Will 60K buy a good bluewater boat ?

[Junk Viking]

Don't fall into the trap of the consumer society and just buy the biggest and most shiny boat you can find.

4% of your total fortune is the limit for yearly spendings, if you want to be able to cruise for ever. Figure generally agreed by Early Retirement Extreme crowd.

Downsizing your boat (ie go smaller) is the easiest way to reduce total cost of ownership.
The Caribbean and other cruising destinations are littered with for sale signs on large luxury boats. Many ran out of money, others found life on a shiny GRP boat not what they thought or what she thought it would be.

Buying a boat is just how you get yourself into the trouble half of it.
Cost increases with size - all repair, maintenance, consumption and haul out.
So does the workload on painting, upkeep and cleaning.

So how do you get a low cost of ownership and stay comfortable and free?


The how.

These are my preferences, listed according to order:

Smaller boat
Go with the smallest boat that will still accommodate the number of people and amount of stowage needed. Sufficient stowage is actually needed to keep down costs.

Built to cruise
A boat that is actually built to cruise the world should be what you are looking for. Most plastic toys found in glossy brochures lack all the basic features to actually tackle serious cruising.

Deck salon
A deck salon with full 360 degree lookout from settee and pantry will give an fantastic sense of room, while maximizing your participate in harbour life and keep you informed about the situation outside- for security.

Fresh air
Increase air exchange and increase comfort and the feeling of size.
Installe more and larger dorades, hatches, scoops - what ever it takes.

Divided rig
Ensuring comfort through gentler motions and heel by having a more adjustable rig. I would suggest a chinese junk schooner with equal size sails, but that is probably too far from the glossy brochures for most.

Stowage
A serious cruiser will have loads of well organized stowage in just the right places. Includes large tanks, so you can stay away from costly marinas.

Bright colours
Most yachts feel smaller than necessary because of heavy use of dark veneers.
Paint in bright colours.

Great galley
Eating home cooked meals and even having friends over will keep running costs down and ofte be healthier.
Or use savings to splurge on lobsters or great culinary experiences once you do go out.


I'm sure there are many more that I just can't think of now.
Read 'Voyaging on a small income' by Annie Hill for tons of great hints.

[mottseng]

This is a GREAT boat !!!

http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/61325

[barnakiel]

I think hulls that were sold (if only optionally) in kit form or for 'owner's finish' should be treated with some caution by any new buyer. (By new I mean a less experienced owner/sailor).

They were at times finished to a higher, at other times to a lesser, standard than the boatyard thing. This is easy to tell apart if you are buying your Nth boat and if you are a keen boat person (interested in, and actually fixing, building and repairing things to good industry standards). Not quite that easy for a green horn.

b.