Type and Size of Sailboat ?

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by DannySt

a nice beneteau or a Jeanneau in the 33 range can be ideal for you. cheep, very good accommodations and easy to learn as a first boat. will be able to host 4 to 6 people comfortably.

Sensible suggestion , we rejected one of these but only because it hadn't been looked after (torn cushions, S shaped mast badly rigged and batteries held in with expanding foam ) so Viv said no because the seller wanted top dollar. However, if he had priced it accordingly it could have been sorted. The interesting thing was the evidence that the boat had been from UK to Antiqua twice in its life.

Jeanneau Sunrise 34 archive data - Yachtsnet Ltd. online UK yacht brokers - yacht brokerage and boat sales

There is a big difference in interior volume between 30 foot and 35 foot, because its not only length but width and height, so for a group, just that bit more comfortable to move around on board and have a bit of "me" space.

Pete

[Curmudgeon]

How much do you have to spend? That will determine which sacrifices you'll have to make.

[MSN-Travelers]

Originally Posted by set_sail

I guess I should have given more detail. I'm not planning (or able) to buy anything until after I move back to Texas. I want a monohull. My questions for size have been fairly week answered, so now I would like to know what is the best hull material? Ketch, sloop, or yawl? I've seen some ketch and yawl sailboats that look really nice, but what's the pros and cons? I realize they are more complicated...

I'm going to go with the last question posed to you before anybody here can give you the answers you're looking for. When all is said and done, what you can afford will dictate what you will get. The initial cost of the boat is nothing compared to the cost of ownership. How deep are your pockets and what will you do with the boat when you get to Texas? Jump aboard `n sail away, slip in a marina or what??

You want a boat that can sleep 4-6 and be sailed by one or two people. That would put you in the mid-30's. You want a boat that can get in close to shore. That would put you in a shoal draft boat.

Ketch, yawl or sloop are meaningless at this point. Start small, learn to sail and then get the boat you want. I suspect you really don't have enough experience to understand, evaluate and move forward with buying a boat. You need some sailing time under your butt first.

[Curmudgeon]

I wouldn't rule out multi-hulls either. They have much more living space.

If you have $400K lying around, there are plenty of choices in the 35 foot range. If you have $15K it's a different story, and if you are on a tight budget, in addition to sailing lessons, you should invest in a good set of tools.

There have been many threads here on the advantages/disadvantages of sloops, cutters, ketches and yawls. There are also threads debating the pros and cons of various hull materials. Just do some searches.

[set_sail]

Originally Posted by MSN-Travelers

I'm going to go with the last question posed to you before anybody here can give you the answers you're looking for. When all is said and done, what you can afford will dictate what you will get. The initial cost of the boat is nothing compared to the cost of ownership. How deep are your pockets and what will you do with the boat when you get to Texas? Jump aboard `n sail away, slip in a marina or what??

You want a boat that can sleep 4-6 and be sailed by one or two people. That would put you in the mid-30's. You want a boat that can get in close to shore. That would put you in a shoal draft boat.

Ketch, yawl or sloop are meaningless at this point. Start small, learn to sail and then get the boat you want. I suspect you really don't have enough experience to understand, evaluate and move forward with buying a boat. You need some sailing time under your butt first.

I'm not going to have much money to spend on my first boat. Maybe $5,000 or less, and then working on fixing the boat up. I'm first going to take some sailing courses, then buy the boat I want. I've been looking and seen some nice boats for that price range or less. I'm aware it will need work.

I'm not wealthy or even remotely wealthy, so I'm sure sacrifices will need to be made. Probably along the lines of the type of boat I have + size and hull material. I don't have a truck, or i would consider keeping the boat at home or something and working on it there, so thats not an option, and keeping it at a marina is the only real option I see.

[Bill_R]

I think you would be best off with a smallish trailer sailer to learn the ropes at first and to find out if sailing is really for you. An O'Day Daysailer II was my first boat and it was easy to tow with a small 4 cyl. car, comfortable enough for 4 people to sail on, and great fun. Another good option would be the Catalina 22 that someone mentioned, it has a cabin and you could stay overnight in it.

Under 5k you are better off not getting something in the 27-30 range that you have mentioned. It will just be a wreck and need way too much work and probably discourage you from sailing. Besides, do you want to spend a lot of time fixing a boat up or sailing one? Go small, go simple, go now!

After you have a good idea of what you like about sailing, be it racing or cruising, you can then decide on your next boat and move up. Remember, there is no "perfect boat" that you will have forever. The average boat owner only has their boat for less than three years, whether it is a dinghy or a 50' luxury Catamaran.

Good luck!
Bill

[set_sail]

Originally Posted by Bill_R

I think you would be best off with a smallish trailer sailer to learn the ropes at first and to find out if sailing is really for you. An O'Day Daysailer II was my first boat and it was easy to tow with a small 4 cyl. car, comfortable enough for 4 people to sail on, and great fun. Another good option would be the Catalina 22 that someone mentioned, it has a cabin and you could stay overnight in it.

