Boat brand decisions for eventual BW stuffs

[Lantau]

You have mentioned a couple boats, one in particular, that I would most definitely not feel safe cruising in. Do lots and lots of research before you buy.

[reed1v]

Probably resell an Oyster for what you paid for it, and a lot quicker than the other boats. You may not like the sailing lifestyle once you get into it. A lot of folks do not. Its certainly nothing like what Cruising World portrays.
I assume you plan to sail around the Caribbean? Its shallow so anything under 5 foot draft should work.

[GulfportBarb]

We have sailed our Beneteau 461 from St Pete to Key West 3 times, sailing at night going straight thru, 30-40 hours. Our Bene is so comfortable (we have the 2 cabin owners model) and stable sailing

[Cadence]

? Hadn't sailed, never been a diver yet want a scrubber tank compressor. Sorry if I read this wrong.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Asus

Never sailed before. I kiteboard =D, surfed a couple times, wakeboard, been snorkeling for abalone, etc....

Have you ever made your own repairs on anything? Home or car? Are you handy at all? I assure you that no matter which boat you're interested in purchasing, unless you enjoy or can tolerate making continuous repairs.... you'll be very unhappy living aboad a sail or powerboat. We know many people who've quit cruising after only a few months, because the breakdowns.... even minor ones stop them in their tracks and they don't wish to try fixing things.

When you're out on the water, there is no AAA auto club to call to fix your boat, you either fix it with spares aboard yourself, or you sit and wait for an expensive technician to come do it on his timetable. This can be infuriating and extremely frustrating to someone not able to do repairs.

You might want to think about this before proceeding to boat ownership, especially when I review quotes like the one above that I missed. How do you know that you need room for a dive compressor if you've never scuba dived before? Scuba scares the hell out of most people.

Need room for four surfboads after surfing a couple of times? WTF? Have you been watching too many of the Delos videos?

[Scrimshaw4]

Two others that you might want to consider are the Gozzard 44 and any of the Passports. Both are solid build well appointed bw liveaboard cruisers. Also you might want to volunteer to do some blue water deliveries to gain some practical experience about what it's like to be offshore and what you'd really want and not want in a bw cruser. JMHO

[noelex 77]

Asus, I think you are very much on the right track.

While you can cruise in any yacht, I would lean towards the higher quality models in your list. Cruising is tough on yachts and the fundamental structure of the yacht is important. I would widen your search worldwide. Buying a boat in a far flung location and sailing it back home is an ideal adventure. This would also help get models already equipped for full time cruising with inclusions like watermakers.

Your idea of joining a couple of racing teams is excellent. This is a great way of learning how to sail well. You will have lots of fun and it's free . I would extend this idea further to boat maintenance/repairs. Many jobs require 2 hands and you will learn heaps helping out someone doing yacht repairs. You should even earn some free beer . Engines are important, but there is ton of other equipment, electrics, furling mechanism etc etc.

[reed1v]

You might try leasing a bare boat for a half year to make sure you really can tolerate living on a sailboat. Most can not. Would save you a ton of money rather than buy and then sell a boat. Some of the Caribbean charter operations will lease out for six months. Probably could lease some of the boats you mentioned.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by reed1v

You might try leasing a bare boat for a half year to make sure you really can tolerate living on a sailboat. Most can not. Would save you a ton of money rather than buy and then sell a boat. Some of the Caribbean charter operations will lease out for six months. Probably could lease some of the boats you mentioned.

[bjymd]

5 years ago I was exactly in your place, although I have been on the water surfing a lot and sailing occasionally. I took a local ASA bareboat charter course for 7 days on a 29 foot monohull and loved the feeling. I later took my son and we spent a week with OffShore Sailing School doing US Sail 101, 103, 104 so we could do a bareboat charter as a family. Great times. I later went on a flotilla sail of the BVI with OffShore and sailed a Beneteau 50 with a group of professionals. I started looking at boats and initially looked at 1983 - 1987 Hylas and Tyanna: Solid handmade quality Blue Water cruisers. I priced boats for years and finally went to the Newport Boat Show and decided that the increased price (almost double) over a production boat was not worth it to me. I also found that the traditional boats felt cramped and small compared to the newer production boats.
I recently started looking at Jeanneau DS because they have more comfortable space aft for guests and a lot of interior space for a live aboard . After two surveys I settled and will close on a 54 DS that I located in Tortola. The BVI boats have served time in the charter market but surveyed well. One must accept that after ten years, the rigging may well need to be replaced and stop cocks will be at risk. Sails will be old and work will need to be done. The veneer may not be perfect but in all, if well maintained and repaired when needed, one can get a great boat at a reasonable price. Make sure you get a survey by a NAMS or SAMS surveyor. Best of luck.

[wkstar]

Thoughts & Links - BVI Used -

Thoughts & Links - Lagoon -

Thoughts & Links - Fountaine Pajot -

Thoughts & Links - Lagoon 39 -

Thoughts & Links - Lagoon 400 -

[DDabs]

Alright cat time!

[AiniA]

Originally Posted by Asus

Hello everyone!

...

I would like a vessel that is large enough for 4 surfboards, diving gear, compressor for tanks, 2 x kiteboarding setups, and enough storage for 2-4 people / provisions for 4 + months, plenty of room to lay about, just something large enough to be comfortable. Washer too!

...

This stuff will seriously fill up a boat of the size you are talking about - and I am not suggesting you get something bigger. My sense during our circumnavigation was that the average size boat we saw was about 40'. The bigger boats sit in places like the eastern Caribbean and the Med not sailing very far from their home bases. As you get more experience with sailing you will likely come up with a different set of criteria. Also, the fact that you have $xxx does not mean that you need to spend that much.

[sailorboy1]

From my experience I just don't understand how someone can chose a cruising boat for themselves before they have sailed much. I know as I tried

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

From my experience I just don't understand how someone can chose a cruising boat for themselves before they have sailed much. I know as I tried

Yup, that about sums it up. The more we sailed, the more our ideal sailboat changed. Also, as the areas we sailed expanded, so did the list of what our next boat needed to have.
Boats are very individual. The old Ericson yachts had horrible cockpits and shallow seats, the CSY yachts were just the reverse: hugh swimming pool cockpits that required mountaineering skills to get out of.

Some of the yachts the OP listed have huge interiors that are just not safe when in strong seas. You will get thrown around way too much and probably kill yourself. Others have decks that will be difficult to hold on to in rough weather. And so on. Sailorboy is right on target: experience is needed to make a good choice.