Talk some sense into me please!

[beckettnole]

Hi All,


I am a new owner of a 1973 C&C 30 Mk1. I have fallen in a love with the brand of C&C and am really enjoying sailing even though I have only owned the boat a couple months.


I am a single 31 year old guy, but I have been thinking a 35-45 footer may have been a better move. There was a 1980 42' foot Landfall sent to me for about the same about of money that I have into my 30 footer!


What is every one's thoughts and advice? I am trying to temper my impulsiveness and just learn on and enjoy my 30' to make sure its a sport/lifestyle/hobby for me but dangling the Landfall in front of me for such a great price is tempting!!!

Warm Regards,

Ryan

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by beckettnole

SNIP

sport/lifestyle/hobby

SNIP

What do you want the boat for. No question a bigger boat is different than a smaller boat. But which one suits your needs best can only be determined by what your needs are.

[beckettnole]

At the moment I do not have any live aboard plans. Just cruising down to Miami, Keys, Bahamas from where I live in Palm Beach.

The 42' just seems to haw more room to have friends aboard if I did a weekend trip or even at the sandbar.

There is a chance I may try some low level racing for fun too.


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[Stu Jackson]

General advice from Neil Young: Love the one you're with.

After only a few months, you've just gotten started. Learn everything about the boat you have, every system, learn to fix everything in the dark!

Wait some before jumping. After a while you'll learn better what will really suit you.

[boatman61]

Hard to make a judgement when 'Boat Porn' creeps into the equation...
If you do decide to jump look very carefully before you take the leap.. what's needed to be done to get it up to par to being able to do what your doing right now..
Time, $$$'s, then when that's achieved the costs to keep her there, dockage, etc..
Can you afford a possible project and being a 2 boat owner..

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by beckettnole

At the moment I do not have any live aboard plans. Just cruising down to Miami, Keys, Bahamas from where I live in Palm Beach.

The 42' just seems to haw more room to have friends aboard if I did a weekend trip or even at the sandbar.

There is a chance I may try some low level racing for fun too.

All boats are compromises.

Shoal draft is a big OK for cruising in the Keys and Bahamas. As a general rule race boats seem to have deeper keels.

The entry fee for the Bahamas is determined by boat length so a smaller boat can be an advantage there.

How many folks do you want on your boat. Maybe you really need a fifty or sixty footer for all of them.

On the other hand many boat owners find themselves sailing alone, especially if they don't have family. It is usually easier to single hand a smaller boat.

I am not trying to convince you one way or the other. Just saying the right answers are a lot easier to figure out if you ask the right questions.

[tuffr2]

A single 31 year old guy needs a 42' yacht. Ever hear of a chick magnet?

For the same $$$ check it out and if it is solid I say go for it.

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[Tingum]

If you are posting about it you know where your head is! Go for it!

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

General advice from Neil Young: Love the one you're with.

After only a few months, you've just gotten started. Learn everything about the boat you have, every system, learn to fix everything in the dark!

Wait some before jumping. After a while you'll learn better what will really suit you.

That was Stephen Stills. Other than that, have to agree.

The C&C Landfall 42 was on my short list when I was boat shopping. If I had found the right boat and deal I might have one now although the rod rigging makes me a bit nervous.

[JPA Cate]

Hang in there with the 30. At the same price, that 42 will need lots of work. In the meantime, hone your sailing skills. You can take friends for day sails on a 30 footer, we did for years, and RUN THE NUMBERS.

Having had the experience of being a two boat owner, I highly recommend avoiding that situation, too. Hard to take care of the old one when the new one beckons, plus the berth rentals, etc....and insurance, if that's a factor.

Use the 30 to also learn your maintenance routines. You'll get so you shop sales ahead for materials for bottom jobs, for instance.

As to the chick magnet factor, girls who are unfamiliar with boats will be impressed to whatever extent by the little one: you don't miss what you've never had.

Ann

[Kevin84]

Keep in mind, the larger the boat, the more expensive the upkeep. You're talking a bigger slip, more expensive bottom cleaning, more expensive for a haul and launch, more expensive bottom paint. Bigger engine requiring bigger more expensive parts. Possibly higher fuel burn. Bigger, more expensive sails. Longer and heavier (read expensive) running and standing rigging. Bigger winches (more expensive). Larger ground tackle (more expensive). As has been pointed out, higher entry fees to the Bahamas. Before you buy, add up all the costs to make sure you can afford the larger boat. It would be a real shame if you had to give up something you enjoy because your eyes were bigger than your wallet.

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[beckettnole]

All good points, thank you everyone.

I would put my current boat on the market at a reasonable price so not to own two boats for long.

Also, I have a free place for it to live that can accommodate either length.

I will most likely pass on the larger boat but the price is amazing due to a desperate seller and it is surprisingly close to me to go see.

My overthinking of it stems from be being a "lifer" with most things I own. I will pour a lot of love, money, and time into either one and like a relationship/marriage, I would prefer to do all of that once. Lol

My thinking may not be sound but I think I'm keen to at least go see her to assess how much of a "project".


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[Kevin84]

Make sure the slip is deep enough. The 42 likely has a deeper draft. Check your vertical clearance too. Good luck!

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[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by beckettnole

What is every one's thoughts and advice? I am trying to temper my impulsiveness and just learn on and enjoy my 30' to make sure its a sport/lifestyle/hobby for me but dangling the Landfall in front of me for such a great price is tempting!!!

Warm Regards,

Ryan

Originally Posted by beckettnole

At the moment I do not have any live aboard plans. Just cruising down to Miami, Keys, Bahamas from where I live in Palm Beach.

The 42' just seems to haw more room to have friends aboard if I did a weekend trip or even at the sandbar.

There is a chance I may try some low level racing for fun too.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

One boat almost never fits all...

You can race a 30 foot boat with a 5 person crew. You probably need 7-8 people (up to 10) to race a 40 footer. Keeping a 5-man crew together is challenging, keeping an 8 person crew together is daunting. All the skippers here are "always" looking for crew.

30 foot is probably a bit small as a party boat and if you had a 35/36 it would be better, but plenty of fun can be had with you and 3-4 friends day sailing/booze cruising. And when they don't come you have an easy single hander.

Your friends won't have as much passion as you for either racing or passage making.

Go volunteer to race on a big boat - you will be welcomed, observe the issues week on week on who flakes out etc. Learn to race. Then put a 5 person crew together and race your boat - you will have a ton of fun even can racing.

A 30 foot boat is way cheaper to maintain than a 42 foot boat. Save the money and charter the big boat when you and your friends go south. For them it's not about the passage making, it's about the party at the destination and the upside is, you can probably get them to ship in on the charter.

if you get a 40+ footer and don't have reliable crew you may not go out as much.

That's the "talk me out of it part" but sailors are crazy.

If you want the other boat, go for it!

[RedHerring]

If I were you, I'd keep the 30-footer. It's big enough for your plans, and the running costs are half that of a 42-footer. Plus, you already have her and know here weak spots.

If you really need a bigger boat for a bigger party, just charter one.