So what do we think about this for a liveaboard..

YYZRC

rasbury said:

Looks like the cosmetics have been brought back up to snuff.

That sofa recliner reminds me of the upholstery in a 1986 Pontiac Parisienne Brougham. Not a compliment. 

Willhound

YYZRC said:

rasbury said:

Looks like the cosmetics have been brought back up to snuff.

That sofa recliner reminds me of the upholstery in a 1986 Pontiac Parisienne Brougham. Not a compliment. 

I have some very happy memories of the back seat of my high school girlfriends 1980 Pontiac Parisienne, thank you very much...😉

YYZRC

Shania??

Willhound

Nope. About the same build though....😘

J3ff

I've started to send 100k offers to these 370 venture owners who have had their boats on the market for 199+ this entire time. I can't imagine having a boat priced for 199 for years and not dropping it. I talked to one of the guys, who went down to 175, he says he barely uses the boat and it just sits on his lift.. what a complete waste of $$$, says he likes his 37 boston whaler better and doesn't use the venture nearly as much as he thought he would! 

aero3113

@J3ff if his house is on the water, he should’ve realized that boat wasn’t for him…

LaRea

@J3ff - have you looked at a Doral 330 or 33 Elegante?  It has the bow seating area you like.  Mid cabin, nice galley, awesome cockpit seating, giant swim platform -- all at half the price of a Venture 370.  It doesn't have a separate shower, but neither does the Venture.

My buddy and his wife had a 330 for years.  We spent many a happy evening carousing around that forward seating area.  

Check this listing in Tampa -- $90k with inboards.  
https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/2007-doral-elegante-8341325/

YYZRC

Dorals known around here for blistering gel. Most hidden with anti fouling paint. The 330 has lots of room in the bilge though. 

aero3113

Besides the forward seating , I think the main reason @J3ff wants the Venture is because of the outboards.

LaRea

Well, sure, but it costs $100k more than he wants to spend.  

aero3113

LaRea said:

Well, sure, but it costs $100k more than he wants to spend.  

True

Dream_Inn

Yep, sometimes you gotta give a little when buying used.  Believe it or not, diesel was were I gave.  It had to be a 400 and white hull.

LaRea

YYZRC said:

... The 330 has lots of room in the bilge though. 

Fact!  Once I sat in the engine room with him and another guy, sipping martinis and laughing about how much space was down there.  

J3ff

Pretty unbeatable price on this one..and the name is awesome.. hmmm

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/873914867127525/

J3ff

LaRea said:

@J3ff - have you looked at a Doral 330 or 33 Elegante?  It has the bow seating area you like.  Mid cabin, nice galley, awesome cockpit seating, giant swim platform -- all at half the price of a Venture 370.  It doesn't have a separate shower, but neither does the Venture.

My buddy and his wife had a 330 for years.  We spent many a happy evening carousing around that forward seating area.  

Check this listing in Tampa -- $90k with inboards.  
https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/2007-doral-elegante-8341325/

It is very nice looking and I have thought about it! Part of me thinks that the only move from the 270 would have to be to something with outboards, unless of course, it's cheap.. I'd do a move to the bayliner above, assuming all checks out, for 20k... Spending 90k on a boat without outboards seems kind of 1 step forward 2 steps back..  but please keep the ideas coming, I' have a list going of boats to go check out over spring break and this is on it!

J3ff

Dream_Inn said:

Yep, sometimes you gotta give a little when buying used.  Believe it or not, diesel was were I gave.  It had to be a 400 and white hull.

The problem here is that I just know this boat isnt worth 200k - I could come up with the money, if it was more reasonable. Yes, it's the "perfect" boat in my eyes... but even things that are perfect can be overpriced, and I believe this one is not just a little overpriced, it's so much over that even negotiating will not bring it to what it should be!  The evidence that it is overpriced shows with how none of these boats have sold. There has been ONE 370 venture I know that sold in the last 12 months and he had two blown engines.. I would have jumped on that one if I had known about it. 

YYZRC

LaRea said:

YYZRC said:

... The 330 has lots of room in the bilge though. 

Fact!  Once I sat in the engine room with him and another guy, sipping martinis and laughing about how much space was down there.  

My boat neighbour has his Doral 330 for sale. Asking around 75 CDN but I think he’s optimistic. Boat needs some real love. I wouldn’t drink anything in or from his bilge. 

PickleRick

There are more than 3 members on here that could serve crudites in their bilge.   I'm pretty sure it's just a rinker thing as I've never noticed such dedicated cleaning on the Bayliner forums.  Then again, Bayliners don't last long enough to justify cleaning the bilge. 

