What's a Good Blue Water Boat on a Budget ?

[zeehag]

cal 34 can go from 1500 dollars sans inboard to waaayy tooo much with diesel. they were born with atombom4.
remember, the brokers will have boats at thousands higher than without broker. goood luck. broker needs his commisshh.

[callmecrazy]

This one is probably a good $10k boat in your size range

What part of the Country are you looking in? California and Florida are where the best deals because the market is saturated there. There's good deals everywhere though, it just requires some honest looking around.

A lot of people will tell you how much it cost to keep and fixup your boat, but don't listen to any of them. They don't know you or the boat you own. All boats are different and all people are different. I've put less than $3k into my cheap little boat so far (including haul-out, winter storage, and tons of stuff I didn't need) and I don't intend on spending more than $5k this year. Next year will be half that cost... you only need to buy things when they break, no reason to start replacing everythig with shiny new SS this or that.

A lot of the after-purchase cost will be directly related to how the boat was equipped when you bought it. Look for a boat that has a few of the expensive things already taken care of. A motor, sails, maybe a stove, an anchor, etc... All the little stuff can wait until you have more money. You will be putting A LOT of money into the boat, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't get a cheaper boat. There are great benefits to fixing your own stuff, one thing at a time, over a long period of time... The money is almost irrelevant. Just get the boat first, make sure you can keep it somewhere, then go from there.

With that said At $10k you will need to find a really good deal (see above) to get something much larger than 30 foot in decent condition. but like Zee is saying, those good deals ARE out there if you look hard enough and have enough patience. If you don't have enough patience, you can find $10k 30 footers all day

(edit) I didn't notice the 7.5' draft on that peterson, now it makes sense that noone's buying it

[sarafina]

here is one that looks like a sweet deal..
\
Cal 2-30 1968 $3,700 (OBO)

[Cheechako]

To some extent, maintenance is a matter of how fastidious you are about everything being right. Many go too far...I often have went too far... in making things "perfect". As I said in my earlier post...in my first offshore boat, (Rawson 30) I sailed one of the roughest coasts around, spent a year and a half in Mexico and brought 'er back. What did I have? a vhf, a low amperage alternator and a 1.5 cubic foot fridge that I ran only when the motor was on. I had an 8ft Dyer Dhow dingy that I rowed. But luckily, the boat had good tanks, new sails and an engine that ran well the whole time. It's very easy to not be that lucky. Your biggest concern to check before you buy are the expensive or difficult to replace things: Tanks, engine, rudder, rigging, sails, deck core etc. Any boat over 8 years old will need some or all of the little things: Bilge pumps, water pumps, vhf radio etc. Too many spend too much time "outfitting" and forget to learn to sail!

(edit) I didn't notice the 7.5' draft on that peterson, now it makes sense that noone's buying it If you're staying in the Pac NW you could live with that draft..

[Marq]

I am in washington Looking around but I am also looking as far south as Cali. As to the many things I have read in the responses I have allot of time to get things ready also I am a basic person I need only the simple stuff lol. Electronics come easy to me as I have worked around them in the worst enviroments imaginable and maintenance I would rather do myself. It saves money and I like to do things myself

[sneuman]

I think it comes down to two types of people:

those who have the money to buy a new or newer, well-equipped boat who say things like "I'd rather sail than work on my boat." To those people, I say "fine" -- good on you for having the luxury of that opinion. They overestimate the cost of everything because they willingly pay the "marine" markup and the criminally inflated cost of "marine" labor.

then there are people like me (and Zee, etc.) who realized that the only way to get a boat was to buy something of a project, invest the sweat equity and amortize the other costs of the refit. Out of necessity, we take on older boats and spend a lot of time finding the best deals.

i'm not suggesting one is better than the other. in point of fact, quite probably the majority of category 2 folks would be in category 1 if finances allowed ...

but, that's why you tend to get wildly differing opinions about the cost of everything. Both sets of folks are right, but for different reasons.

