Thank you all for chiming in. I love this forum, and the good people who are here. Wish I had found it a long time ago.
Here are my thoughts, I'm just going to brain dump my thoughts.
Mission 1: Fish the Fall, double or triple the amount of days.
I'm not going to use the boat for commercial fishing, or charter fishing, even though we do try to fish at least 40 days a season. We fish more than almost any other Rec boat I know of, and we love to fish the fall the most...where we get our @$$ kicked on my current 30' sport boat. Anything gusting to 20 or more and it’s pretty miserable. That's mission 1: Fish the fall, and don't worry about gusts to 20 or even 30. This is why I’m pretty stuck on a DE boat. Fished a good friend of mine’s 36 BHM in 10-11 footers in the Shark tournament years back…that was my first adult experience on a real DE boat…and my jaw was on the floor with how comfortable, and how safe it was even in those conditions.
Mission 2: Similar Maintenance & Running Expenses
I currently maintain 2 Yanmar 6lp engines (315hp), and get about 1 mpg at 21-22knt cruise. Most days in the fall, I can’t make 22kts, (more like 17-18kts and .8mpg) so it’s kind of a moot point to have all that HP when the ocean conditions and the hull won’t let you use it! I’d be crazy happy with a 19-20knt cruise around 1 mpg. If I bought more of a “sport boat” I’d get the condo replacement that I’m looking for more easily, but I’d still have to maintain 2 engines, and the fuel burn with increase dramatically than what I currently burn. My boat doesn’t sit at the dock, so operational and maintenance expenses are a very serious consideration. This is why I’m pretty stuck on a DE boat as a 42’er has the same maintenance and running costs as my 30’, with half the motors to maintain, and a pretty close fuel burn at 19kts. Sure you lose some speed, but I’m not in a hurry, and my wallet isn’t either. 19-20kts, and I’m good. (.7 to .9 mpg at cruise)
Mission 3: Real Canyon’s or Georges Range
I could bring fuel and get my boat to the canyons on a nice set of days, but I couldn’t help but feel that’s just too far on my present boat. I’ve been out to the canyons on dozens of other boats and I’d feel like I was tricking my boat into doing it. This is why I’m pretty stuck on a DE boat.
Mission 4: Do One Well (Small Condo + Small Boat)
There is enough money to do two poorly, or one well. Pretty simple. I don’t have kids yet, the girl hates going fishing, and the only people who ever stay at the cape house are my friends going fishing with me in the morning. I don’t think a boat at 42’ will straight replace the condo, but if it gets close, then I’d pull the trigger. As it stands now, the 30’ isn’t even close to replacing the house, so I’m not even going to try.
I haven’t looked at building one new…I just summarily assumed that if the boat I want is at my budget when it’s 8 years old, then I couldn’t built it new.
IDEALLY: I’d want a full size bed forward, with a tight set of mates bunks to port with a door, a full sized head/shower all on 42’. Which would mean that it would steal space from the “normal” kitchen found on a 42’. This configuration is commonplace on a 45 sportie, but much more rare on a 42. I think that would be my “ideal boat.” Finding it used and affordable is the challenge we all face.
