Buy a sailboat, charter a sailboat, or fractional ownership?

[Dr. Moreau]

My wife and I have big dreams, we are putting our eye on hitting the open ocean in May 2010 for a circumnavigation. We both are on a very intensive training plan, however after our first week in a US Sailing Course (Basic Keelboat) we realize that we need as much on-the-boat experience as possible.

We are not planning on buying our ocean-going sailboat until October 2009; this gives us ~9 months to get familiar with the ins and outs of our new ship before we hit the open ocean. However, we need on-the-boat experience first, which leaves use with three options.

1) Buy a "nice" used sailboat, we see plenty of boats in the $3000 - $5000 range (even a few $1000 sailboats). Most of the boats are pretty much ready to sail the SF Bay, however they all need a little bit of work. This is a advantage to us, because we need to learn the innerworkings of boats too before our big sail. These boats are 25' - 29'.

This option would also need a ~$200 a month slip rental as well as regular upkeep.

2) We belong to OCSC, a sailing club who also provides US Sailing instruction. They also allow members to bareboat charter boats. Once we complete Basic Cruising in June, we can charter sailboats up to 30 feet. The daily rate is $155 or $280 for a weekend.

Once we complete the Bareboat Chartering course, we can bareboat charter 30+ feet sailboats. The daily rate on a Catalina 36' is $370 or $665 for a weekend.

3) Join a fractional ownership 'club' like Windpath, for a initial investment of $3500 ($2500 of which is a security deposit) and $575 a month we can sail up to 7 days a month on a Catalina 34' sailboat.

So, what do I choose?

I am leaning towards buying a good used boat, keeping it maintained over the next year and hopefully sell in right before we buy the 'ocean-going' boat for a small loss at most. However the Windpath option seems appealing to me because the 'class' of boat is similar to what we need to get used to sailing for our circumnavigation.

I feel OCSC is a bit expensive for the two of us to charter, however they offer a great service where they can pair you with other students to help split the total charter cost.

Is there any options I should consider? Which option is the most appealing to you, if you were a beginning sailor?

Thanks

[slomotion]

I kind of like options 2 and 3 because they give you access to a Catalina 34 or 36. These are real liveaboard cruisers - probably not the ones you would choose for a circumnavigation - but they are popular and suitable for cruising in places like the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

However, nothing can match the the variety of experience you gain from boat ownership. For most people a remarkably small amount of full time cruising involves sailing. Most of the boat related stuff revolves around living at anchor and maintaining/repairing the boat. You need to own one to really learn about that, but it will be much more expensive than options 2 or 3.

[Pblais]

2) We belong to OCSC, a sailing club who also provides US Sailing instruction. They also allow members to bare boat charter boats. Once we complete Basic Cruising in June, we can charter sailboats up to 30 feet. The daily rate is $155 or $280 for a weekend.

We did this when we started and sailing never was that cheap ever again. Sail clubs add a lot of extra value. You meet and get to know people more like you. Getting time on the water right now would be the number one goal. You just can't have too much. Yes, you need to learn the rest as well but frankly it's not a cheap education and sailing experience brings a lot of other things you need even more. I can't sail the boat I own outright for those prices. when you have to pay for it all the numbers don't come out that great. We also have an advantage that we own our boat slip.

A boat that needs a little work takes 2 years to get right and some extra cash that you won't get back when you sell it. Boats don't resell that well. I would stall the purchase of your boat until you get close and allow more time after you buy it to get to know it.

I really think one full season with a new used boat is required to get to really feel comfortable and be confident. Even brand new boats don't come 100% ready or familiar. They all have their issues and things you want to change or fix or somehow change.

Fractional ownership generally gets you into a newer bigger boat and can be a good thing if you can take advantage of all the days you are entitled to. It's still cheaper than owning your own boat. Buying a used boat for a novice is not easy. A lot more responsibility financially and you are pretty much on your own. A good yacht club is a great advantage at that point but with more expenses.

In the interim I would consider time on the water the number one goal.

[Charlie]

Doc:

There is nothing like working on a boat to see if you are interested in sailing around the world or not. I've got a proposal for you everytime there is a nasty job to do on my boat such as changing out the holding tank or cleaning the bilge or going to the top of the mast I wil call you late at night and then you need to get out of your nice warm bed and then come and fix the problem on my boat. This is excellent training for a circumnavigation. And for this training no charge. I'll even pay for parts and take you out sailing every once in awhile as long as you gurantee your work. LOL Sorry I couldn't resist.

On a serious note to get more sailing experience I would suggest that you go to the different yacht clubs and find out when thier Beer can races are. Berkely Richmond and Alameda yacht Clubs all have races on various weeknights. Lat 38 has a racing crew list on its website. From there you can schmooze the owner and help out with repairs. This won't give you much experience at the helm but it will give you sea time. I think that chartering once in awhile and racing as much as you can will keep you busy. I used to sail five or six days a week on other peoples boats when I lived in SF. BTW while OCSC is at the top of the list for teaching they are also on the top of the list for price. You can probably do better on chartering rates at some of the smaller clubs. I don't know if they still do but Tradewinds sailing out of Richmond had a real good deal going on chartering for just a few hundred $$ a month. Also look at the Cal Sailing Club. They have small boats that are really cheap to rent or at least they used to.

[Boracay]

All options look good and well thought out.

Why not do them all.

However, instead of buying a boat that might suck all your creative juices dry for the next 4+ years why not get a RIB inflatable on a trailer with an old outboard? Something that will plane. I'm assuming you have a garage.

If you really want diesel maintenance experience get a 20 year old diesel car or pickup to tow it.

Lot of fun and you could be surprised at the number of places you can get to, and the different marine viewpoints.

[Strygaldwir]

Join the Power and sail squadron and volunteer to work and crew on someone elses boat. Trust me, volunteering to help with the maintenance will get you invite to as many of the fun sails as you want. It also give you insight and experience in dealing with the issues you are going to face when you start cruising. That and it is a LOT cheaper than other alternatives. I alway wonder why no one take advantage of this??? Boaters are usually the friendliest and most helpful set of people as a rule. Love to share, especially if you're not just a free loader.

Good luck.