Boat Recommendation Wanted from Experienced Cruisers

[Adelie]

CAL 36
CAL 40
COLUMBIA 34 Mk II
COLUMBIA 39-1
RANGER 37
PEARSON 39
PEARSON 36
PEARSON 40
HUNTER 37
COLUMBIA 36
ISLANDER 37
ISLANDER 36

Sailboatdata.com is the worlds largest sailboat database.

[Don C L]

Well, I am a little biased because I chose a Columbia 29, but that may be a little cramped in the interior for your needs. The Pearson Triton is almost identical in size and both are well-built and good choices. Bristols and Cape Dories should be on the list. But, I am thinking you may find more of what you are looking for in a Peason Vanguard or the Islander 32 (MK 1) if you can find one with a newer diesel and has been well-maintained and upgraded. Both were well-built and sail well for their vintage. (As you can tell I shy away from spade rudders and atomic 4s, but that is just me...)

Don

[lesterbutch]

I am a completely biased person who happens to be the owner of a Pearson 35.
I know your looking for a 32 or so, but there are a few of the very popular 35s out there and I think you would be making a mistake by not looking and considering one. After all it's only 3 feet! They are really a tremendous boat with an excellent history and excellent credentials as a sail boat.

[Capt RonB]

We loved our Ericson 38, fast, responsive, very liveable. but I've always been partial to the Pearson P40. Look at the numbers. Centerboards are not the problem that they're made out to be; same can be said for spade rudders and fin keels.

Take a look at Ted Brewer's numbers like comfort ratio, stability index.

For speed comparisons I use PHRF ratings. Most boats have them and various regions allow some insight into various conditions. i.e Chesapeake vs. San Fransisco which might relate to your planned cruising ground.

Forget evaluating Sa/Disp etc. on your own unless you're a N.A.

Also I think Ted Brewer offers consulting services to answer questions like yours; might be a wise investment.

[prosneek]

Freedom 32. The mast is an unstayed carbon fiber mast so no rigging to worry about. It has 46 gallons of water and 20 gallons of fuel, 2 staterooms, a shower, a nice salon and a galley by its self. You wont step onto a galley counter coming from the cockpit and the cockpit has a nice arrangement. The write-ups about it say that it is a good coastal but a good blue water boat too and had good sailing capabilities.

[Don C L]

This is an interesting question to post because you are likely to get responses that come from such a variety of experiences and preferences. Maybe if you could be more specific about the kind of sailing you are planning to do and what you are not willing to put up with at all and what you must have no matter what. 20-50K is a wide spread of money available too. If you have 50K total, I too would budget half on the purchase and half on the upgrades or personal touches. But you can certainly find great boats for 20K that are built tough, point well (I think that is what you meant by reasonably fast) and have the amenities you seek. There is more selection on the east coast, and I am assuming that is where you are. My own peculiar preferences came from my experiences. I was on a boat, a Frers 65, that lost its spade rudder at 3am for no apparent reason, although it may have been because we were slamming into the weather for a week, and by the way that is why I am ok with giving up a little performance for a boat that is not flat-bottomed with a fuller keel (for cruising.) For cruising I like to be safe (got kids,) and so I look at a boat with Murphy's Law in mind, if anything can go wrong, it will, at 3 am. But that's just me...

[Don C L]

Oh, forgot, don't overlook Albergs and if you can find a Rhodes 41 in good shape, that is really a beautiful cruising boat. I know it is 1 foot more than you mentioned, but if you find one, go take a look at it and sail it if you can...

[Island Time O25]

Mariner 36 (NH). MARINER 36 (CANNING) sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

[DoubleWhisky]

Originally Posted by optronik

Hi!

I am looking for a boat recommendation. I have the following parameters:

+ Coastal and Bluewater capable on Mediterranean and Atlantic
+ Space for 2-3 persons, shall also be able to be sailed single handed
+ reasonable fast, not only downwind
+ length below 40ft
+ Price range 20-50k
+ Reasonable build quality
+ Inboard engine
+ Aluminium or fiberglass hull
+ Water/fuel tank to cover 2 weeks off shore
+ Does not need to be new - older boats are also ok
+ Pleasant to the eye, although this is a very soft requirement. I like the Fuji Ketch 35 for example. However this boat seems to be quite slow to sail.

I know there are a lot of boats out there. My problem is that factors like sailing speed and build quality are usually not mentioned (usually for a good reason...).

Thanks!

Looking at Your reqirements I personally would include in the search some of these boats:

Najad 330
Najad 360
Najad 37
Malö 34
Malö 38
High Quality Sailing Yachts - Moody
High Quality Sailing Yachts - Moody
High Quality Sailing Yachts - Moody
High Quality Sailing Yachts - Moody

I can tell much about price, as we do not know where You want to buy the boat, where to register her etc.
Anyway - this is often the case: less You pay for the boat, more money You need to put into her

Oh, and it is well to remember, even if You are not U.S. based it is sometime worth the effort to buy in cheaper areas of U.S. and in Caribbean...

Cheers

Tomasz

[JazzyO]

Originally Posted by MarkSF

How does a thick hull promote stability? There's more of it above the waterline, than below! It'll reduce stability.

Archimedes' principle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[JazzyO]

OP - If you truly want to go bluewater, I find your budget grossly inadequate, sorry to be blunt.

What you should do is make a list of everything you think you need, add a number to each item, and then add it up.

Then, publish it here, and the members can tell you what they think is missing or what is not necessary. You can then get a much more informed picture of what you need, what you want, and what you can do without (not that there is much you can do without if you go sailing on the Atlantic).

One thing I don't understand: this speed thing. Why is that relevant? With your budget, I would forget about speed. Concentrate on finding something that will get you there safely, rather than very quickly but only halfway....


Onno

[tominny]

Check out this book "Twenty affordable sailboats to take you anywhere". Should answer your question.

http://books.google.com/books?id=vEc...ed=0CDcQ6AEwCQ


Have a look at the Tartan 34C. Solid, seaworthy and you can get them at a good price and still have money left to upgrade.



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[boatman61]

Some friends of mine opinion their Hunter Legend is still pretty awesome 7yrs on from when they bought it...

[tominny]

You have enough money to do what you say you are intending to do if you can do without a floating condo. Focus your investment on a solid boat, replace the original rig, make sure the engine is reliable, get a Jordan drogue, a life boat and an EPIRB and an oversized anchor from the newer models with chain. Get to know your boat well and sail it in all conditions including heavy weather before you start your cruise. Shake well and enjoy!


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[tominny]

Poke around this site a bit
http://www.atomvoyages.com




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