Want To Buy: Looking for a Bluewater Sailboat for under 20k

[bluewater-bound]

Hi Everyone! I'm currently in the market for a Full Keel sailboat for under 20k.
It will be a liveaboard so I would prefer something over 30ft. Now my plans for the boat is to first start small taking short day trip then eventually make my way down the ICW and towards the Bahamas. But in the long run Id love to circumnavigate. So something that can withstand the open waters is a absolute must for me hence why I'm looking at full keel boats.
Now for the boat its self It must be a full keel(or along the lines of that), I know with my price range ill be getting a fixer upper which is absolutely fine by me. But my biggest requirements for it is a full keel and I would prefer something over 30 ft.
Now for the rest I'm pretty flexible on. The addition of extra electronics like autopilot, gps, ect. would be nice but not necessary. I would prefer a diesel inboard but I could settle for gas. I'm fine with any rigging but I will be singlehanded sailing for most of my journeys. I would prefer to go without refrigeration but I can do either refrigeration or ice box or both. Ive looked all over the web for boats and wanted to see what you all have to say about it. Ive looked at the Albergs and I absolutely fell in love with this Alberg 37 but it sold before I could get my hands on it. Ive also looked at the Morgan 33 Out Island and I loved the interior layout of those. Really anything that's a full keel and under 20k. This is my very first boat so I'm extremely excited to get into this amazing community and learn so much! Please ask as many questions as you want and feel free to give me all the advice I'm a newbie to all this sailing stuff so I'm like a sponge and will absorb all the information I can get!!! Thank you all in advance!!!!!

[Island Time O25]

For under $20K 70s Morgan 33 O/I would be your best bet all around. Plenty of those to chose from up and down East Coast and especially in FL.

[SoundOfSilence]

I like the Westsails. You can probably get this one for under 20k:

1976 Westsail 32 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

Be prepared for a total refit including the engine, but it will be a nice learn as you go project as you can probably start to sail with it immediately.

Good luck

[SoundOfSilence]

And if you haven't already seen it, this would probably be of interest for you:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ds-147098.html

[laika]

Hi bluewater bound,

Your requirements were a lot like mine. Older full keel is likely what you'll find in the market you're looking at, but looking back I wouldn't necessarily make it a limiting factor. IMHO the particular boat isn't as important as your working knowledge of it. And as soundofsilence said, fixing up systems onboard is a great way to learn them inside and out.

Flip side of that is to be seriously wary of project boats, even if you plan on doing the work yourself. Every yard has a couple people who have been there for close to a decade and are still getting ready to sail.

IN terms of systems, everyone's different and you'll have no trouble figuring out what works for you. I think you're right to start clean (if the boat you find doesn't already have a bunch of this stuff already) and add systems as you go.

I ended up adding a number of systems.. autopilot, windvane, ais, watermaker, small engle fridge. No regrets but happy to have gone without in the beginning. However, I look back and shudder with horror at the prospect of again hand steering for any length of time.

[PhiSig1071]

I've heard negative things about the 41 O/I for blue water cruising, specifically the hull/deck joinery not being up to the task. Is that different on the 33? Less stress on a smaller boat?

On the other hand I've heard significant praise for the Westsail's being well built and seakindly. And I had some friends who owned a "wetsnail" and sang it's praises.

[Don C L]

There are lots of good candidates, but try, try, try to avoid a "fixer-upper" if you can. Let the former owner do the fixing up.. there are very good fixed-up deals out there. Be patient. If one comes up, put it here and we'll go over it with a fine tooth comb for you.

BTW, welcome here!

[engine1218]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2045...3490775742155/

Apparently not on Craigslist anymore but still available. Contact some people in the comment section in the know.

[Suijin]

I would really not make full keel a high requirement. If you're new to sailing you probably did a bunch of Googling and full keel came up as something that is a significant benefit, since t protects the prop and rudder, but there are other factors, in particular the overall condition and maintenance of the boat that are far more important. For example, a full keel boat is not such a great boat if the rudder falls off or breaks off it's post.

While full keel boats, all other things like condition being equal, do provide that protection, they also come with some downsides, like maneuverability and pointing ability. Also, they tend to be slower, which when making passages can become a factor. The faster the boat, the better the chance of outrunning or avoiding bad weather.

