Best boat upgrading sequence…

[Rol1964]

Hello folks….looking for ideas to consider…we’re trying to decide on the best strategy to upgrade our present 26’ boat which we’ve outgrown, to the next and most logical sized boat. With a nod to the obvious intricacies of differing personal situations, the question is should we go for an interim, inexpensive 30 footer or pay approximately 4 x as much for something we could…and if need be…be happy with….for the long haul (maybe a 34 or 38 footer). The ultimate goal is a 40 to 45 foot cruising boat. I know this is quite a subjective question but I’m looking for opinions on the prevailing wisdom. In either case I would likely put down 66% of the cost and finance the balance. We are recycle, reduce and reuse people and anything we consider will likely be 20 years old or more. For context, I’m late to the sailing game and turning 59 YO next month. Thx again for your input.
Cheers, Rol1964

[ChrisJHC]

If I was in your position I’d jump straight to the 40-45 foot target boat.
If you’re worried about it being a big step up from your 26 footer, consider hiring an instructor to do a weekend’s training on your new boat.

You’ll find that after a weekend you’ll be fine on the sailing side and then you can focus on everything else that goes with a larger, live-aboard boat.

Make sure you’ve got your insurance and berthing sorted before you buy!

[dhenline]

If you can just go straight to the boat you ultimately want. the sooner you buy it , the sooner you'll sail it and the better you will know it. All of this is dependent on your financial circumstances

don

[Greg Brannon]

Buy as much boat as you can with ~30% of the the purchase price left over for adjustments. You indicate there is a partner or partners involved. One of the team - YOU - is typically convinced the boat path is the right one and is therefore willing to accept a less-than option that can easily (?) be made acceptable, while the other(s) are in the 'convince me' camp. The 30% is for the convincing. Prioritize what the 30% is spent on based on the partner's inputs and what needs to be done to ready the boat for its intended use.

Best of luck!

Greg.

[Sailer_Med]

26' to 30' is noticable but not hugely different. Going to 11m-12m is a nice upgrade and with the right boat you'll love it after the 26er.

I would not put the time, energy, and money into a 30' if that is not what you want.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Rol1964

...the question is should we go for an interim, inexpensive 30 footer or pay approximately 4 x as much for something we could…and if need be…be happy with….for the long haul (maybe a 34 or 38 footer). The ultimate goal is a 40 to 45 foot cruising boat.

Were it me, I'd go straight to the real target. I don't see much utility in putting all the work/effort/time into an interim boat... when you know already that's not where you want to end up.

-Chris

[NorthCoastJoe]

Each boat is time and money spent. Go to the one you want.

We went 25' > 30' > 38' > 44' we would have been better off in time and money invested going 25' > 44'.

Each boat will eat your time so why put time into something you're not going to keep.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by ranger58sb

Were it me, I'd go straight to the real target. I don't see much utility in putting all the work/effort/time into an interim boat... when you know already that's not where you want to end up.

-Chris

I agree!

Such a waste of time and money many a bunch of steps. Get the boat you want and spend your time and money on it instead o a short term boat.

I started with a 39' boat and moved to a 41' because it turned out the 39' wasn't right.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by NorthCoastJoe

Each boat is time and money spent. Go to the one you want.

We went 25' > 30' > 38' > 44' we would have been better off in time and money invested going 25' > 44'.

Each boat will eat your time so why put time into something you're not going to keep.

I agree. We did 22 (1983-87) > 25 (1987-98) > 34 (1998 to now)


We spent a year when we knew we wanted bigger than the 25 looking, but found pretty soon going to a 30 was just a bigger 25, not worth it at all. But we spent 12 delightful years with the 25 and now twice as long with our beloved 34.


Go from what you have to what you want. If you've had your boat long enough, you'll already know what you're looking for in your next boat regarding the other important features besides size.

[JoeRobertJr]

Go straight to the boat you want for the long term. So that is now 9 of 9 votes for that strategy. Unanimous opinions on CF are rare.

[Rol1964]

Well if that’s not loud and clear, I don’t know what is. Thx all for the advice.
Cheers Rol1964

[Shrew]

I went from 28 to 39. Turn the wheel to port and the boat still turns to port. Throttle moved backward moves the boat in reverse. Just like the smaller boat.

[Cheechako]

A modern 30-32 footer can feel much bigger than an older design 26 for sure. A Catalina 30 resells well and quite roomy as an interim boat.
But it's nice to get into your long term dream and spend a couple years making it your own and honing the systems and things . In that 2-3 years you will get the boat to where you need it to be to work well for you etc.

[Searles]

I see that you are in North America ,plenty of choise ,if it were myself the Catalina MK 2 38 or 42 deep keel ,will take you anywhere,and plenty of choise over there ,plus Catalina back up is legendary ,⛵️⚓️

[Snore]

@roll1964

Go to the big boat. But hire a good instructor to help you make the transition. The new boat is 60% larger than the old, so getting instruction would be prudent