Shopping Guidance

[icedog11]

I have been looking now for a few months and will likely purchase in the fall of 2017. I have really been trying to do my home work on what I like and don't like. I thought I had it narrowed down to a few choices and started to look at the local marinas. I'm in southeastern PA near Philadelphia. I have been looking at Water boats">blue water boats and now that I'm looking at nearby marinas I think my choice might be a poor one based on draft. It seems that to be a Chesapeake boat a draft of less than 6 feet is preferable and even finding a place to locate a sailboat with a draft of 6 feet or more seems very limited. Even moving to marinas at the Jersey shore draft seems to limit the choice. How difficult is it to have a deeper draft boat of lets say 6'6" in the north east or even cruising the southeast and associated islands. Would love a adjustable keel but the ones I find I like are more than I'm willing to pay.

[Crazy Talk]

I'm also looking and I'm just above Philadelphia, Montgomery County. A couple things I've noticed. Not a whole lot of boats here in the Philadelphia. I haven't personally visited any of the local clubs to see if anyone has signs, but between yacht world, sailboat listings, and craigslist, there's not a whole lot available in the Philadelphia area.

I look primarily in New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. Most are in Maryland which gives you the added benefit of finding a number of shallower draft boats. I also look in New York and sometimes up through New England. You tend to see more deep draft boats up that way.

There are alot of boats in the Great Lakes areas in PA as well. If you want to bring it down the canals, that could work. In fact I expect my Seco d boat to come from that area - I've heard alot of positives in terms of shorter season meaning less wear and tear on a comparable year boat.

If I buy close, I'll sail it home. If it's further away, I'll hire a captain to sail it home with and just consider it part of the price of the boat.

[icedog11]

I think my question is being missed how much more trouble is coastal cruising and finding moorings or marinas that accommodate deeper draft sailboats. How much more difficult will it be to own a boat with a draft 6'6" or deeper. My plan would b to spend a year or two coastal cruising the east coast. Then moving towards a long term circumnavigation of 5 -7 years. I would prefer to just buy one boat so I am looking primarily at deeper draft blue water boats.

[Steadman Uhlich]

There is a thread I started called "Boats with Shallow Draft" that should give you several ideas for boats that have less than 6' draft. Some much less.

My general impression is that there are plenty of shallow draft boats on the used market. Many choices.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ke-174548.html

Also, whenever anyone on this forum posts a thread asking for advice on buying a boat, I suggest they should post more information including such basics as "Maximum Asking Price" they are prepared to pay (or looking at boats that are at that level or less in Asking Price). It makes a difference in the kind of responses you will get from other forum members.

Good luck on your boat search!

[icedog11]

I'm not making my question clear, I guess. I'm not looking for purchase advice so much, as is getting a deeper keel boat in the northeast with close access to the Chesapeake or for use on the inter coastal waterway and the islands off Fla. a big issue or do I really need to start looking at shoal draft boats. There are plenty of places to find boats to buy and hundreds of way to configure a search. My question is having a deeper draft boat a significant limiting issue when it comes to use, as well as mooring and marina access?

[Paul L]

In my experience (a couple of trips up and down the east coast of the US) 6ft or less draft and max. 64 ft air draft and you are fine on the ICW and Chesapeake. Sure there will be places you don't go, but there will be lots of places that are fine. If you go to 6'6"draft it is still doable, just a little more limiting.

[JPA Cate]

What happens when you have a boat that draws more than average is that you plan around destinations that fit you. Our boat draws 7'2" (2.2 m.) and sure, we don't go to shallow places. Funny thing, though, I think most of those shallow places are too close to shore, too full of sandflies, mosquitoes, and midges, so we really don't miss them.

The northeast of the US and parts of the Caribbean are only a small part of the cruising grounds of the world. Why on earth would you want to compromise your design criteria when a whole world awaits? Seriously, if you want a good all round boat, she's going to have to have some draft to get to windward, and you need that ability sometimes. Pay no attention to the "gentlemen don't go to windward" crowd, think, instead of the shame of being embayed in this day and age!

If sailing is what you want most of all, consider re-locating to somewhere a "blue water" boat will have room for its keel.
Ann

[icedog11]

I really don't plan on limiting myself to the east coast or Caribbean for long, Just want to get some miles under my hull before venturing out to see the world. I figure a year plus of long term coastal cruising with trips to Puerto Rico and Burmuda and possibly some of Mexico Central America ( have a few friends who live there). Then off to the Pacific, I am seriously looking at some Amels that really seem to fit my bill of live aboard coastal cruising then transitioning to circumnavigation.

Ann thanks for the reply I rarely have to go to google for a word meaning you have added embayed to my vocabulary.

[JPA Cate]

icedog,

Stick with your plan, mate, it's a good one. Good on ya for looking up the word. I had to have it explained to me, too, the first time I heard it. ;-)

Ann