Canadian-Built Bluewater Boats ? Headroom ?

[DeepFrz]

I know it doesn't have the romance of a sail boat but Boracay's advice above is something to be considered. Many sailors as they age switch over to trawlers and love it. You still have the beauty of living on the water and with a boat where you don't have to have the agility of a teen age girl to do the maintenance that a boat requires or the strength and stamina required to sail her.

[Hannah on 'Rita T']

Go fo the Whitby; it can be a trawler if you need it to, going down the ICW, for instance, because it is stable with a deep keel and carries lots fo fuela nd water, 300 gallons of each, but also can be sailed single handedly, with her ketch rig and flexible sail plan. Get roller furling and your are in business. She's comfortable, able, safe, and fun to sail hen she gets going.

[cwyckham]

Just do it. Seems obvious from your post that you already know this is the right answer.

Three thoughts: 1. You can make the leap right to a big boat, but the forces are more dangerous and docking is much harder. For those first trips, the stress level will probably be high, and it will seem less fun. This is where you need a mentor. Either a friend or a hired instructor will help you get over the awkward stage gracefully.

2. Stop letting yourself be disappointed by bad brokers. Many buyers with less experience get a buyer's broker to help them. The two brokers split the commission. May be worth it.

3. Don Casey has a great little book on inspecting used sailboats yourself. Bring the book and a flashlight and go over the whole thing yourself. Not a replacement for a survey, but you'll learn a lot about build and maintenance quality on your own and can save money on surveys of boats that aren't up to snuff. You'll also just learn a lot.

[Bash]

Well, since you asked for honest feedback, I can tell you why brokers don't want to waste a lot of time on you: you don't really know what you want. In the scope of a week you've gone from being interested in a C&C 39 to a Whitby 42. Those boats aren't even related to each other. Honestly, they are designed for a completely different market, with completely different rigs and completely different hull/keel configurations. Very few people interested in a boat like a C&C would also want to look at a Whitby. It's kinda like saying you can't decide between a Porsche roadster or a Chrysler minivan.

Figure out what you want to do with a boat first. Are you interested in club racing? If not, stop looking at racer/cruisers. Are you interested in offshore passages? If not....

[S/V Alchemy]

What Bash said. Perhaps hard to hear, but true. I have a C&C design and a steel motorsailer, precisely because they are so freakin' different. One's for blasting around Lake Ontario with not much more than a lunch bag for cargo, and the other is for a stately cruise with long-term independence from the shore.

I like sailing them equally well, but for entirely different reasons and working from a completely different set of principles.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by Bash

In the scope of a week you've gone from being interested in a C&C 39 to a Whitby 42. Those boats aren't even related to each other. Honestly, they are designed for a completely different market, with completely different rigs and completely different hull/keel configurations. Very few people interested in a boat like a C&C would also want to look at a Whitby. It's kinda like saying you can't decide between a Porsche roadster or a Chrysler minivan.

...

Actually the C&C39 was a Landfall, a center cockpit cruising boat "similar" to the Whitby42.

[Cheechako]

Bad Broker? When you view the boat look around good. Especially in the Nav table. The registration etc is likely there somewhere. Get the name and location, call the owner up and tell them you're interested in the boat but the broker seems to be an impediment. Things will change.

[hpeer]

A little late to the thread.

If not opposed to steel try a Murray 33 designed by Ted Brewer and built in Canada. Very well done hull, plenty of headroom and generally well priced.

Ted Brewer Yacht Design


1990 Brewer Murray 33 Sloop in HAMILTON, ONTARIO - Boatcan.com

1984 Murray Custom Built Steel Cutter Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

There is also a 33' aluminum boat by Ted on yachtworld.

[Boulter]

Hi:

Thanks for the comments.

I still have another 4 weeks of doctor ordered sitting on my hands doing nothing, so I am not physically capable of doing a serious crawl about on a boat until October. So by the time I could seriously inspect a boat, the Canadian fleet will be on the hard. This rules our sea trials this year, but since I am completely green, a sea trial won't be meaningful to me. So on the balance, maybe a good thing. I don't imagine anyone would agree to a closing date in the spring, but you never know.

Probably the next practical step would be to establish a presence in Belleville by showing up with next year's dues, looking like a lost puppy, and seeing if I can get anyone to take me under their wing. Make sure I avoid embarassing things like showing up with a 42 foot boat and maybe finding out that the maximum size is 35. Or maybe finding that there are no spots available at all.