[zeehag]

i looked at a BEAUTIFUL ct 41 in apprenty excellent shape-- but had some issues with the owner having sanded the deck to the screw heads and with some leakage at the forehatch causing rot in the ovrhead beam in the forepeak--- he wanted 42k for his...i found this one next door, as i stated, and was in process of being abandoned. i call this one the consy rize and chinese watr torture-- but she sails damnfine and does decent in seas withhigh winds and seas. i wouldnt trade my solitary bird for anything, unless someone wanted to trade even steven giving me a formosa 51 insead..LOL... but that will never happen in htis life.
if ypu find a boat in decent shape with a dead engine(inboard) then fix that problem--many ways to do that CHEAPLY then geaux for it......i replaced my dead 4-107 westerfreke with a really nice USED 4-108 for 2500 dollars plus shipping(602) from michigan, installed it for the cost of 3 loaves of bread, which turned out to being a near year cruising gulf of mexic insgead--LOL--i again win--- and i replaced the backing plate onmy fordeck which i was advised was a wet rotted deck-- wrong!!! and installed a beeyoooteeefulll manual windlass, and i left sd. wasnt much into it-- i fixed my leak in bottom by having a smart fella find out it is jut packing----hooyaaahh--and s still being packed periodically with new---- just add to the stuff neding to go back into the fanged unit---dang!!! i stillhave to caulk ovrhead hatches before rains come and ......
but is not that much dinero to make a boat seaworthy from cheap and floating. i must caution against getting into boats stored on the hard as they are not floating and could well have a reason for being on dry land.......if it floats, you are already more than half way to sailing her.
now that i have said that----
thereis a formosqA 41 on the hard in sd needing coachhhouse rot repair, prolly needs rudder and shaft log,stern tube,packing gland and cutlass bearing replacement-- could eb some time to splash her-- and a few dollars-- but anyone with ability and desire to obtain one of these boats can for small amount of investment. when yer done fixing, will be a market value of around 30-560k and replacement value of 160-250k. isnt a bad deal, over all. just do good work and ther eis no suchthing s a deal breaker in boats of this type. they are solid. they have abad rap from b eing found to leak on the pillow from the decks--most have had teak removed--travesty--- and dont leak any more. from the top, anyway..LOL
but as i sed-- boats on hard take more work to make float and seaworthy than do boats already floating. there is a reason for their dry state.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Marq

I am in washington Looking around but I am also looking as far south as Cali. As to the many things I have read in the responses I have allot of time to get things ready also I am a basic person I need only the simple stuff lol. Electronics come easy to me as I have worked around them in the worst enviroments imaginable and maintenance I would rather do myself. It saves money and I like to do things myself

You'll do well then! PM me for a contact on a 32 islander with diesel cheeeep...if interested. needs work... (not mine)

[Nateman]

Originally Posted by Marq

I am in washington Looking around but I am also looking as far south as Cali. As to the many things I have read in the responses I have allot of time to get things ready also I am a basic person I need only the simple stuff lol. Electronics come easy to me as I have worked around them in the worst enviroments imaginable and maintenance I would rather do myself. It saves money and I like to do things myself

I will say one thing with my limited knowledge. Be careful how much you bite off when you choose your fixer-upper. Especially when dealing with re-coring soft decks, soles, and so on. It's a real PITA! I've been working on mine for over a year and a half, which includes re-coring the sole, and cabin top. Add a new/used mast and also working full time. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything, but take that into account. Also, while you are fixing her, you'll be paying storage more than likely. Stuff really adds up quick with anything nautical it seems... My .02

[HopeFloats]

Hiya,

I belong to the same school of thought as Zee and Sneuman. Keeping your skill set in mind you absolutely can find a deal although you may have to travel or ship. The glow wears off for some boat owners for many reasons and I have always found chatting with boatyard workers and marina staff very useful as they know which boats are sitting ... That's how I found mine and all she needed was a bottom clean, some carpentry, cabin sole. I also like to keep things simple and was looking for a boat set up that way. She had been a liveaboard so everything worked. It all boils down to personal preference and it can be done.

