Future liveaboard sailor seeks advise from experts

[Maka]

A survey is mandatory for any, new to you, boat you buy.
Even if you know as much as a surveyor and can do it yourself, you will still need the survey to get insurance.
You can easily spend a couple $K on a survey and due diligence prior to the purchase. Now a $20K boat just cost you $22K.
If you dont buy it because it couldn't pass muster, you now have $18K left to spend looking for the right one.
Do your homework, take your time, you might get lucky.
Yachtworld advanced search is another search option.

You have a worthy goal.
Good Luck

[FamilyVan]

Originally Posted by Maka

A survey is mandatory for any, new to you, boat you buy.
Even if you know as much as a surveyor and can do it yourself, you will still need the survey to get insurance.
You can easily spend a couple $K on a survey and due diligence prior to the purchase. Now a $20K boat just cost you $22K.
If you dont buy it because it couldn't pass muster, you now have $18K left to spend looking for the right one.
Do your homework, take your time, you might get lucky.
Yachtworld advanced search is another search option.

You have a worthy goal.
Good Luck

Well... Generally if you have a survey <10 years of age, many insurance companies will accept it. I'm not saying its a good idea, but it can be done.

Sent from my XP7700 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[EX Wanabe]

I would suggest that you investigate the many options available to living aboard a boat. If you are planning on staying in a marina, you might consider a power boat. For the money they are much larger and will afford the privacy you and your daughter will require.

There are many other options, such as anchoring out on a sail boat free rather than paying for an expensive slip in a marina. My advice is to pursue all options before jumping into anything. Take your time; it will pay off in the end.

Many of these options are discussed on;
Shoestring Sailors (Cruising on $500 per month - part II)


Best of luck to you!

[Talelajo]

As a liveaboard, I think you might want to separate your 2 learning curves - learning to live on a boat and learning to sail. They are 2 different skill sets. It's a dirty little secret that many, many liveaboards don't sail their boats - it takes too long to pack up their stuff to move the boat -sail - and then get it all set up again after sailing. Or learning to sail and live on the same boat just got too overwhelming and they still have not left the dock. Most of the cruisers I know - those who have mastered boat-living and sailing - started out as sailors, not liveaboards.

In the 2 harbors I've lived in in the past 5 years, I'd say less than 1/3 liveaboards actually sail their boats. (I did, but haven't this summer for mechanical reasons. I'd better get my engine fixed before I too become a non-sailor!)
Fixing stuff is a third separate skill set, prob. the most challenging.

You might consider buying a cheap liveaboard boat and a sailing dinghy for sailing. You and your child will learn much more about sailing in a small boat, and you'll go out more if you don't have to move your home. You'll also learn about what kind of boat you really do want w/o spending all your $.
Or, flip that and stay on land until you learn how to sail, then get a boat.

I also recommend walking the docks and talking with as many liveaboards as you can.
I applaud your desire to sail, and to take your child with you. A new marvelous world awaits you both, so go for it.

[CSY Man]

I sold a 37' sloop with a brand new Diesel engine/tranny a year ago for about $20K.
Had it advertised on this forum in the classifieds.
It was a 1978 Endavour 37, needed some cosmetic stuff, but it was essentially good to go.
The owner was a friend of mine. He got cancer and ended up in the hospital, asked me to sell the boat for whatever, then give the cash to his daughter. He died shortly thereafter, but I sold the boat to guy from Texas.
Yes, those deals are out there if you have cash in hand, but don't count on them popping up all the time.

[hsi88]

I have lots of friends that have shown an interest in sailing. Not one of them has bought a boat. The one thing I have always stressed to them is if they are not naturally good with their hands (mechanically minded), skip the dream and just go out on other people's boats. The only way around this is to spend the money on a newer boat or have the money to pay for maintenance. Lots of cash is the only way around this requirement. If you don't already fix you own faucet leaks, minor appliance repairs, painting, can change your own oil, etc. you are getting in over your head!

Also, if you are a perfectionist, good luck with $20K. I don't think I have seen any boats over 5 years old that didn't have at least a few fiberglass stress cracks, have nasty outer hulls under the seats and at least a couple of leaks with some mildew (mold) and black streaks as a result. Moisture and salt are tough on any boat.

But if you like working with your hands, and have a cup half full mentality toward your boat, you will enjoy sailing. I am currently working on some old teak wood and I well up with pride at how nice it looks after cleaning and brushing on some of my "secret" formula natural teak oil. Although I will never see a cent for my efforts, I smile a little broader every time I step aboard.

