I’m looking at a couple of
boats and am having a hard time deciding between the two. I feel like I have a pretty good handle on the pros and cons of each
boat and the tradeoffs between them. I could use some feedback on what I might not be considering, and heck, just opinions from the peanut gallery.
The
boat will be in SoCal. I’ve been sailing for 15 years, and this is going to be my third boat (Ericson 27 and
Cal 34). My usage would be weekend trips to the Channel Islands for the next 1-2 years, then coastal cruising down to
Mexico, etc. After that, who knows? I’m looking at something in the 40’ range as I’d like to
live aboard for a while… I like having a
cabin that’s not the v-berth. I’m not into
racing and don’t hesitate to fire up the
engine when it’s calm. My total
budget is ~$50k.
The 1971 Whitby 42 (ketch) has been very well restored and is turnkey. New standing
rigging,
tanks,
autopilot, repainted decks,
generator,
davits,
solar, etc. Low hours on a rebuilt
Perkins 65HP
engine.
The 1981 Mariner 39
Sloop (
the one made in the US) is about half the
price but needs a fair amount of
work; she has great bones though. Engine is a Universal M40 with ~2200 hours. It was well-maintained, but everything on it is old and needs to get replaced in the next few years-- thru-hulls,
tanks,
plumbing,
electronics,
rigging, hatches, nonskid,
paint, etc. It’s a long list but it’s mostly stuff I can tackle bit by bit over time. I’m pretty handy and love working on
boats though, so I’m actually a bit excited for it. I’ve priced out everything I want to do and it ends up being at about the same
price as the Whitby.
Since price is similar, I think it comes down to which boat is a better fit for me… and that’s where it gets a little tricky. When I make a list, the pros/cons balance each other out! A
sloop is probably the “best” rig for me, but I think ketches are really rad so maybe it’s time to just get it out of my system. The Whitby will likely be slower, but the extra beam does appeal to me as a liveaboard… in general, I like the
interior layout better on the Whitby. The Mariner will likely be a bit faster and have better maneuverability, but I dig it less as a
liveaboard: smaller
galley,
mast cuts through the middle of the
salon. That said, I don't hate the
interior either. The Whitby is turn key so I can get out faster, but the Mariner would be a really fun
project (and I can spread the cost out over a couple of years).
I like that the Mariner is 10 years newer, but both are so old that I’m not sure it makes much of a difference in practice. Having a boat under 40’ seems like a good perk, but I think that’s just in my
head? It might just come down to which one I vibe with more.
I'm not too concerned with the price differences in terms of slip
fees, haul outs, etc. Likewise with "10-year" items like sails/rigging. I'm not loaded, but I can absorb a couple thousand extra a year (amortized).
I’m guessing a few people have been in similar situations… what
advice do you have? Is there anything I might not be considering?
PS. I’m going to crawl around the boats a lot, get good surveys, verify what the owners say, and all that good stuff. I know I can also get a newer boat for the price, but I really like the look of the older boats!
Thanks for putting up with the long post! It’s always helpful for me to think out loud.