First, and possibly my last, boat

[CarlF]

It’s pretty obvious that most of the people on this thread have never been on a BCC. I’d have trouble picking a better choice for your plans. I’ve never owned one but wish I had.

But this is not an inexpensive choice. As others have pointed out there are plenty of capable boats that could be had for half the cost - but it’s important to love your boat. And a BCC is a very easy boat to love.. (Personally, I put the BCC well above the Nor’sea but that also is a decision of the heart not head) Both are fine boats.

The one caution I have is don’t buy a BCC without the money to take care of it. You are likely to spend your entire 50,000 pound budget just buying the boat. There’s a special place in Hell for someone who buys a boat like the BCC and then let’s it go down hill.

I knew a fellow who bought a BCC and put $20,000 into her in the first 12 months in upgrades and replacement of systems that were near their end of life. The boat had surveyed well at sale and was in fine shape. This is not an unusual story when buying a 20+ year old boat.

And don’t buy the cheapest BCC on the market. There’s always a reason a boat is offered cheap and as a first time boat buyer you shouldn’t take that bet. It would be wiser to buy less boat in better condition.

Finally, don’t justify this purchase by saying it will be your last boat. It just doesn’t work that way. I’m on number 7.

[timb7734]

Never owned a BCC; I crossed over to the dark side years ago, but I am on last boat number 11. One of the boats I fell in love with is a 20 year old one of, on which I have spent (lovingly) more than I paid for her without regret: electronics, stabilizers, tank replacement, a complete repaint. If you are budget constrained the best advice you will get on any forum, is to purchase a boat that you can use straightaway, and go now while you can.

[loneshark64]

Originally Posted by Carltonboyce

Sorry I seem to have struck a nerve with you. It's been a 30 year dream to learn to sail, and I've started taking formal courses but that only takes you so far.

I've spent hundreds of hours on here and elsewhere researching and have narrowed it down to those two but thought I'd seek advice before taking the plunge. I'm well aware of my novice status, which is why I'm looking for a seaworthy boat I can live on and gain experience before venturing into blue water.

But, again, I'm sorry my willingness to seek help and admit to my inexperience has caused you do much angst...

The frustration is unfortunate but it does come from a place of experience. I was like you, took classes and read books and worked my job for years before I could get to this point in my life and get a cruising boat. I read those same books and had a big comparison spreadsheet of boat choices. I lived on yachtworld.com. I was going to get my sea legs, go down the ICW then the virgins, mexico, san blas and beyond. Then I got my $16000 boat and found out everything I needed to fix and learn how to do it. I found what it really costs me to operate and maintain. I scared the crap out of myself the first 5 times I took the boat out, and I never even got out of the river. And many other things. I just learned and became competent. I love it. I want to be on the water every day. And I still haven't left my own state in this boat and may not ever leave it actually.

You don't know what you don't know until you actually get that boat. My advice is don't buy your end all be all go around the world boat until you get some of that experience. Buy something you can possibly handle yourself and don't spend too much. Learn first and then you will know what boat you really need for the next step and can almost guarantee that is is not in either of those two books. I think thats why some people get frustrated with the "I'm new, which 1980s blue water cruiser should I buy" questions we all ask at first.

[omache27]

The Vancouver 27 is an amazing blue water boat. Many have circumnavigated the world. Great tankage, kindly sea manors and massive amount of storage space.
Go small - Go now.

[Captain Zen]

After 3 years sailing OPBs, (other peoples boats) as free lance skipper in the Greek waters I found my dream boat in Genoas Boat Show Italy. The fiberglass with teak decks and teak everything inside and bronze anchor winch with Stainless cleats and deck gear and golden varnished wooden masts was 10 mtr, 33 ft on deck with a 3 ft bowsprit. A wonderful classic look this little ketch was made by Chung Hwa in Taiwan from a Canadian architect plan. I sailed it 12 years through the Eastern Med, then West over the Atlantic and a few years in the Caribbean. After one repaint at ten years old I sold it 2 years later for the price I paid for it. Sturdy and easy to handle by one man with place for a few more. A 3 cylinder Volvo pushed it comfortably when needed. Not fast but very comfy. The saloon was bigger than those on much bigger boats, a forecabin with double bed, bathroom, heat exchanger, cockpit shower, 450 liter stainless water tanks, very big cockpit because her wide overhang poop made this a real very good boat.

