Which Boat Would you Choose?

[Captrhino]

Out of these boats which would you buy and why ? These are a few local ones than caught my eye. I'd like a lake sailor with the option of taking it to the gulf when I'm ready. I have the wife & 2 small kids that would be coming along as well.

25'Catalina Capri sailboat

O'day 25 Sail Boat

1974 Tanzer 7.5 meter optional Honda

Ticon T30 Sailboat

Bayliner Buccaneer Sail Boat 1975

1994 Santana Sailboat

1992 Macgregor 26S sailboat w/trailer






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[Ex-Calif]

With a family aboard I would go for the Ticon then Bayliner primarily due to LOA.. Also inboard diesel is way more convenient than outboard especially if you are going to have power and batteries on board. Not crazy about either boats interior but at this price point you can't expect miracles.

The other boats are OK but I think you will be happier if you get a bigger boat.

[Captrhino]

I was leaning towards the Ticon as well . What about the interior is not to your liking ? I like the function and looks of a inboard over a outboard.


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[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Captrhino

I was leaning towards the Ticon as well . What about the interior is not to your liking ? I like the function and looks of a inboard over a outboard.


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It's not terrible and you'd need to look in person. Just wasn't a fan of teh 1 inch square tile.

I thought the Bayliner had an "interesting" interior with the cut glass and stuff. Definitely an interior to suit one's particular taste.

Depending on your future plans inboard diesel boats will have more of the "systems" that one needs to learn about. Batteries, alternators, water cooling, diesel engines etc.

Of course that comes with maintenance, maintenance headaches and cost.

I have sailed the smaller catalinas and other than the shrouds coming down in the middle of the deck (making getting to the foredeck a pain) they are nice day sailers.

27-30 feet makes weekending a little less like camping but at your price point you might also consider getting the "best" boat for the money. Outboards are a lot less complex.

If you go with diesel make sure you wring it out on the survey/test sail. Nothing worse than buying an $8000 boat and then in 2 months having a $4-5k engine overhaul to do.

[Captrhino]

All good info . All the sailboats on the lake here have outboards. The draft on the Ticon is my only concern with that one . Our average depth is 10ft with standing timber in some areas.


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[Stu Jackson]

The Buccaneer is a DOG. It ONLY sails sideways - minimum draft on keel. Any of the others are waaay better. The Catalina 25, for example, is a real sailboat. The Capri model is the racing version of the C25.

[Cheechako]

I've never heard of a Ticon so cant comment. Not sure a 30 footer belongs in a fair comparison.
I assume you are looking for a trailerable.
I've talked with a lot of satisfied Tanzer owners over the years.
The Capri and Santana are usually fast boats, but may be more sparse in accommodation.
There's not a Bucanneer in the world worth $6k! It's unsellable and you could tell him you'll just take it off his hands.
Another little known trailerable bargain boat that sails well and is "well built" (for the type of boat) is the Chrysler 26.
It probably comes down tot he best boat for the $ condition wise.

[Captrhino]

Yes at this point trailerable would be ideal. As I'd like to take it to other lakes and the gulf. I appreciate everyone's input so far.


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[Captrhino]

I know the newer Mac's are a no go but what about the older ones ? Much of a difference ?


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[Stu Jackson]

25 foot boats are really pushing the envelope for trailering. 22s work for quick trailering, but 25s are very substantial and heavy, requiring heavy duty trucks or other vehicles, except for Macs, which are lighter boats and not such great sailors.

[Igotnuthin]

I've worked on a Ticon before and I was very impressed at the way they planned the layout so that absolutely everything was easily accessible. Had to rebed staunchions and such and panels were easy to remove to gain access to the nuts.....

[Captrhino]

Anyone used a moving service ? I could go with the Ticon , move it to my lake and then to the gulf later on if I ever wanted too. I have a Ram 1500 and would prefer to not buy a new truck right now . What would be the best way to rig up a ac unit on any of those boats, myself I'd be fine with just fans but I want it to be enjoyable for the wife an kiddos .


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[Sanman60]

If it were me, I wouldn't go for ANY of the boats on the list above, there are LOTS of better boats for what you want to do, in your price range, and within a reasonable distance. Not a big fan of boats on Craigslist, they all seem to be Tired and the fact that its a free listing for everything and anything, IMHO makes it a bit of a Dumping ground...some better websites like Sailingtexas.com or sailboatowners.com will reveal MUCH better smaller boats. Like Cheechako said above the Chrysler's are real good boats that are often overlooked, also the Rhodes 22.... and your 1500 can probably haul anything up to 26 feet at least. So don't limit yourself as far as distance.

