At the risk of angering the ScubaBoard gods with three posts in a row....
My thoughts at this point are that you have dive boats and you have boating boats..... (and fishing boats, and houseboats, and speedboats)...
I was looking at Sea Rays because they are everywhere. I've been bouncing back and forth between 34' Rays, 30' Rays, 32' Wellcraft St Tropez, 31' Sea Ray Sportfish Flybridge, and a couple of other models I cannot recall at the moment. My reasoning for these crafts and sizes are as follows (please, correct me where I'm wrong or 'boat-stupid')
1. Cruise fees in the Bahamas double ($300!) when a boat exceeds 35'
2. Once the boat meets the minimum requirements as stated in the OP, what point is there to extra length other than extra cost?
3. Smaller is better when it comes to marina costs!
The one point that I realize was crazy is to expect to bring enough tanks for 2 - 4 divers for 2 - 3 days. I can dive 6 tanks in a day without thinking twice about it. There is no bloody way I'm going to find a boat that has room to sleep in and can hold enough tanks for 4 people like me. I'll have to pick my battles, and since I enjoy just being on the water almost as much as I enjoy being under the water I will have to live with finding something that can hold 4 - 10 tanks instead of the 72 tanks it would require for three days / four divers diving to my tolerance. That and the $10K worth of tanks isn't likely in the budget.
Trade offs.... trade offs... I think I'm going to go light a $100 bill over the nearest body of water and see what boat ownership feels like.
My thoughts at this point are that you have dive boats and you have boating boats..... (and fishing boats, and houseboats, and speedboats)...
I was looking at Sea Rays because they are everywhere. I've been bouncing back and forth between 34' Rays, 30' Rays, 32' Wellcraft St Tropez, 31' Sea Ray Sportfish Flybridge, and a couple of other models I cannot recall at the moment. My reasoning for these crafts and sizes are as follows (please, correct me where I'm wrong or 'boat-stupid')
1. Cruise fees in the Bahamas double ($300!) when a boat exceeds 35'
2. Once the boat meets the minimum requirements as stated in the OP, what point is there to extra length other than extra cost?
3. Smaller is better when it comes to marina costs!
The one point that I realize was crazy is to expect to bring enough tanks for 2 - 4 divers for 2 - 3 days. I can dive 6 tanks in a day without thinking twice about it. There is no bloody way I'm going to find a boat that has room to sleep in and can hold enough tanks for 4 people like me. I'll have to pick my battles, and since I enjoy just being on the water almost as much as I enjoy being under the water I will have to live with finding something that can hold 4 - 10 tanks instead of the 72 tanks it would require for three days / four divers diving to my tolerance. That and the $10K worth of tanks isn't likely in the budget.
Trade offs.... trade offs... I think I'm going to go light a $100 bill over the nearest body of water and see what boat ownership feels like.