[Captain Zen]

On my trips I saw so many disasters with roll reefing jibs that I installed a double forestay for a small jib and a genoa according the weather. In my time we had no electronics but only a small calculator and a book for taking sun shots at noon. A Walker log and Aries windvane added made me never miss a destination without fear for breaking down of electronics. Ah these days any fool can get the accurate position, but what when the GPS fails? I could sail it in over force 7 with a storm jib and a reefed mizzen, who can do that in some real weather with a modern boat? Going down wind I slowed down by dragging fenders as many or as few as needed to have the big waves crash in front of me, not behind and over me.
I had taken my fill of sailing after 15 years and stayed on a Caribbean island for the rest of my life.
Those years spent a-sailing are not deducted from your allotted span. (Phoenician proverb)

[goat]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Oh.. I don't like goat but sometimes suffer it rather than offend, I'm a courteous guest. [emoji3]

You had to admit it sometime. Hard for me to take courteously though..... =;^)>

[letsgetsailing3]

Probably better not to buy the first boat as if it's the last, because there's a high probability that it won't be.

Get the boat you want to be on this year and next year.

See how it goes from there.

[laika]

I've owned a Vancouver 27 for 10 years now, living aboard full time for 7 of them. My girlfriend and I now cruise winters in the caribbean. Here's my take, just another of many!..

Everyone out there is different. Other than charter boats, you will never meet 2 exactly alike. There are some very personal choices to make, very hard to know until you know you know what you actually want in a boat. And even then, what you're looking for is bound to change over the course of time and locale.

But if you are the minimalist type, you can have a grand time glamping continuously on a small boat. LOA isn't everything. Displacement is a better indicator. A 28' BCC is twice the boat of some other 28'ers.

The biggest limiting factor I've come to see in smaller boats, esp the full keel traditional variety, is speed. We sometimes buddy boat on passages, and as we are nearly always the smallest boat, we are nearly always the last to arrive at port. This sometimes means finishing the last day of a passage in conditions that have significantly deteriorated, meanwhile our buddies are already comfortably at anchor sipping cold dandies. It's never been an issue of safety, but very much one of comfort.

We love our 27'. It has served us very well and asks relatively little of us in terms of upkeep and continued investment. Has space for everything you could want.. watermaker, solar, fridge, sordid electronics, etc, and we still have a few nooks and crannies we could fill. But if we ever went back to full time cruising, i cant honestly say that we wouldn't be in the market for a slightly larger boat.

That's just us tho. Good luck!

P.S. there are probably some nice Vancouver 32s near you

[Clipper4730]

Hey Carlton good luck in your search. Not to start any wars here but any advice from boot key harbor should be taken with a grain of salt. A small grain at that. We bought our first boat about 6 years ago and haven’t looked back. Our first was a 50’ Beneteau and she is fantastic. A lot of work to be sure but you will spend most of your time at anchor and being comfortable there is soooo important. What is blue water anyway....we have been out there plenty and a well equipped boat production or otherwise will serve you well. You go to sea with the boat you have not the one you want. In other words you can spend years trying to get ready but just a little common sense and relatively small investment in safety gear and off you go. Or you could live on a small floating reef in Boot Key Harbor. Balance is the key in my business we have a term RRM risk resource management. How much risk are you willing to accept for what reward. Find that balance and go!!!! This forum has a ton of great info and a ton of (meh). Enjoy the ride and don’t be intimidated by the naysayers who probably never leave the dock. Buy the biggest most comfortable boat you can and go from there, we did and luv it! Btw your plus one will appreciate it too😊

[packrat]

32' Camper Nicholson. A safe boat.

