Seeking Opinions on a 1st buy

[Dallasron]

First, I need to thank all those who have contributed to numerous threads over the past years. We have been bareboat charter sailors for awhile (BVI and West Indies) and so have been looking toward the dream and the dream boat.

Thanks in part to this forum and to our friends who will be raising the hook and starting their adventure in a few weeks, my wife and I realize the dream doesn't need the dream boat and we better get started. This is where your advice, opinions, and even some mad rantings would be nice.

"We" are Carrie and Ron. Together for 10yrs now and living in Plano, Tx. Within a few years, Carrie will probably take early retirement and I am trying to work the business into a semi-retirement level, then spend most our time in Kema, Clearlake, Galveston area on a liveaboard. With Lake Texoma having such a sailing community an hour north of us, we have decided to start there instead of the coast.

THE PLAN:

*Purchase a boat in the 33' to 40' range.
*Transaction to be < $50k.
*Weekend livaboard
*AC required
*Will need a genset (This can be added but need to know if the boat has room)
*Space to comfortably sleep 4 (We will have friends up and while privacy is not much of an issue, comfort is.
*Depending on the deal, I am looking to purchase within a few hundred mile radius of Dallas inland, along the gulf coast, and up the Atlantic to around Charleston.
*Autopilot. Its just a lake but there will be a lot of weekdays that I would like to work off the boat with the notebook.

Boats I am currently going to look at:

'81 Lancer 36, $15k and needs work
'82 Catalina S&S 38, $37k and in great shape
'86 Catalina S&S 38 with dinghy, $45k Great shape, lots of new equip, in Miami
'83 Cal 35, $39k, Great shape
'86 Pearson 33, 39k Great shape
'80 Morgan 382, $39k Great shape

(Great shape is pics and owners claims,,,sooo,,,"TBD" might be more accuarate


We will be looking at these this weekend, and of course will be getting a survey before any purchase.

I would like any insight, advice, or cautionary information on a particular boat.

Thanks in advance

Ron

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Dallasron

Thanks in part to this forum

You clearly have not been paying close attention to this forum .

Rather than a well thought out plan which has great likelihood of actually happening , your first post should have involved one of the following:-

1) a budget of under $500. and ambitions over 50 foot.
2) a wife who hates the idea of anything boat.
3) a burning desire to travel around the world.
4) and (as you are in the US) something about guns.

and preferably all of them .


But given your current approach - my main caution would be to make sure that the "Great shape" boat you buy actually is just that (perfection costs extra - and is usually self installed later!).

[Rocketman]

It sounds like you have found some boats that might work already. It also sounds like you are going to be happy with lake sailing so a boat for sale on the lake you are looking at living on is going to be a better deal because you won't have the expence of moving it there. Also, a boat that has lived on fresh water most, if not all of it's life is going to be so much better then one that has been in salt water. All of the boats you are concidering above would be great first boats on a lake.

[Rocketman]

I forgot to ask, does the lake you are concidering have good water depth? I know that a large part of TX is in a drought, a big concern might be the draft of the boat. I would hate to buy a boat then find out the water was to shallow to sail it.

[Dallasron]

Thanks for the response and yes,Texoma has depth and decent volume (max 100' - 90,000 acres) Actually, this is where Valiants are built so there are great yard services available unlike other lakes. Many people weekend on Texoma with the boats they are going to go with, prep them for extended cruising, and then just ship to the coast when its time to go. In looking at some of the boats, our concern is to find something with great bones and hopefully a previous owner that will have to bite the bullet on some upgrades.

The fact is, we are excited to get the ball rolling and can't wait for the fights to begin.

[SkiprJohn]

Of the boats you listed I'd be interested in Catalina, Cal and Morgan only because I saw what one guy had to do with his Pearson 33 in order to get the toerail to stop leaking and the Lancer needs work that will take you away from sailing which is what you really want to do. I'm not certain about the Lancer quality of build but I know the design of that particular boat is modeled after a very fast Transpac winner.
kind regards,

[Travelnik]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

You clearly have not been paying close attention to this forum .

Rather than a well thought out plan which has great likelihood of actually happening , your first post should have involved one of the following:-

1) a budget of under $500. and ambitions over 50 foot.
2) a wife who hates the idea of anything boat.
3) a burning desire to travel around the world.
4) and (as you are in the US) something about guns.

and preferably all of them .


But given your current approach - my main caution would be to make sure that the "Great shape" boat you buy actually is just that (perfection costs extra - and is usually self installed later!).

You left out the anchors!

[Dallasron]

John,

Thanks. I am leaning to the Cal but will know more this weekend. I also just got a call from a friend that know of an S2 36' that hasn't hit the market yet but the owner is ready to sell due to health. Has been kept up by the marina though. Any thought on this one vs. the Cal?

[MarkSF]

Catalina 38s are good looking boats. The stern design has to be one of the best ever. Just saying.

[Beanctr]

Its a buyer's market. I would try to get something in the 1990's or 2000's. A 1980's boat will need most items replaced if they haven't already been. I would look at $75,000 boats and make $45,000 offers. Rick

[Dallasron]

Good advice and thank you. I imagine there are some out there that just need to get out from under it. I have looked at the difference in that pricing and seems you potentially get a lot more bang for the buck. I notice you are in NC. How long to cruise to,,, say Ft. Meyers Fla? Reason I ask is that if I buy on the E Coast I would like to do a coastal sail/shakedown. I dont know if I will have the time for a full passage to galveston, so will probably just go partway and then have it hauled.

[Rocketman]

A lot of factors to concider on the so called "Shake Down Cruise". For me if the boat passes the survey well and only needs minor repairs, then I would want to spend maybe a week or so on the boat get to know most of the in's and out's, like electrial, motor, battery's, plumbing ect, ect. Then during that week I would take it out daily for day sails to see that everyting operates as planned. Then in a 35-40 ft boat I would try not to plan on going more than a 100 miles a day, maybe more if everything was going smoothly. So based on the distance from your location that you buy your boat devide 100 miles into distance then add a couple of weeks for getting prepaired and weather factors. I am sure you could do it faster, or take it more easy and enjoy it, but this is what I would plan so I wouldn't have to sail at night to much and still have time to smell the ocean.

[chucklet321]

I've got the perfect boat, fancy and cheap and can even be a live aboard.

Hunter , exelent ship, quite fancy just exelent in my opinion, abslutely briliant, heres a video tour

2004 Hunter 36 356 sailboat for sale in California by: Ian Van Tuyl - YouTube

[Rearsteer]

What boat did you get? I sure liked our Morgan 382.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Rearsteer

What boat did you get? I sure liked our Morgan 382.

My brother-in-law-in-law (is that what you would call your brother-in-law's brother? ) bought a Morgan 38 and I docked next to him for a couple of months. Didn't get to leave the dock on the boat but got to do the big tour. Very roomy, nice interior, nice lines and I hear they do sail well.