Another bit of advice: I would be leery of a boat with no real and current pictures of the interior... There's probably a reason they dont want you to see it... and down here in the Deep South, its liable to be a Mould and Mildew Farm down below. about 8 years ago, we drove 3 hrs to ATL and looked at four brokered boats on Lake Lanier with good looking photos... in actuality they were uninhabitable, and in serious need of gutting to the hull to get at all the mould!
so dont trust a broker to necessarily represent the true condition. (no offense to brokers here, but it was my experience) The Tanzer is a good example of this: No real description and misspelled, the interior is all flipped up, and a bottle of jim Beam in the Galley...really, Mr Broker, REALLY?
Ok, enough of the soapbox....Back to the question...
If pressed, though, I'd go with the Catalina 1st, Because of the support and they are still being built (but I would look for a regular C25 not a Capri, the Capri is more of a racer, unless thats what you want to do), then maybe the O'day, but you will want to get a newer outboard, and check the bottom out really well. The Tanzer would be next, I have heard they really were fantastic little boats and if she's been loved then she might be ok...
I'd be suspicious of the others...the Ticon looks ok, but the "Partially refurbished" thing says "un-finishable"

and the Santana has no real pictures of the boat, But the open transom, and vey short cabin top scream "race boat"... probably not going to make the wife and kids happy on Cruises.

next, the Macgregor...$6800 for a '92 Macgregor S...??? BWAAAA HA HA HA!!!!

and only, ONLY take the Buccaneer if you get paid to take it to the dump, That boat is one very well polished turd...dont even THINK about paying for that thing.

[appick]

A couple of thoughts.

When I went for my first monohull I thought for sure the way to go was trailer-able, no storage fees ect. Then after the first three weeks I realized I'd spent the equivilant of storage fees on gas moving the back and forth 40miles each way and launching each time was a huge PITA... You'll need at least a half ton vehicle to move a 22 let alone a 25. So if you don't already have a good tow vehicle you have to factor purchasing one into the equation. Not to mention insurance and gas. Also the extra gas you'll use if you use it as your daily driver.

For me I quickly realized the towing deals was bunk. Sold the truck, used the trailer as a cradle, rented a mooring for $250 a summer, WAY cheaper! Most people think they will trailer their new boats all over and sail different lakes. In reality it's more of a hassle and setting up a 22 foot boats rig isn't exactly easy, let alone a bigger boat. Keeping a boat at a marina can be fun. You get to know your neighbors and be a part of a community, with people that share a similar interest. Sure every year you have to pay to haul out and store but its still cheaper than all the other stuff. If you want to move to a different lake you can always get it transported for not too much money.

Onto the boats... There is something to be said for learning on a small boat for sure, but I say go for the Ticon. The price looks good and so do the pics (although they can lie sometimes). The inboard will be a huge improvement over the outboard. With a wife and 2 kids you'll need every inch of that 30ft. If you bought something smaller, you'd just be looking to upgrade in a few years (you'll still want to upgrade in a few years though).This way though you will at least be comfortable in the Ticon. 30ft is still small enough to be a good boat to learn on. You can still man handle it a little in the dock.

On the Oday it would feel like camping for sure. Camping is fun for 1 or 2 weekends a year but it gets old quick every weekend. You'll really appreciate the actual marine head on the Ticon. If the wife and kids aren't having fun then they won't want to go. If they don't go you don't go!

On our boat, I try and make life as comfortable as possible for us. If my wife and guests are having a good time, so am I. I want my friends to enjoy sailing so they will come out again. I've done such a good job with this that now that we are looking for a bigger boat my wife said, "Why are we only looking at boats 5ft bigger? If we go cruising will we do it in a 33ft boat or would one bigger be better? No sense fixing up two sailboats if we can fix up one!" I couldn't have loved her more at that moment!

[SkiprJohn]

Most of what I was going to say has already been said. I would emphasize that the Catalina Capri 25 is not the same boat as a Catalina 25. Different in all ways but the manufacturer.

Good luck in your choice. I would be more comfortable with looking into the quality of the Ticon but I'm not familiar with it at all so can't give you any info on that one.