Chevy or Ford . . . ? :)

[nonobrasil]

Hi guys and girls,

I will try to keep this as short and precise as possible.

I am considering acquiring a sailboat in the 30-34ft range to 'live aboard' in Miami Beach, FL.

I am originally from Brazil and grew up around boats. But, I know very little about American made boats and the important things to take into consideration when choosing a 'liveaboard' boat. I do also have a lot of practical questions about estimated running costs, hurricanes, insurance, captain licenses, etc. But these can wait for another thread. For right now, I am trying to narrow down my search for a suitable boat.

What I am looking for:


Monohull. Sail. Cruiser. 30-34ft. Aft Cockpit. Inboard diesel engine.

My purchasing budget is approx. USD 50,000.00

I will mainly be living in a Marina, taking her out on the weekends and for a couple of weeks/months every year. During that time I'd be sailing mainly around Florida and The Bahamas (hence draft becomes an issue).

I really would like to have two cabins and a decent galley (fridge!)

I want this boat to be as simple as possible and easy enough for me to handle alone (if necessary). She should be seaworthy...


There are many other things I want, which are irrelevant right now... But, I was wondering if you guys would have some suggestions on makes/models that fulfill this role. I really like the Catalina C320, but she is rather expensive and hard to find (around Florida and close-by states). Any suggestions, tips or warning would be greatly appreciated! I understand that there is no perfect boat.... It's just that there are so many options that I am a bit lost and just need a little guidance.

Thank you so much for your time!

Ana Bianca

[Eleven]

50,00 will do a decent Cat, far more suited to live aboard and cruising shallow waters.
Old Prouts like mine are well in that price range. Search at 'Multihulls for Sale' for an idea fof what you could get, and do the same for 'Sailboats for Sale' to see how much the length increases. Single handing is a matter of experience and making small changes to the boat and lines. Plenty of advice on here for that, search 'Single Handed/ing' at the top of the page here.

[Cheechako]

I would say, for your plans, any boat with the amenities and that you like and feel good about will do the job. For $50k or less you ought to be able to find a nice one. That's a bit of a tough range length wise... seems like over 32 but less than 38 has less choices... not sure why. Stick with your plans for a shoal draft boat though, you'll be happy you did. At least you're in the area where there are a lot of boats!

[Hudson Force]

I think there are too many opportunities to find an excellent older vessel within your price range to restrict yourself to a particular manufacturer. I would suggest that you keep your options open and simply eliminate those that don't fullfill your needs or specifications. My thoughts are that you would do best finding a vessel for about half the price range of your search and use the other half to accomodate the craft to your desire. I'm on my third liveaboard and fultime cruising vessel that I've had for 27 years. There is NO WAY that I could ever sell my vessel for what I've put into it. There are hundreds of boats like mine out on the market and today's market is good pickings for the buyer. Take your time and find the one that fits your needs in this buyer's market. You can evaluate the vessel as you review the potential of what pleases you. Don't narrow your search ahead of time, - the buyer is "king" today!

[nonobrasil]

Thank you all for your comments. I appreciate your time and thoughts! I am still in the research phase and will likely be getting into the shopping around phase by the end of October or early November.

Once again, thanks a million!