up, I'm not sure I want to trade the type of experience I get at the helm of a smaller boat for large boat amenities, even if I have a good dinghy.

But then, I would love to have a second stateroom that I could use for an office, I still work FT 100% remote and want to for another 15 years plus. It would be nice to have a couch, semi-normal shower, and a bed where I could put my feet over the side, even if it's just that bottom 1/3. A better galley.

So there are a ton of boats that fit that bill, including the Fluid Motion family. I was looking at the Nimbus 305 recently and that seems like a good size.

But how in the world are we going to pay for the fuel when it's 80% more than what it is now? That will be a huge change.


Is Fluid Motion going to make a hybrid inboard?

The Greenline 42 hybrid seems like it is in the niche. If it's good weather you can enjoy a nice electric cruise from anchorage to anchorage. If you need more speed or power switch to diesel.

What do you all think?

🙂

There is a lot to unpack here.

I'm not sure if fuel has ever been more than 20% of my total yearly costs of owning a boat. There are so many other things, moorage, insurance, maintenance, upgrades that while it hurts going to the fuel dock, it shouldn't be the only factor when picking a boat. Sailing isn't free either, sails are thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars.

Fluid Motion is down to 3 (R29/31/43 I think, zero CW) with inboards diesels. While Volvo is working on hybrids, a natural partner and supplier, I don't think they would fit into a R29 or R31 given the engine bay size, perhaps they would fit on the 43. With that said, all new boats that Fluid Motion has launched in the last several years have been outboards. It would be a radical change of course for them, in addition it would limit the ability to go on a trailer due to the increased weight of the batteries.

I think hybrids are great for quiet hull speed cruising for a dinner cruise and long stays on anchor, but I wouldn't buy them for the fuel savings, the systems are expensive to start with and have few people who know how to repair them. Go read folks on Trawler Forum or other sites complaining about what to do with their Greenline systems after 10 years. The batteries are either dead, or the custom clutch is malfunctioning. I'm sure things will improve, especially as these systems become more mainstream, but I think a lot of people like the simplicity and reliability of FM boats.

I'll let someone else deal with first adopter issues.

PS. I think the Greenline 45 galley was smaller (the 40/41 were even worse) than my 31, what's the point of being on anchor if I don't have room to cook?

I wouldn't assume a diesel boat is less fuel efficient than your Yamaha, though it will go slower. My R29 burned about 13-14 gph at cruising speed (16 ish knots). My 43 is around 21 gph.

Fuel is not my largest boating expense.

I average 9gph operating the boat over a boating season, between 100 and 200 hours annually.

9gph at 100 hours = 900 gallons of gas.
$5/gal and I spend $4,500.
$6/gal and I spend $5,400.

If gas doubled and was $10/gal, I think the impact would affect society commuting to/from work on land more than it would impact boating.

Volvo D4 320. I just did the calculations on my last 100 hours. 225 gals burned (including 4 hours on the Webasto). I paid close to $8/gl. most of the time. I averaged 7-8 knots. Easy math is 2.25gph. But as a wise man once said "Last one home's a rotten egg!"

Thank you everyone! To be clear, I think every drop of fuel is worth it.

I've been out in Umi Nami since Tuesday. Two nights on anchor, then Thursday, Friday, and tonight at the guest dock at Squalicum. All the minutes have been fantastic.

When I was in elementary school my parents took me sailing many weekends on the Pamlico in NC. Being in the marina and listening to everyone's rigging at night is one of my absolute favorite memories. I hadn't realized how much that was in my blood until my family moved to Bellingham in 2019. Previous to that I had been inland and my boating was fishing from a float tube or kayak. Actually, previous to this last move to Bellingham I was in Hawaii and my "boat" was a snorkel, weight belt, and fins.

When we moved here I lucked into a very nice 19' Cdory Angler with a zero hour DF70. I had never had a motor boat before and felt like Prometheus.

After a great 2 night trip in that boat with my 7 year old, I realized I needed something in the next category up. The boat show highlighted Cutwaters for me, and here I am.

So I still need to run fuel/mileage numbers. This will be year 2, and is going to be much more representative of what I want the next ten years (plus) to look like.

I think I'm going to be able to slow down on upgrades once I get that fancy Channel Surfing prop. After that I might drop big money on back canvas or a remote, but IMHO those get lumped into the total cost of the actual boat.

I'm able to store dry at Sudden Valley, so that's not much $$.

And if I pay off my loan, the yearly interest saved will go a long way. Quite a long way honestly. Ha.

There's still the question of the next boat though, and when/how/what that will be. My guess is that having a meaningful increase to interior footage and comfort (shower, work desk) is going to mean either 1) a triple axle and very short/easy tow plus a dedicated truck (I currently only own 1 vehicle), or 2) a slip.

At some point getting a slip is probably going to make the most sense, in which case I should get on a wait list sooner rather than later.