Blue Water Monohulls Under 32ft

[Greg K]

Originally Posted by reed1v

Almost anything from Rider marine's yard excellent.

CE Rider built some very nice boats. My only objection would be that many, if not most of them, were cored hulls which for some sailors, like myself, is less preferable than solid laminate. Given a choice of a similar design, I would always choose a solid hull over one that has been cored.

[Flagfish]

Originally Posted by Sarks757

I’m new to this forum. Love sailboats, love fishing, and this post really caught my eye!! I do not have a monohull YET. I am looking, and am considering an appropriate size boat that allows me to comfortably sail “solo”( this includes myself onboard and several “non-sailing friends”. We live on the east coast- my metro area. DO NOT want the black water of the Hudson River though!)

Looking for a 32’ or so to fish , sail, vacation and sharpen single handed sailing skills

---------------

I love fishing out of the sailboat. A day of bluewater fishing on a powerboat leaves you very tired- a day on the sailboat leaves you well-rested. Huge difference! We process the fish on a table in the cockpit while sailing back in, then tie her up, unload the cooler, and off we go.

One thing- nets are no good due to catching in all the rigging. Get a good round gaff long enough to reach the water without stretching and practice your technique.

[Capdave360]

Originally Posted by vicki6

Inspired by the Atom Voyages, I'd like to learn how much others have spent on their Blue Water Monohulls Under 32ft.
A little info about me. I have plenty of sailing experience on various wooden dingies thanks to my uncle. I grew up helping him maintain his old boats, nothing classical, mostly junks, but they still sailed fine after fixing them up. I've not sailed anything since he passed. I owe him the best childhood one can ever have.
Now, it's time for me to buy my first sailboat. Old sailboats like Flicka 20 or Dana 24 are what I want. Money is not an issue; still, this doesn't mean that I wanna spend a little fortune. As my experience is on dingies only, I'd hate to jump on something longer than 25 ft. This part is my problem, and this tread is not about that at all...
I had been invited to a few cruises on friends' boats. One of my friends chartered a cat; I hated it so badly. I helped sailing a Hunter and a Beneteau, and didn't like either of them. While going through the posts here, I came across Atom Voyages...
This thread is not about what boat I should buy, or how I should learn to sail, or opinions on certain sailboats, or what I'm doing wrong, or seeking help of any kind.
I just want to learn the story of the real life owners of these kinds of sailboats. I will not be writing many replies so that this can stay as an easy to follow, well organized post.
So if you own one of the sailboats listed on Atom Voyages, please share us your story here. How much money and time you had to spend to finally sail it away, a couple of photos maybe, and what ever you'd like to say about the boat.

So I'll give you a story of a boat not on the list. In 1976 my family bought a C&C 27. As best I can recall we paid $16K. It was a fin keel/spade rudder design and drew 4.5'. The prior owner had basically been using her for around the cans racing and she had a huge sail inventory. We knew how to sail from sailing dinghies, but we didn't know anything at all about inboard engines (and associated running gear), nav electronics, winches, inboard rudders, and lots of other stuff. We kept the boat in Norwalk CT and sailed her around Long Island Sound locally the first summer.

My older brother got the cruising itch, and Summer '77 we sailed her to Boothbay Maine and back, round 700+ miles, all daysails. We had a compass, and a clock, and a log that didn't work, and a depthsounder that sometimes worked if you jiggled the wire just right. We spent basically no time or money maintaining her - we didn't know any better, and nothing important enough to stop us sailing actually broke.

Summer '78 we sailed her back to Boothbay again, and eventually our ignorance caught up with us and we overheated the Atomic 4 quite badly, trashed it. We left the boat in Maine that winter and the yard fixed the engine.

Summer '79 my brother lost interest. I went and got the boat, and sailed her as far East as Cape Split, Maine, and back to Norwalk CT single handed. The engine worked, but the electrical system failed and I didn't know how to fix it or have enough money to pay somebody else. So I would take the battery ashore and beg a charge off somebody, and then I could start the engine 5 or 6 times. I used a kerosene hurricane lantern for light and heat. I treated her as an engineless boat, and became a better sailer. I basically stopped using the engine, and was extremely careful not to put myself in a position that would require it. I made sure I had a hot battery when I arrived at the Cape Cod canal to motor through it!

