Hi, obviously I haven't seen the boats you're considering, but I wouldn't be put off by the price. Some people think you need something very expensive to
live aboard, some people don't. If you note the word 'need' in the last sentence, the fact that some people do it on
cheap boats without all the fancy toys tells you that those who insist on expensive are paying for more than they
need to do it.
As for a list of stuff you'll need:
Sail
repair kits
Spare halyards
Spare
sheets
Oil filters
At least 1 oil-change's worth of
oil
Fuel filters
Spare alternator(s) & belts
Spare hoses (ALL of them)
Spare
stainless steel circlips (loads of them)
Spare relays
Spare
fuses
Gaffer tape, WD40 & cable ties (obviously)
Spare
wiring
Full tool kit
Fire extinguishers
Fire blankets
Flares
EPIRB
Liferaft
Lots of spare shackles
Emergency forestay/backstay
Emergency water jugs (full) (number depends on volume of tanks)
Emergency
diesel jugs (full) (number depends of volume of tanks)
VHF
Spare set of
sails (could be the old ones)
Storm sails
Charts (paper or electronic)
Sextant & almanac &
GPS (most people like to have a backup method for
navigation, although these days that normally means
GPS x2)
Lifejackets & harnesses
Climbing harness/bosun's chair
Grease & grease gun
Snorkel, mask, fins (maybe wetsuit, depending on where you're sailing)
MOB harness
Dinghy
Adequate
anchor, spare anchor and appropriate
rode
Compass
Correct
lighting & spares
Spare
RUDDER and means of attaching
Emergency tiller
Autopilot (my preference is the wind-vane type, as they draw NO
power and are mechanical - hence are easier to fix)
other spares depending on boat systems (eg spare hydraulic oil if
steering is hydraulic, fibreglass
repair kit if boat is GRP)
2 part waterproof putty
Bungs
Egg-timer (for nightwatch - to stop you going to sleep)
Head torch with red filter
series drogue/parachute anchor
grab-bag
radar reflector
Anchor
windlass
Working
bilge pumps
Hand
bilge pumps
Buckets
Fenders
Common sense
Nice to have:
Dinghy
outboard
Sailing dinghy
Fridge
Dive-tanks &
compressor
Roller-reefing foresail
Tow-generator
Fishing lines & lures
Lots of
books
Computer & films to watch
Stereo
Bimeny
Diesel
stove (I'm sure others who have never struggled to get LPG and have also never used a Diesel
stove will disagree with this)
Bicycles
Electric anchor
windlass
Davits
Lavac head
boat-hook with clever carabiner clippy thing for picking up moorings
Water usage counter (cumulative flow meter)
Fuel usage counter (cumulative flow meter)
Things I would deliberately avoid:
Electrically pumped water systems
Electric winches
Electric/hydraulic furlers
In-mast
furling
In-boom
furling
Electric
cooking
Cats
Cockroaches
I definitely agree that if you buy on the
east coast of the US, by the time you get to the Pacific, you'll be ready for it (or ready to sell the boat!). You'll have plenty of opportunity to figure out what you really can't do without before you get to the long passage to the Marqueses too. If you're still not happy doing it on your own, you can always get experienced crew or even hire a
skipper for the long bits.