Some advice on buying a sailboat

[seattlelite]

Hi everyone, looking for some advice from all you experienced sailors out there. I have never owned a boat, but have been threatening for years now to buy a second hand cruiser sailboat just for family cruising around the Puget Sound / San Juans, and this year we are going to make that move. I am on a USD 30K - 40K budget, so I cannot go too extravagantly. We are looking for a 30 to 32 foot sailboat, with the main criteria being easy to operate and sail. Me and the rest of the family (we are 3) are planning on taking sailing lessons, but for now, if someone can advise me on which make/model of boat I should target, that is relatively easy to learn sailing on? Something simple and reliable that could make a good weekend cruiser for a novice (hopefully not for too long!).

Thank you very much.
Chris

[Capt Steve Stories]

Given that you lack much sailing experience, I would suggest that, before buying, you find a good sailing club to join. There you're likely to obtain some good instruction and have a chance to sail different boats. This will give you the kind of knowledge you need to make a choice in a purchase. In Seattle there are some good sailing clubs.