Buying First Sailboat - Advice?

[BigDreams]

Originally Posted by spooky alice

I have a Toyota pickup, 4 cyl. It will pull my 22 ft sailboat and I have launched it with it but it's a BIG load for it. I only go a couple miles to the water, I wouldn't want to go much more. Stopping is a adventure as the boat is about twice as long and heavy as the truck. An 8 cyl toyota will pull better but still have the stopping problem.

Alice,

Even short distances will eventually wreck your motor if its not up to the task. I learned that when I was in my teens with my first 16 foot catamaran. Plus, as you said, stopping ability if not adequate would put you in liability for lawsuit if the police determined an accident was due to you not being able to stop properly.

I had a hitch installed on my Honda Civic & used it to tow my boat/trailer over a two year period. One day my car just totally gasped and died at 80,000 miles.

I did receive hundreds of astonished looks from other drivers, though, which was amusing. But I was a kid !

[Thorpydo]

My truck is a 4x2 Toyota Prerunner 4.0L V6, 6 speed manual transmission with rear locking diff. Toyota listed specs are 3500 lb. standard towing capacity and 6500 lb. maximum towing capacity. I'm not sure if any extra hardware is required for the maximum towing capacity but the 3600 lb balboa is right on the edge of the "standard" - whatever that means. The trailer has got to weigh something too though. . . I don't have a trailer assisted breaking system setup but the wiring is installed. I believe I would need the little box system inside the cab and a trailer equipped with breaks. I don't know how much either of those things would run or if boat trailers of this size normally come setup with breaks. If the trailer is the original, then I would guess not. . . but I really do not know. I bought the truck about a year ago knowing that I would but wanting to tow at some point, so I hope this doesn't work as a limit in my decisions.

Little side story while the talk is cars - my first, and previous car was a mazda 626. I hated that thing. It was in and out of the shop and I spent more money fixing it then it was probably worth. At one point, I had it at the auto shop for some work being done. I called one afternoon to check on the status and got a worried "Let me call you back response". Found out about a half hour later that some crooks had stolen it out of the gated auto shop over the weekend and went joyriding. The car was recovered several days later from a casino with Cadillac rims off another car. The trunk and backseat were full of other peoples things, including the registration from another (stolen) car. Needless to say, the car was in there with transmission problems for a reason and the half hour drive just about to ruined the car. The car was totaled and I ended up getting about three grande through the auto shop's insurance company. Depending on the quote that I would have recieved from the auto shop, I was thinking about selling it anyway. So while I initially pissed off (this only added to the long of things that had been stolen from me in the last 6 months), it turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I got far more money for it through the insurance company then I would if I had sold it.

Apparently this sort of thing is a normal occurrence. They have police drive the casino parking lots and run license plates - that was how mine was recovered. Now, you would think that when they find one, the police would wait it out and catch the thieves. I'm not sure the real reason why they don't, but when I inquired, I was told that even if they caught the guys, it would be hard to get a conviction. The rule being that the police have to prove that the suspect knew they were stealing the car. Sounds like a load of crock to me.

Man. . . was that off topic.

[BigDreams]

[QUOTE=Thorpydo;291359]My truck is a 4x2 Toyota Prerunner 4.0L V6, 6 speed manual transmission with rear locking diff. ....

I think you mentioned keeping your boat at your apartment and the first thing I thought of was 'bad idea.' It will be broken into or vandalized by the local idiots. I know what you mean about the cops staking out a stolen car & I don't buy that excuse. I once got hit by a drunk driver and the cop who responded totally amazed me in that he began to merely write down the guys information rather than make an arrest. I was so astonished that I blurted out, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?? !!" to the cop, who looked at me and asked, "well what do you want me to do?" to which I said, "I WANT HIM ARRESTED." Only then did the cop make the arrest & the guy plead guilty later to DUI.

Anyway.....

I don't have a vehicle that will tow my Catalina 18, but its not often that I do anyway. So I rent a Ford F-250 pick up from a local equipment rental yard & just tow it that way. But as you said, the trailer doesn't have brakes so I have to drive with caution and not flat out highway limit. I did hit a large bump one time on the freeway going about 50mph and that caused a moderate fishtail which scared the bejeebers out of me... My guess is, without knowing your truck model well, that the F250 is a heavier truck. The rental charge isn't cheap but cheaper than owning a truck I don't need. Usually about $175 not including gas for about 100 miles. i.e. water to storage yard. The truck is high riding, too, so I don't have to back in beyond the mid wheel cover of the back wheels. But, I also have a trailer extension.

[Thorpydo]

I've been out of town and away from a computer for the last week.

22' Balboa sailboat & 2 outboards

This popped up on craigslist. I emailed the seller and may check it out tomorrow. What do you guys think?

[Dockhead]

For another view, a very critical view on the Catalina 22, have a look at this:

Catalina 22 Boat Review

This boat is really better suited to lakes and bays than the ocean, and is not going to be very comfortable even for one person for more than a night or two.

You will really want to try to scrape together the money for something a little bigger and better designed and more seaworthy, if you want to spend more than a night at a time on the boat, or take it any distance.

[Thorpydo]

I've read that review and I think that was what initially turned me off of that boat.

But I'm confused. . . this is a balboa 22, not a catalina 22. I understand that the condition of this particular boat might not be what I'm looking for but I'd like to base that off of an inspection and not just a low price. And I was under the impression the balboa's were built much more robustly than their competition. That is, however, assuming, the balboa 22 was built similarly to the balboa 26.