J3ff

Just when you settle on really committing to living on a boat, life throws a curve ball.. someone made me an offer today that is hard to say no to, it's cheaper than the boat slip cost and would be 100's cheaper if I went to a larger boat. Almost dont want to think about if this deal goes through. Selling my boat in April or May and downgrading to something trailerable, would be a lot of work. 

rasbury

Not sure what your talking about...

J3ff

rasbury said:

Not sure what your talking about...

An offer to live at a place on land, with a big yard, and a nice place, that would be cheaper than keeping the boat at the dock. In that case I'd be selling the 270, a jetski and would prob go pick up a 21ish foot boat, maybe a jet boat.. and just be happy.. stay at this place for a few years, hope the 370 venture comes down and then look into living aboard again.. Remember, the main reason I'm doing this is because the price of living on land is out of this world here.. 

raybo3

Hey @J3ff I hope all works out good for you, but what is your attraction to that Venture? Not a boat that would interest me in any way. I understand we all have different opinions but that boat just doesn't do it for me at all.  

J3ff

Outboards are #1, I clean the outdrive every two weeks down here, getting tired of doing that, beautiful bedroom in back, big table up front (hate the bed up front thing, such a waste of space), outdoor upstairs built in cooking station, space for a large toaster oven downstairs. Those few things would make living on a boat much easier than the 270.. Wrap around windows downstairs. 

YYZRC

I’m curious about the actual usable space on the Venture. Has anyone ever been on one? It looks like the cockpit loses 40”+ due to the outboard covers and the beam is only 11’3” which I think is narrow for a 37’ LOA. 

It seems like a Rinker 330/340 in terms of usable size.

LaRea

Yeah, we've covered this ground before.  But here's a less obvious benefit:  the 370 stateroom is amidships, so there's less wave slap keeping you awake at night compared to a v-berth.  Makes sense for a liveaboard.  

Thing is, outboard express cruisers are all stupid expensive.  If you think the Venture is overpriced, check out the Pursuit 365i SC with even less usable space for $400k.  

YYZRC

LaRea said:

Yeah, we've covered this ground before.  But here's a less obvious benefit:  the 370 stateroom is amidships, so there's less wave slap keeping you awake at night compared to a v-berth.  Makes sense for a liveaboard.  

I have converted my aft sofa to a permanent bed and have tried sleeping there when the wave slap is annoying. It echoes through the hull. In my opinion it’s no better at the back of the bus - at least in my boat. 

J3ff

Don't hear a thing on the 270 - in fact I sleep best on the boat.. then again, I'm in a very protected channel.

Couldn't believe the cost of the Pursuit!! And yes, so much less usable space. In the last 12 months I've been on almost all of the liveaboard boats in my marina. None of them have the style and grace of the 370 venture... yes you do lose considerable space  due to those engine covers...  however there's a nice big table upstairs, with that cooking area and seats for at least 5.. 

One additional desire is that huge swim platform. We've all gotten used to that and I don't want to give that up!

Now, if there was a Rinker, with inboards or I guess V drives, that had a similar setup, that I could even rip the bed out of the front and put a table, with seating and storage like that, I'd be interested.. 40  ft or less... but everything I've seen has **** I/O's and it doesnt look like ripping the front bedroom out of it would be an easy task. 

LaRea

Agreed - a Rinker would be a difficult and involved conversion.  The forward opening is too small, especially on the 410 with the oven on the port side.   

Both of the Doral 33's on the market right now have V-drives.

J3ff

LaRea said:

Agreed - a Rinker would be a difficult and involved conversion.  The forward opening is too small, especially on the 410 with the oven on the port side.   

Both of the Doral 33's on the market right now have V-drives.

Going to take a second look at those right now. 

Any idea what kind of haul out and cleaning it requires ? Would it be a yearly need to haul and have props and shafts cleaned? Down here I know people who keep their sailboats in the water for 3 years with paint and regular scraping.. 

J3ff

Okay, those boats are growing on me quickly. One confusing thing, some are listed as 33 and some are listed as 38... they look the same to me, is this a case of some listings including the swim platform and others are not? This does look like a nice step inbetween a 270 and the sea ray.. anyone have anything to say about vdrives as far as how much of a PITA they are ? I suppose a little prop speed and a regular diver to clean them wouldn't be terrible. 


The tampa listing is the easiest to get here to the keys... https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/2007-doral-elegante-8341325/

As a serious offer I'd prob start at 67500 hoping to meet in the middle somewhere, how does that sound to you all? I have watched many boats sell at my marina for at least 40k under their asking.. one person had his boat for sale for 99k mid pandemic, has had at least 100 people look at it and it's sitting on the market still, for 64k right now.