A $35 000 coastal or $175 000 world cruiser?

[marlin driver]

Your first boat is what you get until you figure out what you really want.

The only way to really now what is important to you on a boat is to use one, then it will become clear. Buy a modest but capable boat and worry about the rest later.

[Cruisingscotts]

IMHO

The one thing you can't buy back is time. No boat even a cutom build will be perfect. People and their tastes also change, life gets in the way etc etc. Would much rather be finding out my boat that can go anywhere is not quite perfect while cruising, than chewing up years chasing re-sale values and perfection in the next boat.

[Reefmagnet]

If you spend 35k after purchase on the 35k boat, that's a project. If you spend 35k after purchase on a 175k boat, that's just catching up on maintenance.

Sent from my SGP521 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[hoppy]

Just get the boat you want for the world cruise now. If you had a 10 year world cruise plan and the smaller was for playing around Sweden, then smaller/cheaper now might not be so bad, but buying smaller then bigger over a short period is just throwing money away. Besides, given that you want to start with sailing Scandinavia, W Europe and the Med, then you want the bigger boat straight away anyway.

Unless you buy new or near new, then you will need to make upgrades to get the boat in top condition and regardless of what type of boat you buy, you will need/want to make other upgrades specific to the needs of a world cruise.

If you get a decent boat to start with, then you can spend time getting to know the boat so you will get a good idea what changes need to be made to make it the way you want it. Having this time is much better than buying a boat and hoping you are making the right upgrades straight away.

I solo my 40 footer easily and if I was in the position to upgrade would happily consider the right 50 footer.

If the $175k is your total budget, then I would suggest that you get about for $125k which will get you a pretty decent 40 footer, even if you buy in Sweden, with plenty for upgrades over the next few years.

[Goosebumps]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

Absolutely correct!

Based on your post, I'm betting you have very little experience. If you buy the more expensive boat, odds are you get it wrong and take a bath on the resale.

All boats are projects and electronics are out of date within 6 months. A large $175k boat is just as likely to have issues as a small $35k boat especially if you don't know what you are looking for.

Also what is your idea of "large" or "small". If large is 20m, even at $175k, odds are they will all be fixer uppers.

Keep researching and asking questions (a little more specific would be better) and get the smallest boat you can be comfortable on (keeping in mind a 1 bedroom apartment will be spacious compared to a typical 15m boat)

The OP obviously has the 175k and I dare to advise to buy 100k yacht at least, fit it out for off shore which works great coastal as well, just to have all options available to you. I always want to be able to get away from any cruising spot as fast as possible in comfort. A small cheap boat, with 175k available, might put you off of yachting, cruising. Do realuze that your uogrades you wont get back fully, but contact me when you sell your yacht, oh do go fir catamaran with two marine diesel engines!

[Goosebumps]

I forgot, I can't understand why yacht electronics would be outdated after six months like valhall says,?!Most software to navigate now gets updated ie navionucs on ipad etc Cant be the sonar, radar, radio, satelite phone that gets outdated that fast can it?

[dagranger]

Having owned a Hallberg Rassey Rasmus you will get everything you mentioned, a true world cruiser seaworthy and a good sailing boat..Sold mine 8 years go and regret the sale best boat on the market for the money..thats if you want quality build..You can still call the factory and get help..which is very important..good Luck Don in Friday Harbor

[TrentePieds]

@Nellos #1

Hej på deg :-)!

You seem to be where we all started — vagueness, confusion, lack of specificity, lack of knowledge of where your own psychological, physical and financial limits will be once the shore is left behind. In short: At the nether end of a long, long and sometimes steep learning curve. :-)

But don't worry. You have the whole of the rest of your lives to climb that curve, and because you are located in Stockholm you have a geographical and cultural advantage that many of us did not have. You have a platform to build on that is far sounder than the one most of us have had.

Your access to the splendid cruising waters of Skärgården right on you own doorstep must the the envy of many. Excellent vessels like Tord Sunden's "Kings Cruiser 29" are a dime a dozen. I'd be very surprised if you can't find a nice one for, say, SEK 75K. And do not be deluded into thinking that an old design, or a specific boat with some years behind her, is necessarily inferior to a boat of newer design or newer construction. The sea hasn't changed for some thousands of years, and boats, to be good boats, must be designed and built for "their trade", i.e to be a match for the conditions of the particular seas where they'll sail. Tord Sunden, like Colin Archer, was very good at achieving that match. Their boats are widely different because they were designed for different seas.

Similarly, be not deluded into thinking that cruising waters characterized by coconuts and bare-breasted women are necessarily superior to the fjord-country of Sweden, Norway, New Zealand or my own adopted, beloved British Columbia.

