Since this blog is basically all about the boat, we need to get the basic question out of the way, What the heck is it?
The Basics
The Barca D’Amore (The Love Boat) is a 36′ 1971 Gulfstar center-cockpit motor-sailer with a 12′ beam (max draft of 36″) that we converted into a trawler. She came to us with a Perkins diesel engine. We promptly sold that noisy thing and replaced it with a 115 Evinrude E-Tec on the back which give her a top speed of 12 mph and a cruising speed of 10 mph which gives awesome fuel economy. Also, mounted on the back is a 15hp Johnson kicker we use to power our inflatable which is stored on top along with our 2 paddle boards. This also serves as a back up motor in case we ever run out of gas. Unlikely, due to the fact that my husband added 2 fuel tanks in the back compartment. One tank holds 32 gallons and the other holds 30 gallons. There is also a 120 gallon fresh water tank which so far (knock wood) we have never run out of. The diesel generator is a NextGen 5.5kw and runs like a top! There is a 32 gallon diesel tank to run the generator. So far, the most diesel we have used has been 9 gallons over a 4 day period. Not too shabby!
The Interior
She has 2 cabins. The main cabin houses the galley (microwave, counter top and refrigerator), the living room (couch and flat screen TV), and a full V-berth. The V-berth has a queen size 12″ comfort cooled mattress and 13,000 btu marine grade air conditioner. This V-berth area is a little slice of heaven on Earth. We call it our little cave and it’s always the best sleep we get all week. The back cabin has a single bed with a 8,000 btu air conditioner and a full bathroom with toilet, lavatory and full size shower with a bench seat. The back cabin is also the storage area for the generator and all the fuel tanks. The entire bottom level is all storage. We keep life vests there as well as cleaning supplies, tools, beach chairs, umbrellas, beach toys and extra food and drinks. As of yet, we have not run out of space to store our stuff!
Join my husband for a tour of the Love Boat and see why our life has become All About the Boat!
