What amazes me about this Great Harbour 37 discussion is how many people (including a broker) who were quick to condemn the boat (or to simply offer an opinion) based on a single observation or a single, limited experience. I don't own one of these boats, but I know people who do - who have cruised the boat extensively, and who have reported their experiences - which is what I based my comments on. The list did get one response from an owner of a GH37 - I hope people would put more weight on his comments, or interact with him to get further information since he is in a slightly better position to share more substantive information... just a thought. ;-) Robin -- Robin Roberts M/V 'Adventures' DeFever 49 Pilothouse http://members.cox.net/rar

At 09:15 AM 1/15/04 -0500, you wrote: >What amazes me about this Great Harbour 37 discussion is how many people >(including a broker) who were quick to condemn the boat (or to simply >offer an opinion) based on a single observation or a single, limited >experience. I don't own one of these Here goes with some opinions about the GH37. Keep in mind that I have never seen one or been on one, nor have I any connection with anyone who has one, or sells them, etc., etc. (That I know of, but this last statement must be in error. But I can't tell you why, since I don't know). In other words, I claim ignorance and won't admit otherwise. This web page consists of the only concrete information I have about the boats. http://www.mirage-mfg.com/html/gh37.html You can get a pretty good idea of the GH37 strengths and weaknesses from the descriptive copy. The key words are: "combination of stable hull form, positive buoyancy, shallow draft, twin screws, tough construction, household appliances and aggressive pricing. This boat, however, also features a raised pilothouse, which maximizes interior volume for liveaboard comfort." (read this carefully)What you DON'T get is: unstable hull form, negative buoyancy, deep draft, single screw, wimpy construction, marine appliances and high pricing. Let's examine these one at a time. I take "stable hull form" to mean that the boat doesn't tip easily. I would assume that in a fairly rough sea, it would be quite lively. If it had "negative buoyancy", I would expect it to sink, most likely as soon as launched. If the writer meant that "positive buoyancy" was something special that would keep the boat afloat, when filled with water, then it would help to be more explicit. That is what was meant and the explanation further down says so. The shallow draft is a plus in one sense, but it means there is not much hull in the water and has it's own drawbacks. I would be very leery of such a craft in the open ocean, under any conditions other than "real" calm. Keep reading... I like twin engines, but with shallow draft and sited really wide apart, means the boat is liable to be prone to cavitation in rough water, particularly if there is any swell running to roll the boat around and brings the props near the surface. This is a common condition on the US West Coast. The construction of the hull (1 inch fiberglass) is pretty substantial for a boat of this size, I would not call this wimpy construction. Household appliances are not the worst idea in the world, but you had best know how you are going to get them in and out of the boat in case you have to replace them. The refrig and washer/dryer are the major problems. I understand "aggressive pricing" to mean: affordable. At least to buy, but a boat is not just the up front cost, the maintenance can kill you. That aspect can be very hard to estimate accurately. Other owners can often supply this kind of info. (Note: Household appliances are much cheaper than marine stuff and you can buy several for the price of the cost of one marine unit. But, if the replacing is difficult you may wish you had marine stuff. The neutral wire should not be grounded inside the case and you may want to have that fixed). This boat is very oriented to liveaboard use, with the ability to go cruising in protected waters and make carefully planned passages to nearby islands in good weather. Based on just reading the web site literature, within the limitations of price and overall design the boat may be a perfect fit for some buyers. Now go back and read the list of what you get and the other list of what you don't get. This gives you a kind of snapshot of the strengths and weakness's of the boat. You can do something similar for every boat and you should. These observations may or may not apply to this particular boat, but these are the things that I would home in on in analyzing it. And one more thought, owners and their observations and opinions are only one part of a true picture of any boat. In many cases the owners are totally ignorant of their boat's problems. Either because they have not noticed or gotten into a situation where the problem becomes glaringly visible. Mike Capt. Mike Maurice Wilsonville, Oregon (Portland).