Selling it all for a bluewater boat - Advice requested :)

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by bcholette

Stu -
Our first long trip will be to Canada after we master (ha ha) the California coast. After that, a plan to Australia or Japan (depending on where Doug is stationed) will be next on the list.
Is this helpful?

bc, poke around here:

George M. Benson | Racer – Author – Sailor

Great reading for going up the coast.

His narratives used to be free, but he made a book out of it.

[Mpricer]

Other good boats to look at for transoceanic passage is a Morgan, Like the 338 Sloop/Cutter and the Allied Mistress, although you may have a hard time finding one of those. I think they only made 60 before closing up shop. Great boats though, tough as nails.

[bcholette]

Mpricer - Reading some AMAZING stories of the Westsails and just passed over some information regarding your aforementioned Morgan. I am glad we have a bit of time as the various "attitudes" each boat possesses is awesome - digging the search for our next home.

[Mpricer]

The Morgans can be a bit beamy, but I like that personally. Allied Mistress' are not as wide at the beam, but have a similar underwater shape as the Morgan's. Did you look at the Hans Christian's or Taynana's and Baba's? They are certainly something to keep in mind.

[bcholette]

I have not yet looked but they are next on the list. Doug and I are still ooh-ing over the Westsails - particular one named "Southern Cross".

[Kenomac]

Look at a Tayana in your price range. A Beneteau 464 will also work well if it can be had for $100k, but most likely a little more $$.

Ken

[cburger]

Originally Posted by bcholette

Mpricer - Reading some AMAZING stories of the Westsails and just passed over some information regarding your aforementioned Morgan. I am glad we have a bit of time as the various "attitudes" each boat possesses is awesome - digging the search for our next home.

Since you are reading: Westsail Owners Association - Satori - Perfect Storm the whole story

[SkiprJohn]

I was just there in San Diego this last October to help my friend sail south to La Paz. With all the boats for sale there I'm certain you'll find what you need. We started our cruise from Pier 32.

Don't discount a boat because of its age and no its not like a classic car. There are many older boats that have all new equipment because their previous and more current owners have kept them in great condition. Also some of the older hulls were built bullet proof whereas the newer production boats were built lightly.

There are so many boats that will meet your needs just start looking and you can eliminate as you go. Go aboard as many as you can and see what fits then ask about a particular one here on the forum.

I would recommend fiberglass hull, diesel auxiliary engine, sloop or cutter rig, 32-36 feet and well cared for. Look for quality fittings aluminum masts and ask about whether chainplates have been looked at or changed.

Your Navy experience will help you with generalizations but sailing vessels are a whole new ball of wax. I'd been stationed on 4 destroyers before I learned how to sail many years ago and I had to learn a whole bunch of new tricks.

Thanks for your service and good luck in your search.

[Mpricer]

Best of luck on your search. The boat you choose is as much about the boat as it is about your personality as well. Hope you find one that will take you to the far corners of the globe.

[Lepke]

Before you go to far, get some time offshore. Before you buy if possible. A 40', even an 80' sail boat rides a lot worse than a navy ship. Making a ocean passage, even just to Canada, can be very uncomfortable for days on end. I'm 65, and I don't know everything, but I've been around the water for a long time. Most people are not prepared for the ocean. I had friends in the Pacific NW that lived aboard a 40' sailboat and planned on sailing to Australia on retirement. Their vacations were spent around Puget Sound. I suggested they try a trip to Oregon before just taking off to the South Pacific. That ended any talk of long ocean passages. And I could go on and on with other stories. The Washington and Oregon coast probably the most consistent bad weather you might see until you get near Japan. Try that 1st. I was on a destroyer off the Washington coast, going south, weather was so bad we had to slow to 8 knots to avoid damage. A carrier was 100 miles outside of us, taking green water over the bow. That weather would be survivable in a good boat, but not fun.
I not trying to rain on your dream, but try realism before you spend your last dollar on a boat and then the navy man gets transferred to Japan.
Lepke

[HBWT]

You sound a lot like my wife and I. We are in our early 30's, 2 pets and looking for our blue water boat in the 100k range. We do have prior sailing experience so I will try and lend any knowledge we have found and currently looking at. All of these boats being recommended are spot on. Baba's, Panda, Hans Christian, Westsail, Tayana, Union, Lord Nelson, these are all the preferred ocean sailers under the 100k marker. Some are in amazing shape and will take you safely in just about any condition. My wife and I love these boats not only because they are extremely heavy, sea kindly and well built, but the lines and the classic cutter look always turns heads. They may not have the room some of the newer models have but you will quickly find out the room is sometimes a disadvantage when out at sea. We are from SoCal but now live up north in Seattle and have sailed up and down the west coast. Here are some things to keep in mind on your journey looking at boats.