Under 5k you are better off not getting something in the 27-30 range that you have mentioned. It will just be a wreck and need way too much work and probably discourage you from sailing. Besides, do you want to spend a lot of time fixing a boat up or sailing one? Go small, go simple, go now!

After you have a good idea of what you like about sailing, be it racing or cruising, you can then decide on your next boat and move up. Remember, there is no "perfect boat" that you will have forever. The average boat owner only has their boat for less than three years, whether it is a dinghy or a 50' luxury Catamaran.

Good luck!
Bill

Can you tow a Catalina 22 or a 22' anything with a Ford Taurus?

[boatman61]

Well I recommended this little beaut in NC a month or two back in another thread.... she was at $5K and sold for $4200...
well set up/maintained/outfitted..... Yes they are out there

[set_sail]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Well I recommended this little beaut in NC a month or two back in another thread.... she was at $5K and sold for $4200...
well set up/maintained/outfitted..... Yes they are out there

That's a beautiful boat. How big is it?

[Bill_R]

I guess it depends on how much a Ford Taurus can tow (in your owner's manual). A quick internet search reveals a Catalina 22 to weigh about 2500 lbs. (not including trailer).

I suggest you do some searches on the forum here as many boats have been discussed, and situations similar to yours as well.

Another boat you might check out for a weekender type boat is the West Wight Potter.

[set_sail]

Originally Posted by set_sail

Can you tow a Catalina 22 or a 22' anything with a Ford Taurus?

Or should I just buck up, and before I buy a boat, buy a truck if towing is gonna be my thing for a while?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by set_sail

That's a beautiful boat. How big is it?

Details below...
My Girl 27 ft. Admiral 1973 Sloop Loves to go out dancing with the wind. 2oo5 Tohatsu 9.8 hp remote controls. Wheel Steering,swing keel, fresh bottom paint spring 2010,vee berth sleeps two dining table drops down for two more. Double stainless sink with hand pump water tank">fresh water tank,Ice box, 110 volt refrigerator with 800 watt converter, 30 amp power cord, AC panel,DC panel,two batteries with selector switch, marine charger for two batteries. VHF, CD stereo system,three bilge pumps two automatic. Main and Gib lines run back to cockpit,110% and 140% jib all sails in great shape. $4,200.00 SOLD

[set_sail]

In an ideal world, I would buy a boat, learn to sail it whenever I can, and then once I'm confident sailing it, go cruising. By myself, with somebody, whatever. The first long cruise I would like to take is the Great Loop, or going down to Belize or somewhere like that. I don't really want to tow a boat, because I'm going to be living in San Antonio, living in an apartment, while going down to the coast on the weekends and spending time sailing. Once I'm confident enough, and have some money saved up, I'll put everything I can't sell in storage, and go sailing. When or if I come back, I'd like to liveaboard.

[MSN-Travelers]

You don't have to be a boat owner to get in a lot of sailing. Prior to making the move to Texas, check to see if there is a Community Sailing Center, University with a sailing club or local Yacht Club in the area of your new home.

Local yacht clubs often have social racing series and skippers are always looking for crew. University and community sailing centers often have low-cost sailing programs. You can learn to sail on their boats and often have access to their fleet after you are rated.

This is the path I took ... UW sailing club (100+ boat fleet with everything from racing dinghies thru 26 foot keel boats) followed by a couple seasons crewing aboard a Pearson Flyer (vintage `82 30 footer) with/thru a YC on Lake Michigan. Then, and only then, did I get that first 26 foot trailer sailboat of my own. A couple years on the "big lake" and my wife & I knew what we wanted for our next boat.

Take baby steps at this point. Boats are like computer printers. The initial purchase is often exceeded by the cost of ownership (ie: replacement printer cartridges). Check out the cost of slips at your new home, the cost to have the boat hauled for bottom maintenance, insurance, etc. Believe me, the cost to own a 35 footer in a slip is a whole lot more than it cost me to have the 26 footer in my driveway. The cost to maintain a 35 footer with full kitchen, hot & cold running water, full electronics package and a head with shower `n shitter is a whole lot more than a trailerable with a porta-jon and cooler full of beer.

Go slow and enjoy the ride!

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by set_sail

In an ideal world, I would buy a boat, learn to sail it whenever I can, and then once I'm confident sailing it, go cruising. By myself, with somebody, whatever. The first long cruise I would like to take is the Great Loop, or going down to Belize or somewhere like that. I don't really want to tow a boat, because I'm going to be living in San Antonio, living in an apartment, while going down to the coast on the weekends and spending time sailing. Once I'm confident enough, and have some money saved up, I'll put everything I can't sell in storage, and go sailing. When or if I come back, I'd like to liveaboard.

How about a yard with a slipway..... buy the trailer/sailor.... but instead of hauling it home store it in the B/yard... gotta be easier to work on and cheaper than on a pontoon. Just launch and go... when you get back load and stow....