Long keel 28/32 ft?

[nopollution]

Hi everybody,

I'm Remo and I'm new of the forum. I would like to ask to you some advice about a 28/32 feet long keel boat. I'm Italian ans unfortunely in my country (even if we have sea everywhere) are not present "small" boat that can face the bluewater. I really would like to buy something (used) with such characteristics, but I know only few models (alpa, allied seawind, contessa). Have you some idea? (btw, my budget is about 20000 usa dollars)

Thank you and BV

P.S. In Italy we use "BV" to say "Buon Vento" that means "Good Wind"

[delmarrey]

Hi Remo,
Below are a couple of wordwide search sites that might give you some idea of what's available out there.


http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/index.html.en

http://www.sailnet.com/boatsearch/li...sail/index.cfm

BV......................................_/)

[CSY Man]

A Westwind 32 may just be what ya are looking for,

Plenty of discussions on that boat right here at the Cruisers Forum, look around a little and ya will find it..

[Jeff H]

Welcome Remo

There are a lot of good offshore boats out there but it is very hard to find one that is under $20,000 that is either not so old that it is no longer suitable for offshore work or that is of a high enough build quality to be suitable for going offshore. For example, a Seawind in condition to deal with offshore sailing generally sells in the mid to high $30,000 range. It would take a lot more than that to buy a 20,000 Seawind and put it into proper shape.

By limiting yourself to a long keel you are really cut out the majority of suitable boats for offshore work. This is especially true when you consider that the amount of gear and supplies capacity is really limited in a 8 to 9.5 meter boat. Because long keeled boats are significantly slower in all conditions and a small long keel boat has a harder time carry adequate capacities for a longer distance passage. Long keel boats also tend to carry heavier helms and therefore wear out their crews much more quickly.

Someone gave you the URL for the Yachtworld.com site and you might look around there for a bit and then come back with some candidates.

Respectfully,
Jeff

[BC Mike]

www.mahina.com/cruise.html has a list of boats that the author thought would be okay for off shore. It made sense to me. A Cascade 36 is a proven boat, they have a fin keel, older design but they are reportably solid and capable and the good part, they do not cost a lot.
BC Mike C

[Troubledour]

Remo himself mentions the Contessa. Reputed to be excellent offshore boats, sturdy, well built, etc. Of course, a decent showing in a certain Fastnet Race contributes to what seems a near cult status for the marque (1979, finished stick up, fin down & conveniently not submerged).


From ...

http://old.cruisingworld.com/forums/...sages/551.html

(a thread that Jeff weighed in on, btw)

"Another slightly smaller one is the Contessa 32; the 26 is a long keeled boat but the 32 which is even prettier has a fin keel; this boat has a racing pedigree and is an active one design class but there can be no doubt at all about the seaworthiness of the design as established by the 79 Fastnet Race and they have beeb cruised for thousands of miles across oceans. As compared to a modern boat there is not a vast amount of room inside and it helps if you are not too tall, but the capability of the boat is beyond dispute."

Posted by ACB on November 23, 1998 at 22:39:20:


According to the following, the 32 is out of Remo's reach unless he's willing to finance a balance or go the fixer upper route. Sure looks like the one to shop for if you're in Europe though ... you never know, might find a deal.

http://www.sailnet.com/sailing/03/usedboat_1003.pdf

Good Luck Remo,

Troubledour

[Steve Rust]

Hi Remo
Check out the Pearson Vanguard or Alberg 30 and 35. A friend recently sold his Vanguard refit, repainted, new gear including 3 blade feathering prop, and sails for $23,000. The only negative was the Atomic 4 gas engine but it purrrred like a kitten.

[Jeff H]

Having actually owned a Vanguard and spent a lot of time on Alberg 35's I would suggest that these make miserable offshore boats. Plus they were not all that well constructed and they are all now around 40 years old. Unless a previous owner has done this it would cost a fortune to put one into adequate shape to take offshore and then you would still have a boat with a miserable motion, cramped accomodations, limited carrying capacity, a heavy helm and zero tracking ability.

Respectfully,
Jeff

[Troubledour]

I keep wondering when Jeff's gonna up & tell us what he really thinks.



Troubledour

[Jeff H]

Well, I guess I will have to keep sugar coating my answers until I learn to spell properly.

Jeff

[Steve Rust]

I guess you don't like these boats very much Jeff. Well they are not my cup of tea either but I have friends who owned two of the three and they seemed to like them. I could list any boat and someone will come on and say "yeh that boat sucks". In the end it is all just someones opinion and we all have one. Remember he only has 20K so in that price range he will have to accept some limitations.

[Jeff H]

While it is true that name any $20,000 cruising boats and there is bound to be someone who says 'These boats suck', you seem to be glossing over the fact that the original post asked for a '$20,000 bluewater boat' and these two never were intended (either by design or construction quality) as Water boats">blue water boats, they are now roughly 40 years old, it will take several times his budget to reinforce and equip one to be a blue water boat, and then he would be limited by a poor hull and rig design for offshore work. I repeat that I have a lot of miles in these boats and have experienced just how bad they were in a breeze higher than the high teens or in rough water.

If he said he was looking for a slow, cheap coastal cruiser that harkened back to an earlier era, and he generally sailed with a pretty good sized crew, then perhaps these would be good choices.

Jeff

[nopollution]

First of all thank you all for you kind answers. Reading your posts I saw that 20000 usa dollars are maybe not enough to buy a boat for the bluewater. Unfortunely I need that the boat is at least almost completely ready to face the ocean because my intention is to come in USA, to buy it, and then to come back in Europe. Maybe this "program" could seem not really good to purchase a sailing boat, but it is the only my possibility to find something good and not too expensive (for my wallet). In any case it seems to me that I need to increase the amount of money.

Thank you again for your precious suggestions,

Remo

[nopollution]

Btw, looking around I have tripped in Bristol 32/35 and Morgan. What do you think about them? Could be them considered bluwater sailing boats?

Tks again,

Remo

[29cascadefixer]

The line of Cascade yachts may be what your looking for. Cascade 29's have crossed the oceans. There are usually several in your price range. The hulls are stout( icebreakers-I've heard them called) check them out. Course,I'm prejuidiced, right though,but still predjuidiced.