[Lihuedooley77]

Carlton,

Seems like your mind is pretty much made up, but you are receiving some well meant suggestions.

Most of the cruisers that we have met sailing world wide, were sailing mid 30's well found vessels. Or larger.

For us, Erica and I being two, and both experienced sailors and previous boat owners have found that for two, even bare boating for two weeks, that we were comfortable and could easily handle 34 to 37 foot monohulls, and had storage space, and fairly good tankage. ( that was two weeks, not crossing the Atlantic Ocean ) .

Sailing professionally and for fun, has enabled me , ( us) to sail many, many, many different vessels of all lengths and manufacture , and sail plans . And , have come to find those that we really liked.

Do what feels good to you, but you mentioned finding a significant other to share cruising with, that is a whole other subject . And size may matter. ( The boat that is )

And, as many here, my lust for sailing began about 45 years ago when I read
THE LOG OF THE MAHINA, Small boat, not even close to he quality of a BCC, but he did it and had a fantastic adventure leaving the west coast USA and cruised the South Pacific and Polynesia.

Did I fullfill that beginning spark to sail the world. Nope, but I had a long career as a USCG Lic Capt, and my world cruising was two week trips, bare boating Austraila Tahiti, Tonga, Mexico, the west coast of the USA, much of the Caribbean and Ireland .

Point being, we all have to live our dreams, within our means and experience. And, we will never know it all, but we also feel it is a good idea to listen to others, learn from them, and gain knowledge and practice good seamanship .

Don't dream your life, LIVE " YOUR " DREAM.

And it appears that is exactly what you are going to do

Just practice the 7 P.s.

Fair winds, following seas, meeting great people, and enjoy those adventures in paradise ,

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Clipper4730

What is blue water anyway....

I was thinking that, why miss out on lovely little harbours which have brown or muddy waters or even the Atlantic coast which often appears green.

Pete

[desodave]

Welcome aboard Carlton.
We're just coastal cruisers in the Canadian PNW so I'll leave the boat choices to others way more experienced. But I was in a similar position to you 15-20 yrs ago, and did lots of book and internet research to find a boat. Some of them looked really great on paper. That is until I got on board and realized what didn't fit my 6'6" frame. After 15 yrs I'm glad we didn't go smaller. I'd get on board as many of your choices as possible at a minimum, cruise marinas - most of us are delighted to talk at length about our boats or show them to people like you who are really interested.
The "you don't know what you don't know " comment is really true. And what I really didn't know was the scale of maintenance and upkeep needed, as well as being comfortable sailing what was to me a bigger boat. I've learned that what looked like big tankage to me wasn't for our usage. I've learned that basic electrical systems aren't sufficient, alternator and solar upgrades later. And best of all I've actually learned some basic maintenance skills and have way more comfort out on the water because of it.
Your needs(wants) may change so I'd go with what suits you now and bear in mind some of the advice already given about costs/ease of resale. Don't be too hung up on finding the perfect boat.

[Icarus]

Originally Posted by Carltonboyce

Hi,

Longtime lurker and newbie sailor.

I'm looking to buy my first, and possibly only, sailboat. I'm drawn to the classic looks and over-engineering of the Bristol Channel Cutter 28 and Nor'sea 27. I've read 20 affordable sailboats and 20 small boats, which is where the idea for a BCC comes from.

Looking to live on it for the next few years; only me at the moment but it would be nice to have space for someone else because who knows what the future might bring?

Initially for sailing around Europe but sailing to America would be a helluva achievement so blue water capability is important. Budget is £50,000.

Has anyone got any alternative suggestions please?

Thanks!

Surely you can decide your self what sort of boat you like, everyone has its own oppiion, if you are undecided it'll scramble your head.
If you find that the vessel you ultimatey bought isn't suitable you can always sell it and buy another one.
Some like tiny boats, some like condo boats, in the end you can get from A to B on all of them.