Want To Buy: Family Seek Help . . .

[mya moonshine]

I could say serendipity has led me to this forum . . . and my dear friend has advised me to simply be honest and see where the wind blows . . . I am a single father with two girls, in the space of eighteen months we have lost our entire family, our home has been repossessed and the family business has collapsed . . . the girls are not coping well without their mother, one has already dropped out of university . . .

When I was 19 years old I lost someone very dear to me, I too dropped out of Uni and left the UK to travel and see the world and its wonders . . . I returned five years later, healed and ready to set the world alight . . .

It seems life has a peculiar sense of humour as it has now placed my girls at a simliar crossroads . . . there is no other way of explaining it, this feeling . . . except to just say, " we hear the sea calling . . . "

I estimate I have a budget of around £30,000 ( pounds ) to spend on a sail boat that is capable of crossing oceans,can be sailed singlehandedly if need be and preferably ready to go . . . however I am not adverse to hard work if it is too 'good of a bargain' and needs a little TLC as this will be our home for the next several years . . .My main concern is that she is seaworthy and SAFE ( my daughters concern is that it is luxurious . . . I have hinted they may have to lower their expectations . . . ! ) We are based in the UK but I am willing to pick the boat up from anywhere in the world . . . This is a genuine post and the cash is good to go . . .

All guardian angels welcome . . .

Happy and safe journeys to you all . . .

Life is precious, treasure every moment . .

Thank you . . . Jason uk +44 7864032433

[JPA Cate]

Jason,

Sorry for your losses. It is a huge upheaval, and very stressful. The girls will learn from going with you to "shop" for boats. In your price range, there will be no luxurious super yachts, but they are old enough to figure that out after a bit. Teach them the money considerations. Learning about managing their funds now will benefit them all their lives.

For cruising and healing, you with your daughters will have to see how small you think you can go, because that's where the best bargains are.

Good luck with this, and welcome aboard. There are other CF members who are acquainted with the British markets, and will post helpfully.

Ann

[Adelie]

I'm not a guardian angel but I will happily give you advice to cover the possibility of not finding one.

First: Don't plan on crossing oceans. You still want a boat that could do it with some care but what you probably are looking for is some periodic solitude mixed with meeting new people and cultures regularly.

Second: Luxury on that budget is going to be that they each get their own berth, a section of shelf and a locker to call their own. Privacy will be a curtain. If they need a cabin to share then add £10k and if they each have to have a cabin add £20-30k. If they can't accept this reconsider this route. I think going on walk-about stands a decent chance of helping them heal but if they can't accept the accommodations then you are going to be adding family strife on top of loss.

Third: I would consider doing a lot of coastal cruising with minor passages. If the lifestyle suits you and seems to help the healing then you can look to upgrading the boat, saving a little more money and striking out for more major passages. To that end I would consider 2 options, buying a boat in the UK or France then working your way around the UK coast or maybe across to France and up into the Baltic. Alternatively buy a boat in the US, this summer, outfit it until late Oct or Nov then down the ICW across to the Bahamas and into the Caribbean. As I understand it being a memeber of the EU offers you some customs advantages on some islands.

Fourth: I assume you have £30k total for buy, outfit and cruising costs. Plan to spend about £8-10k to buy the boat, £5-7k for outfitting which leaves you with £15k to live on. If you are very careful, anchor out every night, eat cheap and keep your boat simple you could go a year on that much money.

If you are still interested and I'll keep going.

[mya moonshine]

Hello Ann and Adelie . . . nice to make your acquaintance and thank you for your speedy replies . . .

Just to clarify the £30,000 sum of money is for the boat alone, i have other funds put by for living costs . .

Ideally I would like to purchase possibly in the Caribbean or South East Asia . . .

I only suggest these areas as I have been told I might get more value for my buck so to speak . . Although I understand your caution we are well seasoned travelers . . .Also I will be traveling alone until I have secured the boat . .

Guatemala has been pointed out to me several times - any thoughts on that market . . ?

Once again I welcome any input , suggestions , pointers etc . .

Thank you all in advance . . . Jason

[Jack Robinson]

I have a boat for sale that may meet your needs, it's a well kept and mantained Morgan OI 416 1982 45K USD. Let me know if you would like to talk about it. Boat is located in NC USA

Thanks
Jack

[YachtBroker]

The offer of the morgan 416 in the states is a good one. As a professional yacht broker for 32 years I have sold many of these boats. In fact my marketing director here just bought a 416 for a live aboard here in Texas. Big boat. Solid and well built. Not the best upwind but still sails better than most. If you're looking older and larger with enough room for two girls, if this boat is the split berth (over/under) forward that would work. Otherwise it's a basic two cabin fore and aft layout.
Kent Little
Little Yacht Sales
Texas

[Jack Robinson]

This 1982 Morgan OI 416 is the two cabin model. Large V-berth and aft cabin.

