Want To Buy: wanting to buy 33-40 ft ready to go in south Fl

[ryanandchantal]

hello everyone, my wife and I recently relocated to FL and are looking to purchase a live aboard capable of Bahamas/ Caribbean cruising.
minor TLC needed is acceptable, but we are not looking for a big project.
we are currently in west palm burning money renting on shore and hoping to buy something in the very near future.
we are cash buyers and serious so if you have anything for sale of know of anyone that does in south FL please let us know.
budget of around 20k US, (we are Canadians)

very excited to get on the water.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by ryanandchantal

hello everyone, my wife and I recently relocated to FL and are looking to purchase a live aboard capable of Bahamas/ Caribbean cruising.
minor TLC needed is acceptable, but we are not looking for a big project.
we are currently in west palm burning money renting on shore and hoping to buy something in the very near future.
we are cash buyers and serious so if you have anything for sale of know of anyone that does in south FL please let us know.
budget of around 20k US, (we are Canadians)

very excited to get on the water.

33'-40' and needing only minor TLC is largely incompatible with your budget. But you never know.

You should probably check out a good thread on these forums, "Boat finds under $30k" in which people post interesting boats for sale that they have found.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Welcome Aboard CF Ryan and Chantal!

Some Quick Advice:
You are in a hurry to buy a boat? Not a good idea. Better to look at several boats first and then carefully examine the best or first choice. Why? It is cheaper to rent an apartment or hotel room for a month, than it is to make a costly purchase of a cheap boat that may have unseen problems. A good survey by a professional surveyor is always recommended too, especially if the boat is older, as it likely will be at your $20K USD budget. For example, a recent thread tells of a couple who spent $12,000 on an old boat in Florida, with the hopes of quickly going on a voyage, only to find they could not get the boat safely off the dock, and then required expensive repairs and tows.

Here is a link to a thread (mentioned above) that has many boats that are less than $30K USD and many that are less than $20K too. I suggest you look at the entire thread, from the beginning. Even if some of the boats are NOT currently for sale, it is an informative thread with many examples of TYPES or MODELS of boats that are found at this price level. I post photos that show good to very condition examples of those boats, so it will give a reader something to compare when shopping the current market.

I also encourage you (or others) to SUBSCRIBE to that same thread (it is easy to subscribe, by simply posting a comment in the thread or using the drop down "Thread Tools" menu from the forum's menu bar). IF you subscribe, you will be automatically notified about new postings. I have several more boats which were recently listed that I will be sharing on that thread very soon (within a few days), and some are under $20K and in Florida.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ds-147098.html

I hope you enjoy your time on CF. Good luck on your boat search.

[Doug Brown]

I have one for sale. I'll send you a PM in a couple of minutes.

Doug Brown

[akprb]

80k? May have something for you. We're off to the Bahamas later this month with her. Turn key ��

[Boat_Girl]

You've gotten some good feedback here. Occasionally you will find a boat in this price range, but it is VERY rare. $40-50K is going to be closer, if you want something that only needs minor work. You have to look at it this way...a brand new 40-footer would likely cost you $300,000 to $500,000 depending on the boat, so the prices on used boats are very reasonable.

I have two in Indiantown listed at this price range http://www.edwardsyachtsales.com/boa...lesrepid=61047

Look at the Pearson 424 (GREAT boat!) and the Gulfstar 41. If you'd like to take a look at them, call me at 305-807-4096 and I'd love to drive down and meet you guys!

[Capn Jimbo]

Thanks for this valuable thread. I would only suggest that you consider buying Don Casey's "Good Old Boat" which will be invaluable both for finding, choosing and maintaining your find.

His "30 minute survey" does not replace a professional survey, but allows you to quickly eliminate the many dogs, to then find the far fewer winners worthy of a paid professional survey.

I also recommend buying an inexpensive Ryobi (or similar) wood moisture meter to verify your tap tests - I got mine for $35 (refurb, ebay), and the idea is compare relative readings from areas known to be dry (good tap) to say an area near stress cracks or other signs of possible leaks. It works...

[thruska]

Originally Posted by Boat_Girl

You've gotten some good feedback here. Occasionally you will find a boat in this price range, but it is VERY rare. $40-50K is going to be closer, if you want something that only needs minor work. You have to look at it this way...a brand new 40-footer would likely cost you $300,000 to $500,000 depending on the boat, so the prices on used boats are very reasonable.

I have two in Indiantown listed at this price range http://www.edwardsyachtsales.com/boa...lesrepid=61047

Look at the Pearson 424 (GREAT boat!) and the Gulfstar 41. If you'd like to take a look at them, call me at 305-807-4096 and I'd love to drive down and meet you guys!