Another thing that occurred to me was to practice surveying random boats at the pier to make sure I understand what I am inspecting, and remember to do it when it comes time to do it for real. Sort of develop my system and routine. One of my books has about a 5 page checklist as a starting point.

Everyone have a good day.

Boulter

[Cheechako]

why not just wait until spring? You need a sea trial to determine the engine, transmission condition. Also check the rudder post etc for leaking. Depth sounder working? Stuffing box leaking? (could end up being a chaft replacement, cutlass bearing redo etc)

[Cascadian]

Having an "and world" might not be bad. Find your boat, have a survey done while it's already hauled out. Get any work done that requires her on the hard anyway. Put down the money in the spring subject to sea trial.

[tropicalescape]

you mentioned the Douglas 32 in your thread and I may be biased in my thoughts because I have one myself but in all honesty I think you would not go wrong with such a boat,they are well built and designed.It seems that some boats are built with very little thought as to what happens when you have to do mantinance on things like chain plates,thru-hulls,plumbing,wiring etc.The Douglas 32 seems to be a boat where all these things seem to be at the forefront when it was designed, as there is nothing that cant be inspected and worked on without to much trouble.I can get to everything either by simply opening a cabinet door or un-screwing a few screws on an access panel.There is ample room for storage and the rigging is oversized and very robust.the thing that I dont like is there is not a way to remove the sole without major effort...they are easy to singlehand and although at first a little tender she settles down and has a very nice motion and will take anythying you can throw at her.Any way thats what I think about them and I also saw that it is a boat that Ewan Cambell(I dont know who he is)placed in his Hall Of Fame of sailboats...Good luck in your recovery and hunt for the right boat..Daryl

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by hpeer

A little late to the thread.

If not opposed to steel try a Murray 33 designed by Ted Brewer and built in Canada. Very well done hull, plenty of headroom and generally well priced.

Ted Brewer Yacht Design


1990 Brewer Murray 33 Sloop in HAMILTON, ONTARIO - Boatcan.com

1984 Murray Custom Built Steel Cutter Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

There is also a 33' aluminum boat by Ted on yachtworld.

Good suggestion. It's small enough to handle solo, but tough enough to do oceans.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by Boulter

Hi:

Thanks for the comments.

I still have another 4 weeks of doctor ordered sitting on my hands doing nothing, so I am not physically capable of doing a serious crawl about on a boat until October. So by the time I could seriously inspect a boat, the Canadian fleet will be on the hard. This rules our sea trials this year, but since I am completely green, a sea trial won't be meaningful to me. So on the balance, maybe a good thing. I don't imagine anyone would agree to a closing date in the spring, but you never know.

Probably the next practical step would be to establish a presence in Belleville by showing up with next year's dues, looking like a lost puppy, and seeing if I can get anyone to take me under their wing. Make sure I avoid embarassing things like showing up with a 42 foot boat and maybe finding out that the maximum size is 35. Or maybe finding that there are no spots available at all.

Another thing that occurred to me was to practice surveying random boats at the pier to make sure I understand what I am inspecting, and remember to do it when it comes time to do it for real. Sort of develop my system and routine. One of my books has about a 5 page checklist as a starting point.

Everyone have a good day.

Boulter

Don't look in the fall. Make the owner pay for winter storage...it'll soften him up for the spring.

By the way, if his boat is in a YC, shop in the grimmest part of February before his club taps him for spring dues. That impeding event will focus his mind.

Also, take the CPS "Boating" course. It's 12 weeks x 3 hour once-weekly classes. Get your PCOC this way...every other way is a sham.

You may wish to find a club...it could be BQYC...and join first as "Crew". Offer to help old guys with old boats fix 'em over the winter. You will learn a lot in general, and specifically, what to look for in an older boat, of which there are literally hundreds currently on sale. Under 35 feet is significantly cheaper, by the way. You pay more for every foot longer than that, irrespective of the condition of the rest of the boat.

As I've said before, it's a great time to get good old boats that are a little shorter...they can't get rid of them faster than their elderly owners are getting out of boating!

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by tropicalescape

you mentioned the Douglas 32 in your thread

I may be wrong here, but isn't the Douglas 32 also known as the Hullmaster 31? Something to keep in mind, anyway. They are solid boats for the Lakes, to be sure.