Luhrs 30 Open

[Islandfly]

Originally I was considering the purchase of either the 32 or 36 open. Have looked extensively in the Florida area. Most of the vessels seem to have high engine time or just not taken care of very well. And it seems they (sellers/brokers) are really pricing them high, considering the amount of inventory and the rising price of diesel. We have now changed our focus to the 30 open years 2003-2005, I have been told to stay away from the Yanmar diesels and look for Cummins. The prices seem to be fairly reasonabe ranging from $ 159,000 to $ 190,000 and obviously these are asking prices with no negotiating involved yet.

I am looking for suggestions, comments, from owners of the 30's please give me your thoughts on the matter. I need to be able to sleep to adults and 2 kids, so some comfort is a must. And negativie or positives will be appreciated. Thanks again,

R. Reyes
Indian Rocks Bch, Florida

[Rusty]

I suggest you stay with a minimum 32 ft. vessel. I purchased it as 2nd owner, a 1999 model. I have had my 32 ft. open for 4 years and it is "just right". Obviously I would like a 36 footer or even bigger. Money is always an issue and I suggest you dig deeper, as you will be much happier in the long run.
With respect to room, the 32 ft. is great for you, the "boss" (ie, wife) and two kids.
I have 330 cummins and have had very good results. Other people brag on the cummins therefore I have confidence in them as well. Fuel burn is well within range at 17 (plus or minus) gph.
Here in south/west Louisiana, we have very long runs for snapper and other fishing. My minimum run is 45 miles from the shoreline. I do not know your length of travel. I can state that the 32 ft. is a small boat 50 to 70 miles offshore. I am glad to have every foot of boat I can afford under me in these quests, especially with "overnights".
In your search, a couple of items come to mind. The first is to have a good electronic package. Auto pilot is a must. The second is the engine synchronizer (gyn sync). This is a must in keeping the engines together at a constant rpm.
Do not give up in your search. I know there are some good deals out there. Every party, including me, think their used boat is the best and want top dollar. Some rigs as mine have been taken cared of with "kids gloves". Look for this one. Look for maintenance records, as this will tell you the character of the previous owner.
Do not hesitate to call other brokers to check on current value once you find a boat that you would purchase. That was the best move I made when purchasing my rig. The other broker was very helpful and ended up getting me away from the boat I was making offers on and selling me a better Luhrs than the original broker. When he realized I was serious and would buy a boat, the price started getting right.
Look for a broker who may be a dealer that has taken a boat in on trade. A broker who is selling a boat for the owner does not have much room to move and many times the owner gets stubborn. The dealer made his money on the trade and may be in a position to turn the deal quickly to get the boat out of stock.
Good Luck in your search. It was very exciting for me.

Rusty

[Islandfly]

Rusty:

Thanks for the information it was helpful, just one question how do you feel about looking up above you to look at the electronics? or do you have a Pod device attached to the console?

Thanks again,

R. Reyes
Florida

[Rusty]

Islandfly:

I have to say that the electronic mount with the overhead position on my 32 open is truely a "pain in the neck". This position is very convient for space but surely is not favorable for function. I have gotten use to it over time. I surely do not want this feature on my next boat.

After a hard days fishing and getting into bad weather, fog, etc. returning to port, ones neck is surely cramped up. Hell, just like a good woman, everything cannot be perfect.

I had the non-color raymarine 7" plotter/radar and seperate non-color 7" depth sounder when we purchased the boat. It was very hard to read and doubly hard with the overhead condition.

After getting caught in a sea fog and tricky inlet, I pulled that crap out and installed the raymarine color 12" depth finder/radar and seperate color 12" chart plotter. Luck was on my side as I could interface my existing radar and auto pilot with my upgrade. It was a "super improvement" with big color numbers, color channel markers, graphics, etc.

That is why I say look hard at the electronic package on any boat you may purchase. If the boat contains the mono-chrome small stuff, plan on replacing it. Depending on what is on the boat, it may be an expensive undertaking. For instance, you may have radar and auto pilot under an old system that has to be changed under a new system. You have now gotten into a fairly costly upgrade in material and professional labor.