[pullord]

Originally Posted by zeehag

i looked at a BEAUTIFUL ct 41 in apprenty excellent shape-- but had some issues with the owner having sanded the deck to the screw heads and with some leakage at the forehatch causing rot in the ovrhead beam in the forepeak--- he wanted 42k for his...i found this one next door, as i stated, and was in process of being abandoned. i call this one the consy rize and chinese watr torture-- but she sails damnfine and does decent in seas withhigh winds and seas. i wouldnt trade my solitary bird for anything, unless someone wanted to trade even steven giving me a formosa 51 insead..LOL... but that will never happen in htis life.
if ypu find a boat in decent shape with a dead engine(inboard) then fix that problem--many ways to do that CHEAPLY then geaux for it......i replaced my dead 4-107 westerfreke with a really nice USED 4-108 for 2500 dollars plus shipping(602) from michigan, installed it for the cost of 3 loaves of bread, which turned out to being a near year cruising gulf of mexic insgead--LOL--i again win--- and i replaced the backing plate onmy fordeck which i was advised was a wet rotted deck-- wrong!!! and installed a beeyoooteeefulll manual windlass, and i left sd. wasnt much into it-- i fixed my leak in bottom by having a smart fella find out it is jut packing----hooyaaahh--and s still being packed periodically with new---- just add to the stuff neding to go back into the fanged unit---dang!!! i stillhave to caulk ovrhead hatches before rains come and ......
but is not that much dinero to make a boat seaworthy from cheap and floating. i must caution against getting into boats stored on the hard as they are not floating and could well have a reason for being on dry land.......if it floats, you are already more than half way to sailing her.
now that i have said that----
thereis a formosqA 41 on the hard in sd needing coachhhouse rot repair, prolly needs rudder and shaft log,stern tube,packing gland and cutlass bearing replacement-- could eb some time to splash her-- and a few dollars-- but anyone with ability and desire to obtain one of these boats can for small amount of investment. when yer done fixing, will be a market value of around 30-560k and replacement value of 160-250k. isnt a bad deal, over all. just do good work and ther eis no suchthing s a deal breaker in boats of this type. they are solid. they have abad rap from b eing found to leak on the pillow from the decks--most have had teak removed--travesty--- and dont leak any more. from the top, anyway..LOL
but as i sed-- boats on hard take more work to make float and seaworthy than do boats already floating. there is a reason for their dry state.

---WHY waste so many column inches bragging about your great find ..i found some land i sat on for 10 yrs paying taxes and later sold for over a million yrs ago and never bragg about .Those are done deals " been there done that " get over it as the "Eagles sang" .Todays deals are todays deals and finding some boat or land the estate nevber paid the taxes on takes real Online searching of not just DEA auctionds but IRS auctions And the bank-repo sites as that is where yo will foind the real bargains ,,Not next door from the boatbum that cant pay nhis/her rent as you keep referring to. GREAT , you got a deal so fix er up and get over it BUT dont mislead new buyers looking for a true lly safe "Blue Waater Boat" on a budget as you and i know most of these newbies are dreamers and will never sail the carribean are 100 miles of open water. Cheers .were the paragraphs long enough?

[Fishman_Tx]

For what it's worth, if your a DIY guy, you won't have ANY problem finding a boat in your range. Just get the best bang for your buck and refabricate or paint the rest.

In the end, it's YOUR 'druthers that matter and not someone elses.

For us, the DIY way is the way to freedom. Now we know our boat from stem to stern, inside and out. If something goes wrong? We know what's necessary to fix it. This time last year, I didn't know half of what I know now. There are good things to be said about sweat equity and the pride one has when the job is all done!

[wetsail1]

Ill let u rent mine for 10 grand

[zeehag]

pullord-----i was advising of a boat for sale for 4900 dollars-- do you know how to read or do you merely rant for no reason?

[Ron Rico]

Zee -
I'm puter illiterate - and don't know how to pm. Please contact me at;

makin4thetrades - at - gmail dot com