1) "Teak" means work. Any exposed teak will need to be taken care of and that usually is when you are sitting in port and want nothing more than to kick back and enjoy a beer. If you get teak decks, your gonna have a bad time... Guaranteed. Although very pretty, they attract deck core problems and you will be spending a lot of time and lots of money on your 20-30 year old decks then you ever imagined. Living in San Diego is pretty arid and a boat that may have deck problems and leaking may be invisible until it rains or you make your first passage. Either/or you don't want to be living aboard when this starts and you do not want to pickup the tab when you have to do some core replacement.
2) You want a long keel. I know this is hotly contested but having an exposed rudder on a Beneteau or Jeaneau is not the smartest of choices. They are gorgeous boats and perfect if you plan on sailing to Catalina and back. A ocean sailing experience is taking a gamble. Yes many people have sailed the ocean with these boats but it is always better to be safe than sorry especially when you are in the middle of the ocean with no support or assistance. A team in the haha a few years ago lost their boat but colliding with a whale that ripped off the rudder mount of an exposed skeg rudder.
3) Boat brokers are not your friend. This is one that might send a few people charging after me. They represent the seller of a boat and I have yet to find one that did not act like a used car salesman. "boats in incredible shape," "she just got back from a trip to Hawaii." Both of these answers turned out to be false when we found a boat we liked a few months ago, made a offer and got the survey. Turns out the boat had serious problems the boat broker knew about and the boat came back from Hawaii in 1988. That is a $1000 dollar mistake that we do not want to repeat again.
4) If you are looking in the 38-42 foot range, I would recommend you look at boats in the 70k range. Remember you need to keep 15k in the bank for emergencies. Engine failure, deck problems, osmotic blisters on the hull, these are a few problems that you may face and you need to have some money stashed away to afford these problems. Use the remaining funds to outfit your boat. There is no such thing as a turn key blue water boat. New rigging, electronics, sails, alt power, wind vane are just a few things you will need to outfit on your boat. Even if the boat is in pristine condition, chances are you are going to have to replace or outfit at least one of these items. Not cheap!
5) When you finally find a boat you like, make the offer and if accepted, get a survey. I know you can argue both ways on this but as a fairly new sailing enthusiast, you need someone to back you up. Do not and I repeat do not use the survey company the boat broker recommends. Go research or ask around about reputable marine surveyors. Like anything, certain surveyors specialize in certain model boats, know the problems and what to look for. They have and will miss things on your boat that you wish they would have found. But the key mantra is you want someone who is going to be looking out for you and not the seller.

We have been looking for the past 14 months. It's extremely fun but in our case, extremely time consuming. Have fun out there and best of luck on your adventure.

[Dale Hedtke]

Don't underestimate how much "fixing up" even a newer boat may require.

[HBWT]

Might be an options for you to go look at.

1980 Hans Christian 38T

[SkiprJohn]

Originally Posted by HBWT

Might be an options for you to go look at.

1980 Hans Christian 38T

That one reminds me that you are certainly encouraged to try much lower than the current asking price. Especially if its been on the market for many months. This one will be for awhile.

kind regards,

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

That one reminds me that you are certainly encouraged to try much lower than the current asking price. Especially if its been on the market for many months. This one will be for awhile.

kind regards,

Yeah, my '85 HC38 sold for $90k about 8 years ago and was an 8/9 out of 10... and took 1.5 years to sell. But aaa HC loaded with teak and maintenence doesnt sound like the OP's type of boat anyway.
OP: I imagine you've read some of the other threads currently active. 7-10 years seems to be the critical age of boats or "boat stuff". At that point, assuming the basic structure is sound and good, pretty much everything is at risk for replacement. So whether you get a boat built in '94 or built in '84... it's all about what's already been done to it.
I see there are Cabo Rico 38, Bayfield 40, Whitby 42, Westsail 42 and various racer/cruisers like the Benes under $70k in So Cal. for sale. You should be able to find what you want. The more recent Bene's and Jeanneau's etc will spoil you for accomodations... but some of the others are better boats... JMHO
"Early 30's couple with one husky and fat cat. He is medium build and strong (rescue swimmer); she is short, petite but crossfits" BTW: So the cat is medium build and strong and the dog is short and petite? or vice versa? :>)