Would like a little help with my plan

[Ranger06]

First a little background, I retired from the military last year and am working in Dubai. My current plan is to do this for the next 3-5 years before taking 2-3 years (or longer) to circumnavigate. The crew would consist of myself and my wife, my brother and his wife. I think that between the 4 of us, 3-5 years is a reasonable timeframe to save as much as possible.

The idea is to buy something in New England and sail down the east coast, Bahamas, Caribbean, South America, then cross the Pacific, etc… I’m at a loss when it comes to the plethora of boats out there…I love them all and am overwhelmed. Part of me wants an older boat that I would refit and make my own. There’s another part of me that wouldn’t mind a new-ish production boat. Right now, I’m thinking something in the 40-50 foot range, monohull. Definitely would like enough room for 4 full-time adults with room for the occasional visitors. Also needs to be solid and sail well, but doesn’t need to be a rocket under sail. Would like a proven passage maker.

Would it make more sense to buy something that needs work now and store it on the hard in New England? That way, I could have it worked on throughout the years so when the time comes, all we have to do is splash it and go.

I’m thinking that storing a boat on the hard for 3-5 years would be an unnecessary expense. Then again, how long does it take to refit a 50’ boat for the rigors of live aboard cruising? For instance…if I found a decent 50’ Gulfstar with a solid hull, stored it, gutted it and redid all the systems, how long would that take? There is something appealing about buying a “project” boat and redoing it completely exactly how I wanted it done. Idont want to spend my first year of cruising hanging around the boat yard.

What would you do? Spend $50k on a project, store it and put money into it for 3-5 years….or wait 3-5 years and buy something in the $200k range that’s ready to go? I’d love to do the work myself but don’t really have that option out here in the desert. I’d like to go less expensive. A 53’ Amel would be nice but I’m thinking I could spend half what that costs and sail longer on something like a 42’ Westsail.

I have a decent sailing background, handful of charters in Florida, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. We’re all in our 40’s and healthy. I’m an aircraft/diesel mechanic so I’m pretty handy, Brother and his wife are a PA and Nurse living in Idaho.

I’d like some recommendations from those who are out there doing it! Would like help with both the plan and boats I should be looking at.

Thanks!

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Ranger06

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What would you do? Spend $50k on a project, store it and put money into it for 3-5 years….or wait 3-5 years and buy something in the $200k range that’s ready to go? I’d love to do the work myself but don’t really have that option out here in the desert. I’d like to go less expensive. A 53’ Amel would be nice but I’m thinking I could spend half what that costs and sail longer on something like a 42’ Westsail.

It makes no sense to get a boat unless you want to be able to sail now. And it makes no sense to waste time and money on a project if you can afford a boat that is already ready to sail. And finally it makes no sense talking about a 53' Amel and a 42' Westsail as boats competing with each other in your mind.

[JPA Cate]

Hi, Ranger, you are in the very earliest stages of this dream. I'd like to say, thank you for your service, and welcome you aboard CF.

Here are a few questions for you to consider:
1. Are you your wife, brother, and sister-in-law experienced sailors?
2. Are they on board about the concept?

If so, you will want to go to the next step, which is learning a whole lot more about boats. Setting out to do a circumnavigation is a really big bite. Boats are not like RVs. They have to be able to keep the water on the outside all the time. You trust your lives to them, and you need to learn what can take the best care of you, and for that, you need the routing for the putative circumnavigation. As if all that were easy, there are strong differences of opinion about what is a good boat in which to do it.

There are plenty of threads on CF (use the CF Google Custom Search, under the Search menu button), discussing various monohulls and their virtues and problems. Start looking at pictures and learning about the boats.

Briefly, relative to the Westsail 42 or 3, I would find it a little small for 2 couples for the period of a circumnavigation. Doable, perhaps, but they would have to be very adaptable--they need sea berths as well as privacy. The Westsail is heavily built, and it is slow. There is a camp that says heavy and strong is good, and "sea kindly", and another camp that says fast is better because it limits your exposure time and perhaps you can reach safe harbor before the bad weather hits. In the Queen's Birthday Storm in '94, "Heart of Gold" which left with the fleet, was safe in Nuku'alofa when the other boats were hit by the storm.

Another area of difference of opinion is cutter vs. split rigs.

At any rate, I don't think you've enough information as yet to make decisions, but you have got the ball rolling, and I hope it works out for you.

CF has a wide diversity of opinion, and you're about to experience some of it and make your own decisions about which posts to value.

Ann

PS. There's a CF member, "Teknshn", who has recently left post-service employment, and bought a boat on the east coast of the US. I am sure -- if he sees your thread -- that he will have some input for you.

[boatman61]

Know where there's a beauty Laurent & Giles 64 that fits your needs as a project and spacious world cruiser..
But.. its in Spain and a lot more than $50K.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Know where there's a beauty Laurent & Giles 64 that fits your needs as a project and spacious world cruiser..
But.. its in Spain and a lot more than $50K.

What do you think that L&G would go for Boatie?

To the OP , I think the key decider for a circumnavigation is to find a boat with 'good bones'. Strongly built to take abuse and that can be sailed by ONE, in an emergency.

Early days, so look at boats that have done a lot of offshore and compare repair history with same boat that has mostly sat at a Marina. With your background, it will tell you a lot.

