11 months on the hard, 1 month sailing: good or bad?

[donradcliffe]

When you get closer to cruising, it might make sense for you to do the maintenance and become familiar with fixing the boat, because you will need those skills. For your situation it doesn't make a lot of sense. I always scheduled a minimum of 2 weeks to commission the boat after storage.

[Martin S]

Let me offer a contrary view to the majority offered here. Of course it depends on the boat you want to buy and how many there are typically on the market. In my case there were not so many and so I bought the boat I wanted 4 years ahead of possible retirement (at a good price). I only manage 2-3 weeks sailing a year. I've found it has given me
1. something I enjopy planning and working on.
2. time to fix the many things that need fixing on a second hand yacht..however good she is.
3. Time to get to know her and what needs to be adjusted and changed.

Of course some will say I could do this in the first full year if you have more time to dedicate.

I have acknowldeged to myself and others that the work on the boat to the enjoyment ratio is wrong right now but that it will change.

So by all means get different views and then make a well balanced choice ....and don't look back.

Good luck.

[1Sunseeker]

Don't even think of buying until u r free of jobs. S O O P B's. U will be glad U did.

[taxwizz]

Originally Posted by 1Sunseeker

Don't even think of buying until u r free of jobs. S O O P B's. U will be glad U did.

But first....Lurn to spel.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by 1Sunseeker

Don't even think of buying until u r free of jobs. S O O P B's. U will be glad U did.

I think I know what you're saying......but what the hell is SOOPB's.

[achil]

A lot can happen in four years. Better off waiting.

[David Chin]

Originally Posted by Niebla

Dear cruisers,

My wife and I are reasonably experienced sailors who participate regularly in club races crewing on friends' boats (offshore 1-2 days, long day races and around the cans). We also charter every year for 4-6 weeks of sailing vacations around the world.

However, we are not boat owners. This means that although we get a clear picture of everything that needs maintenance in a boat and breaks through our involvement in the club, we never have the headache of "thinking about everything" or have the A-Z experience of boat ownership and maintenance.

We are planning to start cruising the world in 4-5 years' time, once the kids have left the house and our savings allow us to start enjoying retirement sailing full time. Apart from the usual destinations like the Med or the Caribbean, we also intend to cruise in the Baltic Sea or Alaska in the summers.
Obviously, we will need a boat that can become our home and take us to those places safely when time comes.

Recently, we came across an excellent blue water cruiser in an excellent condition at a heavily discounted price due to unfortunate circumstances of its owner (approx. 30% cheaper comparable boats). The boat ticks all the possible boxes that we have in mind:

- Reputed, bluewater boats specialised manufacturer
- Only one owner. Never chartered. Wonderfully kept
- Fully equipped with relevant gear (watermaker, bowthruster, generator, heating, washing machine, two head sails, self-tacking jib, radar, navtex, etc. etc.)

The only problem is: a priori, it might look like it is too early for us to buy "THE" boat now.

Since we do not live anywhere close to where the boat is and "bringing it to us" makes no sense (we are expats living in a "crisis area"), if we buy it, we will have to keep it on the hard (outdoors, in the Western Mediterranean) for 11 months every year and we would sail it for 1 month during our vacations.

This is exactly what worries me because I have no idea or experience about this being a good idea or a wholly awful plan:

- Will the boat need extensive work every time before we put the boat on the water potentially consuming half of the precious vacation time?
- Will the boat deteriorate during the future 4-5 times 11 months on the hard so that it will not be "THE" boat any longer when we finally retire and go cruising?

I would like to pick your brains about this matter hoping to get valuable information which will help me make up my mind for or against a buy. Thanks.

I think it is a bad idea to buy the boat now. 4 to 5 years is just too long to wait to go sailing. A better idea would be to buy a smaller and cheaper boat now and go sailing every weekend until you can commit full time to a larger boat. Meanwhile learn all about boat maintenance and learn more boat handling skills. There will always be better bargains on the market if you wait.

[blueazimuth]

Bad idea, period.

[aquadreams]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

I think I know what you're saying......but what the hell is SOOPB's.

SOOPB = Sail On Other People's Boats (I think).

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by aquadreams

SOOPB = Sail On Other People's Boats (I think).

That's what I took it for as well, it's just not a common thing to say.

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by Niebla

...

I would like to pick your brains about this matter hoping to get valuable information which will help me make up my mind for or against a buy. Thanks.

Buy now.
If you don’t, later you’ll always hear the little voice saying that you should have….

Find a reputable and safe place to store. Make sure boat is well ventilated, stand up all cushions, empty, clean up and open all lockers, change the oil from both engines, remove watermaker membranes and filters, top up fuel tank, remove or disconnect batteries, remove hose from lowest seacock and keep it open, empty water tank, remove all sails and canvas, wash everything in fresh water.

Go to boat once a year to open it up, sit, plan and dream.

Opportunity!

[1Sunseeker]

Yep, u got it Monkey. SOOPBs = Sail on other peoples boats. IMHO, If you don't understand my spelling or use of acronyms' here are a few more for u to waste your abundance of time trying to translate. GL, ITMOS, MMC, MBIBTYB, TWITW, ICBM, IED, AOAO=and on and on.

[taxwizz]

Originally Posted by 1Sunseeker

Yep, u got it Monkey. SOOPBs = Sail on other peoples boats. IMHO, If you don't understand my spelling or use of acronyms' here are a few more for u to waste your abundance of time trying to translate. GL, ITMOS, MMC, MBIBTYB, TWITW, ICBM, IED, AOAO=and on and on.

Well...The first is General Ledger. And I recognize Improvised Explosive Device.
Beyond that it is all BS.

[nwdiver]

Buy the boat you will know it inside out after 5 years of vacations on it, if you find the commissioning too much every year and costs more than expected, SELL IT for what you bought it for IF it's such a good deal it will be easy to sell onward with no loss should you want to......as pointed out many Great Lakes boats spend most of their time ashore and their prices are not affected.......

[Niebla]

Thanks everybody for the feedback. It has been very valuable.
Well founded opinons for both options were given which has made it difficult to decide.
However, after careful consideration we have decided to keep our powder dry and wait with the boat purchase because our rare vacation time is currently too valuable and we need it in full for relaxing (given where we live) instead of for hard-water-hard boat preparation jobs.
Once again thanks a lot.