Your opening query is so vague that a book - nay several books - would be required to answer it. So in the interest of getting on with things, if you will tell us what it is you REALLY want to do, we will be most pleased to give you our opinions on whether a particular, named boat type will be suitable for that. But even then, what you will get will only be opinion.

In MY opinion, you need to go get a smallish cruiser for a sum of money you can afford to walk away from if your dreams turn out not to match the realities you will meet afloat. Then get some miles under your keel, some calluses on your hands and some sleepless, bouncy, seasick nights behind you in that little vessel. THAT will shape, refine and focus your thoughts so that, by and by, YOU can offer opinion rather than ask for it.

Here is a clip of a KC in action. The sail trim is embarrassing, but that's the crew's fault - not the boat's :-) I know from personal experience what a luvverly little ship the KC is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65w2ueBLw3M

TrentePieds

[fishsail]

What should I have for dinner tonight?

[Bulawayo]

Now that is a good philosphy - you are correct. There are a heap of good, sound boats out there at reasonable prices. The Contessa is a fab boat. I fail to understand why everyone insists on >40ft craft for just two people. Look at the Pardeys etc. Tanya Aebi cicumnavigated on a 26ft Contessa. The bigger Contessa is great and there are a heap more boats equally as good in the 32ft-ish range. Stay as small as you are comfortable with and keep the future costs down.

[tikirawker]

You are on the right path.
Nobody gets it right the first time or even the last time.
Once you find a boat you like post it up here and enjoy the replies.
We are towards the end of our first sailing purchase and the advice and opinions have been extremely useful and valuable (even from the salty curmudgeons...)

The boat we are under contract with to purchase should close tomorrow.
We adjusted our offer after a few people pointed out a few flaws with our potential vessel.
The adjusted price we are asking - better justifies purchasing the boat and if the owner tells us to #@&% off then we are comfortable with that as well. It's a buyers market so take your time and enjoy the process.
Warning: You will experience sadness when you go under contract and don't look at 100 boats a day!

[TrentePieds]

"What should I have for dinner tonight?"

Umble pie ;-0)?

TrentePieds

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

If you spend 35k after purchase on the 35k boat, that's a project. If you spend 35k after purchase on a 175k boat, that's just catching up on maintenance.

Sent from my SGP521 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Often the case with Reefmagnet, short and simple post but has a lot of sense to it

I find the OP's question a tad silly. Coastal vs world cruising is not based on 'size', at least not once your over around 34 foot. Many people are cruising the workd on boats under 40feet and many are cruising the coasts on boats over 40 feet. The equipment for a coastal cruisier and an ocean cruiser can be pretty much the same and if you were over this way, by Law it is the same. (Unless your referring to a coastal cruiser as plying rivers and channels)

The OP needs to discuss with his partner exactly what they want to do and then Reefmagnet's comment is the most relevant to their decision making. Size is not the issue, its 'condition'.

If it was me with that kind of budget i'd choose the size boat id be comfortable with to handle and then spend enough that that i can 'go' with very little further maintenance. '$70 - $100k will get you a good size boat here that will get you going immediately.

[Juho]

I got the impression that you want a safe boat (= not a coastal boat) when you start cruising globally one day. I would put more emphasis on buying a well built cruising oriented boat, instead using the size of the boat as a measure stick. The size of the boat depends more on your budget and your personal needs and preferences. If you are planning to sail right away in places like Bay of Biscay (where you may meet storms that you can not escape to the nearest harbour), maybe already your first boat should be blue ocean capable. That is, if you have safety seaworthiness high on your priority list.

You should not spend your whole budget on buying the boat. Save large part of the budget for all kind of upgrades, surprises and maintenance.

Your "important" list contains criteria that depend mostly on your personal preferences. You know best what kind of properties you need.

I think you could be ok also in an 80's or 90's boat. If some of the electronic equipment are outdated, it is not too expensive to upgrade them.

If (after thinking and discussing this topic for a while) you feel that you know what kind of a boat you want, and you happy either to increase the budget or to keep the size of the boat small enough, I think it is possible to buy pretty much your ideal boat at the first try (at least I did that). If you are uncertain of what kind of a boat you should buy, maybe you could start by testing some boats by renting them.

[WindwardPrinces]

I'd go affordable, and smaller, until you know more what you want in the long term.

Like someone above said, on a more expensive boat everything is more expensive. You'll likely face some expenses up front, and they'll be more on a more expensive boat. You don't even know why you're paying more.

When your abilities exceed that of the boat, you can always go bigger/more expensive.

If you start out expensive, you've nowhere to go but down, and your learning curve was more expensive.