Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 17-03-2011, 16:37   #1
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 4
First boat for cruising

I've been looking at some boats on ebay-around 27'-30'. I'm looking at something under 8k. Will well maintained boats from the 70s-80s besides thier engines(old diesels probably not that reliable) be a good ocean cruising boat(not ocean crossing). Id probably put an outboard on it. Also would 2 electric outboards move a boat this size?
sustainsail is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-03-2011, 08:31   #2
Registered User
 
Lowcountry's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Charleston SC
Boat: 1988 Hans Christian 33
Posts: 727
Re: First boat for cruising

Personally, I wouldn't consider sailing in the ocean with an outboard motor as my auxilliary. I darn sure wouldn't do it with an electric outboard. If I were you, I'd be looking for the heaviest boat I could find with a nice small diesel in it.
Lowcountry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-03-2011, 08:53   #3
Marine Service Provider

Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Little Compton, RI
Boat: Cape George 31
Posts: 2,976
Re: First boat for cruising

For under 8k it will be hard to find a go-anywhere boat, even with an exhausted diesel. But south Florida is full of fixer-uppers for sale--my first was one of those. I wouldn't consider owning a boat with an inboard diesel: who wants a big stinky machine in their living space? Both my boats (27' and 31') have had outboards, and they're initially far cheaper and always easier to maintain than diesels. Electric motors need electricity, and I doubt solar panels and wind noisemakers could keep up with the draw, so you'd need some kind of motor to generate. At the end of the day, you can cruise anywhere on almost any budget, limited mostly by how much discomfort you can take.
Also, not all boats from the 70s/80s make good cruisers. Find the hull shape you want or find acceptable and go from there. Everything else can be replaced, but you're pretty much stuck with the underwater profile with which the boat was built.
Benz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-03-2011, 09:11   #4
Registered User

Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 206
Images: 7
Re: First boat for cruising

Our first real cruising boat was an Alberg 29. Same o Same o Cape Dory.
Jack Tar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-03-2011, 09:17   #5
Registered User
 
Lowcountry's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Charleston SC
Boat: 1988 Hans Christian 33
Posts: 727
Re: First boat for cruising

An outboard on a sailboat is fine in flat water. An outboard on a sailboat offshore in rough conditions is like not having a motor at all. It is nearly impossible to keep the foot in the water, resulting in frequent cavitation. Also, most outboards don't have enough of an alternator to assist in charging your house bank, so all that money you "saved" by having an outboard will have to be spent on solar panels or a wind generator (if you plan on having any sort of electrical power at all). As for being stinky, there is absolutely zero smell on my boat from my Yanmar 3YM30. Maybe if you have a poorly maintained diesel that leaks oil and exhaust gasses into your living space then you would have a complaint, but that's more of a maintainence issue than the fault of the diesel.
Lowcountry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-03-2011, 09:32   #6
Marine Service Provider

Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Little Compton, RI
Boat: Cape George 31
Posts: 2,976
Re: First boat for cruising

Ha ha, should have said: noisy. I agree that outboard alternators don't work well for house banks, but who wants all sort of heavy, expensive batteries in their boat? I can't abide the thought.
Benz is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
cruising

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Best Cruising Boat for Couples Churchill Monohull Sailboats 21 18-09-2015 08:13
Want To Buy: Cruising Boat kiilani Classifieds Archive 5 07-02-2011 04:15
Cruising Boat peter radclyffe Monohull Sailboats 6 17-09-2010 12:34
Cruising Boat dhenline Dollars & Cents 10 01-07-2010 16:43
small boat cruising? rtbates Monohull Sailboats 59 01-04-2009 04:22

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 10:14.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.