Need a cat, <$200K, 38-42ft, help

[toggles]

You just gave me the same prices, only in the BVI, the cheapest boat was a Hunter (never again) @ $2100, so $104k/year.. There are plenty of 40' boats in the BVI's for 1/2 that...
Anyway, I don't want to hijack this thread, having read the back story and the reasons for going, I'm done...

Best of luck Nate, I want to come with! ;-)

[TheNomadTrip]

Originally Posted by Brogan007

Thanks for not flaming me!!

No problem, but it crossed my mind

Originally Posted by Brogan007

I listened to him...and have always thanked my good fortune in meeting him. But I admire your cohones and wish you luck.

Fair enough, but on the flip side - that man could have been the worst influence in your entire life. Let's say that you didn't meet him, instead taking off and deciding to just do it - that could have been the most epic thing you've ever done.

Instead you played it safe, and ended up with the exact results you'd expect - not circumnavigating.

There are consequences to choices, all of them, "good" or "bad." Either way, your post made me think, and thanks for the input.

[TheNomadTrip]

Originally Posted by toggles

You just gave me the same prices, only in the BVI, the cheapest boat was a Hunter (never again) @ $2100, so $104k/year.. There are plenty of 40' boats in the BVI's for 1/2 that...
Anyway, I don't want to hijack this thread, having read the back story and the reasons for going, I'm done...

Best of luck Nate, I want to come with! ;-)

From what I've read, sailors usually are in need of the company more than the company needs a vacation - so stay tuned, we'll see what happens

You aren't highjacking the thread, you're making a valid point - if I buy a boat and decide a year later that I don't like it, assuming I didn't get ripped off, - I should be able to sell it and call it a "boat rental."

On the other hand, if I like it - I don't have to give a rental back, pay outrageous rental fees, or start shopping for a boat all over again.

Extended boat rental doesn't make sense to me.

[TheNomadTrip]

Originally Posted by tomfl

You may want to consider this general direction with lots of flexibility in the details.

I'm not opposed to it. Once I get "out of the rat-race", my plans are exactly that: flexible.

I'm in no hurry to jump into the middle of the Pacific with a half-assed boat with a half-assed captain (me). That said, everyone approaches things differently - and for every person that's taken a couple of years, there are plenty of examples of people who jump on and go.

[solarbri]

Just do it. Some form or fashion of what works for you will present itself.
FYI...my story.
I had never been sailing before I was about 32 when I met my (now ex wife). We and her family chartered a 36' monohull in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It was OK, but I wasn't thrilled about the boat. Fast forward 5 years and, married with a 2&1/2 year old and a 6 month old, we chartered an Island Spirit 401 catamaran in the BVI's for two weeks. WOW!!! The seed was planted in my brain. I come from no money. She came from old money. I became obsessed with idea of cruising full time aboard a Catamaran. A year later we chartered a Catana 471. Mind you, we barely had any experience, but the charter companies kept renting these boats to us. Now, I became fanatical.
After spending 5 plus years building her (and my kids) a multi million dollar home/barn/shop/commercial greenhouse, we got a divorce.
I ended up with more $ than I've ever dreamed of having before. I stressed over what to do. I knew what I wanted to do. But, it took me a year to take the plunge. I could have bought a live aboard sized boat, but living in the mountains of Idaho, and my kids living 45 minutes away, I decided I needed a trailerable boat.
I did/do ALL THE WRONG things. I bought a one of a kind 36' trailerable catamaran. No survey. Minimally equipped. Instantly took it to Catalina Island. Towed it home. Spent a week on Yellowstone Lake (Yellowstone N.P.) with my kids. Spent another week on Jackson Lake (Teton N.P.) again with my kids. Towed the boat back to L.A. And sailed down to Mexico with the Baja Haha. No proper charts. Chart plotter was only good for the US. Spent a month in La Paz, two weeks with my kids. Kept going down to Puerto Vallarta using a road atlas as a paper backup to entering waypoints manually into our chartplotter from guide books. Sailed back up the Sea of Cortez and parked the boat on its trailer stored for the summer in San Carlos/Guaymas. Went home and worked all summer. Spent 6 months last winter aboard sailing as far south as Zihuatenjo and back. 3300 miles last year. Flew my kids down to PV twice for two, 2 week trips. After another summer of hard work, we're getting ready to head down again for another 5 months. I get my kids for the whole month of December.
My boat draws attention everywhere we go. I feel like a rock star. I've never been happier and more confident in my decision.
Doing things differently than the herd can have more value than you can imagine. Follow your whim. Get a cat and get out.
The rest of life will fall into place...

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by TheNomadTrip

SNIP

Extended boat rental doesn't make sense to me.

I suggest a trip to Ft. Lauderdale or environs. You might be shocked at how many boats you see there that are on the hard or in the water that are not being used and seemingly will never be used.

When I was looking for my boat I looked at several boats that clearly had not been moved for longer than a year. It is common for someone to buy a boat and for what ever reason not use it, let it go to pot, and die leaving it to relatives who have no idea about how to sell it.

While it makes sense to buy a boat if you are going to live on it for several years you need to be sure you are up for the boating life.

[TheNomadTrip]

Originally Posted by tomfl

I suggest a trip to Ft. Lauderdale or environs.

Been there many times. Used to make yearly trips to Miami and the Keys.

I get where you're coming from, but boats can be bought and sold. I'm not talking about nukes, these are boats - and there is a big market for them.

Are you suggesting that renting a boat, long-term makes sense? Or that one can't buy and sell boats? Or maybe that you can determine whether you're cut out for long-term cruising without doing it?

It may not be a lifestyle for me, that's a risk I'll try to mitigate (by doing a long passage or two before setting off) and that I'm willing to accept.

