The Monkey Boat List

[SaltyMonkey]

BTW thank you people for giving me a Mexico option. It opens up possibilities instead of around here and back east.

[zeehag]

smb--there are always options!!!! always is more than what ye think is all there is...i would have gone shopping in mexico but i found this for 10k and could not say no .....now i love her an dfind i havent the huge load of work before me i thought i did!!!! is only a huge half a load of work!!LOL... dont rule out formosas--they may be big but they will surprise ye and i have seen them sail!!!! and decent ones are 50k-ish...even 42000. not a bad boat--single handing is not impossible as decks are flat and wide and boat tracks looong time....these sail faster than wetsnail 32.

[Arcen]

Im tempted to go look at this one myself. Is in Michigan, 33' Morgan, 6.5k.
Sailboat 33' Morgan

[speakeasy]

Today's Mexi boat. Looks clean, has nice sitdown chart table and charts for Pacific voyaging. Hard to break a habit. Until a few months back, scanning and screening boats online was my job.

Mazatlan Marine Center SA De CV (Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico)

[SaltyMonkey]

An absolutely wonderful clean boat. Hard to find anything wrong with her.

Didn't you mama tell you that searching for boats will make you go blind and you'll grow hair on your monkey paws?

[speakeasy]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

An absolutely wonderful clean boat. Hard to find anything wrong with her.

Didn't you mama tell you that searching for boats will make you go blind and you'll grow hair on your monkey paws?

My eyes are still ok, but I've been wondering about the hairy warts popping out on my paws.

From the same site, here's an oddball cheap Frenchy steel Van de Stadt design. Might could get it for half off if it's another case of youropean abandonment from economic stress or busted dream. IIRC, this one was sale pending about 3 mo. back.

Mazatlan Marine Center SA De CV (Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico)

and speaking of cheapie oddballs, another from the same site. It was be fast but the interior is so open, it might lead to being tossed across the salon in a blow.

Mazatlan Marine Center SA De CV (Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico)

That's all for today. I need to go trim my paws.

[barnakiel]

My Monkey boy,

If FAST FAST FAST then you can slash half of the list. Definitely the HRs, the Westsails and some Victorias. Nothing long keel is fast, nothing below 10 sq m per 1000 kg is moves at all in fact.

Add a Cigale and you have your FAST.

If you want FAST and budget, look in the range of J-35 or a Bene First perhaps. Cheap and fast and seen them cruising far and wide (the Js, not Firsts, in fact).

b.

[SaltyMonkey]

barnakiel:

FAST FAST FAST! Yes indeed! Bennie First 35 and 38 and 405...and a whole lot other models certainly are entertaining. Even the Oceanus series looks good some days. J/s - know the 32 as a possibility. Haven't looked at 35. There are some Petersons out there which pitter patter the heart by being open designed and with open wide cockpits that drain easily. I do love open designed interiors with pipe berths. Plenty of space to store things without a lot of fluff to maintain. You can see everything going on under the deck. Easy, simple, clean.

OTOH, SaltyMonkey vacillates because of high latitude ambitions down under, and although I have a steady background racing boats when I was younger, my cruiser gene side feels more confident in full keels since I was afraid they would fall off, or the rudder would at least. Oh and tankage - enough for me to go to Oz non-stop from SF . Still, that rush while tuning every cm - can't get rid of. So, my mind is...well confused.

I think at this point it may come down to a boat that is as turn key as I can get for what little money I have budgeted for buying and fitting. For example, if the boat is one of the solid models, has a windvane already and as much electronics as I prefer, I'll get it no matter what size it is. Its a careful equation unfortunately. Whereas before, I was looking primarily for a specific boat, well structured with a good decent engine, and an expectation for a total refit as a separate budget.

[SaltyMonkey]

FAST FAST FAST! hmmm now you got my head turned toward catamarans and tri's...something we haven't discussed.

[barnakiel]

Not many cheap and good cats around, with good tankage and high latitudes capability...

Stick to mono unless you can afford a cat.

My experience is that small and unsafe boats of heavy displacement are (if you know the basics of sail / engine / rigging repair) best value for money. And they will go nearly anywhere. Unsafe and slow. But will take you nearly everywhere if you are desperate and lucky enough. Too small a boat is a waste of time - no comfort at all there. But I think things like a Contessa 26 (or an IF or a Frances) are cheap and spacious enough so that you forget about oh giving up on all this sailing thing as soon as you sail into a blue lagoon. Some of the small crowd also offer pretty decent tankage and storage (Westsail 28, Vancouver, etc.). I think this is where the happy minimum optimum for one (or very intimate two) can be found. Again, not safe and not comfortable, but probably just good enough if the dream can't wait.

So, maybe just forget the FAST factor and go for SLOW. You can always get slowly to a nice place and hire a Hobbie for a day to make your FAST side happy. Or you can carry a kitesurf with you and use it for commuting.

b.

[SaltyMonkey]

Having had a Contessa 26, I can attest that it is one of the best sailing boats I have ever been on. Not a racer, but excellent sailing and tracking. Not sure I am up for another one, but something a little larger in size that I can stand up in when heeling. Westsail, I would stay away from.

Its always gonna come down to money and outfitting (50-50 IMHO) and whatever is in my pocket. Believe it or not I do see a few tris and cats out there in budget. Ahh, well, may not be able to self steer it, but hell at 18 knts I may not want to have an autohelm/windvane anyway!

[Transporter2112]

Why is it that you consider the Pearson 365 PH a "motor sailer" and the Pearson 365 non PH a "sailer"? They have the same hull, and my understanding is the pilot house has a taller mast and shorter boom making the sail plan a more powerful higher aspect rig. Just wondering why you have them separated. Personally I'm torn between the Pearson 365 PH and the Gulf 32.

[Yachts66]

Good question, but I'm not sure the Monkey is still around here. I haven't seen him post in some time.

[SaltyMonkey]

You're being myopic in your insistence on terms.

Its not the hull, its the configuration. the ph has inside steering hence you go searching on yw using their tools and they fall into the ms bucket.

I've considered and looked at 2 persons - both Ph and non ph, as well as the gulf.

one pearson had extreme stress issues, we're talking cracks across the galley as if the whole boat twisted like a banana. i understand the hull can have delimitation issues. Its not solid. i also didn't like the hatch sitting in the middle of the foredeck. i also didn't like the large cockpit. I felt like i was in a bathtub and drainage would be an issue.

the only thing I can say good about it is the price. you get a lot of boat for your money.

I also looked at the gulf. I read a long article from an owner that cruised them extensively. They lauded them, but had issues about long term passages. atlantic.
The gulf is an interesting boat, but I elected to pass for a number of reasons, including resale issues and the high maintenance i would have to do to bring it up to seaworthiness.

neither of these boats are on my short list anymore.