Our shopping spree starts in Mobile, Alabama. After a long cold Harley ride to Mobile this is what I found. A nice 87 Ocean Alexander. It looked like a keeper until I got into the engine room. What a mess. Seems the owner didn't know what maintenance was all about. So we will pass on this one.
We heard about this fresh water Michigan boat that just arrived in Palmetto. What else are you going to do on a rainy day. This one had been redecorated inside but far from our liking. We'll keep looking.
After looking at several local boats we drove to the East Coast and looked at this 90 Offshore that was described in the listing as Pristine. Well, it might have been pristine a few years ago when the ad was placed but she needed a lot of TLC to bring her back in shape. We'll pass on this one too.
Next on the list is a 96 Nova Tech. A high end Taiwan built boat with a good reputation. This one however, was not what we were looking for. Learning that in 2001 several major modifications were made to make this model more user friendly. The fact that it was an "Aft Cabin" style boat (not what we want)..........We kept looking....
Another Nova Tech, this one a later version with the improvements. Only problem is it was too new to fit the budget. Also, this one in North Carolina was a little too rough for the asking price. So we moved on.
This 90 Nordic Yacht 50 footer really caught our attention while in North Carolina. It was the style of boat we were looking for and priced within our budget, had reliable engines, and was well built by a company in Washington state. Only problem, it had been upgraded by the owner and some things just weren't done to standards. We won't go any further with this one.
We were hoping to get our hooks into this beautiful 86 Ocean Alexander Pilot House. Did a lot of research on this model, very desirable lay-out and just the style we are looking for. We made an offer sight unseen but the owner would not budge. The engines would need overhaul soon so we made a low ball price. It was beautiful but we passed based on the future expense of overhauls.
We found "Braveheart" in Athens, Alabama. A very unique boat built in NW Canada for the rough waters of the West Coast. This same company "Canoe Cove" built several of these hulls for the Royal Canadian Navy and Patrol Boats. Very tough built boat but not cruiser friendly.
On the road after leaving North Carolina. Found a nice 90 Offshore Yachtfisher on the Tennessee River that we just had to go see. Stayed at this beautiful campground on the river while making arrangements to see the boat.
This gorgeous 90 Offshore Yacht Fish was my favorite so far. Even though it was an Aft Cabin style I still liked it enough to tolerate the multiple steps. She was all original, 3208 Cat engines, low hours, teak interior, nice. Boat was hauled out a few weeks later and determined that the hull was severely delaminated and blistered. Estimated cost to repair hull = $30K to $40K. This is what can happen to an otherwise great boat when it's bottom isn't painted regularly.......We passed again.
Sixteen boats later we find our dreamboat. She is a 2005 Navigator 5300. She came outfitted just the way we would have done it. Complete with 11 foot Boston Whaler tender with 25hp Mercury engine, a 900 gallon per day water maker, 10kw generator, Inverter, and more options than I can list here but set up primarily for offshore and island cruising. Can't wait to put this jewel on the high seas.
Both upper and lower helm stations outfitted with E120 Raymarine Chartplotters, Auto-Pilot, Bow Thrusters, VHF, Tri-Data, and Digital Engine Controls.
She passed her survey and sea trial in flying colors. No blisters or delimitation on this one. Twin Volvo diesels checked out good, everything up to par. We'll take this one.....damn we're picky....