I then moved on to other things in life, and my father sold the boat for, as best I recall, about $12K. During the three years we owned her, as a SWAG, I'd guess we spent $10K, and most of that was dockage the first summer in CT, winter storage X 3, and rebuilding the A4.

Point of the story - within reason, it's not the boats, it's the people in 'em. We wanted to go cruising, that was the boat we had, we went. Did it tick ANY box on any of these lists? Probably not. Did we encounter open ocean conditions? Yes, quite a number of times. Did the boat ever behave badly or let us down? Never. Kept the water on the outside mostly. Went where we pointed her. Sailed pretty well. Could you sail such a boat around the world? With caution, certainly.

[Sarks757]

Originally Posted by SuW

We spent $12K US in 2009 on our 1976 Bayfield 32 (quite a small boat, basically a modified Bayfied 30).

Then we spent 10 years and even more money bringing her back to our opinion of decent shape. (We basically took apart everything except the toe rails and engine.)
They are sound little boats.

Decent build quality and many good features:
Diesel (30 HP)
Cutter rigged. Conservative sail plan, easy to manage.
Shallow draft (3'10", allegedly)
Encapsulated lead keel.
Roomy foredeck.
Big cockpit.
Wheel steering.
All around cockpit coaming allowing easy enclosure/bimini attachment/line handling.
Large lazarettes.

Some drawbacks (which are probably true of all smaller boats):
Slow boat (LOA 23 ft)
Small fuel and water tanks.
Little bilge storage space.
Cramped galley.
Not really more than a two person boat.
Doesn't back up under power well.

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/bayfield-3032

Would buy again, perhaps one in better condition. Main good points when we bought: practically unused sails,
repowered engine (only had 280 hrs),
failed head holding tank
no water tank (had been replumbed as holding tank)

This last is a bad idea but it did reduce the price!

Sir:

Your sailboat comments are greatly appreciated! A great factor in consideration is ability to handle single hsnded( with others onboard, learned, (but non salilors). . Factors to consider as water tanks/ holding tank cap and. bilge depth capacity ( hopefully the bilges stay bone dry).

I always thought a 32”’ as large, however I see some factors can deem a 32’ as insufficient. It’s all a balance in a multitude of trade offs. What marinas can accept what length, and draft considerations.

Lots to learn, but a fair foundation to build upon.

Long Island sound ( predominantly The North Fork ) is an area we like geographically. A QUESTION ALL: for years of time as a landkubber in the Greenport Area on occasional weekend get aways, there is RARELY A SAILBOAT TO BE SEEN, ever, to the north. Depth charts show ample depths.

Comments?

Thank you all, I’m advance.

Edward and Lorraine sarkisian

[Sarks757]

Originally Posted by Greg K

CE Rider built some very nice boats. My only objection would be that many, if not most of them, were cored hulls which for some sailors, like myself, is less preferable than solid laminate. Given a choice of a similar design, I would always choose a solid hull over one that has been cored.

Thank you- a great thought for engineered strength!

Sincerely,
Ed

[Sarks757]

Originally Posted by Capdave360

So I'll give you a story of a boat not on the list. In 1976 my family bought a C&C 27. As best I can recall we paid $16K. It was a fin keel/spade rudder design and drew 4.5'. The prior owner had basically been using her for around the cans racing and she had a huge sail inventory. We knew how to sail from sailing dinghies, but we didn't know anything at all about inboard engines (and associated running gear), nav electronics, winches, inboard rudders, and lots of other stuff. We kept the boat in Norwalk CT and sailed her around Long Island Sound locally the first summer.

My older brother got the cruising itch, and Summer '77 we sailed her to Boothbay Maine and back, round 700+ miles, all daysails. We had a compass, and a clock, and a log that didn't work, and a depthsounder that sometimes worked if you jiggled the wire just right. We spent basically no time or money maintaining her - we didn't know any better, and nothing important enough to stop us sailing actually broke.

