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Old 16-02-2008, 21:27   #1
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New to NC, New to forum, looking for boat

Hi All,

I'm obviously new to this forum. It looks like a great resource, and I'll be lurking around while I get clues, and posting when I can contribute.

My wife and I have been bareboat sailers for over 10 years now, mostly in the BVI (and not every year, alas). We moved to NC from CO and are looking to buy a sailboat as a weekend get away. I'm hoping this forum can help us decide what and where. We're looking for something used, not extremely old, and in the 30'-40', or so we've come to believe so far.

What forums would be appropriate to open discussions on what used boat manufacturers are the most likely to be well found, etc? I've looked around and done a few searches, but haven't found any existing discussions on the general topic of used boats.

Any other web resources for this topic, and/or location in NC for putting a boat in would be most welcome.

Thanks!
Batkins61
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Old 17-02-2008, 05:24   #2
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While no specific answer can be made to such a general question, and members of this forum often have widely varying opinions, here are some thoughts.

If you are planning to sail NC sounds and rivers, you don’t need a super robust boat as you will be in mostly sheltered waters and seldom far from a safe haven. A shallow draft is desirable. If you are looking offshore, then a robust boat is a must. The waters off NC can be very rough at times, the “Grave Yard of the Atlantic” and all that.

There are many boat brokers in New Bern, Oriental, Beaufort, Wilmington, etc. and a lot of boats for sale.

Keeping your boat in Washington, Bath, New Bern, Oriental, etc. puts you in areas with good sailing, plenty of gunk holes, and charming towns to visit. Fortunately it is still fairly easy to find dockage around here and rates are generally lower than Chesapeake or points south of us. Beaufort, Wilmington and others will put you closer to the Atlantic.

We live in New Bern but right now are gone of a several months on the boat. We would be happy to get together with you and discuss the area and share what knowledge we have when we return. Send me a private message and we can discuss how we might do that.

George
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Old 17-02-2008, 07:32   #3
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Thanks for the info and invite! We'll definitely be contacting you.

I don't see an obvious forum to discuss things like good areas to put a boat in, or tips on buying a boat, broker vs. no broker, etc.? What forum would be appropriate for this sort of discussion. I don't want to earn the ire of the forum community so quickly ;-)
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Old 17-02-2008, 20:14   #4
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Aloha Batkins,
Welcome aboard! Hope you can find the answers to your questions here. I always recommend 32-36 feet LOD, fiberglass hull, aft cockpit, cutter rigged with a diesel engine. If you start to look at boats and see one you are curious about just start a discussion with "Would you buy a _______." You are certain to get lots of opinions because this is an opinionated group.
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Old 17-02-2008, 21:14   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SkiprJohn View Post
Aloha Batkins,
Welcome aboard! Hope you can find the answers to your questions here. I always recommend 32-36 feet LOD, fiberglass hull, aft cockpit, cutter rigged with a diesel engine. If you start to look at boats and see one you are curious about just start a discussion with "Would you buy a _______." You are certain to get lots of opinions because this is an opinionated group.
Kind Regards,
JohnL
Thanks John! Just curious, why do you recommend a cutter rig?
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Old 18-02-2008, 16:34   #6
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At the risk of puting words into John's mouth, cutter rigs do give a good combination of sail option (to suit varying wind conditions), and, with self-furlers, allow you to change your sailplan to suit the conditions without even leaving the cockpit.

Having said that, I do think that it is important to remain open minded about different designs. Don't get to thinking that a particular type of boat / number of masts / sails is the "best" answer. Be prepared to look at anything and see what works best / feels right for you. Every boat is a compromise, with strengths and weaknesses. The trick is to find the boat who's strengths are high priorities for you and who's weaknesses are of low importance to you.
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Old 19-02-2008, 08:52   #7
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I can imagine all sorts of advantages to a cutter rig, but having never sailed one, I'm only imagining them.

Are cutter rigs more efficient than a larger genoa (I would guess so)? Most inner foresails (what's that called in a cutter anyway?) are self tacking, aren't they?

Thanks!
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Old 19-02-2008, 09:17   #8
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Since you moved to NC from CO, I am guessing you are living in RDU. If you want a nice place to keep your boat without having to drive 3+ hours, I would suggest little Washington. Its only a 2 hour drive and the marinas are cheap compared to Oriental or Beaufort. The water is cleaner (though still repulsive) on the Pamlico compared to the Neuse river. I keep my boat in Belhaven at a little marina on Dowry Creek. This is a great marina with pool, nice clubhouse and clean water (far less effluent discharge from upsteam towns and cities). Its cheap to boot, I keep my 41' for $150 a month, plus electricity. They dont have haulout, or a yard, but 5 miles away there is a full service marina where you can haul out. Washington has a free (up to two day) city dock and two yards with fairly reasonable rates. There is also a Lowes, West Marine, Walmart, a nice downtown and bars. New Bern has quite a bit to offer as well. There are a ton of boats for sale there. Oriental has a West Marine and a couple bars and restaurants, but is pretty limited and expensive. The sailing community is extreemly active there, though. If you have any other questions, I would be more than happy to answer them.
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Old 19-02-2008, 10:30   #9
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Aloha Batkins,
I am opinionated and many here don't agree but I like the cutter rig because of the sail options and the size of sails. The Yankee (genoa or drifter) and the jib (staysail) can be any size or shape that you want. You can set them at the same time or separately and you can remove your staysail stay with a quick release to tack a very large genny in light winds. You can have your staysail on a boom or not and make it self tacking, so when tacking all you do is "helm's alee" with no sheet handling. Just some more sail handling fun and in a real blow you can sail with just your little staysail on a boom and a reefed main and not worry about all the big headsail out there.
Again, just my opinion.
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Old 19-02-2008, 11:04   #10
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I don't know where in NC you will live, but we live in Raleigh and keep our boat in New Bern. There are many other good areas, depending on your needs. One good resource for finding a place to keep your boat is the salty southeast cruiser's net at http://cruisersnet.net/. You can find used boats for sale by visiting marinas in the area.
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Old 19-02-2008, 11:13   #11
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I am also in NC on the coast and while the Albemarle and Pamlico can be rough and very uncomfortable...they ARE sheltered with plenty of places to pull in when a real blow is on. The ideal boat will be shoal draft...perhaps a centerboarder... to enable you to take advantage of the sailing and not have to stick to channels. While cutters and ketches are nice for offshore...there is certainly no need for one in the sounds of NC. A lighter displacement sloop rig will do the trick as much of the summer sailing season consists of very light winds until the seabreeze sets in around mid afternoon.
Oriental is where most boats are found and sold in NC...but you will have far more choice by widening the search to Annapolis and Norfolk as well...all less than a week of cruising away from say...Oriental.
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Old 19-02-2008, 12:21   #12
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We just bought our boat in November, and are keeping her in Washington. I would agree on the draft thing, Ours is 5'3" on paper, and I think that is a bit much for this area. There are lots of nice choices for where to keep a boat here, but first, you much buy the boat!

Good luck in your search. Lots to choose from out there!
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