A little help, please...

[p435]

Budget is one thing which needs to be considered.


3 years ago I had to make the decision mono-hull or catamaran. I bought a used catamaran and would not go back to mono-hull. We prepare liveaboard and want to sail long distances.



My boat is a Privilege 435.


For us it was the right choice. Fast sailing, lots of space, comfort, no heeling.

[Jerryreliable]

Morgan Out Island 41, sloop, not ketch. Yanmar Diesel, 1975 to 1979. For the ride, the self tending, easy handling for us older folks short handed, Sea keeping ability. Full keel built like a brick outhouse. But what do I know? Sailing for 61 years, owned and sailed over forty different boats, build them, rig them, and do long range towing with them. Catastrophe Field Team member for BUS since 1992 (hurricane Andrew). Morgan 41’s are stout, and take the ground and the storms well. You’ll have to kiss a few toads to find the right prince, but it’s better to be on deck than watching from the ride you are on.

[jslayton321]

Charter or crew first, observe, buy later

[TrentePieds]

Quote: "Being ex-Navy, the OP must have some profound comprehension of seamanship, even if not in smaller boats. There's plenty to boat craft that translates in both directions.
"

Well, No. Possibly you "misspoke" yourself. There is NO reason to think that a former Navy man should have profound comprehension of the sort of seamanship a forty-odd foot sailing vessel requires. Elementary, yes, particularly if there is Sea Cadet background, but profound? No.

I asked my BIL - ex Navy - to take my primitive little 30-foot fin keel and spade rudder alongside, starboard side to. He couldn't do it after numerous attempts. No shame or blame attaches to him. He had simply not been taught how to do it. He can do it now :-)

Some skills from large ships are portable into toys like ours, but there are many that are peculiar to small boats.

BCMan: If "BC" implies that you are resident in B.C., you've got it made. In Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo and Campbell River you will be able to charter boats of many kinds once you have some sort of Certificate of Competency, which is easy enuff to get. The cost of chartering is less than the cost of ownership, and the worries immeasurably less :-)

Don't spend a lot of time fantasizing about what might be your ideal layout of the accommodation. You cannot know that until you - and your lady - have tried on a few different ones. It's like new shoes - they have fit, and then they have to be "worn in".

Remember also that the interior layout in many new boats looks absolutely lovely, but often conceals deficiencies of construction, as you will often see complained of in this forum. The lovely interiors are also bought at the price of seaworthiness, ease of handling and comfort in heavy weather. The fundamentals of naval architecture make it so, but novices are not, usually, knowledgeable enuff to see why, and to steer clear of these outré specimens of sailboats.

Again, assuming the "BC" means B.C. , you'd be well advised to sail the Salish Sea before you venture further afield. You may find that exploring the Broughton Archipelago will quite make you forget about the lands where the coconuts grow :-)!

TP

[BERN]

All the wise people above have already commented and have literally summed it up perfectly!
My 2c is that I would also suggest getting out on the water, go with a friend (rather than an organized charter) for a week or two on their boat to get to understand the small boating experience. Things that are not easily comprehend-able are heat while sleeping, dampness etc. Dealing with insects that bite or not being able to shower every day.



Also as mentioned, the longer the boat, the more "stuff" costs! Rigging, winches etc. And then there's all the new additions like a dinghy and motor, e-perb & safety equipment, gps,......list goes on.


I love it,....but some don't. Definitely do not sell the house before you know you love your boat.


Cheers!

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by p435

Budget is one thing which needs to be considered.


3 years ago I had to make the decision mono-hull or catamaran. I bought a used catamaran and would not go back to mono-hull. We prepare liveaboard and want to sail long distances.



My boat is a Privilege 435.


For us it was the right choice. Fast sailing, lots of space, comfort, no heeling.

OP stated his budget was $40K to $60K. Maybe ten times that to get your boat, no?

[mvmojo]

Before you spend a dime on a boat, take some sailing courses from someone like Annapolis Sailing School, etc. Then, take a cruising course where you'll actually sail and live aboard a cruising sailboat with an instructor. This gives you a chance to see what it's all about and pick the brain of the instructor at the same time. Spend the bucks to get your ASA Bareboat Chartering certification and then charter a bareboat boat in the Caribbean to find out whether the cruising life is really what you want. Yes, you'll spend a few boat units (1 BU = $1,000), but it will be money well spent before spending $80K for a boat that may not really be what you want!

[LargeMarge]

Charter.

Volunteer as crew.

PS:
Please put the thread topic in the title.

[spsell]

I really like the idea of getting on a boat and getting some sailing hours under your belt. There is a crew seekers section of this site and that is a great way to help others doing passages, but also gaining some experience yourself. You could be just fine with a 36-38 foot boat, but my experience tells me that you should plan on double or even triple the purchase price for refit needs. But until you know what equipment you might need, it is hard to price all of those things in. If you are doing off-shore sailing a 40-44 footer with 6.5' draft and 26K-30K displacement is reasonable, but if you are taking the boat to the Bahamas all the time, you might find you will be hard pressed getting into some anchorages because of your draft demands. You might want a retractable keel. But spending time on different boats is a great way to understanding GPS, radar, radios, sail configurations, types of anchors, etc., and knowing what you might need based on what your sail objectives are. I have owned a mono 40 footer for over 15 years, but sold it a few years back and joined a partnership with five others, where we keep the boat in Abaco, Bahamas, where each of us have 8 weeks to use it, but also share in the cost to operate/slip/insure, etc. Also a great way to share knowledge and build experience, without investing in something that doesn't serve your long term needs. There are many ways to step into ownership, so you don't jump into a black hole/money pit type situation.