Do not let the overhead mounting be a "deal killer" if the rig you have your sights on is attractive economically. With big, color electronics, it is a workable system.

The local Luhrs dealer in New Orleans, La. has been calling me on upgrading my boat for several months. He called me today wanting me to come see their 32 open, 36 open, 41 open. He stated that factory discounts, etc. make this the time to trade in and buy. I do not know about that; however, the industry may see a slow down with the price of fuel, etc. As I stated before, here in Louisiana we have long runs to deep water which gets expensive in fuel burn. This may be keeping people out of the market and dealers potentially over stocked. Give him a call: Michael Mayer, 504 282-1700, email mmayer@mayeryacht.com. Use my name as reference (Rusty Bellard from Lafayette, La.), as he knows me. He is very nice and may give you some insight away from Florida.

Good Luck

Rusty

[logadmin]

As fuel gets more and more expensive, maybe the new IPS boats offer a good comprimise. We currently make a 31 open/hardtop IPS and have a few more in the works. Check out the IPS technology on Volvo-Penta's and Luhrs' websites. :thumbup:

[Islandfly]

Rusty: Thanks for the info, I have had extensive time on a 1998 32 with the instruments on top, it is a major drawback. I do charter work in the Gulf about 50 -70 miles offshore the area is know as the middlegrounds. Have had bad weather on numerous occasions vessel handled well but having to work the electronics on top is definetely a deterent for me. The owner did upgrade to color Raymarine units which helps out some but when you are on a spot or trying to identify a ledge or wreck you better have great long distance eye sight. As I look to purchase my own vessel the electronics and engine time will be important factors. I'm not happy with the design of the electronics center on the 32 but will probably alter it somehow if I find the right deal. We are holding off on any purchase until 2nd or 3rd quarter of 2008 diesel fuel prices, lack of marina space, and folks just not spending money have alot of captain's going out of business. We will probably purchased pre-owned there is plenty of inventory and the prices are coming down everyday. Take care! and good seas!

R. Reyes
Indian Rocks Bch Florida

[Rusty]

You are correct on the overhead electronics. Experience is the best teacher in all matters.

You have my respect in trying to earn a living in the charter buisness these days. The national marine fishery council has failed in the management of our fisheries. The complete board should be removed and a new board selected to develop fresh ideas and mostly an "open mind".

The recreational angler is footing the brunt of the cost and burden. The charter captains are being squeazed by reduction in buisness due to lack of resources, expensive boat maintenance and never ending rising fuel costs. The average "joe" you take fishing has no clue on the costs you have in keeping your vessel operating with top elctronics and safety gear. These costs must be met plus a profit such that you may likewise have a home, car children, etc. with your private bills.

What about the newly proposed amberjack limit reductions to 1/2 fish per person on the boat? How stupid can our managers be?

I have to stop at this, as I will get "worked up" again.

Rusty

[Islandfly]

Rusty:

Yes, there are many issue especially with the fisheries. Gulf permits are hard to come up with most of the current permit holders think they are sitting on a pile of gold and asking thousands of dollars for reef/gulf permits. But they have to realize if the operational cost of marina (slips), and fuel keep going up most charter captains are going to turn their operations into strictly inshore fishing and then they will be selling those permits for nothing. It is already happening here in Florida. Alot of operators (charter captain/operations) are selling they advertise they are retiring but the truth is that the cost of operations is closing them down. I run the charter part-time have a full time career that is the only I can do it for now. In my area there are lots of inshore guides, and the offshore guys are charging big dollars for full day trips.

My needs for the vessel will be mostly family use, and I will try to write off some of the cost with the charter business. So for now I will continue my search something will come up. Diesel fuel at our local marina is $ 3.45 this last week. If you carry 400 gallons well that is over $ 1,200 dollars to fill up. If that is not an incentive to sell I don't know what is. Just from talking to some pre-owned brokers they are willing to negotiate big time so I think by next year prices are going to fall further.

Thanks, for all your help and suggestions look foward to communicating on this forum.

Capt. R. Reyes