Want To Buy: Smaller offshore boat in Pacific Northwest

[massnspace]

Looking for an offshore boat:

-30’ to 37’ in length
-Fin or modified fin keel, not full keel
-No teak deck
-Solid deck and hull, no blisters/delamination/moisture issues
-In Northern California, Oregon, Washington, or BC

Desired but not mandatory:
-newer or rebuilt engine
-windvane
-below deck autopilot
-cutter rig

I have the skills and tools to refurbish systems, so am open to a boat that needs work, but NOT interested in a total project boat.

Looking to spend between $20K and $50K. I have cash; no banks involved. But yes I would get a full survey before purchase.

David
Seattle
massnspace@gmail.com

[Boating Woman]

I'm a broker for Richard Boland Yachts in Alameda, CA. I have a sweet boat for sale, a 1980 Pacific Seacraft Orion, 27' and a true blue water sailor. Look her up on Yacht World.
$35,000 and well maintained.

[massnspace]

Originally Posted by Boating Woman

I'm a broker for Richard Boland Yachts in Alameda, CA. I have a sweet boat for sale, a 1980 Pacific Seacraft Orion, 27' and a true blue water sailor. Look her up on Yacht World.
$35,000 and well maintained.

Well you ignored a lot of my list of requirements (length, keel type, new engine), so I’ll pass.

This is the kind of thing I have run into so many times before with brokers, and why I pretty much refuse to use their services anymore….

[grantmc]

Originally Posted by massnspace

Well you ignored a lot of my list of requirements (length, keel type, new engine), so I’ll pass.
This is the kind of thing I have run into so many times before with brokers, and why I pretty much refuse to use their services anymore….

Perhaps a little premature and unfair to suggest that the broker ignored your requirements, and so slam her suggestion so quickly. That might not be the best approach for your own benefit.

So let’s break it down and give this little boat a fair shot, shall we (based on your posted list of requirements)?

Offshore boat: Circumnavigation already done, so it’s more than just offshore-worthy—it's proven. ✅✅

30’ to 37’ length: Label says 27 feet, but her LOA is actually 31 feet—basically a 30-footer with a bit of extra character. ✅

Keel type: You said fin or modified fin, but this full keel is often seen as a better choice for serious offshore safety. Might be worth thinking about if you’re actually going offshore rather than just seeking a "fast cruiser."

And a fully ballasted and encapsulated keel is big plus over bolt on keels, and let's face it we all hit the ground occasionally.

No teak deck: ✅

Solid deck/hull, no moisture issues: ✅

Location: San Francisco is technically part of Northern California, if we’re being really picky here. It fits.

Engine and extras:

Newer engine? Okay, it’s not fresh out of the factory, but with low hours, she’s close enough. ✅
Windvane and autopilot? Not there, but that's common to add before big trips, right?
Cutter rig? Solid and ready for the job. ✅
Some other points: at 6.2 feet of headroom, she's going to be way more comfortable than some of the smaller options you’ll find, and it’s a feature that’s good for resale down the line.

There are also a whole heap of others features that stick out to me when considering her for offshore:

• plenty of solid hand holds,
• external chain plates, good solid suckers,
• encapsulated ballast and keel (double tick),
• set up for single hander,
• very good build reputation,

suggest look at the photos, here's the links.
Listing
Technical data

At $35K, she’s within your budget—still leaving a $15K room for upgrades (assuming you pay full list price). But hey, if you're really not open to something that's almost right it'll be a long search. All yachts are compromise.

And perhaps just a simple 'thank you, but no thanks' to the Boating_Woman's suggestion would have been appropriate?

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by grantmc

Perhaps a little premature and unfair to suggest that the broker ignored your requirements, (...)

Well OP said 30-37 ft NOT full keel. Someone comes and says they have a great boat for them. Except that she is 27' and full keel ???


C'mon.


That broker CLEARLY ignored OP's requirements.


A spade is a spade.


b.

[JPA Cate]

fwiw, as a side note, I had to look up where the boundaries to Northern and Southern California are. Northern CA goes all the way to the south end of Monterey County, so <grantmc> was right about that.

That boat will, however, be more crowdy than one whose bowsprit is 4 ft. long. Those external chain plates means it will not have narrow tacking angles, and the keel, while not really a full keel (it has a cut away forefoot), is is of the heavy displacement, crab crusher type, which may not be what the OP wants (he did say fin or modified fin).

For brokers, some understand that what you say you want actually IS what you want, and others think they can sell you what they have to sell, regardless. In our long, long search for this boat, only one broker, of many consulted was pleased by our presenting our list of desired features and tried to work within it to get closer to what we wanted. Even with wanting to help (and to make a good sale), he still needed more input that what we had provided. Eventually, the bush telegraph got us and the PO together. So, I can understand <massnspace> not wanting to work with a broker, if he can be pointed in the right direction.

To that end, perhaps he would state more about how he hopes to use the boat, in a friendly and polite way.

Ann

[massnspace]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Well OP said 30-37 ft NOT full keel. Someone comes and says they have a great boat for them. Except that she is 27' and full keel ???


C'mon.


That broker CLEARLY ignored OP's requirements.


A spade is a spade.


b.

Thank you. Spade=spade, I concur.

[massnspace]

Originally Posted by grantmc

Perhaps a little premature and unfair to suggest that the broker ignored your requirements, and so slam her suggestion so quickly. That might not be the best approach for your own benefit.

So let’s break it down and give this little boat a fair shot, shall we (based on your posted list of requirements)?