Summer '78 we sailed her back to Boothbay again, and eventually our ignorance caught up with us and we overheated the Atomic 4 quite badly, trashed it. We left the boat in Maine that winter and the yard fixed the engine.

Summer '79 my brother lost interest. I went and got the boat, and sailed her as far East as Cape Split, Maine, and back to Norwalk CT single handed. The engine worked, but the electrical system failed and I didn't know how to fix it or have enough money to pay somebody else. So I would take the battery ashore and beg a charge off somebody, and then I could start the engine 5 or 6 times. I used a kerosene hurricane lantern for light and heat. I treated her as an engineless boat, and became a better sailer. I basically stopped using the engine, and was extremely careful not to put myself in a position that would require it. I made sure I had a hot battery when I arrived at the Cape Cod canal to motor through it!

I then moved on to other things in life, and my father sold the boat for, as best I recall, about $12K. During the three years we owned her, as a SWAG, I'd guess we spent $10K, and most of that was dockage the first summer in CT, winter storage X 3, and rebuilding the A4.

Point of the story - within reason, it's not the boats, it's the people in 'em. We wanted to go cruising, that was the boat we had, we went. Did it tick ANY box on any of these lists? Probably not. Did we encounter open ocean conditions? Yes, quite a number of times. Did the boat ever behave badly or let us down? Never. Kept the water on the outside mostly. Went where we pointed her. Sailed pretty well. Could you sail such a boat around the world? With caution, certainly.

Excellent- thank you!

Edward
Sarks757

[Sarks757]

Originally Posted by Flagfish

---------------

I love fishing out of the sailboat. A day of bluewater fishing on a powerboat leaves you very tired- a day on the sailboat leaves you well-rested. Huge difference! We process the fish on a table in the cockpit while sailing back in, then tie her up, unload the cooler, and off we go.

One thing- nets are no good due to catching in all the rigging. Get a good round gaff long enough to reach the water without stretching and practice your technique.

Thank you, Sir!

Great points to consider!

My wife Lorraine grew up fishing on the North Fork.

To be continued under sail...

Ed
Sarks757

[SuW]

Hi Ed and Lorraine,
I know the area around Greenport, NY a little. We sailed out of there with a friend for a weekend in Block Island, 20 years ago.

I seem to remember more power boats than sailboats, even then.
Because of tidal currents, these are not easy waters...we missed the tidal slack and ended up creeping along the edge of Plum Island hoping for a counter current for what seemed like hours. Haystacks of waves in the channel.
it was dark by the time we made it to Greenport.

It was our first experience of coming in there at night and it was successful, although a bit nail biting.

So, compared to many places it's pretty challenging. It reminds me of the south coast of England. If you miss the tide, or miscalculate you're probably safer waiting for the next one than pressing on...

Tide tables and tide apps will become your friends!

Best wishes,
Sue W.

p.s. Our friend had an Endeavour 32, another very sound "Good Old Boat". Highly recommended...

[Sarks757]

Originally Posted by SuW

Hi Ed and Lorraine,
I know the area around Greenport, NY a little. We sailed out of there with a friend for a weekend in Block Island, 20 years ago.

I seem to remember more power boats than sailboats, even then.
Because of tidal currents, these are not easy waters...we missed the tidal slack and ended up creeping along the edge of Plum Island hoping for a counter current for what seemed like hours. Haystacks of waves in the channel.
it was dark by the time we made it to Greenport.

It was our first experience of coming in there at night and it was successful, although a bit nail biting.

So, compared to many places it's pretty challenging. It reminds me of the south coast of England. If you miss the tide, or miscalculate you're probably safer waiting for the next one than pressing on...

Tide tables and tide apps will become your friends!

Best wishes,
Sue W.

p.s. Our friend had an Endeavour 32, another very sound "Good Old Boat". Highly recommended...

Sue- thank YOU very much for an excellent reason: tides.

And thank you for your recommendations.

