How Big Can You Go?

[birchhaven]

Why a hatteras if you are trying to use it live aboard? Why not consider a large house boat like you would see on lakes out west? They seem to have tons of real livings space, I would argue they are more efficient living space per linear foot, than a traditional boat like a hatteras. So you could get a 60' house boat and actually have more space than a 80' hatteras. Also at 60' I would not worry about waves even tho it is a house boat.
I have always wondered why there are not any big ones on this lake like you see out west.

[MikeF-NH]

not trying to sell you on anything but I would think that if I had the money for an 80 foot yacht on Winni and another yacht on the ocean, and I was concerned about cramping a family of 5, I would consider a roomy house on an island or the mainlain (with island living being less expensive but also less convenient). then purchase one large boat for family recreation and a smaller runabout style boat for "running errands".

The hassles associated with boat living (particularly dealing with gray and black water) would just turn me away from this as well as living in a marina with people walking all around me at all hours. Note that marinas can also get busy very early in the morning as fishermen launch to get out for salmon at 5AM. At least in a house, you would have privacy and some peace.

That said, you seem determined for the 80 footer. I'm sure it will be a character building experience for you. Your second issue may be trying to sell it....what was the saying "The two happiest days of my life were - the day I bought it and the day I sold it".

[MMGTG]

Wow. Thanks for all the great comments. I hear all the pros and cons. Heck just getting it there might be crazy. Not saying no to a house boat either and I did recently see some show on discovery that showed some amazing new options for these. Certainly worth a look.

I do have a slip picked out for the Hatteras so docking is no problem. Everything else is the issue.

I hear the argument for the mainland options. Its just not the way we want to go. The boat can be moved house cannot...

Certainly interested in entertaining any other great ideas for living aboard! Thanks again for the warm welcome and varied responses from all!

[jrc]

If you are serious, I would call Silver Sands.

[RTTOOL]

Originally Posted by MMGTG

Wow. Thanks for all the great comments. I hear all the pros and cons. Heck just getting it there might be crazy. Not saying no to a house boat either and I did recently see some show on discovery that showed some amazing new options for these. Certainly worth a look.

I do have a slip picked out for the Hatteras so docking is no problem. Everything else is the issue.

I hear the argument for the mainland options. Its just not the way we want to go. The boat can be moved house cannot...

Certainly interested in entertaining any other great ideas for living aboard! Thanks again for the warm welcome and varied responses from all!

IF you get it here i like to captain it for you..to show you the lake at no charge.. RT..

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by MMGTG

The boat can be moved house cannot...

I think you're vastly over-estimating just how many practical locations you could move to.

You can't anchor overnight anywhere on the lake.
You can't overnight on a mooring.
None of the town docks allow overnight docking, or for the most part docking for more than a few hours.
There are a limited number of marinas that could accommodate something that large.
Due to the general nature of the lake, none of the marinas are really setup for a typical "transient" slip rental by the week (to my knowledge).

It seems to me like you've formed a flawed plan (no offense) and are hell bent on trying to make it work. You'll also find selling a vessel that size will be nearly impossible, so I hope you plan to keep it for a very long time, or also pay to have it removed when you go to sell it.

Sorry if I sound harsh, but I think that you're overshooting the practical maximum size by about 30'. Heck, you might even be better off just renting a house each season for the foreseeable future. You could experience many different locations that way, and my guess is it would take 12+ years before the cost of renting overtook the cost of purchasing, moving, and docking an 80' boat.

[Happy Gourmand]

I have just one question....

Can I drive it?

[NoBozo]

What Amazes me is how many people here actually believe this guy. Do any of you have any idea how much an 80' Hatteras costs..?? I don't know but will guess 7-10 Million. Anyone with the capability to buy something like that.... has more sence than to do something like he is suggesting.

OH WAIT: This must be Justin Beiber.. NB

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by NoBozo

What Amazes me is how many people here actually believe this guy. Do any of you have any idea how much an 80' Hatteras costs..?? I don't know but will guess 7-10 Million. Anyone with the capability to buy something like that.... has more sence than to do something like he is suggesting.

OH WAIT: This must be Justin Beiber.. NB

You can get a used sportdeck from the 90's in the 70' range for under $1Mil.

[ITD]

It holds almost 3,000 gallons of diesel, that's probably as large as most marina's storage tanks. You wouldn't have to worry about the speed limits, the hull speed is probably about 10 knots. I'm thinking you would be banned from the public docks as one little mistake docking with that 190,000 pound mass would make a mess. The other problem is that it would take you two days to scrub the hull with a brush over at the Margate sand bar.

[polarisman14]

Any way I could learn your key to success?

That does seem quite excessive for this lake given that the median size of the owners that reponded to the poll is around 25'. I'd venture a guess that 90% of people that oppose this idea, though, are doing so more out of jealousy than anything else. If it were me I'd pick the place with the nicest view and buy that, and have a full fleet of boats and call it good.

