The Pocket Trawler Cat

2003 PDQ 34 — $215,000

When boating couples start planning their retirement to cruise the Bahamas or tackle the Great Loop, they usually start looking at traditional monohull trawlers like Grand Banks or Mainships.

But traditional trawlers come with a massive handicap for island hopping: they draw entirely too much water. If your boat needs four or five feet of water to float, you are going to be sweating bullets navigating the shifting sandbanks of the Exumas, and you will be completely locked out of the most pristine, secluded beaches.

If you want the fuel efficiency of a trawler combined with the ability to anchor in knee-deep water, you need a pocket power catamaran. And in the world of sub-40-foot power cats, there is one undisputed king: the PDQ 34.

Built in Canada, the PDQ 34 is practically an obsession among seasoned cruisers. It was engineered to maximize living space for a couple while keeping the draft to a microscopic 2 feet 4 inches. You can literally pull this boat up to a sandbar, step off the back deck, and be standing in ankle-deep water.

Finding a well-maintained PDQ 34 on the brokerage market is rare because owners simply refuse to sell them. But currently sitting in Florida is this incredibly well-kept 2003 model, listed for $215,000.

At this price point, it is an amazing opportunity to step into the Caribbean cruising lifestyle. But before you wire the cash, you must read the engine spec sheet with ruthless objectivity. If you buy an older pocket cat without understanding the terrifying financial reality of 4,000-hour diesel engines, your retirement cruising fund will evaporate in a single shipyard visit.