newer and smaller or older and bigger?

[mabai]

Hi all,

I was hoping you could help me with some direction for realising my goals.


The plan is to take a year off work (unfortunately that is all I am able to take) and to start sailing in the beginning of June in the mediterrean for a few months prior to crossing the atlantic and spending the final 6 months in the caribbean. Upon completion I would either sell the boat or put in storage until I could return again.

I am Australian and live here as well. At this stage my plan would be to purchase a boat in the winter prior to leaving have whatever work may be required to get her in shape whilst I return to work in Australia and then fly back to set sail for the year.

My all in boat budget is 100k AUD (approx 70k USD/62500euro)

My current feeling is to purchase a 33ft or 35ft boat as it would be newer and limit the amount of maintenance or prep to get ready for the trip.. would you agree?

What boat would you recommned and what add ons are vital for a year away?


Cheers


p.s please link any relavant threads you think may help

[MartinR]

I would think you should look at boats for max 40000$. There is a lot to choose from. And you have another 30k for equipment.

I would probably go for older and smaller;-) How many people do you plan on?

[mabai]

Ok thanks, are there any particular brands you think that would worth looking into?

my original thoughts that were to get an early 33-35 production boat.

There will be 2 people onboard.

[MartinR]

Actually the brand matters less than what you want from the boat.
If you want a boat that takes care of you or one that is more fun to sail but requires more attention. And, how much motion comfort you like.

Also, condition matters far more than age. A 10 year old boat maybe needs everything replaced, while a well maintained 40 year old boat might just be turn-key.

[JimsCAL]

Have you considered buying a boat in the northeast US, spending the summer in New England waters, and then heading for the islands?

[mabai]

The route isn’t set exactly but I do feel quite keen on the med that Caribbean way. It more about selecting a boat which will take me on my trip with out too much work as time is the most restricted resource.

[MartinR]

Originally Posted by JimsCAL

Have you considered buying a boat in the northeast US, spending the summer in New England waters, and then heading for the islands?

There are better boats to be found in the US for a given price. And New England is a beautiful cruising area.

[MartinR]

https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/197...ay-36-3251305/

[Pete7]

Have you done much offshore sailing? the reason I ask is that is quite a lot of sailing on a strange yacht without the opportunity to find out if you need to make any changes or if you are up to it. Deadlines are really bad news and lead to people making the wrong decisions.

You might search back a decade for Markj who bought a Beneteau 393 and with his gf sailed it 1.5 times around the world. I think he had some offshore experience prior to going but did minimal work on the boat. He also did some you tube videos of a single handed Atlantic crossing.

I don't think there are any vital add ons for a one year trip and the less you buy in Europe with 20% plus VAT rates probably the better if you want to crystalise the value back once in the US by selling it. They have funny voltages and wiring in the US which won't help selling a European boat.

You will want a decent chart plotter or pc based nav system and a couple of back ups. A couple of spare secondhand sails would be good for a twin head sail rig along with a decent dinghy. Some sort of bimmini to protect the crew from the sun and some solar panels will be very useful and cheap.

You don't need a watermaker or SSB, but sat comms like Iridium go for weather and texts to family again very useful at a reasonable cost. Cheap sextant for fun to learn along the way.

Pete

[boatman61]

This meets all your needs.. being Australian and the fact you'll be taking it out of the EU the fact that VAT is not paid is in your favour, its cheaper than a VAT paid boat.
Looks to be well equipped and needing minimum prep for the trip.. she will handle a Transat with ease.
https://www.apolloduck.com/boat/bene...nis-323/458682

[Pete7]

The Beneteau Clipper looks nice, clean and newish, therefore likely to be easily to sell state side in a year.

The Conway Mart suggested would make a great yacht if you plan on keeping it for some years. The Merc 42hp engine is a nice bonus.

Perhaps your problem is too many yachts to choose from.

Good luck and do let us know how you get on.

Pete

[MartinR]

Two important factors. In the Med you need a good engine. And in the Caribbean and across the Atlantic you want sails in reasonable shape unless you like sewing.

Bimini is nice, dinghy is obligatory.

Autopilot is very nice if you are only two.

Good ground tackle, anchor, windlass is also necessary.

There are so many boats out there, it boils down to personal preference.

[stormalong]

Originally Posted by MartinR

Two important factors. In the Med you need a good engine. And in the Caribbean and across the Atlantic you want sails in reasonable shape unless you like sewing.

Bimini is nice, dinghy is obligatory.

Autopilot is very nice if you are only two.

Good ground tackle, anchor, windlass is also necessary.

There are so many boats out there, it boils down to personal preference.

Autopilot is mandatory, not just nice to have. It also needs to be good enough to run 24/7 in rough conditions for at least two weeks. Spares or duplicates required as well.

The biggest issue with your plans is finding the right boat equipped for what you want to do with it. The second biggest hurdle is preparing yourself with the skills to choose the right boat and be able to sail it. Boats are not like cars - you cannot just buy it and drive it away. Sure, there are tons of boats for sale but most are set up for day sailing and short trips.

Crossing the Atlantic via the Canaries is about the roughest sailing you can do. Both the boat and the crew have to be up for the task. That path is littered with broken equipment and a few abandoned boats.

Why not try to get some serious experience before pulling the trigger on your own boat. Get a crew position on an ARC boat (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers). A lot less expensive than doing it in your own boat and far more educational.

[boatman61]

Forget crossing from the Canaries, that's for masochists..
Stop in the Canaries to provision up then carry on down to the Cap Verdes and cross from there.. the overall distance is just about the same and the Trades are steady and well established unlike further N.. the Canaries only became popular since the ARC rallies started, prior to this folks followed the traditional route.

[stormalong]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Forget crossing from the Canaries, that's for masochists..
Stop in the Canaries to provision up then carry on down to the Cap Verdes and cross from there.. the overall distance is just about the same and the Trades are steady and well established unlike further N.. the Canaries only became popular since the ARC rallies started, prior to this folks followed the traditional route.

The traditional route is to beat your way south, towards the Cap Verdes until you pick up the trades. Then turn west. Stopping in the Cap Verdes does not change this. It is easy to continue angling south until the winds settle down a bit and then you must angle north if you want to make your landfall in the Caribbean instead on South America.