Embarrassingly New and Most Likely Misinformed

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by Skowey

Thanks for all the info. It's always a bit nerve racking to post for the first time for fear of being torn apart for asking stupid questions.

Does anyone know what I can expect to pay for something in the 30' range? As I said I had seen several very reasonable prices but I'm not sure how seaworthy a $9,000 boat is.

A boat is as seaworthy as a surveyor and common sense tell you it is. Pour water in the bilge. Does the ground get wet? Boat has a hole in it. That sort of thing. Price doesn't come into it: the most expensive boats can sink, there's just more arm-waving.

As for the stupid questions, we've all done stupid things in boats. Some of 'em are buried deep where rum can't reach however. I would prefer, as I believe would most yacht skippers, to have you ask every "stupid" question now, on the hard, before you actually get aboard. An ignorant skipper is no help to anyone and can be a positive danger. So ask away.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by Olorin

Welcome aboard Skowey,

My brother, who lives in Toronto, bought an Alberg 30 for around $12K many years ago. It was in OK shape for sailing around the lake. He did a lot of work on it to make it better because that what he does with boats. He sold it after about ten years of sailing for ~$27K.

If you can get your hands on an Alberg 30 its the perfect boat to take to the Caribbean, for a mono

Take a visit to the yacht clubs in Toronto an offer to crew. You'll get lots of experience with different boats while saving up your $$.

True. As for the Alberg 30, you'll arrive at the anchorage last after a day of light airs. If the day is stormy, you'll arrive at the anchorage alone, if you follow. A very Good Old Boat, but you have to like scraping and sanding brightwork.

You should be aware that even old, 30-40 year old boats have fan clubs, and if you want more boat for less money (and particularly if you don't care to race it), avoid the C&C, CS, Express, J-Boats and a few other queens of the stable. Getting an Irwin, Pearson, Ericson, Tanzer or something of that ilk is going to be cheaper and you'll learn to sail an average boat better by tweaking than you will trying not to poop yourself controlling an over-canvassed, IOR hot rod with a tendency to broach in waves of more than 3 feet.

[witchcraft]

You certainly could do a lot worse than an Alberg...just have a reputable surveyor check the decks. We have an older friend ( in his 70's) who single hands down the bahama's every year from Lake Ontario.
It is a doable thing. Some good suggestions here about crewing on others boats. gives one a good sense of things.
And I echo the good to see another Great lakes sailor here.
Fair Winds

[s/v Breakaway]

Don't rush into buying a boat. As mentioned, go sailing on as many other people's boats as you can wrangle an invitation to. I also think there is a danger in getting an in-between boat; i.e. a 32-footer that will cost more and get you to the islands, but not be a good choice for trans-Atlantic. Go ahead and get a 27-footer and you won't have so much money tied-up in her to make selling her in a few years problematic. And there is something to be said for buying a "popular" production boat like a Catalina or Hunter - they have a large following so she will be easier to sell when you are ready to move up to something bigger.

[tager]

It's a good thing you were misinformed when you showed up, otherwise you might blame us in a year or two!

[cabo_sailor]

I have fond memories of the search for my first boat. In addition to a basic sailing class, I volunteered at a local yacht club to work as crew for their weekend around the marks race. I spent a year doing that and learned quite a bit about sail trim but more importantly I gained experience with different boats and layouts. I was always picking the brain of the boat's owner. What did he like/dislike about his boat? Which boat would he like to have? Or if I saw another sailboat that I found really attractive, I ask what she was, what did he know, etc.

When the time came to buy my own, I looked at Catalina 27's, even a McGregor 26 . I got talked out of it because of things like storage space, quality of construction, and so on. I was told, and rightly so, that if I bought something too far from the cruising boat I was looking for, it would cost me more money than I might have spent on a better designed boat. By better, I mean for my intended use. Buy something unsuitable and it won't be too long before it is back on the market and having to pay sales tax on the first boat, possibly a broker commission to sell it, and sales tax on the second boat.

After much soul searching I decided that I could afford (barely) either a Morgan 32 or a Pearson 30. I ended up with the Morgan and although I sold her to a friend some years ago, there are times when I miss her. Strong, simple, and very forgiving and relatively shallow draft. Draft is a big issue on the west coast of Florida and some parts of the ICW.

Good luck on your quest. I guess I'm lucky, the only boats I can think of that I would like better than the one I've got are so danged expensive I'm not even tempted.

Rich

ps: I would also caution against a "project boat". They may be cheap to buy but the amount of money and time that would be needed to bring them up to snuff would be better spent on a less needy boat. Nothing wrong with one that just needs a bit of TLC but there are a few at my marina that would take years to fix.