Port sette or fold down salon table would make a good birth for the second child.

The below deck walk through and seperate companion way enterance to the aft cabin would provide good privacy.

5.7 KW Westerbeak genset is a great capability for someone living on the hook

[Bulawayo]

Hi, good luck to you and your girls - you clearly could do with some change of fortune. Personally, I think a boat and cruising can do this for you. Dont limit your thinking......the chance of a decent 41ft boat might well be worthy of consideration. Just beware spending of too much money on airline tickets. The cruising folk that you meet are a totally different breed to those that exist elsewhere - usually very generous, kind hearted folk. I hope you provide a follow up posting of what you decide.

[19Valiant79]

We too have lived through unspeakable loss. Sailing helped us all.

We enjoyed our Tartan Classic 37' with 6 now adult kids and with now 11 grandkids, moved to a bit larger vessel.
Our Tartan is for sale in your budget and ready to go from coast of Maine, USA. Totally refit (decks, barrier, rigging, electric/electronics, genoa and more) and cherished since 2002 - new Yanmar 2013.


Our best wishes family to family.

[LTDsailing]

I am sorry to hear about your situation. We have a few boats here in Grenada which might be of interest. Drop me a PM with your email address and I will send you links to the listings.


Beam winds,


Chris

[seasick]

Look for a boat where cruising dreams go to die. Form relationships with yard managers who will inform you when boats are in arrears. Places where moorage rates are high. Places where it's all up hill getting home. Here you will find well equipped boats for pennies on the dollar.

[alansmith]

I think your plan is a decent one. Get out of soggy England and find a boat in a warm climate. You really will have your hands full with young girls. My two girls were mysteriously abducted by space aliens at identical times when they reached menses. When they were returned to my home they were altered mentally for the next 10 years. It would seem that the aliens had deleted every sweet bone in their body. I could do nothing right. I had become an idiot overnight. A pack of hyenas would stand no chance against these two at certain times of the month. They had become hysterical and maniacal at even the slightest change in the breeze. If you can weather the FSH (follicular stimulating hormone) and LH(luteinizing hormone) swings in mood you will be knighted by some future fairy.




So, living with young girls on a small boat in rainy England would push you to further despair...IMHO. You seem to be a decent chap and trying to do the best you can under difficult circumstances. One question that must be entertained by you...and be very realistic about it...can this trip really be the Balm of Gilead? Have the girls ever lived aboard a small boat for extended periods of time? My girls loved ski boats and short trips. But they needed their 30 minute showers, hair dryers, tv, music, ipods, iphones, incessant chatter with boys and girls. Can u imagine the shock to their system when there is no Internet connections, wi-fi, no cell phone coverage, no one to talk to but you and siblings...(I am not inferring that is not healthy)....I do not know your family dynamics. But have you sat down and carefully explained what will happen in realistic terms once you "pull the plug" on England? That is where my fear for you lays. You could have this thing blow up in your face when you are trying to do the noble thing. I wish you the best of luck.


Small catamaran in the tropics might be a good layout for your family...if it can be had at a decent price. two girls and a dad sharing a small bathroom that you can barely turn around in would be disgusting to most teenagers I am aware of...but that is America for u. smile

[cwyckham]

You haven't said anything about your sailing experience.

One thing to consider is that if you have limited experience, you'll want to buy a boat where you can coastal cruise for a while before thinking about any crossings. Eastern Med, Caribbean, SE Asia, Pacific Mexico, Pacific NW all come to mind.

You can find great boats in some of these places where cruisers have finished their cruise and don't want to try to get the boat home. The price is lower because not many buyers want to fly all the way out there so the market is limited.

I would plan on using a trusted surveyor and probably a broker to help you out if you don't have a lot of experience with sailboats.

[hamburking]

So sorry for your losses.

Consider buying during summer in Canada. The canadian dollar is quite low, giving you a 20% bonus over US boats. Great Lakes boats have no salt exposure, so in general are in better condition than salt water boats. Also, the current economy has many boats on the Great Lakes priced well below their value.

From the Great Lakes there is a migration south each fall, down the Oswego canal, erie canal, Hudson river, to the ocean, then either ICW or offshore to the Caribbean.

Best wishes to you and your girls.

[Kreef]

HI so sorry to hear of your wife's passing I trust you will find happiness again.I am not sure what type /size/material made from but there are some great buys in South Africa and with the exchange rate at the moment 30K GB pounds will get you a bargain.God bless you and the girls and have a great time.David in Cape town.