I personally like Mono hulls even though I could afford a multi.....(In heavy weather....One Hull, One Wave interaction is less stressful to me and the boat),

But for 2 couples living aboard, a multi would be more appealing if you could find that project boat ...
at the right price.

Good luck and welcome to CF

[boatman61]

He's looking for around 220K euro.. only needs rewiring.
Delivered her transat last year.. lovely boat and only 6ft draft so versatile to boot for shallow waters.

[maxingout]

Enjoy Dubai. We travelled there in our Land Rover Defender when we lived in Saudi Arabia for sixteen years. It's a good place to save some Freedom Chips if you have the right job.

Don't purchase a boat until you are ready to work on it / sail it in earnest.

My favorite monohull is the Westsail 42/43. I considered doing a circumnavigation in one, but my wife wanted to sail on the flat. So I gave up the Westsail dream for a 39 foot catamaran. I still would love to have a Westsail as it is a great boat to sail in the higher latitudes.

Good luck on your sailing dreams.

[Ranger06]

Thanks all for the advice, to answer a few of the questions, I am the only one with formal training when it comes to sailing. Although, all 4 of us are on board with the plan and have sailed together. I guess I should have specified that a circumnavigation is possible but we are not tied to that plan. The goal is to get out and see some of the world. We would like to be in a position to do it if decided but if sailing around the east coast to the Caribbean is as far as we get, that works too.


That Laurent & Giles 64 looks amazing and seems that it would definirtely fit the bill.


I agree that a Multihull may make more sense for 2 couples but I was thinking they are a little out of our price range. I see that we could get into a Lagoon 380 or a similar Leopard for a reasonable amount of money. I dont want to start a Multi vs mono thread. I would definitely be open to a cat if the right one came along. We've been following the Wynns and are quite jealous of their rig. But then I see footage from Delos sailing in the Indian ocean and think, "I'd rather be in over my head on a bombproof mono than a ex-charter cat." I know, the key is to not get in over your head. But I've also learned over the course of a 26-year career that even the best plans dont go as expected from time to time.


Again, thanks for all the input. I'm in no rush to pull the trigger on a boat, just trying to shore up a plan. Will stick to the research for now!

[geoleo]

My advise: forget all Gulfstars -builds on the them vary considerably lotsa delam and one G50 crashed the hull around the keel while on the hard. Save your money and buy the best newest boat that fits your needs when your ready to cruise- cash is always king! I bought an older ideal boat for 80K spent 3 years and 70 k fixing it up perfect its now worth 90k+ so I'm out 60k!!! However I had a great time. LOL lOL LOL PS you might find a great Custom design and build!!!!

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

It makes no sense to get a boat unless you want to be able to sail now. And it makes no sense to waste time and money on a project if you can afford a boat that is already ready to sail. And finally it makes no sense talking about a 53' Amel and a 42' Westsail as boats competing with each other in your mind.

Well stated.

Also, look at boats in Europe in three years time. Start your adventure from the Med like most other people, plan on spending at least three years here.

[Ranger06]

Thanks geoleo, that's great advice. Same thing, Kenomac. Starting in the Med is definitely an option. Seems that eventually getting to the Med seems like a monumental event if we start in New England. Certainly is no shortage of boats there.

[hamburking]

First...great plan, love it!

Next...boats don't sit well. Please don't buy a boat to let it sit on the hard. Wasted money and effort. A "perfect" boat (which does not exist, obviously) left on the hard a couple years will need a ton of repair and maintenance. Think corroded pistons, plastic and rubber parts falling apart, dried out caulking and seals. Boats need to be sailed.

When you are less than a year from heading out, thats when to look/buy your boat. No harm in looking now, and learning about boats so that you are ready when the time comes. Its fun to look.

There is a type of boat ad, seen too often, where someone has spent a decade or more preparing a boat for their "grand adventure of a lifetime", only to have a heart attack or cold feet at the last minute. These passage ready boats are what you should be looking for. Here's an example:

Bruce Roberts 34 "Misty Blue II" - Turn-key & ready for South | sailboats | Barrie | Kijiji

They spent years and endless dollars on the boat. Then at the last minute had a change of plans. I prefer to let someone else pour the work into the boat...I don't dream of boat building and endless days in the boatyard...I just want to go sailing!

[roland stockham]

You definitely want to have had and sailed the boat for a full season of 'weekending' before setting off not just a 'shakedown'. You want to know the boat and all they system well before you go. There is no such thing as a boat for sale 'redy for the next circumnavigation' you will want to do things differently to the last owner as a min and many boats have equipment rigging etc that will need upgrading. When looking for boats bear in mind that most are built for weekend coastal sailing or charter not ocean crossings

[Zven]

If you're planning a circumnavigation, it does not matter where you start!
Hence you are free to look at boats all over the world.
I'd consider that an opportunity. Just do a little research and learn where the best choice and prices can be found.
Oh and if you are in Dubai anyway, you are not far from the Eastern Med. That's got to be useful for looking at boats. Last year i spotted many good offers in that area.

[Ken Z]

opinion: I would not like to put aboat esp. a larger one on the hard for that amount of time, i feel boats should float. I would wait and buy a proven blue water boat in fl. there are tons of them. To gut and redo, refit a 40' could take two years if your a good woodworker, boats have many compound angles that take time to scribe and fit. add money... If affordable spend time sailing rather than sweating about mitered joints.😎