First Boat

[caribcruiser]

I am looking to buy my first boat. I am wondering what I should get. I am on a relatively tight budget, looking to sail the caribbean mostly, but eventually possibly cross an ocean, and I am looking to sail single handed. Any recommendations would be great. Thank you in advance.

-Caribcruiser

[boatman61]

How much experience... in what type... how tight a budget... what location search/preference....
EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS......

[boatman61]

Hows this... its in the Islands
Jeanneau Gin Fizz 1994 38ft, fully recon 3GM yanmar engine, Raymarine chartplotter, Auto Pilot, VHF, fully rigged including cruising shute, fully fitted galley with 2 fridges, and almost new stove ready to be fitted (cost $1000).2 cabins, 1 head, great sailor, excellent live aboard boat, ready to go - asking $22,000. clairem73@gmail.com

[otherthan]

I have no sailing experience yet...however being nossy by nature iv recherched and leanrned alot this past year...iv learned to stay away from balsa cored decks...not a real problem for me to fix but it may be a problem for most do it yourselfers...iv seen so many good old boats for sale at rediculous price ($2000 or less) some of these are solid canadian built that seem to have passed under most sailors radars, in fact when I inquiered about them most pepoles have never seen them or have little knowledge about them....iv seen a good hughes25 at $500...seen a nice pearson 26 at $600 this one was the rare solid glass version...seen a few exelent challenger 7.4 this boat is under rated by most because they dont know about it and often confuse it with columbia challenger, its designed by the father of grampian 26 and has all the right ingrediants a 24ft pocket cruiser should have, iv seen them from $800 to $2000...also iv optained my inter at $2000 witch is an exelent buy, and about to optained a project choey lee for piece of bread...as I see it not all project boats are a bad idea.

[caribcruiser]

could spend up to 75,000 max, I will take a used boat, have taken some sailing lessons but that is next on my things to do. I want a monohull that is about 30-35 ft and I would prefer it in the caribbean but I wouldn't mind sailing it from the US mainland.Thank you for all your help.

[Mimsy]

If your max is 75k, I'd shoot for 50k so you have funds for refitting. That means a used boat for certain. Lots of boats in that range- how many on board?

[caribcruiser]

I would be the only one most of the time, so I would have to take that into consideration also.