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28-10-2016, 08:31
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Centerville,TN
Posts: 11
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Too many choices!
OK here goes, the wife and I loved the idea of retirement spent sailing around on a cat. At least till we saw the prices! So even though we are not to sure how a mono would be as a live aboard with a lot of time at anchor, that's the route we need to take. After looking at a lot of models online we are just more confused than ever! If anyone out there has suggestions on a model that meets the following please respond!
Blue water durable ie: tank sizes, sturdy, etc.
Easy to sail (we are older newbies)
Preferably bilge keel (I think that's what they call the twin small keels at an angle)
Center cockpit
And most importantly bought and outfitted for $50k
Any help would be great, thank!
Robert & Tina
(Hopefully future sailors)
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28-10-2016, 09:20
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#2
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Lived aboard & cruised for 45 years,- now on a chair in my walk-in closet.
Boat: Morgan OI 413 1973 - Aythya
Posts: 8,453
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Re: Too many choices!
It would seem favorable to have many choices. With competition for the sale of similar boats you would have more favorable prices and likely find something that suits you well.
Let's assume "blue water", durable and sturdy all mean the same. Add the tankage criteria,- 'say 100 gallons of diesel and 200 gallons of water; easy to sail, 'maybe a cutter, but much of the ease is a choice of weather conditions and add on equipment.
I would question the limiting of the choice to a center cockpit, though I'm well suited with mine, and I would not easily understand the reason to require bilge keels. The bilge keel requirement eliminates most very suitable boats.
Tell us more about where you are likely to cruise and what you envision to be your life on board the boat.
__________________
Take care and joy, Aythya crew
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28-10-2016, 09:40
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#3
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Jacksonville/ out cruising
Boat: Island Packet 38
Posts: 31,351
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Re: Too many choices!
Yes, why in the world Bilge Keels?
CC boats in my opinion work really, really well if the boat is big enough, to be big enough most likely takes you way out of the 50K budget in my opinion.
Its the $50K part that is going to be the biggest limiting factor as that is an all in figure, not a buy a boat for then spend another $50K to get her right, my opinion is try to find the boat that is in the best condition you can find in your budget that is big enough to do the job and buy it, the rest you can get used to. Now don't buy some kind of odd ball thing of course, but a main stream type of boat, cutter or sloop or ketch etc.
Cats are trendy, fashionable whatever word you want to use, and that drives the prices up.
Example I think a Station wagon can do anything that the average SUV owner does, but Station wagons are not seen anymore and I'm sure bring less money, you want a Station wagon and save the money, cause you don't have enough money to be trendy. I don't mean that as an insult, just mean you have to get the most for your money is all.
Although I am not a full time cruiser yet, I have owned our boat for three years and we spend as much time aboard as possible.
I think way too much has been made out of this motion at anchor thing, I have only once been uncomfortable for one night, and that was because I came in way late and anchored in a bad spot, it was easily fixable, but I was so tired and the waters unknown so I waited until the next day to move.
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28-10-2016, 09:55
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Lower Chesapeake Bay Area
Boat: Bristol 27
Posts: 10,425
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Re: Too many choices!
That's quite the jump going straight to cruising from Centerville, TN!
Are you sure a smaller sailboat that you could use on Kentucky Lake or on one of the TVA Lakes wouldn't be enough?
I started sailing while living in Memphis, but had done lots of boating on the coast before that.
We raced beach cats in Nashville, and on the TVA Lakes in Mississippi (Sardis and Arkabutla) before I was transferred to Pensacola, FL. I also crewed on Monohull Sailboats racing at Pickwick Dam, TN on the lake side/Tennessee River
There were quite a few Catalina 22's etc on the TVA Lakes. Lightnings were the main racing sailboat I saw though
Sailing/racing on Kentucky Lake:
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28-10-2016, 10:19
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#5
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Lived aboard & cruised for 45 years,- now on a chair in my walk-in closet.
Boat: Morgan OI 413 1973 - Aythya
Posts: 8,453
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Re: Too many choices!
Quote:
Originally Posted by a64pilot
............. Center cockpit boats in my opinion work really, really well if the boat is big enough, to be big enough most likely takes you way out of the 50K budget in my opinion. ......
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I think this is a very wise observation. My wife and I lived on an aft cockpit 30' and 33' boat from 1971 to 1985 and only moved to the 41' center cockpit current boat in 1985 when our children were growing and we all deserved some private space. We were very comfortable on the smaller boats at half the cost.
There's some skill that must be developed to understand and accept the amount of space that is actually needed. When this is done you can gain much in economy, comfort and freedom.
This does likely lower your water and fuel tank capacities.
__________________
Take care and joy, Aythya crew
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28-10-2016, 13:37
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Centerville,TN
Posts: 11
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Re: Too many choices!
Thanks to all the replies thus far.....a little more info to maybe clear things up.
CC due to rear cabin space and the ability to have our family members join us at times, Bilge keel for reason of beaching and DYI on below waterline items, and as far as lake sailing sounds like a good time racing but we loved our cruises to the islands and I want to take my wife to some south Pacific spots that I'd visited in younger days(ExNav). Maybe budget still needs work?
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28-10-2016, 13:39
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Centerville,TN
Posts: 11
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Re: Too many choices!