[NoBozo]

I stand corrected: 80 foot Hatteras...10 Years old..US$: 3-4Million.

NB.

[Pontoon Goon]

Just get two 40 footers

[Pineedles]

If you bring it, please cruise into Center Harbor at full throttle. We miss the huge waves that the Mount used to generate.

[NoBozo]

Originally Posted by polarisman14

Any way I could learn your key to success?

I'd venture a guess that 90% of people that oppose this idea, though, are doing so more out of jealousy than anything else.

I suggest that as one gets older, Jealousy becomes much less a significant factor in ones life. Most of the people on this board are probably well beyond that emotion. NB

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jealousy

[TiltonBB]

Assuming that you are serious:

The biggest travel lift on the lake is at Irwins in Laconia and it will not lift anything near that size. In addition to that, there is no way to get a vessel of that size to the travel lift and any vehicle hauling it will scrape on the ground as it exits Union Avenue. There are also the obvious problems hauling anything of that size over the road.

The only docks on the lake capable of accommodating a vessel of that size are at Silver Sands. Even if you assume that they will remove several long-term tenants to benefit you, the depth will be a problem.

I assume that you are joking but you should know that the only thing that has prevented someone with the resources to bring a vessel of this size to the lake has been common sense, good judgment, and logistical problems. Sometimes, all the money in the world's cannot buy good judgment.

Let's hope that impediment continues indefinitely!

[Par Four]

Originally Posted by The Phantom Gourmand

I have just one question....

Can I drive it?

But not thru the Weirs channel on a weekend!

[MMGTG]

Originally Posted by birchhaven

Why a hatteras if you are trying to use it live aboard? Why not consider a large house boat like you would see on lakes out west? They seem to have tons of real livings space, I would argue they are more efficient living space per linear foot, than a traditional boat like a hatteras. So you could get a 60' house boat and actually have more space than a 80' hatteras. Also at 60' I would not worry about waves even tho it is a house boat.
I have always wondered why there are not any big ones on this lake like you see out west.

This is a great question. Does anyone have any knowledge in this area? Based on birchhaven's response I found http://www.bravadayachts.com/custom-series.php

Most of the examples I have found with these house boats seem to be on lakes that are like glass; at least in all of the images and videos I've come across. I know the broads are anything but glass.

Does anyone know how these things do in some decent lake chop?

It would certainly solve the launching issue since it could be trucked in in pieces and assembled at the lake. Thoughts?

[Way Out There 2]

Mr. Howell,
I for one wish you and your wife Lovey nothing but the best. After all the Motor Ship Mt. Washington is on the lake so we know it's not impossible. (you may have to go with a 60 footer, cut it in the middle and add 20). Unlike your ocean experience the longest trip on this lake would be approximately a 3 Hr. tour.

The weather started getting rough...

[Winnilifer]

Originally Posted by MMGTG

This is a great question. Does anyone have any knowledge in this area? Based on birchhaven's response I found http://www.bravadayachts.com/custom-series.php

Does anyone know how these things do in some decent lake chop?

Thoughts?

Really?Really

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by Winnilifer

Really?Really

I guess I don't understand why anyone cares if someone wants to drop a couple million on a boat for the lake. Houses are built on this and many other lakes in this state every year that exceed $2 million and that typically does not include the original property purchase price.

So someone wants to spend a little more than that on a boat that will be "their" lake house, who cares?

Whether this is actually something that will happen or not, is up to the owner and no one else.

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by jmen24

I guess I don't understand why anyone cares if someone wants to drop a couple million on a boat for the lake. Houses are built on this and many other lakes in this state every year that exceed $2 million and that typically does not include the original property purchase price.

So someone wants to spend a little more than that on a boat that will be "their" lake house, who cares?

Whether this is actually something that will happen or not, is up to the owner and no one else.

I don't think anyone comment here truly *cares*, if anything I think most people think the OP is not likely going to pull this off.

The potential price of the boat is not the key point, but rather the fact that it would be practically impossible to launch and maintain a boat of that size in any reasonable way. If the OP were serious about this endeavor they would have likely realized that quite a while back.

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

I don't think anyone comment here truly *cares*, if anything I think most people think the OP is not likely going to pull this off.

The potential price of the boat is not the key point, but rather the fact that it would be practically impossible to launch and maintain a boat of that size in any reasonable way. If the OP were serious about this endeavor they would have likely realized that quite a while back.

Maybe "cares" was not the correct word, but there are some pretty strong or condescending reactions to this idea within the thread.

Most people have no concept of what "real" wealth is truely capable of or what it even looks like from the inside. Whether that is the case here, we don't know.

Boats of that size range have plied the lake before and really, someone would need to be the first to do it again!

The OP also never said that this would be the only boat they would have available for use on the lake. It may never have to leave its berth more than once or twice a year to entertain guests with a fireworks show in one of the bays.

I think the concept or idea is interesting and a version of this, at this scale, could be possible.