Hiring a consultant to help choose The Boat

[Latchdaddy]

Greetings, this is my first post.

I'm looking for recommended consultants who specialize in helping choose a boat. I understand this is a small field but they do exist.

Anyone with experience using one would be very interesting.

At the moment the choices can become overwhelming and I would be happy to have some guidance.

Merry Christmas!

[Mike OReilly]

Bob Perry offers this service. I'm sure you can find his website. He also hangs out over at SailNet.

[estarzinger]

Originally Posted by Latchdaddy

Greetings, this is my first post.

I'm looking for recommended consultants who specialize in helping choose a boat. I understand this is a small field but they do exist.

Anyone with experience using one would be very interesting.

At the moment the choices can become overwhelming and I would be happy to have some guidance.

Merry Christmas!

Before you hire someone, tell us what your plans and dreams and budget are, and we can probably help you here. It is not rocket science.

[Latchdaddy]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

Before you hire someone, tell us what your plans and dreams and budget are, and we can probably help you here. It is not rocket science.

Well since you asked.......

I am still at the mono vs. multihull stage! But for beauty and sailing pleasure, the monohull is where my heart is at.....the moment.

The plan/dream is to purchase used (>2008) a bluewater experienced boat that can take me around the world for 4-5 years. I'll be 55 or so when I start and will need it single-handed rigged as the Admiral will not be with me full-time.

Expect to start in the Med, then sail up to Baltic. Would like to do cruise rivers/canals of Europe/UK. After this experience, we'd be ready to do the round the world. Head to Carib, then the Horn? yikes, recover in Fiji and probably sell the boat in Oz.


Looking at Southerly49 and Seaward46RK with the most interest at the moment. All in Budget $500k

Thanks for asking.

[2Hulls]

I agree with Evans - save yer money and do basic homework and you won't need an "expert" to help you figure out what's right for you. Only you can know this.

What is your experience level? What is your boat purchase budget (not to be confused with cruising budget)?

Originally Posted by Latchdaddy

I'll be 55 or so when I start and will need it single-handed rigged as the Admiral will not be with me full-time.

All cruising boats can be single handed in a pinch as long as they have auto pilots. So I recommend you not dwell on this perceived attribute. Of more importance is that single handing is not very much fun for most people. When the Admiral is not available for an extended passage, get a crew. Why not?

2 Hulls Dave

[a64pilot]

I would tell you that a good buyers agent functions as a consultant, plus they are paid for by the sellers agent

[mikefp60]

Highly recommend you contact John Neil. Mahina Expeditions conducts sailing and navigation training and expeditions in the South Pacific and offers offshore sailing seminars He does purchase consulting for a fixed fee and knows everything afloat.

[estarzinger]

Originally Posted by Latchdaddy

Expect to start in the Med, then sail up to Baltic. Would like to do cruise rivers/canals of Europe/UK. After this experience, we'd be ready to do the round the world. Head to Carib, then the Horn? yikes, recover in Fiji and probably sell the boat in Oz.


Looking at Southerly49 and Seaward46RK with the most interest at the moment. All in Budget $500k

"Rivers/canals" means you need to be careful with both water draft and air height.

"Single handing" suggests a sloop with a well set up mainsail, and a really good autopilot, decent size winches, and a really good anchor windless. (I have just spent a couple years single handing a 47'er).

Do you have any feelings about aluminum? I might suggest you look at the French centerboard boats (Garcia, ovni, etc). Generally fit the water and air draft limitations and good offshore boats. There are also a few Dutch boats like the koopman's in this general camp also. Metal is pretty popular down at the horn.

The southerly's are the obvious "traditional" suggestion for shallow draft.

Cats would fit most of your "dream", but are not as popular at the horn, although the chris white Atlantic series has been built up the west coast a ways.

[bsurvey]

certified marine surveyor is my suggestion may be a little costly but you will get to know what evere is wrong with the boat before you buy it.


local surveyors that have local knowledge have a great cross sections of boats they come across and know whats works in your area.


I looked at 6 islander 367 ft boats for a guy before we found one reasonably intact. no surprises and he was very happy with the boat

[Bill Balme]

If you hire a consultant you'll be missing out on the best part of purchasing a boat! You'd be giving away all that dreaming opportunity! Stick with us - you'll do fine!

Had a taste of the canals this year - quite interesting bumping down the 1.95M deep Dutch canals in a boat with a 2M draft! Unfortunate part was that we couldn't get to the edge to stop! (The one time we did manage to get to the side, we tangled the mast in the trees!!) It's totally convinced us that after we've completed our sailing time (maybe in 10 or 15 years) that we'll be buying a barge - to take best advantage of the extensive canal system in Europe. In our mind, trying to do both (sailing and canals) with a single boat doesn't quite work - but then we want to spend years doing each...
If you're planning years for each, I'd recommend you buy one boat and then trade it for the other. Besides, it gives you 2 opportunities to dream about your purchase!!!
It's interesting that our plan is the reverse of yours - we plan to sail then 'canal' - figuring we'll be too old and crumbly to sail, but still able to navigate the canals...

As to sail boats - easily single handed and blue water capable - you might check out morganscloud.com - there's a looooooong discussion about a new boat being designed - which is expected to come in at $200K or thereabouts - NEW! (Ok, so they haven't built one yet - but the discussion on the design concept - if you can manage to read it all - is quite an education...)

Enjoy your research!

[Terra Nova]

Do your own due diligence. No one can choose a boat for you. You have to put some effort into this, yourself.

[onestepcsy37]

Consultant: A man who borrows your watch to tell you what time it is.

[Triumphant]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

Consultant: A man who borrows your watch to tell you what time it is.

But is not responsible if he gets it wrong!!!!

[JRM]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

Consultant: A man who borrows your watch to tell you what time it is.

In my previous life I had a job which many would call "consultant." One year the marketdrones decided they would have an employee contest to develop a new company slogan.

My entry was only partly a joke.

"CompanyName: For Those Who Can't Google."

Obviously I didn't win. The other folks in my division thought it should have...

JRM

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Cheechako]

You are your best consultant. You become an expert by looking at a lot of boats and asking a lot of questions!... as well as reading a lot of books by those who have done it.
But remember... those are all opinions.... you have to decide what parts fit you. Don't get wrapped up in a bunch of technical numbers....