what is a good cruising sailboat

[creekmorewidget]

I am looking for a roomy sailboat with a aft cabin is can be 33-45 feet..thanks

[Tspringer]

Uhhhhhh OK. How about a new Morris 45? That would do the trick ok I think. I am pretty sure they would build it for you with a center cockpit and aft cabin.

Halberg Rassy 42 or 46 would also be nice.




Terry

[slomotion]

Well, the aft cabin narrows it down a little, but not much. Pretty much all sailboats from 33' to 45' could be defined as "cruising sailboats." Way too many possibilities. How about a a 20+ year old Hunter Legend 40?

1980 hunter Boats For Sale

[creekmorewidget]

Originally Posted by slomotion

Well, the aft cabin narrows it down a little, but not much. Pretty much all sailboats from 33' to 45' could be defined as "cruising sailboats." Way too many possibilities. How about a a 20+ year old Hunter Legend 40?

1980 hunter Boats For Sale

we only want to spend around70,ooo and we want an older boat

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Tspringer

Halberg Rassy 42 or 46 would also be nice.



Terry

And Oyster has a 45 too, dont they? About $2 million? Or a little less?

I want one. (Actually I want 2 incase I trash one with a wild beer and rum piss-up!)

[eyschulman]

I think what the others are trying to say your question is lacking specificity and a lot more detail is needed to give an answer. Also in the end the choice is often made based on individual taste and what happens to turn up for sale in your price range. The experienced boater will have some fixed ideas about what they want and may hunt it down. And when he or she finds it there will be numerous other experienced boaters that disagree with there choice.

[Pblais]

we only want to spend around 70,000 and we want an older boat

The boat you seek is a lot older than you think. When it all comes down to the size of the aft cabin you may end up with a wreck with a huge aft cabin. Specificity is really the problem. When the only issue is one issue it's all too easy to say that nothing else matters. A huge aft cabin just fills with all the stuff you brought and becomes not roomy. Between 33 and 45 ft there are few "roomy" aft cabins except on the 45 ft end of the scale. At $70,000 there isn't anything of that size that can be considered reliable without a lot more money to make it right.

It needs to be less about the aft cabin and more about the the trip in mind. Your budget does not allow the requirements you present when you provide no other details of what you expect to do. The crowd here is not being all that kind. I think you need to a lot more clarity to expectations vs resources.

[Sailormann]

I don't want to seem rude, but I think you are getting a little ahead of yourself. It would be a really good idea to buy something around 18 or 20 feet and learn to sail. Sell it after a couple of years and buy something around 27 - maybe even 30 - feet. Sail that for a while and do some cruising. Then start thinking about a 45 footer once you have some experience and have an idea of what it costs in both time and money to maintain a 45 foot boat.

Good Luck ! Hope everything works out well

[skipmac]

I have to agree with Mr Blais. Some of the other replies are not being all that helpful, but the way the question was asked did open the door to a bit of sarcasm.

To get a meaninful answer a lot more information is required. First, define your version of cruising. To some this means day sails and weekends around the local bay. To others this means the trade winds route across the Pacific. Obviously very different boats required depending on which you plan.

If local crusing then the area needs to be defined. The FL Keys would suggest shoal draft, San Francisco Bay could handle a deeper keel.

You should also make a realistic evaluation of your skills in terms of repair and maintenance of an older boat. Can you be a mechanic, carpenter, electrician, rigger, plumber, sailmaker, and more? If not, focus on a smaller boat in better condition.

So, send more info and get more answers.

Good luck

[Randyonr3]

At one time I also thought small was the way to go to learn the hows and whys but times are a changing...
Some good friends of ours just bought a 50 foot Beneteau and puting it into the charter fleet in San Francisco.. Over the next 4 years the boat will be paid off (by the charter)and during this time they will learn to sail, sometimes on thier own boat.
They plan on leaving in 5 years..not a bad plan...

[skipmac]

Well maybe for some things, but to learn basic sailing, sail trim, etc you cannot beat a small boat. You get immediate and noticeable response to any sail adjustment and in very small boats, a dunking if you do it wrong.

But for general seamanship, boat handling, etc you do need a big boat with all the associated systems to get hands on practise.

[one_day35]

Hey there, these may be at the lower end of your size preferences, (no manhood jokes please), but some of the more common aft cabins I have come across, are the Manitou 32, which demonstrate a good layout, and good use of interior space in my humble opinion or the aft cabin version of the Doven 30. There is an aft cabin design sitting next to my boat at the marina, which appears to be either a Roberts, or Boden design, but not sure. Looks to be about 38', but cannot comment on its interior layout as I have never been aboard her. If I get the opportunity to chat to her owner and find the details soon, I will post again to let you know. I love the aft cabin concept personally, and will probably make one my next boat. Good luck!

Cheers