[mfahrenthold]

Try an older Morgan, Westsail, Irwin, Islander, Mariner, etc. You can find one with good sails for around $20,000. Put another $10,000 in it and you have a good cruising vessel. You should have some handyman skills but you can find any info you want about almost anything on youtube.com. Some things to add to a boat like this are: electroscan type I sanitation system ($1200.00), air conditioning (2500.00), refrigeration $1000.00), electric windlass (1000.00), solar panel ($800.00), good anchors and anchor rodes, dinghy (1000.00) and motor (1000.00). You can find some of these things used on craigslist.com.
Good luck.

[Looking4Neptune]

As someone already said, it is a really good idea to get some real experience to see how you like it. This will also help a lot with deciding how important certain criteria / features / equipment is to you. If you have some sailing skills (which you can get from ASA / RYA classes) you can get on as crew for boats at a very low cost (normally you pay to get to / from the boat and any on-shore $$ and maybe $20 - $40 / day shared expenses (food)). I recently did this on 4 separate boats and got 9 months living on board. Learned a TON about sailing, living on-board and about what is important to me in a boat I'd own. For instance, I would only buy a catamaran. (This is just me, not saying that's right for others) But getting time living on-board is a really good way to learn so much!

You did not say if you'd be doing this solo or have a partner. That can make a BIG difference. Solo sailing is very different from having a team in many ways. There are real safety considerations along with just having hands at multiple locations during things like docking. Many people do it well, but it takes a lot of planning and skill. You can find people to crew for you, but that can be a mixed bag. Sometimes it works well but not always. If you rarely go on over-night trips, then it is not such a big deal other than docking and maybe anchoring. Until something breaks during bad weather... Then its really nice to have multiple skilled people on-board.

[jpmesa]

Don't forget when you go from mid 30' sailboat to over 40' prices for parts & sails will double maybe more. from about $3,000+ to over 5,500 for a mainsail. Same with jib, bottom paint, running rigging, standing rigging, haul out etc, etc. It is a big price difference to keep a 40 plus footer in shape after you buy the boat. Good luck a lot of good info above

[Sailorbob8599]

Originally Posted by mfahrenthold

Try an older Morgan, Westsail, Irwin, Islander, Mariner, etc. You can find one with good sails for around $20,000. Put another $10,000 in it and you have a good cruising vessel. You should have some handyman skills but you can find any info you want about almost anything on youtube.com. Some things to add to a boat like this are: electroscan type I sanitation system ($1200.00), air conditioning (2500.00), refrigeration $1000.00), electric windlass (1000.00), solar panel ($800.00), good anchors and anchor rodes, dinghy (1000.00) and motor (1000.00). You can find some of these things used on craigslist.com.
Good luck.

Depending on how big a boat he's looking for, he can buy mine as a turnkey, ready to go boat. 24' LOD, 30' LOA 8'-6"Beam 4' Draft. 30' Stick ... Full keel, Transom Hung rudder, Bowsprit & boomkin. Cutter Rig $35k Cndn. That's like a 25% discount given the poor performance of our Dollar; but hey, there's little I can do about that & I must sell my boat. It's a beautiful small cruiser (Tom Gilmer design) with a lovely 'vacuum bagged' teak deck. 3-1/2" wide x 1" thick teak cap-rails, 8" high bulwarks, Lovely Boom gallows etc. It's basically a 2 person boat almost no sailing time & only 15 hrs on the economical 12 HP BMW Diesel engine. It has an amazing 6' plus standing headroom throughout the cabin area. Nobody has pooped in the head or peed in it either. My body gave out on me a couple months before I launched it in Aug 2016 … It's a hell of a deal for a new owner. Got a lovely big cockpit for entertaining another couple … 2 pilot berths & a std vee berth. Located in the PNW, Point Roberts Marina WA
If anyone is interested, please PM me.
Those who don't like Teak need not apply.

[Alberg30Shill]

38 ft minimum? Try telling that to the hundreds cruising the world in a Tayana 37 :-D It's right in your price range. It's a Bob Perry design and there are even some Pilothouse versions out there. Good luck!

[Allied39]

Wow, that is a REALLY hard ask.
There is likely hundreds of boats that would work for you, however most of the unknowns lay with you.
For example, if you were to be aiming to do more offshore water sailing">blue water sailing as opposed to island hopping day sailing (which can take you a very long way!) one of the many variables would be draft.
Soo, experience is what you need. When you have a better idea of what you are likely to be doing and where you are doing it.......well, you will have a better idea of what you need to do it in.
Just what I think.
Ralph