Need Help Picking a Boat...

[Blithesome]

Hello everyone...

I have been searching and searching for a boat that would suit our needs but, Im pretty stumped. My partner has considerable sailing experience...I on the other hand, have none. We are mainly looking for something that would be a good coastal cruiser and liveaboard but, also one that is capable of doing trans oceanic voyages. We have about 70k to spend total but, dont want to sink it all in the boat and have nothing left for refitting or repairing. We dont like center cockpits, but, I really want one with an aft cabin. How large do you have to go to get one with an aft cabin and no center cockpit? I really like the Beneteaus and some Hunters... We will be doing some scuba so, a swim step would be good but not necessary.

Any ideas on what I should be looking for?

Thanks in Advance!

ps- Im going to look through some of the saved links on boats I thought would be good and post them here.

1989 Catalina Sloop 34' -- 47k
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...g_id=1704&url=

1993 Beneteau Oceanis 37' -- 51k
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi..._id=54629&url=

[Blithesome]

OK nevermind on the Hunters...They are now off my list.

[boatman61]

Hi... good choice on the Beneteau's well laid out and good sailers, especially shorthanded, tho' personally I'd go for something around 35' and save 10K for the cruising fund.
Not familiar with Catalina's but have seen some disparaging remarks about them on here... to lightweight for a blow.
I've taken 2 Beneteau's across the Atlantic to date, both under 35ft and they were great... did not push them hard and did St Matin to Azores in 21 days... not bad for soloing...
1993 Beneteau oceanis 350 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com=
Whatever you choose, enjoy yourself.
PS; Relieved you dropped the Hunters...

[dniello]

You should consider one of these
Explorer Microcruiser
I had my circumcision aboard a boat just like this.....just fantastic!!!!

[Blithesome]

hahahaha! What is that?! I dont think thats going to work dniello.

[dniello]

Yeah, but when a special event like that happens.....you kinda feel like anything is possible. I feel the same way about prison.

[rnjpinz]

Just bought a caliber 40 LRC. So far so good. Love the boat.

Bob

[NormanMartin]

The world's most fun discussion.

There are a lot of variables to consider. And... when you do go cruising, you will find all of them "in play." I have seen every imaginable type of boat in the Caribbean including a 30 foot racing machine with a family of five, mom, dad, and three little kids under 10 yo. Spoke to them for a while. Plenty of room, they say.

First of all. You ought to get a pitter-pat in your heart when you look at your boat. Second, your sailing partner should, too.

That said. Boats are expensive to repair. If you are uber handy, get a complicated boat. If you want to go sailing, buy a boat that doesn't need much maintenance.

Aft cabins are over-rated in boats under 50 feet. Even quarter-berth cabins and under the cockpit cabins. In my opinion. The forward cabin is airy and comfortable in anchorages. Everyone sleeps amidships at sea.

Check out a couple of J Boats that were designed for cruising: The J28, the most perfect pocket cruiser ever. The J34c which is a bigger J28. I had a chance to sail a J28 for ten years and loved every minute of it. Good legs for long range cruising, too.

More to follow.
Norman
averisera.com

[s/v Beth]

You know Norm- she said she wanted to pick up a cruising boat. I would be careful giving her advice- she is probably stronger than all of us put together.

[Curmudgeon]

I always get tempted by these threads, having gone through the cruising boat buying process fairly recently.

Buy Greg Nestor's book "20 Affordable Sailboats to Take You Anywhere." There are no Beneteaus, Hunters or Catalinas on his list, and there are plenty of perfectly good boats that are not among his twenty. But you should read what he has to say (including the comments from owners) and go from there. It will help you refine your thinking.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

I always get tempted by these threads, having gone through the cruising boat buying process fairly recently.

Buy Greg Nestor's book "20 Affordable Sailboats to Take You Anywhere." There are no Beneteaus, Hunters or Catalinas on his list, and there are plenty of perfectly good boats that are not among his twenty. But you should read what he has to say (including the comments from owners) and go from there. It will help you refine your thinking.

At the moment where I'm sitting ... it depends on his definition of AFFORDABLE.... ehehehehe

[Curmudgeon]

Well, for each of the 20 boats Nestor gives a ballpark figure for what you should expect to pay.

The conventional wisdom-- which I believe is correct-- is that if you have 70K to spend, you should spend 40-50k on the boat and save the rest for critical upgrades and repairs. It's easy enough to go on yachtworld and search for 32-40 ft boats under 60K (since you won't be offering full price you can go a little higher with your search parameters).

That's how you find out what's affordable. There's no magic to it.

Af for the aft cabin, they look great at the boat shows but I wouldn't give up my quarterberth for anything. I would suggest something like a Niagara 35, which has a nice double quarterberth.

[NormanMartin]

Newt: good point. I'll stay on her good side!

Still, the subject rests on what one wants to do with the yacht. We find our boat perfect for the kind of cruising we do now. The amount spent to date is about half the purchase price each year. With our son blowing through a new mainsail and jib every semester...

[delmarrey]

Sure!

YouTube - Willie Nelson / If you've got the money honey I've got ...

[Ocean Girl]

Blithesome,
My 2 cents - The benes are great, look at the smaller ones too, they have an amazing amount of space for their size. The only concern I have for the benes are the keel bolts, but that is not a bene problem, I just don't like going offshore with keel bolts (there are many boats with keel bolts that cruise). Also, does the bene have a skeg? I'd recommend at least a skeg for an offshore sailboat.

Money will get eaten up faster then you can say "what happened to da money!" So if the vessel you are thinking of buying needs ten thousand in upgrades, double it and you will be a bit closer to the truth.

Have fun and good luck on your boat search.
Erika

PS
have you two looked at the Pearsons? here is one that looks interesting
1985 Pearson 36 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com=