Dreamer...soon to be sailer

[g-cubed]

Hi everyone,

New guy here, like many, have dreamed about owning and living on a sailboat for a lifetime...and finally doing it! Did little beyond drool over boats all my life so learning a lot at the moment.

Glad to be here, thanks for all the info!

[skipmac]

Welcome to the forum drooler, I mean g-cubed.

So where in the world, what kind of boat and what kind of boating?

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Welcome to the forum drooler, I mean g-cubed.

So where in the world, what kind of boat and what kind of boating?

Welcome aboard, g-cubed, if you tell us a little more along the lines of Skipmac's suggestion, it will improve our input.

Ann

[cwyckham]

Welcome! As you can see, there are people here who are eager to help you in your journey. The two folks above me have a combined total of 12,000 posts!

[g-cubed]

Thanks everyone!

Well, I'm in Toronto at the moment. Will be moving out West to Vancouver Island later this year. That's when I hope to buy a 36-44' sailboat for cruising around the island and the coast and living aboard. I hope to one day sail down to Panama...but that'll remain a dream for quite a while longer.

I don't have a sailboat yet...(I realize now that I wrote "doing it"...I guess doing something about it is more accurate). I'm still open to suggestions but if I can find an affordable Tayana 37 or Baba 40, I'll be very happy.

Being new to the forum I wasn't sure how much detail I should go into on my first post - I wrote this post asking for some suggestions for boats...

Thanks again!

[Hudson Force]

g-cubed, welcome to the community. Keep us informed of your progress and adventures to come!

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by cwyckham

Welcome! As you can see, there are people here who are eager to help you in your journey. The two folks above me have a combined total of 12,000 posts!

More importantly, they probably also have more than a combined total of 12,000 sea miles!

[g-cubed]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Welcome to the forum drooler, I mean g-cubed.

So where in the world, what kind of boat and what kind of boating?

Hi Skipmac,

Thanks for the reply (I've answered your question briefly above). After googling what a Pearson 422 looked like, I think to myself - "wow, nice boat!". I'm really wondering how anyone actually chooses a boat out of so many!?! Does it really come down to what you find locally at the time of purchase? Or do most people buy THE boat they want, and then have it shipped to them?

From my admittedly basic perspective, I'm approaching my purchase like so: Budget, Sailing requirements, living requirements, aesthetics.

My budget is in the $100K range. As far as sailing requirements, I'd like to be able to sail singlehanded and after some ongoing reading I'm leaning towards a cutter. As it will be a live-aboard, something in the 38-40' range seems comfortable for me. Based on those things, many boats fall into my range (right?), and my last criteria is aesthetics...which again I find I like a great many boats. I'm not at the point of basing my decision on specific layouts...I'm almost certain most will meet my needs. But I do like the traditional wooden inside (like your Pearson. I understand the level of maintenance required and I'm ready and willing.

I like the wooden deck of the Tayana and Baba 40 which is why I mention them over others (and I once taught English in Taiwan so there is a bit of nostalgia there). But really, I'm open to any suggestions.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by g-cubed

! drool over boats all my life

That's kind of a new one

May the spit be with you (you're need it if you get one of those old boats with teak decks)!

[Tayana42]

g-cubed, sounds like a good dream to me. Don't decide too quickly on a boat brand or rig type. Give lots of thought to what you will actually do with the boat.

Make lists of what you will need, how much tankage, how big an engine, generator, solar, davits, number of cabins and heads, stowage space, etc. If there are features you really want (or don't want) list them, teak decks, double ender, cutter rig.

When you start to look at boats remember that with older boats in your price range it's all about condition, maintenance and updating. Condition is more important than brand or design.



S/V B'Shert

[g-cubed]

Thanks again everyone

Tayana42 - Thanks for the tips. I haven't decided on the Tayana or Baba, they just kept coming up in my searches in my price range and in the style I like. I would like something that has a reputable track record, and I've honestly enjoyed reading Robert Perry's writings online. I've done a list of what I want, but I expect I'll want to add some things after buying:

36-40' cutter
teak interior
2 cabins
1 head
full galley
teak cockpit
teak sidedecks
davits
roller furling main and jib or slab reefing full batt main with a dutchmen
self tailing winches
auto tack
autopilot
electric windlass with both foot switches and cockpit switch so I can drop and raise the anchor from the cockpit
All lines leading aft
tiller lock
shore power inlet
generator
electric bilge pump
manual bilge pump

As far as interiors, again, I like the Tayana and Baba, I'm sure there are other similar interiors that I would like.

As i get closer to knowing what I'm looking for, I've read and it has been suggested to me that I go through a broker. I have found a number of west-coast brokers - is it customary to only decide on a single broker (or is it better to work with more than one)?

What kind of services can I expect from a broker? I would need a professional to survey the boat prior to purchase (and tell me what needs fixing, whether it is a good value, etc) - is this something a broker would arrange? Would brokers tend to sell locally owned boats, or are they typically also able to broker international deals and take care of all the taxes, shipping, import duties, etc?

Any help is appreciated!

[cwyckham]

usedvictoria.com has lots of used boats on it.

I personally wouldn't want to have teak decks due to maintenance, but each to his own.

I also strongly prefer a fin keel for upwind performance. Again, not something you asked me about, though!

This is a great place to cruise, but liveaboard slips can be hard to find. There was a recent thread on liveaboard slips in Victoria.

[Graham andClare]

Hi there, I have good friends with a tayana 42 who are happily cruising the east coast of Australia as I write. Gallivant is a beautiful boat with many advantages. The teak decks are not one of them. Many weeks were spent rejuvenating the aging teak and recaulking. In the Queensland sun, the teak also gets very hot underfoot. When we were looking for our new boat we were particularly looking for no teak decking. There is enough maintenance already. Still, we looked at a few Tayana and they were amongst our top choices. Great cruising boat.