young couple buying there first boat!!

[lemonbelly]

my husband and i are planning on buying our first boat this coming year. we are considering a sail boat or even a tug boat for a live aboard situation. we are limited in the amount of money we can spend so we are doing as much research on the type of boat we buy. we are also considering going through a broker to help with locating a boat and slip and handling the paperwork. we are both new to sailing and have limited knowledge of boats. i would be concerned that we might be taken advantage of or just buy the wrong boat. we need something nice enough that we feel safe and comfortable but cheep enough that it won't break us. so does any one have experience with brokers? do they waste there time with small budgets? Can any one recommend a broker for the california area?
can any of you share what type of boat you live on or would like to live on.
thanks

[SkiprJohn]

Obviously you want to buy a boat in CA? Are you in a big hurry? Can you go look at a few and get a feel for what you want? Your choice will be what you feel comfortable in once you are aboard. I don't know your budget but you can go as cheap or as expensive as you want for nearly any kind of boat depending on the quality and condition.
If you pick a boat that you like then post your question about that boat here on the forum. That way those who have experience with that particular boat will be able to respond. For liveaboard 10 to 15K, a Newport 30 sailboat is ok. They are not the best quality and are not designed to go across oceans. For liveaboard 30-40K, and Islander 36 Freeport is very comfortable. They have notable hull to deck join issues but are very good liveaboards and you can work on it. Could make a Pacific crossing but is mostly a coastal cruiser.
Those are just 2 you might want to check into. There are 100s more. Brokers can help but they can be as deceptive as a seller in a lot of respects. They will also show you everything they have listed and conveniently not show you other boats that might be available.
Kind regards,
JohnL

[Boracay]

What you might buy for a live aboard and what you might buy for a cruiser could be quite different.

For example: If you have a good slip and plan to live aboard then reliable engine/rig/sails/steering/hull etc. are nice, but might not have the importance of a good working holding tank, comfortable matresses, a good galley and internal space.

If you are going cruising then a smaller boat in good condition is indicated.

[Sandero]

House boat?

[Sunspot Baby]

Buying a boat that is already in a slip where you want to live could be important. Getting a live aboard slip in California can be next to impossible.

George

[KayKay58]

Hi Lemonbelly; My husband and I just bought our first sailboat a few months ago and are right now living aboard her. We looked at several boats, and took into consideration our abilities to make repairs and our very limited sailing knowledge, and settled on a Cal 9.2 30 ft. Right now she is pretty comfortable to live aboard, and it's just the two of us. We are going to move her to Corpus Christi Tx, and from there go to Cozumel, and other gulf destinations. You definitely need to keep in mind how much actual cruising you will be doing, and go from there. We used a broker for our boat, and was very pleased with the outcome, but just be sure to do your homework on any boat you are considering. Good luck, and welcome aboard!!

[lemonbelly]

well we are hoping to move back to california in january and would like to have a boat to move into then. i would like to have something between 30 and 70,000. but i don't know what the market is now. i know it would probably need work but i don't mind having something that doesn't look pretty but can sail. i don't know how often we will be taking her out to sea but i would like the option. at least to travel down to mexico. i would like to find a broker in california if possible. also a slip with live aboard option. i am also interested in the delta area. dose anyone know if it is realistic to take a sailboat into the delta.
thanks and have a great day!

[waverider]

With this budget in mind you have more then enough money to get a good boat in great shape. Look on Sailboatlistings dot com, and Yachtersworld dot com.

I have been searching boats for the last year and can tell you, if I had your budget I would be cruising the caribbean already and have a boat that any sailor would love to get out on for the day or the week. Of course this being said, you must be looking at used.

I have a 15, 000 dollar budget and there are a ton of boats from 30 to 36 feet in that price range in good condition. My opinion is go with half your budget and spend around 45,000 on a great boat. You dont need a broker but make sure you get 3 surveys. 1st a Hull and Deck survey from a Marine Survier, 2nd a Rigging Survey from a Rigging Shop, I would just buy a rigger a case of beer and have him or her check all the rigging and the mast head. 3rd have a Marine Mechanic look at the engine again this might cost as little as a case of beer....lol. With your budget you should be able to find a nice yacht around 38 to 40 feet in great condition.

If you get the green light from all 3 then buy the boat if you like it that much. Good luck and Great Sailing.

[GDFL]

I'd personally suggest a trawler for liveaboard. My wife and I are relatively young (28 and 27) and we bought a 37' trawler about a year ago. When we moved up from Florida recently, the brought the boat up with us. It was a quick and tiring adventure. Your budget should buy you plenty of boat. A couple of things that I will state are based on my personal experience so take them for what they're worth.

A separate stall shower is highly recommended as it allows you to shower on the boat easily instead of walking up to the facilities.

Our boat came with two OLD ac units. I replaced the two with a single modern reverse cycle unit with traditional programmable thermostat. It's a Mermaid Marine unit. We love it.

We have a "no number 2" policy on the boat and our 25gal holding tank gets us about 2.5weeks between pumpouts. Use that as a rough gauge for holding tank capacity.

Don't rule out any boat based on a few preconceived notions that you might have. A 36-40' sportfish could make an excellent liveaboard and some can be had cheap.

People live on just about any type of boat imaginable. The more you look at, the better idea you'll have of just exactly you want. I'd shop in a price range that left you with enough money to replace things and upgrade as necessary. Things WILL break no matter what the age and you'll need to have money to fix them. In addition to having to replace the air conditioning on our boat, I currently have two of our fuel tanks out to get fixed as one sprung a leak and the other one isn't far behind.

Good luck to you and don't be afraid to askfor opinions on potential boats.

[gettinthere]

Lots of variables here.
Do you want to do any long range cruising? A power boat can cost a lot in fuel bills. But if you don't plan on leaving the dock much then a power boat has more room for a given length.
We were power boaters and switched to sail. First thing we did was take a week long crewed charter to make sure we really liked handling a sailboat. What if you don't really like sailing?

Plan on your punch list being 4 times as long as you think it will be. There's always something that needs fixing and plenty of stuff you will want to change/add to the boat.
Expect to spend 20% of the purchase price on repairs/upgrades/changes.

Are you really atuned to the total cost of doing this?
Year round slip cost
livaboard fee
metered electricity
pre-purchase survey including haulout
insurance
repairs/upgrades/changes
bottom paint, including haulout
zinc changes and bottom scrub by diver every 6 months
fuel
pump out fees
sales tax & registration

Many of these items, like taxes, slip fees and insurance will be immediate hits to your cash reserves. My guess is you'll need at least $15,000 in additional cash the first year and probably more over and above the purchase price/down payment

good luck