30' Alberg 1970 30

30' Alberg 1970 30

"Sugar" is a very rare find! She is a classic 1970 Alberg 30 which has been upgraded into a modern cruising boat.

Owned by the owners of a prominent marine canvas business in St. Augustine, she has been expertly and professionally restored and cared for. Her 18 HP Yanmar engine has undergone regular maintenance and has under 350 hours on it (be sure to view the video!). The rigging and sails are only three years old. Both interior and exterior have been totally redone.

This is a classic full-keeled cruiser/racer designed by Carl Alberg, with a beautiful sheer and graceful overhangs. These boats were raced extensively before the more modern racing designs took over, and they can still hold their own against the modern fleet. If you like traditional boats and want to own an ungraded piece of sailing history, this is the ship for you!

All new canvas
Only 350 hours on professionally maintained 18 HP Yanmar
Full canvas cockpit enclosure
Teak side boarding ladder
Cruisair marine air conditioner (can be run at anchor with a small generator on deck!)
Marine refrigeration
All new wiring
Teak toe rail replaced with modern aluminum one
Autopilot
Recent Awlgrip on decks and hull
New interior cushions
Tiller steering
New steel handrails on deck
Sails and rigging replaced 3 years ago, in great shape
Roller furling jib and pack-type system for main
This little beauty is turn-key. Call me and let's go see her!

This is another that same phone number as above listings.
A beauty , may be just what you are looking for.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Suijin

33'-40' and needing only minor TLC is largely incompatible with your budget. But you never know.

You should probably check out a good thread on these forums, "Boat finds under $30k" in which people post interesting boats for sale that they have found.

Ditto on that.

[JOHNMARDALL]

Unfortunately, a $20k budget for that size boat will buy you a hull full of completely worn out equipment, with tattered sails. If you do this, you will spend the rest of your life and all of your money fixing that old boat. If you will enjoy that, go ahead. If you want to go sailing, spend your $20k on a few good charters.
Good luck
John Mardall
Vetus Maxwell Group

[Scout 30]

The main thing to remember here is the price of admission is the cheap part. As Steady said, don't be in a hurry. Look at a lot of boats. The more you look the more you know. Do an online search every day. Craigslist, sailboatlistings.com, Yachtworld are good places to start. Condition is key here. Spending more on a boat in good condition will save you a ton of money in the long run. Also if you're primary cruising grounds will be Florida & the Bahamas try to keep the draft at 4' or less. I guarantee you'll thank me for that.

[Scout 30]

You might want to change your parameters to 30-36 foot. A 30' boat for $20K will be in much better condition and or quality than a 40 footer at $20,000 & it will cost much less to fit out, repair, maintain, dock & insure.

[Cadence]

Just a ?. What do you think the marina fees will be and maintenance. Not to be cruel, you need to rethink your finances.

[Dave22q]

You want a blue water live aboard cruiser over 30' for $20 k or less. I have two words for you, FORGET IT! For starters you had better reserve at least a third of your budget for necessary repairs, replacements and upgrades. Just about every older boat needs significant work or the price will reflect an unusually good situation. If you can live with the smaller space you might find something about 25-28' that could fit your budget. Also you have to figure at least two surveys to find the right boat to make an offer. That's 10% of your budget right there. Even so you have to expect your search to take some time. Unusually good deals are not usual.
My advice is to step back and rethink your options before you blow more money in a search against the odds. I really hope you get lucky but my head says bad bet.

[ryanandchantal]

Hello everyone, thank you all for the positive advice, some valuable points. Just to give everyone so more information, we have been looking for vessels for the past 6 months online everyday and more recently have been viewing one to two vessels a day in person.
we have made lots of of local friends and contacts in our search and viewed some really worn boats as well as some half decent ones. I have a mechanical and carpentry background as well as having been on freshwater boats most of my life. we have a maritime lawyer and two surveyors on our side ensuring we are making sound decisions. Our budget of a hopeful 20k is not everything we have, its what we are looking to spend on the purchase. That being said we are flexible depending on the vessel. We do not plan on spending any more time than necessary at marinas as we have available safe dock space on the ICW and plan on anchoring out when away from the dock. We have considered our finances extensively and are being cautious with our funds so we can enjoy cruising safely and not have to return to work immediately.
I should have explained in further detail in my original post, however my goal was to stir up some potentially unlisted boats etc...
Have a safe and great day everyone, looking forward to additional feedback.