I'm 63, retired
engineer, married, live near Ventura
California and have some sailing experience. I've done half a dozen
bareboat charters and owned a
Beneteau 440 for 8 years back in the late 1990's early 2000's. I've done only coastal sailing, never
blue water.
I'm looking to get back in. Nice coastal cruising here, including the Channel Islands and even stretches down to
Mexico and the
Sea of Cortez. Not sure if I'd want to do more than that. But with time...perhaps. I also want something I can use as a second home...near the ocean. Nothing better than waking up to the ocean air and a cup of coffee.
We are thinking about a ~40ft cat, ...maybe 5-10 years old. We like to roominess of a cat, and the performance is a nice upside. Just started the search. One challenge I'm seeing is the availability of options on the
West Coast of the Americas. It's slim pickings compared to
Florida or the
Caribbean, and the prices seem to be ~30-50K higher in the $300-$400K range that we're considering. While
east coast is cheaper, in that option I need to transport the
boat So
Cal. Both time and
money.
So... any
advice on how to "get back in"?
Buyer's
broker?
Comments on transport ...time and cost? Ways to minimize
taxes and
fees.
Thoughts on ~40ft cats? Looking for balance of performance(me) and comfort/space(wife)
Charted vs private owner?
Thanks in advance.