Two years earlier I had returned to flying as a private pilot. I updated my skills and requalified with a Flight Review and Basic Med physical. And I bought a fine plane--what is known as a "taildragger". I enjoyed the challenge--flying a "taildragger" or conventional gear plane like my Cubcrafters Cub required special training and an official "endorsement" by an instructor. I enjoyed the flying too---as Charles Lindbergh once said--"Flying is wonderful, taking off is easy, but landing can be hell". Flying a taildragger in "crosswind" requires precision, fast reflexes, and lots of practice. Much of my flying was simply to maintain high proficiency for landings in crosswinds.
A word about crosswinds---in the early days of flight, airports were just large rectangular areas--you landed the plane into the wind. Later, airports created runways--restricting your direction. The early airports used at least two runways--use depending on the wind. Later, most airports only provide one runway. At such airports, you almost always land with the wind coming from the side to some degree--i.e. with a crosswind. No problem for tricycle gear planes---tricky for a conventional gear taildragger. And, over a certain crosswind speed, dangerous as gusty crosswinds can cause the pilot to lose control.
Recreational flying has also changed. Many more restrictions. Whenever the President or Vice President travel--a Temporary Flight Restriction is declared. And flying a slow plane in heavily controlled Class B or even Class C space seems to annoy the Air Traffic Controllers and can be nerve wracking.
I concluded that at age 70, maybe flying in a complex environment in a plane that was difficult to land in crosswinds was just not as much fun as I had hoped it would be. Something slower with a bit more freedom would better suit me.
Twenty years earlier, I had been an avid sailor. I still love sailing, but the physical aspects of hoisting sails and yanking on sheets, and sailing heeled over seemed better suited for a younger man. (Plus sailing on the Chesapeake in the summer can be disappointing because of light winds--so essentially the sailboat becomes a trawler with a tall mast.) I had owned a 38 foot Express Cruiser too. My wife did not like the feeling of "going below" in an Express Cruiser or a sailbooat--she likened it to going into a cave. Going 25-30 mph and burning 20-30 gallons of fuel per hour no longer was attractice either. Now, going 7-10 mph in a diesel trawler--hmmm.
Twenty years earlier, I had been an avid sailor. I still love sailing, but the physical aspects of hoisting sails and yanking on sheets, and sailing heeled over seemed better suited for a younger man. (Plus sailing on the Chesapeake in the summer can be disappointing because of light winds--so essentially the sailboat becomes a trawler with a tall mast.) I had owned a 38 foot Express Cruiser too. My wife did not like the feeling of "going below" in an Express Cruiser or a sailbooat--she likened it to going into a cave. Going 25-30 mph and burning 20-30 gallons of fuel per hour no longer was attractice either. Now, going 7-10 mph in a diesel trawler--hmmm.
I love the technical aspects of navigating. GPS is fantastic. I also love to tinker with machinery. So a 20-35 year old powerboat seemed to fit the bill.
My search can down to two different vessels. A Bayliner 4588 Pilothouse Cruiser and a Grand Banks 36 Classic. The 4588 might be considered more a "motor-yacht" than a "trawler" but driven slow--it functions the same. A "trawler" is a class of yacht that is designed and functions a bit like old time fishing boats or tugs--lots of living space---slow and steady. Former sailors like them as they are travel a bit like a motoring sailboat, but without the "hassle" of a tall mast and deep keel. And not having to live in a "cave" like setting "below" deck--the Captain and Crew can be inside and still enjoy the scenery.
The 4588 Bayliner was BIG and beautiful. It had two Hino (Toyota) diesels. Steering from inside the pilothouse or from the easy accessed flybridge. Cruise at hull speed (9-10 mph) or get up "on plane" and boogey at 23-25 mph. A good one was over $110,000 and they have "cored" hulls. Meaning the hull foam or balsa wood, covered with fiberglass. Lots of controversy about cored hulls. For an older boat (20-35 years!) I felt more comfortable with a solid "hand laid" fiberglass hull.
The Grand Banks 36 Classic has a solid fiberglass hull and a reputation of being strong and well built. Top of the line for a "coastal" cruiser. They also have a reputation for a very high level of craftsmanship and "sea-worthiness". Beautiful hand crafted/finished teak furniture--almost a work of art in that respect. The GB36 is probably capable of handling sea conditions better than the Captain and Crew can tolerate for any length of time. They come with two diesels or one. Twin screw or single. Like the controversy about cored hulls, there are those who prefer two engines--more HP and "a spare" if one engine fails; then there are those who prefer the simplicity of a single engine, with a bowthruster to low speed directional control. Biggest attraction to me was the efficiency and ease of maintenance with one engine--and the added benefit of much better protection of the prop when operating in shallow waters.
I "shopped" on the internet for a time. Looked at lots of 4588's and GB36's based in the Mi-Atlantic area from Virginia to New York. Buying a 30+ year old boat is all about the boat's condition and maintenance history. They can be in good shape if the owners keep them up, or they can have lots of deferred maintenance.
Well, you know my decision---a 1984 Grand Banks 36 Classic, single screw with a Lehman Ford 120 HP diesel named "Grand Day Out". Purchased for $85,000 from a couple who were based in La Pointe, Wisconsin on Lake Superior but had sailed her to Virginia and traded her for a large boat. The boat had been operated almost all of it's life in the fresh water of the Great Lakes. And, she was in very good condition.
Grand Day Out was named after a famous British "animated movie" first aired on the BBC starring Wallace and Gromit, an old man and his dog who went on adventures together. Typical British slapstick comedy, a Grand Day Out for the pair was building a rocket and going to the moon and back.
I don't have a dog anymore. (I miss our Border Collies and Standard Poodle--but condo living is not conducive to keeping a large dog.) My wife Carol and I have two cats. So, my adventures and many a Grand Day Out will have to include them.
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