Oh also we will be looking to convert to electric propulsion so fuel tank can be small as will only be used for small DC generator.
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28-10-2016, 13:48
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#8
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 6,103
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Re: Too many choices!
Howdy!
I see you have been a CF member for a while, but have only posted a few times, so perhaps you missed some of the recent threads that discuss things like "Blue Water Boats" and "Electric Boats" and such. I will send you a PM with some tips on how to search for those in CF.
Given your budget, I suggest you take a look and subscribe to an ongoing thread (I post boats in it each week, sometimes several a day) called "Boats Less than $30K, Recent Noteworthy Recent Finds" and a similar (newer) thread titled "Boats with Shallow Draft." Both of those threads will be found in the Monohull Forum here on CF.
Each of those threads will have photos and information and links and prices for boats I have seen while searching around the USA for the "best buys" of different types of boats that fit the criteria outlined in the first/top post of each thread.
There are some surprising "deals" out there.
Also, you mentioned a budget of $50K. Make sure you leave some money for updating, upgrading, refit, etc. if you are really planning to take it to the South Pacific. Some of the boats I identify look to be in very good condition, but ALL will need some things done to them as is the case with every boat.
Good luck on your search.
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28-10-2016, 14:13
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Lakewood Ranch, FLORIDA
Boat: Alden 50, Sarasota, Florida
Posts: 3,464
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Re: Too many choices!
There are plenty of boats with large aft cabins which are not center cockpit designs. Also, there are plenty of retractable keel boats which can more easily be beached than the much rarer twin keel ones.
Frankly, it seems you are making some assumptions based on too little experience.
Experienced cruisers care more about ease of engine access, ventilation limitations, system design, sail handling conveniences, safety features, etc... as criteria on which to base purchase decisions.
Some questions you would do well to consider -
How do you like cooking in a hot, rolling anchorage while you are seasick?
Do you like to take a shower without danger of falling into a sharp corner or glass mirror?
Do you mind spending a week standing at an angle while trying to fix stuff?
Do you enjoy being constantly wet and exhausted? Or can you adapt to any of the above?
Dreams are great but TV and boat advertizing doesn't mirror real life
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28-10-2016, 14:35
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#10
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Lived aboard & cruised for 45 years,- now on a chair in my walk-in closet.
Boat: Morgan OI 413 1973 - Aythya
Posts: 8,453
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Re: Too many choices!
We have often careened our long keel boats on a sandy protected beach on consecutive tides for DIY bottom work, but more recently we use an oiless compressor with a hose and regulator to take care of bottom work. We can do well with a fresh bottom paint at a hull out every four years if we do well with cleaning. Changing environments while cruising also eliminates much bottom growth due to different salinity, consumers, temperatures, etc. Bottom growth is very sensitive to environmental tolerances. We do keep our aft cabin berths open for guests and the center cockpit is great for this.
I still don't see many cruisers with electric propulsion. I'm sure there are improvements to come, but I don't see it as a successful option yet.
So, an aft cabin center cockpit boat looks more like 40' or more and this makes the 50K criteria difficult, but not impossible. A patient search can turn up some jewels that have some needs that are work, but not at great expense, but they are rare. I only see one every few years.
__________________
Take care and joy, Aythya crew
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28-10-2016, 15:02
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Centerville,TN
Posts: 11
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Re: Too many choices!
Thanks for the second thread you are posting, I found the 1st one the other day and will follow it!
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28-10-2016, 15:06
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Centerville,TN
Posts: 11
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Re: Too many choices!
Yes S/V Illusion we are definitely not experienced, I guess we haven't come across any with an aft cabin that weren't a CC, but the search goes on, we do have several years yet and are only beginning.......
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28-10-2016, 15:14
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Centerville,TN
Posts: 11
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Re: Too many choices!
Thanks for comment Hudson Force, we had thought of a SNUBA type system but that wouldn't do for shaft (or sail drive problems) and any thru hull replacements if any, I guess we were just trying to come up with any scenario that may arise and then think ahead for the solution, we plan on being alone in remote locales for most of our time.
Since we have a few years to put this all together, we hope the $50k would suffice in the future market, maybe not so we'd better take another look at that.
As far as electric, we've seen more and more switching, just not on live aboard off shore cruising yet but hopefully with the battery tech in the pipeline we can time it right.
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29-10-2016, 02:13
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#14
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Lived aboard & cruised for 45 years,- now on a chair in my walk-in closet.
Boat: Morgan OI 413 1973 - Aythya
Posts: 8,453
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Re: Too many choices!
Quote:
Originally Posted by flynlion
Thanks for comment Hudson Force, we had thought of a SNUBA type system but that wouldn't do for shaft (or sail drive problems) and any thru hull replacements if any, I guess we were just trying to come up with any scenario that may arise and then think ahead for the solution, we plan on being alone in remote locales for most of our time. .......................
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I like independent work too, but twin keels (bilge keels) don't allow any more access or tide time for your work than a single keel. Actually they decrease your access to some areas.
__________________
Take care and joy, Aythya crew
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29-10-2016, 13:58
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Centerville,TN
Posts: 11
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Re: Too many choices!
I think I see your point Hudson, I was thinking ease and safety to let boat sit up right, but like the other post stated the Bilge keel I saw are rare
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