Sincerely,

Ed and Lorraine Sarkisian
Sarks757@aol.com

[kirkalittle]

Around 2008 I bought my 1972 Alberg 30 'Salsa' for about $12K USD. She was in good shape for daysailing on the bay. I then invested another $60K and about 4 months of my own labor with the help of James Baldwin to equip her for my circumnavigation. New sales, rigging, furler, reefing, radar, autopilot, windvane, solar, batteries, dinghy, and heaps more. On the upside, I had almost no maintenance or repair costs during the 5 year circumnavigation as everything was basically new except for the diesel motor. You can find my old blog/website on google, sailingsalsa. -Kirk

[Jamesiv1]

Originally Posted by kirkalittle

Around 2008 I bought my 1972 Alberg 30 'Salsa' for about $12K USD. She was in good shape for daysailing on the bay. I then invested another $60K and about 4 months of my own labor with the help of James Baldwin to equip her for my circumnavigation. New sales, rigging, furler, reefing, radar, autopilot, windvane, solar, batteries, dinghy, and heaps more. On the upside, I had almost no maintenance or repair costs during the 5 year circumnavigation as everything was basically new except for the diesel motor. You can find my old blog/website on google, sailingsalsa. -Kirk

All I know about James Baldwin is what I've seen in his atomvoyages YouTube channel, but it looks like his workmanship is top-notch.

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by kirkalittle

Around 2008 I bought my 1972 Alberg 30 'Salsa' for about $12K USD. She was in good shape for daysailing on the bay. I then invested another $60K and about 4 months of my own labor with the help of James Baldwin to equip her for my circumnavigation. New sales, rigging, furler, reefing, radar, autopilot, windvane, solar, batteries, dinghy, and heaps more. On the upside, I had almost no maintenance or repair costs during the 5 year circumnavigation as everything was basically new except for the diesel motor. You can find my old blog/website on google, sailingsalsa. -Kirk

Just poking around in it so far but it reads very well and there's so much useful information. I love that you beat the cat and I appreciate the tactic of reefing down in those light airs.

[thomm225]

1971 Alberg 30 $8999

https://norfolk.craigslist.org/boa/d...269867659.html

[silkie]

I suspect the atom list is North Atlantic centric, & are largely unfamiliar to me.

My story is of a Tophat 25, which were a very successful JOG racer designed in britain. made locally on the east coast of Australia. I bought a run-down example back in the '90s to rejuvenate for a long cruising trip. I was single, sick of working, ready to chuck it all & go cruising.
Over the fit out, I spent a lot more than the boat cost or would ever be worth. I enjoyed every moment. Removing the old diesel & attaching a 4stroke outboard was a wonderful improvement, & also the one thing everyone advised against. It created more space for water, & made the cabin cleaner & more liveable. Rigging was good, but needed 2 new sails.
My girlfriend agreed to come with me, which was half a surprise, she hated boats. For the next six months, we had the time of our lives cruising the east coast of Aus from Sydney to the Whitsundays. Never actually crossed an ocean, but the dream remains.
It was the best year of our lives.

We married on our return, over 20 yrs ago.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by silkie

I suspect the atom list is North Atlantic centric, & are largely unfamiliar to me.

My story is of a Tophat 25, which were a very successful JOG racer designed in britain. made locally on the east coast of Australia. I bought a run-down example back in the '90s to rejuvenate for a long cruising trip. I was single, sick of working, ready to chuck it all & go cruising.
Over the fit out, I spent a lot more than the boat cost or would ever be worth. I enjoyed every moment. Removing the old diesel & attaching a 4stroke outboard was a wonderful improvement, & also the one thing everyone advised against. It created more space for water, & made the cabin cleaner & more liveable. Rigging was good, but needed 2 new sails.
My girlfriend agreed to come with me, which was half a surprise, she hated boats. For the next six months, we had the time of our lives cruising the east coast of Aus from Sydney to the Whitsundays. Never actually crossed an ocean, but the dream remains.
It was the best year of our lives.

We married on our return, over 20 yrs ago.

Great story and welcome aboard!