Back on point - anybody have any specific input or experience in my budget, with any specific brand, or in a similar scenario?

[Dulcesuenos]

Originally Posted by TheNomadTrip

Been there many times. Used to make yearly trips to Miami and the Keys.

I get where you're coming from, but boats can be bought and sold. I'm not talking about nukes, these are boats - and there is a big market for them.

Are you suggesting that renting a boat, long-term makes sense? Or that one can't buy and sell boats? Or maybe that you can determine whether you're cut out for long-term cruising without doing it?

It may not be a lifestyle for me, that's a risk I'll try to mitigate (by doing a long passage or two before setting off) and that I'm willing to accept.

Back on point - anybody have any specific input or experience in my budget, with any specific brand, or in a similar scenario?

Great attitude, and your idea is probably cheaper than flying all over searching boatyards just to try to contact people to see if they want to rent a boat to a total stranger to take off to parts unknown...lolo

Besides just living on a boat in Florida or coastal hopping anywhere is a great lifestyle, for us much better than then 40 years spent living in houses. While the lows can be lower, things break bad weather blah blah blahba, the highs are much higher, we are more active, more social, more alive, going on bahamas trips, down to keywest for fantasy fest (a serious high) and beating to winward in 20+ knots for 3 days (a real low but still better than mowing grass) is all more exciting than the boring humdrum life in on land. Its 5 am were on the hook behind some spit of a sandbar near long key, sipping on coffee. Last night the admiral and I pay on the tramp watched stars, enjoyed ourselfs and relaxed, today we should be nestled.back in our Marina and our work week starts again. (A low). Living aboard becomes less about sailing but more about living its hard to put into hards but oh so.much better than being landlocked for us at least. Anyone charters a boat for a week and loves it but after a month aboard is when the real transition takes place and then youll know. Maybe crew for a few trips and decide or just dive right in. Production cats priced right are easy to sell. Youll know when its priced right,,, it sells

[Dulcesuenos]

As for boats, we looked at several, had an endeavourcat, didnt like lack of headroom and the narrow beam induced a bad seamotion. We didnt like Geminis as the fit finish and quality wasnt there and they pound and are loud. We wanted smaller but grest seamotion and great layout and affordable, we wanted nice cockpit layout and lots of storage and easy decks to walk around and nice easy transom steps to go up and down. In your range id look at that lagoon 37 on yw for 149k. It looks well taken care of. , lagoon 380's, maybe a fountain pajot athena 38 though they are smaller inside and you either love or hate the cockpit arrangement. Solaris sunstar is a great boat, Pdq 36 ,the 32 is adequate but only for a couple full time. You might find a Newer 2000+ prout 38 in that range, if you found a really nice privilige 37 they are nice.
You.could.even find a fountaine pajot Mahe in your range.
Most of these over priced older boats on YW are Very very negotiable. The newer ones not so much and of they are yes you need to be ready to act fast.

[Just BS]

NomadTrip, how tall are you?

I'm 6'3", that is a factor in my decision. Just wondering if it is in yours as well.

[TheNomadTrip]

Originally Posted by Just BS

NomadTrip, how tall are you?

I'm 6'3", that is a factor in my decision. Just wondering if it is in yours as well.

6' 1"

From what I've seen (in specs), those couple of inches mean I might not have to worry as much as you about headroom.

[TheNomadTrip]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

In your range id look at that lagoon 37 on yw for 149k. It looks well taken care of. , lagoon 380's, maybe a fountain pajot athena 38 though they are smaller inside and you either love or hate the cockpit arrangement.

I think you and I are on the same page. I really, really like the beam on the 40' boats though.

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

Solaris sunstar is a great boat, Pdq 36 ,the 32 is adequate but only for a couple full time. You might find a Newer 2000+ prout 38 in that range, if you found a really nice privilige 37 they are nice.
You.could.even find a fountaine pajot Mahe in your range.
Most of these over priced older boats on YW are Very very negotiable. The newer ones not so much and of they are yes you need to be ready to act fast.

Thanks - I figured this but really hadn't had anyone confirm it. I'm guessing when you say "older" you're talking about the '90's boats? And "newer" would be roughly early 2000's?

[Dulcesuenos]

You are correct id imply 90s as older and 2000 or so newer not real descriptive sorry lol. We'd like a wider beam as well but everyone I've spoken to cautions us that once you go over 20' it becomes much more expensive ie dockage, haulout draft etc. Not sure these are real world issues or not.

[tomfl]

I probably spent eight months on and off looking at boats from New Orleans to Jacksonville and wound up buying one in the Florida Keys. I like my Seawind very much, only boat I have seen so far I would trade it for straight up was an owner build F39, but the owner did not want to sell. On the other hand I have a good friend who knows much more about Fboats than I do who claims my Seawind is much easier to single hand than the F39 and I suspect he is right.

I did look at a PDQ, way lower price than the Seawind. Problem was the Seawind was a few years older but in much better shape.

The point I am trying to make is that the make, model, and year of the boat is not nearly as important as the condition it is in. The previous owner of my Seawind had done things like removing all the thru hull fittings and installing a composting head, rewired the entire boat in one of the cleanest jobs I have ever seen, and made dozens of little changes that made the boat much more livable for me. But not everyone would agree with some of these things.

The only way you will know the condition of any boat you are interested in is to go and look at it. Even if you get a recommendation from someone they may not assess things the way you do.

[Dulcesuenos]

Im going to politely disagree on this point as condition is meaningless if its a boat your just not comfortable on.
For example we looked at a seawind 1000. And found it to be a comfortable weekender or 1-2 week tripper but could never comfortably live aboard. We passed up a very nice one @115k. Almost bought it just to flip it.
And as prior posters said if your 6'3 you dont want to live on a boat that has 5'11 of headroom.