[Thorpydo]

Hey again,

I still haven't purchased anything but have been perusing craigslist regularly.

I happened along this boat and it looks like it could be a great deal if it is in decent condition. I have contacted the seller and will be taking a look at the boat soon.

I'm looking into options for a trailer. If I went with a boat like this, I would probably keep it moored for part of the year and on the trailer for the other.

What do you guys think?

1976 27' Ranger Sailboat

Thanks.

[Sailmonkey]

just keep in mind as the boat gets larger you may not just be able to back up to a ramp and be rid of the boat. Your launching expense will go up if you need a lift to load the trailer.

[Not Sure]

Regardless of which boat that you buy, the entire boat is going to need to be gone over with a fine tooth comb for seaworthiness, replacing throughhulls, rebedding hardware, repairing any and all deficiencies, etc., before it can be safely sailed...particularly offshore. THese are 30 year old boats, and chances are very good that they are still sporting some of their original equipment such as cockpit drains and/or throughhulls, which are currently held on with powdered bedding compound, dried crud, and marine crust....not what you want to be trusting your life to out on the open water.

The point is, the smaller the boat, the more likely it is that these necessary items can be inspected and repaired without sinking your budget. The larger the boat the more costly that these items become exponentially. In other words, there is a big difference between what it costs to go over and refit where needed a Catalina 22, and what it costs to go over a Balboa 26, all other things being equal.

[SkiprJohn]

As far as my experience with Catalinas is that you would be better off with a Catalina 27 than most other California production boats of the same year. The Practical Sailor model 22 they were evaluating was a swing keel. Mine was a fin keel and very sturdy.
Go look at some and then make up your own mind.
Check out some of the recommendations and links after my signature.
regards,

[SkiprJohn]

P. S. My Toyota 4X4 with 4 cyl and tow package pulls 3500lbs easily and I've hauled an International Folkboat and trailer with it over hill and dale which is double that weight.
regards,

[SkiprJohn]

Darn good price on the Ranger if it still floats. Ranger is more a racer than coastal cruiser but still very doable for what you are wanting.
regards

[sandy daugherty]

The Ranger is a fixed keel boat, and launching one from a trailer is only for the pro's, on a very limited number of ramps, and with a long trailer tongue extension.
You can find a boat to fit your needs, and tow it behind your Tacoma, but you have to be more practical about where you think you want to sail it. Mexico? Yes! drive it down on a trailer, sail to your heart's content, then haul it back and park in a locked storage yard. Do-able providing the total weight of the boat, trailer, engine, and everything you haul in it are less than the rated capacity of your truck AND THE CLASS "A" HITCH with surge brakes YOU HAVE TO BUY FOR IT. Don't spend more than 2/3 of your budget on the boat and trailer because you will no-foolin NEED the rest to get it seaworthy. Don't buy Home Depot crap for it; there's more than enough reasons why marine hardware costs more. You do not want to find that out while you are off shore. Learn to reef immediately. Then reef immediately the first time you wonder if you should. Get a simple GPS with charts, and a permanently mounted VHF radio with DSC and learn every function, trick, and treat. Make sure they talk to each other.
Don't take any one out on a boat who can't swim, and keep kids under nine in life jackets period. Take the US Power Squadron or Coast Guard Auxiliary Boating Safety classes. They can't be beat, are fun, and will get you a discount on your insurance.

Since you will not find an offshore boat on your budget that doesn't need a slip or a mooring, you should stick to coastal and lake sailing, so you can broaden your choices to include Aquarius and McGregor/Venture [but not Clipper]. These boats were built in large enough numbers to have a reliable resale value, so you can keep one for a couple of years to gain experience, sell it and buy something bigger with a much better understanding of what you can handle and how much it will cost. And you will have a lot of fun and adventure in the process, or learn that this is not for you and get out with some of your nestegg intact.

Remember; the only people who buy their last boat first should not have bought a boat to begin with!

[jimmy d]

hi ,i have a Balboa 27 /8.2 .it is a big step up from a balboa 26.also the interior has a bulkhead mounted table giving much more space below decks.it weighs almost 5,000 lbs.has 2200 lbs of that in a shoal draft keel with a swing centerboard.not a swing keel like the catalina.it was advertised as the cadillac of trailer sailors.6 ft. headroom.all teak interior in very good condition .sleeps 5 .it is for the serious trailer sailor .it can handle some pretty tough weather and still only draws 27 inches.if you are looking for one of the best trailer sailors ever made you cannot find a better one for the money.i have rebedded most of the hardware and stantions on the deck,added a real working head with holding tank,all upholstry cleaned or replaced,most of bilge repainted,new vhf radio,has a small propane heater.full galley,pedestal steering.comes with 4 sails .main like new with 2 reefs points,the tandem axle trailer has new axles and fenders .the only thing left to do is repair the volvo md5a diesel.it got water in the cylinder form the exhaust.it does have a 8 h.p. nissan outboard.on the stern if you are satisfied with outboards.i have links to different folks who have sailed thousands of miles in these boats.like the san jauns in wa. ,baja ,mexico ect.this boat has been to alaska twice in its past life.if you really want to get more room and offshore safety you can get what i am replacing the Balboa with a watkins 27, 10 ft. beam 9,000 pounds plus the trailer.i have it already sitting in my back yard .it is definately not for the inexperienced trailersailer =-) . i am asking $6,500. for my Balboa 27 fairs winds jim 541-863-1275 .