Not sure about your daughter though. I have 3 kids with the youngest daughter at 14. They do not like boating and would much rather be with their friends. Way too much effort just to sail around, away from anything of interest to them. They sit on their iPhones and hate it when they have to man the tiller while I attend to the sails. Good luck with that part...

[Gunny]

Wow.....thank you so much to those who have replied and offered me your sincere opinion(s) as to my options. I agree with one of your comments that the opportunity to teach my daughter how to be self-sufficient and expose to an environment very few in this world make an attempt to purse is a valuable lesson. An very wise Chinaman once said "A trip of thousands leagues begins with one step," and getting advise and help from so many different knowledgeable sources is one of the first steps. Thank you.

[Matt Johnson]

The boat graveyard (Indiantown Marina) has a handful of boats in that price range. We watched a couple buy an old Morgan 33 for $5,000, spent two months cleaning and fixing a few things, then take off for a 10 day sail straight to Guatemala. An Australian couple bought an Irwin for $10,000. Sailed around the Bahamas for a few months and sold it for 15k once their vacation was up.

There maybe something like this available here for you too.

Matt

Sent from my LG-V410 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Twill]

Good luck Gunny. I do not live aboard my boat but....I could. My wife and I purchased a 30ft Ticon for less the 10G. We have put about 2500 in her so far and I would not be afraid to take her anywhere. look for a sound hull and good engine. The rest is elbow grease. A general survey is a good place to start.

[Bill Seal]

One of the most important things to look for, (unfortunately I didn't, but we still love our little ketch), is engine access. At 100 bucks an hour, you will want the mechanic to work quickly and comfortably.
That first Craigslist listing above (post #15) looks too good to be true, but if you can afford the blazers and captain's caps, it might be the real deal.

[roverhi]

A quarter berth can suffice as a cabin for a child. Close it off with a curtain and build in shelving for storage. Know a couple who cruised with their child about that age. They were long term live boards and cruisers so the child grew up from an early age on the boat. FWIW, their now adult son is not into boats. Your daughter will outgrow it in a couple of years unless she's really into living on a boat, however.

[SailingJeeper]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

Cheap boats are usually the most expensive boats to buy.

This ..... This is gold

[Sunsetrider]

Originally Posted by EX Wanabe

Many of these options are discussed on;
Shoestring Sailors (Cruising on $500 per month - part II)

Is that a thread here?

[captlloyd]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

The boat graveyard (Indiantown Marina) has a handful of boats in that price range. We watched a couple buy an old Morgan 33 for $5,000, spent two months cleaning and fixing a few things, then take off for a 10 day sail straight to Guatemala. An Australian couple bought an Irwin for $10,000. Sailed around the Bahamas for a few months and sold it for 15k once their vacation was up.

There maybe something like this available here for you too.

Matt

Sent from my LG-V410 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

So refreshing to hear someone with a positive attitude, plus some sense of reality. Yes, $20,000 is not a lot to start with but it can be done as you point out. To the OP, a lot of these folks go out and plunk hundreds of thousands of dollars down on boats and have everything done by someone else. That is fine if you have the money. Everyone doesn't though. Just keep reading this forum and read as much as you can about boat construction and maintenance. There is a ton of stuff on YouTube you can learn from. Do your homework and at the least get a second opinion on anything you are interested in buying. Walk the docks and marinas and find a sailor who knows something about boats. Make a friend. He will help you with what you want to do. Most sailors will help you. Good luck.

[JPA Cate]

Gunny,

The post above that suggested that being good with your hands, willing to learn how to fix things, is a real warning. My own lack of ability to fix anything electronic is one reason I would sell our boat if something happened to Jim. Mechanics stuff you can learn, and there's many helpful posters here on CF who can help you with that.

The cup half full attitude, if it is natural to you, will see you far. If your 10 yr. old daughter hasn't already been "frillified", she will love spending time with you and learning about *stuff*, till the hormones start winning, and perhaps beyond, that'll depend on her, and many other influences on her. Children are pretty flexible, and if she is loved, that will give her confidence to move forward. She will also need schooling.

Although it was suggested that a quarterberth is enough room for a child, my thought is that you are unlikely to remain single forever, so I think you should get a boat with two cabins, so that both you and she can have privacy. They grow up pretty fast.


Ann