Hello from Vancouver, BC

[Mathil]

Hey there


Just dropped into this forum to fill my mind with the boundless knowledge that resides here. Just to give you a plan on my sailing ambitions...


1) I'd like to take a week long live-aboard sailing course next summer. I've researched online and they seem to run from 1200-2000$ here in Vancouver. Any locals have a recommendation?

2) I'd like to buy myself a boat capable of sailing the coastal areas of British Columbia, Washington and Oregon. What size boat, and what setup is required to do this? I'd like something that's week-endable. Oh, and CHEAP.

3) Once I'm married, and have the requisite sailing skills and experience I'd like to try my hand at building my own cruiser. I'm a RV builder by trade (currently taking school, RV business is my fathers and I grew up in it) so I'm no foreigner to both wood and fibreglass construction methods. I build laminates of said materials every day at work, as well as finish carpentry and cabinetry. Throw in upholstery and gas/electric systems and I think I'm well set in the skills department. What kind of boats have people built? I'd like to build something capable of long term cruising Down the Baja, and into the sea of cortez. What length boat is required (read comfortable) for a couple doing a thing like this?


Thanks again for all the powers-at-be do, and thanks to the community for already making this place a worthwhile venture for me!

Bryan

[Evan]

To reply to 2) and 3)

2) Anything from 24' and up is weekendable. But if you live in Vancouver, it's a long way to the Oregon coast! And the outside coast of BC, Wash, and Oregon is a lot more rugged than the Gulf and San Juan islands. Stick with them until you get a lot more experience.

Your biggest trouble right now in Vancouver is getting affordable (or any) moorage, so see if you can buy a boat with an assumable moorage.

Best bets on typical weekender type boats (assuming you don't keep the first boat forever) is a well recognized brand name so that you have good resale value and lots of other owners for support. Maybe a Catalina or a Beneteau (both have average quality but good boat for buck ratio)

3) Boat building is a lot different than RVs. RV construction makes me shudder (no disrespect intended but they are not generally well put together). People have built all kinds of boats but it takes many years to build an average 30' boat for example. It makes more sense (time and money) to buy a used boat and fix it up. Boat building only makes sense if you WANT desperately to build a boat for its own sake.

A minimal length boat is probably around 30'. My wife and I cruised one for 4 years in Mexico/Central America /Carib. and lived aboard for another 4 years. We know of 2 other couples on a Westsail 28 and Vancouver 27, both heavy boats with lots of room, but poor sailing boats that will be overloaded with a typical couple's payload.

[Mathil]

Originally Posted by Evan

To reply to 2) and 3)

2) Anything from 24' and up is weekendable. But if you live in Vancouver, it's a long way to the Oregon coast! And the outside coast of BC, Wash, and Oregon is a lot more rugged than the Gulf and San Juan islands. Stick with them until you get a lot more experience.

Your biggest trouble right now in Vancouver is getting affordable (or any) moorage, so see if you can buy a boat with an assumable moorage.

Best bets on typical weekender type boats (assuming you don't keep the first boat forever) is a well recognized brand name so that you have good resale value and lots of other owners for support. Maybe a Catalina or a Beneteau (both have average quality but good boat for buck ratio)

3) Boat building is a lot different than RVs. RV construction makes me shudder (no disrespect intended but they are not generally well put together). People have built all kinds of boats but it takes many years to build an average 30' boat for example. It makes more sense (time and money) to buy a used boat and fix it up. Boat building only makes sense if you WANT desperately to build a boat for its own sake.

A minimal length boat is probably around 30'. My wife and I cruised one for 4 years in Mexico/Central America /Carib. and lived aboard for another 4 years. We know of 2 other couples on a Westsail 28 and Vancouver 27, both heavy boats with lots of room, but poor sailing boats that will be overloaded with a typical couple's payload.

RV construction makes me shudder as well. I work for a boutique builder who only does the special orders other mass production companies won't touch, because they can't crank them out in their terribly fitted MDF way....

I've also made wood/glass laminates that have been around the world and held up. I DO want to build a boat for buildings sake, as building things is what I love to do. I'm a huge auto junkie as well, and the thought of buying something when I could build it better turns me off.

I've looked into buying moorage outright, and it seems to run at about 11$ per foot per month. Steep!

Anyways, I'm just in the dreaming phase, and my post DID get rid of the little annoying banner every time I looked at a thread :P

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Bryan,
Welcome aboard! Evan has given good advice just to get you started in thinking about what to build (or buy). Because I've sailed boats from 8 to 55 and cruised on a few, I've always recommended a boat 32-36 LOD, fiberglass, diesel powered, cutter rigged and aft cockpit. In this economy it is better to buy someone's project boat and finish it yourself or just outright buy one in good condition.
If you get a chance to go down to Port Townsend to the Wooden Boat Festival you'll get all kinds of ideas and talk to many folks who know boatbuilding. They are all wood but you'll see the many varied designs that can be built of wood, composite or fiberglass. Also go down to the local marinas and talk with people that go cruising to get an idea of what they are sailing. Make certain you talk with people who actually go cruising, not the ones who hang out and talk about it.
Kind regards,
JohnL

[Mathil]

I've rubbed shoulders with at least 4 companies that build, repair and maintain boats and ships. Before we did our fiberglass work in shop we farmed it out to various boatbuilders around town. I suppose I have a good network of contacts there for later on in life.

Most of the reason for building a boat would be that I'm a man who works with his hands and likes to create. I'm currently schooling to become an electrical/mechanical engineer so it's very likely that I'll come home itching to create something from nothing, following a long day in front of a screen.