First boat for new sailor

[wingssail]

Hi OceanBlue, welcome to sailing,

Originally Posted by oceanblue123

Hello

I am just wondering about what advice current yacht owners would give to someone thinking about getting into it.

Since you are new to sailing I recommend you DO NOT buy a boat until you have quite a bit of sailing experience. Better off doing a bunch of sailing on other person's boats. You will learn whether you like it or not and what kind of boat you like. Getting on someone's racing crew is a good way to get a lot of experience and learn from people who know what they are doing (hopefully) even if you decide you don't like racing. Owners of racing boats are always looking for crew, even beginners if they commit to coming every week. Go to the marina on race day and ask.

I am looking at the Beneteau 40 as I have read 40 is a good size and is stable and large enough for ocean going and the fiberglass hull I think would be preferable.

Roughly how far can I travel on a full tank of fuel? Could I travel from Europe to the Caribbean for example or is the engine only for rougher seas and docking and departing etc? Is it really true that oil rigs give out free fuel to sailing ship or every boat?

You cross oceans under sail. You do not count on the engine to deal with rough water, you learn how to sail though those rough conditions, A good sailboat like a Beneteau will do it nicely. Your will never need to refuel from an oil rig.

How much maintenance is needed on the engine? Do you lot carry a whole workshop with you and spare engine parts?

All sailboat parts need maintenance, and motors especially. But don't spend $20,000 on a new motor if the old one is good

Do you carry spare motors and computers and other parts on board for the auto pilot?

Yes. carry many spares, for all the critical systems

Should I go for a boat with 1 or 2 steering wheels?I am thinking 1 as there is less to go wrong and maintain.

Two steering wheels give you a better path to the back of the cockpit and allow you to steer from the side of the boat where you can see forward.

Apologies for lots of questions I just want to know exactly what I would be getting into, I will probably think of more but for now I will post this

You will only know what you are getting into after you've done a bit (quite a bit) of sailing.

But I encourage you to do this, once you become a sailor it is a new life for you, only start smartly.

Thank you for any replies

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by thomm225

This would be a very good choice for a first boat:

1972 Celebrity 19.9

https://norfolk.craigslist.org/boa/d...982038108.html


https://www.southportislandmarine.co...britysloopmore

So the point is if you can handle this boat in 5 - 25 knot winds, when you do get a big boat, it will be quite easy to handle

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by wingssail

Hi OceanBlue, welcome to sailing,

And welcome to forums!


Personally, I would start with books. There are hundreds of them. While reading them, take lessons and charter. Then buy a learning boat, which you may decide you like, or you may trade up.



The thing to remember is that there are many reasons to sail, and different people on this forum have different motivations:

• Pure sailing. The joy of perfect trim, moving through waves, and feeling the wind.
• Competition. This can be racing or...
• Demonstration of wealth. Some people like a big house because it is big.
• Adventure. This can be had on a small boat or a big boat.
• Tranquility. You can find this floating on a blue lagoon or at a neighborhood park.
• Friendship. This could be cruising with friends or day sailing with friends. Either one.

Magazines and boat shows sell the blue lagoon version, because it is the most profitable. I've enjoyed a few lagoons. But that may not be what you want.


And there will be:

• Storms from hell, where you will wish you were anywhere else.
• Discomfort due to heat or cold.
• Stuff that breaks. If you can't fix it, it will be expensive. If you can't fix it, you may also have to do without (there isn't any triple A or towing service in the sense you understand it from driving--totally different).
• Boredom.
• Loneliness.

You don't know if list A is better than list B yet, for you.

[oceanblue123]

Hello Barnakiel, that was not why I wanted one, I want one so I can travel to my country at will and have a place to sleep and live while on he coast and that way i can find some dive spots for snorkeling.
I did wonder about tillers and thank you for pointing out the easier access on a double wheel boat.

That boat you linked me, the Figaro 3 does look nice but is there not risk of the stablising parts getting damaged more easily and that creating issues, if one were to break, would the whole boat not be wobbling?
I can tolerate a boat that is not the biggest, I just would like a nicely sized one to fit my sports gear,
mountain bike, mountainboard, longboard snorkeling gear, kayak etc and so I will need maybe a 3 room boat to house them.

[oceanblue123]

Upnorth, I did not mean using the engine for doing an entire crossing, I meant usingit to keep the boat under control if needed, i.e. if there is not wind but you are getting bobbed about or the current is leading you to the opposite way of the country that you want to go to.

Will reply to the other replies later.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by oceanblue123

Hello Barnakiel, that was not why I wanted one, I want one so I can travel to my country at will and have a place to sleep and live while on he coast and that way i can find some dive spots for snorkeling.
I did wonder about tillers and thank you for pointing out the easier access on a double wheel boat.

That boat you linked me, the Figaro 3 does look nice but is there not risk of the stablising parts getting damaged more easily and that creating issues, if one were to break, would the whole boat not be wobbling?
I can tolerate a boat that is not the biggest, I just would like a nicely sized one to fit my sports gear,
mountain bike, mountainboard, longboard snorkeling gear, kayak etc and so I will need maybe a 3 room boat to house them.

Boats do not have rooms, they have cabins BUT technically you are right there, especially when you look at recent boats designed for the cruising and charter sector.


You want to carry a lot of gear and so you want a boat with bigger interior volume than what you get in any small boat. Some stuff you can lash onboard, as long as you stay inshore cruising a coast or between islands that are close to each other (e.g. the Cays or Caribbean islands).


Figaro 3 does not rely on the foils for stability as much as it uses them for hydrodynamic lift. It still has a ballast bulb like any other boat. Stability input from the foils is nice but not instrumental.



If you mistrust foils, there is a Figaro 2 that is much cheaper and easier to get - it does not have foils. But with all your gear, you want a different boat altogether. Figaro boats are for people who want to travel light and sail fast. They are proper sailor's boats.



Cheers,
b.

[oceanblue123]

Hello

I do realise that I am not proficient in sailing as such but with navigation and autopilot that does do a lot and I am not a slow learner. I don't plan to hop aboard and just sail away, I would learn to use it first and take it to Europe before going across to any other continent.