Want To Buy: WTB: 40-50' Queen aft cabin blue water cruiser

[Manateeman]

Robert Sailor is right. I apologize. The Contessa 32 is a tough little boat. I have always thought Tania Aebi was an extraordinary woman, sailor, and an extremely intelligent and gracious person. Her accomplishment changed the lives of many women, sailors and non sailors alike. It was not a stunt and I have the utmost respect for her and her voyage.
You can guess I don’t think the same about her dad. 28’ is a very small boat...

I guess my comments are about shattered dreams and shattered bodies.
I’ve worked for and personally built solid, seaworthy vessels. I’ve worked for builders, very successful companies, who produced fast, lightly built boats which were never intended for ocean voyages. Nor were they constructed to last a lifetime even with good care. They were designed and built for a market driven price point and they were built by the thousands. It was an unregulated industry.
They built a lot of stuff that doesn’t age well. Kinda self destructs.
Passenger vessels are inspected...well except 6 passenger, like it’s ok to let 6 people die. Now you have thousands of boats in conditions which range from seaworthy to junk. It’s not anything like planes. There is no FAA. It’s not even like commercial trucks. What we do have is the internet telling people to buy a boat because it will give them the one thing they do not have...freedom, independence. Give me your money, take a few lessons and off you go. I’m not in favor of mandatory vessel inspections nor licenses for sailing. You want to cross the ocean in a rowboat...fine. Just don’t bring a radio and ask the Coast Guard or a Merchant Mariner to risk their life to save you. I’ve seen silly boats cross oceans. What does that prove. Manatee biscuits float too.

My wife and I met a couple with three children in a plywood trimaran who were on their second round the world. The children had Polynesian names. I often think about them and wish I knew how life turned out for them.
He hit a steel buoy and I gave him ply, glass, epoxy and ring nails so they could carry on. They were so poor they were gathering periwinkles for food. Three of the happiest and smartest children you could ever meet.
People come to the forum for advice. I don’t want to crush the dream but neither do I want to see them perish. So throw stones at the friend of the manatees. We are used to getting run over and have the scars to prove it. But till then...
Happy trails to you
Captain Mark and his “Foster beer cans build better aluminum boats” manatees.

[rourkeh]

40'-50', a/c, watermaker, washer/dryer, $100,000, Bluewater boat. Unless someone has a $250,000 boat they are giving away not going to happen. For $100k you will get a major project and not a true open water boat. All the older pedigree boats in that size range sell for a lot more than $100k and still have 30 year old systems and electronics, old tired sails and rigging and need a lot of work. Someone should have told you this when you first posted so you could change your requirements and move in the right direction.
Good luck.