How Much $ ?

[land-locked]

I've been sailing recreationally on intercoastal waters and shallow coastal waters my entire life, but I've always had the dream of moving out to sea on a big cruising catamaran and traveling around the world for a few years. The problem is: I need a boat.

At this point in my life, if I really devote myself, I can put about 20k/year toward this goal. I want to know how much it will cost to get a true seaworthy catamaran capable of long bluewater passages and circumnavigation. Am I on a 2-year plan, a 5-year plan, or a 10-year plan? How about building my own? What are my options?

Thanks!

[cdennyb]

I'm devoting $200K for the vessel, (I need the size due to research & diving equipment) and $15K for living expenses per year. I don't want any excess payments on the boat and the whole reason for retiring and living aboard and cruising is to NOT have to work to cruise. I'm on the 2 yr plan currently... I figure it'll take about that long to yard sale all my crap and get the real estate moved.
just my situation.

[barnakiel]

I think you can get a decent if old one for about 100k.

b.

[axel&andie]

well, you haven't specified anything (beyond the bluewater/circumnavigation requirement) on the kind of boat you are looking for, and certain items in the wishlist can change the search results considerably, but, a quick search of the market shows that under $150k, you can find:

multiple Fountaine Pajots (Athena 38, Tobago 35, Lavezzi 40), some of which have been chartered, others, privately owned;

a few Nautitech 395s;

a few Edel 36s;

and a number of custom builds, one-offs, etc.

Of course, each one of these would have different requirements, repairs, other potential expenses, so it's hard to generalize. If you go under 100k, you might still find a few gems, but from what I understand, you want to limit the amount you want to spend repairing/updating/upgrading, which means a higher beginning price range.

Between 150k-250k you have a huge range of options, some of them just a few years old, and apparently well-cared for. In that case, you'd be looking at a 10-year plan.

[Tropic Cat]

12 meter catamarans which are blue water capable (there's two for sale on my website) begin at $125K and can rise into the stratosphere. Remember that a boat's sale price is just the price of entry into boat ownership. Refit/upgrades will also cost quite a bit.