Offshore boat: Circumnavigation already done, so it’s more than just offshore-worthy—it's proven. ✅✅

30’ to 37’ length: Label says 27 feet, but her LOA is actually 31 feet—basically a 30-footer with a bit of extra character. ✅

Keel type: You said fin or modified fin, but this full keel is often seen as a better choice for serious offshore safety. Might be worth thinking about if you’re actually going offshore rather than just seeking a "fast cruiser."

And a fully ballasted and encapsulated keel is big plus over bolt on keels, and let's face it we all hit the ground occasionally.

No teak deck: ✅

Solid deck/hull, no moisture issues: ✅

Location: San Francisco is technically part of Northern California, if we’re being really picky here. It fits.

Engine and extras:

Newer engine? Okay, it’s not fresh out of the factory, but with low hours, she’s close enough. ✅
Windvane and autopilot? Not there, but that's common to add before big trips, right?
Cutter rig? Solid and ready for the job. ✅
Some other points: at 6.2 feet of headroom, she's going to be way more comfortable than some of the smaller options you’ll find, and it’s a feature that’s good for resale down the line.

There are also a whole heap of others features that stick out to me when considering her for offshore:

• plenty of solid hand holds,
• external chain plates, good solid suckers,
• encapsulated ballast and keel (double tick),
• set up for single hander,
• very good build reputation,

suggest look at the photos, here's the links.
Listing
Technical data

At $35K, she’s within your budget—still leaving a $15K room for upgrades (assuming you pay full list price). But hey, if you're really not open to something that's almost right it'll be a long search. All yachts are compromise.

And perhaps just a simple 'thank you, but no thanks' to the Boating_Woman's suggestion would have been appropriate?

I stated that the broker ignored several of my parameters, which she did.

Why is that “premature” and “unfair”? I don’t get it….

[grantmc]

Originally Posted by massnspace

I stated that the broker ignored several of my parameters, which she did.

Why is that “premature” and “unfair”? I don’t get it….

I spent a good hour writing a post for YOU, explaining my point of view.
Obviously you don't agree, and again perhaps just respectfully say thanks but no thanks and leave it there.

[massnspace]

Originally Posted by grantmc

I spent a good hour writing a post for YOU, explaining my point of view.
Obviously you don't agree, and again perhaps just respectfully say thanks but no thanks and leave it there.

Seems strange you would take so much time describing features of a boat I have no interest in, as it clearly does it meet several of my very important, clearly-stated criteria.

But. Back to my question (if you have another 60 seconds to respond)…

Why do you think my calling out the broker for ignoring my clearly stated criteria was “premature and unfair”? I don’t get it…

[Bowdrie]

Let it go, it happens all the time in threads.
Someone will post about their "XYZ" engine and invariably someone else will tell them, "Get rid of it, buy an "ABC" engine.
Or, someone asks about rebuilding a toilet and others will chime in, "Throw it out and get a composting one".
Oh yeah, the real doozies are the ones where the OP is talking about tankage or batteries on his 28-footer and gets all kinds of "answers", telling how they did the set-up on their 50>60-footer.
The cute ones are where the OP posts that whatever problem he had is now all fixed and gone and all is now ok.
And then two days later someone tells how to solve the problem.
Hey, if you want something that "mostly" fits your parameters find an older Pacific Seacraft Crealock 34 that needs some work.

[Windpilot]

Cringe
Do the footwork David, find a model that suits your needs. You really expect somebody here to offer you the perfect boat of your dreams at your price? I'm sure we could click off some models that might fill your needs is about it.
That Pacific Seacraft isn't a bad boat either even if it doesn't meet your discriminating requirements.
I recently sailed singlehanded CA to Hawaii and back, 5100nm Hunter 41 fin keel, spade rudder.
Somebody here was just trying to help, offer what they had and you jumped all over them because you felt entitled to a perfect offer.
Try craigslist David.

[El Pinguino]

' 30’ to 37’ in length '
The OP has failed to say if he is talking about LOA, LOD, LWL, or LBP ( length between perpendiculars), so it is a question with no answers.

A boat with 37' waterline length is far bigger than my boat.
A boat 30' LOA with a bowsprit is - in my view- tiny.
I wish him well and I hope for an improvement in attitude.
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ml#post3943756
Sigh..

[cram]

Our club is selling one of our boats. New engine, solid deck and hull.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/463180703424503

[GordMay]

Let’s have a little empathy.
Many of us get fixated on an idea, once in a while.
But, with some people, it happens more often.

"Perseveration" is when someone “gets stuck” on a topic, or an idea.
You may have heard the term in regard to autism, but it can affect others, too.
People who perseverate often say the same thing, or behave in the same way, over and over again. But, they can get stuck on their emotions, actions, and thoughts, too. And they do it, past the point where it makes sense, or will change anything.

It's not that they won’t stop. It’s that they don’t know how to stop.
They may not even know they’re perseverating, in the first place. It’s like they’re stuck in a loop, they can’t get out of.

People who perseverate aren’t being defiant or stubborn. They have challenges that cause them to get stuck. They might struggle with managing stress, processing information, shifting attention, or putting the brakes on certain behaviors, or thoughts.
Perseveration can also be a coping mechanism for people, when they feel overwhelmed, anxious, or not familiar with a situation.

There’s a difference between perseverations, and obsessions. Obsessions are more severe, and are often part of a mental health condition called obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).


I know, this has nothing to do with boating, or cruising; but, it does relate to our "be nice" rule.