Help Me Decide on a Cruising Boat

[Boracay]

Rust is that brown coloured stuff that you sometime see on steel boats.

A little rust makes a big mess, so a few rust marks on the outside may not mean the end of the world.

Where rust =very bad is on the inside. You need to look along the stringers, frames and bulkeads. Anywhere that water(esp. salt) can pool.

An older fibreglass boat of indifferent construction may sink your cruising plans just as fast as a rust bucket.

If you do come across a steel boat that meets your needs why not take a look. Rust and indifferent paint is often really obvious, unlike some of the problems that bedevil older fibreglass boats. And some steel boats are priced very competitively.

Of course, as with any boat, a survey by a professional with steel experience is a must.

[danielgoldberg]

Originally Posted by largodelight

The second and third choices are a 38' Krogen and a 36' Bayfield both in the $70K range but need few repairs or upgrades.

I have good friends who are selling a Bayfield 36. It may be in Florida or Annapolis, depending on the timing, but either way I bet they'd deliver it. They have been cruising her for about 4 or 5 years now, and are moving back ashore. The boat is in great shape, and has many additions and modifications geared towards cruising. Let me know if you want more info. Here's a link in case you want to have a look:

1986 Bayfield 36 sailboat for sale in Maryland

Other than being friends with the folks selling her, I have no connection to this.

[Seahunter]

The T-37 is a good boat for cruising, easy to single hand but a good one fetches an easy 50-60K. I find them too dark below for my preferences, but they're quit well laid out. One sold near me a couple of months ago for 15K. I looked at it myself but was full of dry rot and needed repower.
Your first choice the CSY is built on a Irwin hull and was designed for the charter business. The CSY Story
They can be single handed, but can be a bear when trying to dock by yourself in a blow. Lots of room, laid out like a Irwin with a nice and dry CC.
Some things to look for:
Mast step
Tankage
Engine; a lot of them had a Perkins 4108 not a bad engine, but underpowered for the boat or the 4154 a stronger engine but now obsolete and hard to get parts. My choice for repower on the CSY would be a 4236, if you can find one or the new Cummins CM3.3.

[slomotion]

I agree on the Bayfield 36s. We encountered several of them in the Bahamas/Caribbean. They are slow but strong well-built boats, and in good condition they will take you pretty much anywhere. And they have a bath tub!

However, if I am reading the OP correctly, the plan is to have 3 people living onboard with 2 private cabins - which I take to mean 2 staterooms or sleeping areas. With 3 people living full time on the Bayfield or just about any 36' boat, it is inevitable that the V berth or aft berth will wind up being devoted to storage. Nothing wrong with that, but someone is going to be bunking in the salon and that may not be consistent with the plan. I think a Whitby 42 would be a better choice for the plan, eg:

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...ng_id=1831&url=

But it's still all about condition.

[danielgoldberg]

Originally Posted by slomotion

I think a Whitby 42 would be a better choice for the plan

I don't necessarily disagree. The Whitby 42 is a great boat, very roomy, very well built, and lots of storage and tankage. I sailed one to Bermuda, and no complaints about the boat. If the plan is for 3 people, two being a couple sharing a berth, the Whitby surely will be quite comfortable. They are all old at this point, so as you say, it will be all about condition.

That said, it's 42 feet, not 36. If the OP wants something in the mid 30's, I think the B36 would be an excellent choice. And if it's a couple plus 1, I'm not so sure I agree that the forward cabin will be relegated to storage. You could have the couple up front, the single in the aft cabin.

Either would be a great choice for a cruising boat, IMHO.