Hello,
After many years of saving, my wife and I are about to
purchase our first cruising
boat. I know you can all appreciate the momentous nature of the occasion. Obviously we want to get it right. We have a working class
budget, but want a safe
boat (our young son will be sailing with us as well).
After much
research on my own and trawling through thousands of boat listings, I have shortlisted a Boro Temptress 36, Swanson 36, a Nicholson 31 (actually quite roomy) and two Roberts 38 (one GRP one steel).
All of these are in good condition (but not quite luxurious inside) and relatively set up for
blue water cruising. The prices in
Australia for
boats like these run from about $35,000 (34ft
steel boat) to $50,000 - $70,000 for a 38ft (steel / GRP respectively)... with the average
price of
boats like these being around $50,000 to perhaps $60,000.
I have heard that prices in the US are quite low at the moment. The Aussie dollar is very high at the moment (even higher than the US$).
I am a dual citizen and it is easy for me to
purchase and register a boat in the US.
My question is (sorry for the long intro):
Do the above boats sound reasonable for a (small)
family doing
long term cruising (6 - 12 months / year)?
Do people think I could get a significant savings on a boat like the ones mentioned above in the US. Obviously I want to take it back to
Australia - so the cost of a Pacific voyage would have to be counted in. Also I'm not sure that a trans-Pacific journey would be the best *first* trip for us as new yachties.
Thanks in advance for any help