Devil of a time trying to figure out what kind of boat to get

[MicHughV]

You are not the first one to come on here and post a request like you did. You won't be the last either.

As others have pointed out, this is not the way to go about it.

Many responses will reflect what that particular CF poster likes or dislikes, but may not ......let me rephrase that....will not..reflect your needs and wants.

Simple words cannot convey what would the right boat for you.

Right off the bat, my advice would be to sign up as crew on a boat doing a long voyage. This will give you a firsthand experience of what to expect out there. At the same time, if you're lucky, you will be sailing with some veteran sailors.

After you have some sea miles under your belt, you will be in a better position to re-visit your question.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

..................


Invest your money wisely, get a fancier boat after you have enough experience to make an informed choice.

Quite appropriate a response.


I bought a Catalina 22 to start off with in 1983. Moved up to a Catalina 25 in 1987, to our C34 in 1998 and sailed (motored) it up from SF to BC in 2016. Many of us started off with longer term adventures in mind, and rarely did. Others, like Ann and Jim actually did.


But unless you actually START somewhere, you'll get nowhere.


Buy a smaller boat, whatever size, from a valued builder, and learn what works for you.


I like Catalinas, others like Beneteaus...the list is rather small, actually. I like Catalinas better for two reasons: I started out with them and ALL Catalina models have great owners associations with online resources. Ours is www.c34ia.org. Check out what's available. If the boat you think of buying doesn't haven't this kind of ONLINE backup, you didn't choose wisely. You do NOT have to reinvent the wheel nor sell your first born to find parts. Gee, how cool...


I can't begin to tell you how many general sailing forums have questions that start: "Can you tell me where to find a manual for my boat?" Sheez...


Good luck, stop dreaming, start doing.

[MicHughV]

Seriously....these questions are like asking what kind of girl should I marry.
Who the hell knows ??

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

Seriously....these questions are like asking what kind of girl should I marry.
Who the hell knows ??

More like "I've never dated a woman but like to look at them, and now I think I want to get married. Please introduce me to the right one."

Jim

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

Seriously....these questions are like asking what kind of girl should I marry.
Who the hell knows ??

It's likely not going to be the first one you ever went out with, so just pick one you like, and sort of works out now.

You don't need Ms. Right, you need Miss Right Now.

[MicHughV]

It's tough....I don't want to disparage wannabe's....I was a wannabe myself once....

But there is a right way to go about this...and a wrong way...

Jim kinda summed it up better than I ever could...

[letsgetsailing3]

"If anything is going to happen, it's going to happen out there."


Captain Ron

[radsailor]

For what it's worth, I owned a J 105 that I raced very casually, day sailed mostly and spent many weekends on board. I rigged up a shower and added two butane burners to the galley.
The boat sailed like a dream single or double handed (fast and easy)and was very comfortable for 1-2 people overnight.
Only downside which did not prevent me from loving it is 5'5" headroom.

[Wolfhound]

It's not easy to beat a Bermuda 40 --
https://wavetrain.net/2010/09/24/hin...et-dream-boat/

Wolfhound

[mokkerse]

All good advice, but if you are a coastal cruiser and will deal with intercoastal waterways and 65' max bridge clearances, be aware of the draft and mast height. I have friends with Catalinas and they seem to be a good compromise on comfort, performance, versatility and availibility at reasonable prices. Should be easy enough to resell if the long term fit is not there.

[RedneckRedcoat]

No one can really recommend the right boat for you because everyone has different requirements. If you got a couple of years, go to boat shows, charter a few boats, talk to some manufacturers. Obviously you have the money as 500k is a hefty budget. Do your research , try some boats out. Once you realize what you don’t want it will make it easier as to what you do want ! Plus in a few years you’ll want a different boat anyways

[BBill]

The best advice has been given. Go buy something now and start gathering info on your likes and dislikes...based on your experience. Then find the one that fills most of your likes. Be ready to buy, use and sell until choosing the "right" boat is easy.

All boats are a compromise and chasing the dream of finding the perfect one is more pipe dream than reality. The more boats you have owned the more this will make sense to you.

[Leighpilot]

Easy. Get a slightly older club racer. Think Beateau Fast 40 etc. They’re pretty quick , still have a comfortable interior. They have to. The club racer concept depends on them being fast enough to be fun and comfortable enough for the wife to agree to the purchase.

Go forth and have fun.

[goboatingnow]

If you want an element of “ performance “ then that limits you to mostly European brands. The jeanneau “i” range has more performance as has the Beneteau “first” range. Again there are compromises with thus approach. Smaller X , pogo , Sweden yachts etc have a performance design but are pricey.

Good hunting

[SofaKingFishy]

Originally Posted by Searles

Catalina 42mk 2 ,a verry good all round cruising or world girdling vsl manny available at not ridiculous prices , but most will require some up grades ,just do it .⚓️⛵️

Second this~ I’ve lived aboard a C42 Mk2 for 4 years now & she sounds like a great fit. Pick one up for $130-150k and throw lines! She’s ocean A rated as well- you’ll see them in Europe occasionally (they don’t like American built a boats much) and quite a few in Australia.