In short, a full keel is great in some respects but it's not the be all and end all of bluewater boat design.

I'll also say that being new to sailing, you're not really in a position to pick the best boat for you. You may very well learn that the boat that you bought is not what you had hoped, or thought you needed, and when you get to a point where you're confident about circumnavigating, look for another boat.

As a circumnavigator you have to be, in no particular order, a navigator, a sailor a weatherman, a mechanic, a plumber, an electrician, an electronics person, and a few more hats I can't think of right now. You're going to learn all that in years to come. I guarantee you that when you've absorbed all that knowledge you'll wish you'd bought a different boat.

Buying a 30 year old boat for $30kk, you'll probably end up: rewiring it, putting in new chainplates and new standing rigging, rebedding everything on the deck, rebuilding the winches, putting in a new primary fuel filter, redoing the plumbing, new hatch seals...the list goes on and on. You're going to know a lot more about boats when you've gone down that road.

I would buy a boat suitable for living aboard, learning, and traveling the coast and worry about what you're going to circumnavigate on somewhere down the road. That does not mean excluding boats that you can circumnavigate on from your search, just that it's a very limiting requirement at this point in your journey.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Suijin

Buying a 30 year old boat for $30kk, you'll probably end up: rewiring it, putting in new chainplates and new standing rigging, rebedding everything on the deck, rebuilding the winches, putting in a new primary fuel filter, redoing the plumbing, new hatch seals...the list goes on and on. You're going to know a lot more about boats when you've gone down that road.

You may be able to go a few years before doing a lot of repairs if you find the right boat.

Mine is 42 years old and I've been sailing it in most all weather up to 33 knots for 5 years.

The only structural maintenance I have done is to remove one broken stanchion base. I epoxied over the holes left and will install the replacement one day soon in a different spot. I've done two bottom jobs and closed off the prop shaft thru hull with epoxy and fiberglass. And I've painted the topside hull. That's it!

I bought a new main, new outboard and bracket, solar panel and controller, and an inverter.

[Suijin]

Yes he might get lucky and find an extremely well maintained 30 year old bluewater cruiser for $30k, but given his level of knowledge it's going to be difficult for him to know when he's found it.

[SVTwilight]

Look at boats on the Great Lakes in the USA and Canada. A 40 year old boat may be in fantastic shape as it has only been used a few months a year at best and never been subjected to salt or sun. Boats of that age are often closer to your price range....

[Capn Jimbo]

Originally Posted by Suijin

Buying a 30 year old boat for $30kk, you'll probably end up: rewiring it, putting in new chainplates and new standing rigging, rebedding everything on the deck, rebuilding the winches, putting in a new primary fuel filter, redoing the plumbing, new hatch seals...the list goes on and on. You're going to know a lot more about boats when you've gone down that road.

These upgrade/maintenance items are so very common on older boats, that having a rough idea of the cost/time to do these is worth keeping in mind when looking at these boats in the 29-33 ft class.

To review the cost/time to: rebed/new seals for all fittings, hatches, stanchions, ports, rails, etc.; new standing/running rigging; old wiring, update plumbing, new filter(s).

These are so common that it almost makes sense to estimate and add these costs/time to one's thinking when considering the oldies but goodies.

Excluded are sails, bottom and paint, engine as these vary and can be estimated separately.

All opinions on these costs/times welcome and needed...

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Suijin

Yes he might get lucky and find an extremely well maintained 30 year old bluewater cruiser for $30k, but given his level of knowledge it's going to be difficult for him to know when he's found it.

Well said. I can only wish him the best and add don't get buyers fever.

[reed1v]

Hit the boat yards. Cheap boats normally do not appear on places like Yachtworld since most of them are not broker represented. A lot of good buys can be found by finding yards where they acquired boats for back due bills that were unpaid. Most boats that are over 40 years old can not be insured, nor financed directly, or are expensive to insure. Also local classified ads in newspapers can be a good source. For $5k, you should be able to find a good 33+ foot sailboat in reasonable condition.

We came across an Atkins Ingrid 38 for sale that had been on the market for 20 years(priced too high). Finally sold for $3k. Owner died and wife wanted it off the property pronto. Everything worked, just most folks do not want a heavy world cruiser built for ultimate conditions.

Fads and fashions rule prices. So find something that is out of fashion.