Liveaboard/Cruiser Suggestions

[Riff-Raff]

Looking for suggestions for a liveaboard/cruiser.

Base - Florida West Coast
Cruising Area - Florida, Bahamas, US East Coast
Size - 30 to 35'
Price - $50k or less
Plan on single-handed sailing with occasional guest crew
Previous Skipper experience up to Catalina 22
Previous Crewing experience up to Morgan 38

Hope this info will help you guys come up with a few good suggestions.
Thanks for the guidance.

[snort]

Islander 32
Ranger 33
Yamaha 33
Cal 34

Just off the top of me head.

[boating2go]

A Columbia C45 is a very comfortable live aboard in your price range. We lived on a 1973 and are very happy with it. Join the Columbia Group on Yahoo to learn more about them.

[Riff-Raff]

Originally Posted by snort

Islander 32
Ranger 33
Yamaha 33
Cal 34

Just off the top of me head.

Thanks, that's four I haven't researched.

[Riff-Raff]

Originally Posted by boating2go

A Columbia C45 is a very comfortable live aboard in your price range. We lived on a 1973 and are very happy with it. Join the Columbia Group on Yahoo to learn more about them.

Thanks. Going to check it out. Didn't think I could get into a larger boat in within my price range.

[skipmac]

Morgan OI36. Might find one in your price range and the really shallow draft would be great for FL west coast. Also very, very roomy. Downside, doesn't sail well to weather but motors upwind just fine.

[snort]

Expensive when compared to others in its class, but these are solid go-anywhere boats.
If the balsa were waterlogged, you'd know.

32' 1984 WAUQUIEZ GLADIATEUR SLOOP | eBay

[denverd0n]

For Florida and the Bahamas, you want to watch your draft. Anything more than 6' is going to be limiting. Not that you can't go anywhere with that sort of draft, you can, but you are going to be much more limited than those with a lesser draft.

Personally, for my "next boat," for sailing in the same areas, I will not consider anything with a draft of more than 5'-6". And that only for some very special boats that would have to be at a very special price. In general, I would much prefer a boat with 5' of draft or less.

Good luck.

[pistarckle]

Morgan OI 33 , OI 36 , or any older centerboard boats . Short draft will give you TWICE the cruising , anchoring areas . How about a Gemini cat ?

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Riff-Raff

Looking for suggestions for a liveaboard/cruiser.

Base - Florida West Coast
Cruising Area - Florida, Bahamas, US East Coast
Size - 30 to 35'
Price - $50k or less
Plan on single-handed sailing with occasional guest crew
Previous Skipper experience up to Catalina 22
Previous Crewing experience up to Morgan 38

Hope this info will help you guys come up with a few good suggestions.
Thanks for the guidance.

Avoid deep draft boats. Neither Florida nor the Bahamas are kind to deep draft boats. They like to grab them and hold on.

You won't have much trouble moving up to a bigger boat. Just make sure all your running rigging comes to the cockpit. Make sure the autopilot is in good shape and work. Look hard and long at the storage. I use the aft berth, which is under the cockpit, next to the engine and really not a pleasant place to sleep. I keep everything in labeled plastic boxes so it isn't all jumbled together.

Whatever you get, get an engine survey done by a certified engine mechanicd. It doesn't cost that much, but a new engine will. Guess how I know.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Riff-Raff

Thanks. Going to check it out. Didn't think I could get into a larger boat in within my price range.

The bigger the boat is for the price, the more suspicious you have to be about how sound it is, and how many intermediate and small price things you will have to replace or redo. For instance, the winches may be shot, or might not have been serviced in ten years. You probably don't know how to do that.

Have the rigging VERY carefully looked at. If the surveyor won't go up the mast, and most won't, hand him a pair of binoculars. Take a really good look at where the headsail halyard and forestay come together for damage, as often, installation of a roller furler, badly done, can result in damage to your forestay (halyard wrap).

[Riff-Raff]

Great info, thanks for all of your responses.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Riff-Raff

Great info, thanks for all of your responses.

Careful not to get sucked into the 'Bigger than you need' trap... the extra costs of dockage/maintenance will bleed you dry...

[WebWench]

We have a 30' S2 center cockpit for sale in the classifieds. But in your price range you could probably also afford the larger 11.0 (36') both are great live aboard boats and were well built. They single had well too.