The "Gentleman's Workboat" at John Williams

1996 Crowley Beal 28 - $89,500

Most buyers think they want a “picnic boat.” What they actually want is a working lobster boat that has been cleaned up just enough to hold a cooler and a couple of deck chairs.

This 1996 Crowley Beal 28 is the real deal. Currently sitting at the John Williams Boat Company in Mount Desert, ME (the holy grail of Downeast boatyards), “Get N By” is a commercial machine waiting for its second act.

She is powered by a 250HP Yanmar 6LP with ~4,500 hours. Don’t let the hours scare you—yet. These are “lobstering hours,” which means low-RPM idle and constant use, unlike the “death by sitting” that kills most low-hour yacht engines. She is rigged with a hauler and a stark interior, making her the perfect candidate for a winter “picnic conversion” project.

Strip the hauler, add a bench seat across the stern, and you have the most capable 28-footer in your harbor for under $100k.