help..is there a cruising boat under 25k?which one for us?

[newbiesailor]

hello all, first thanks you for this forum, its great and i read and learn a lot from you all here.
asking for some advise as we are not experienced sailors and want to buy a boat.
might be good, might be a bad idea. we sure find out soon.

first of all, it's two of us, no dogs,cats,kids on the boat. planning on having sometimes one or 2 friends on the boat for a few days. if they ever come... so we do not need a huge boat. we plan to buy a boat in florida, going down the coast and over to the bahamas, cuba, caribbean. more island hopping , close to the shore and not going transatlantic.(or?)
now, what kind of boat should we buy?
price range is under 25000us$, thats the limit, if i spend more i have to eat fish and rice for the rest of my life...

would like a solid boat, easy to sail, some space inside for 2 and with a seperate cabin for 2 guests, engine, yes, sails, yes, good rigging and sails, yes, monohull, yes, i think cats are not in this price range?if there are, i want one!!!
as we are esay going, we do not need fancy things like aircon,sat tv,icemaker,and stuff like that to exist, like to spend money on rum instead, or?

so, is there a boat in this price range, can we get something decent enough to cruise the caribbean? sure an older boat, but what can you all recommend, please help 2 newbies......

thanks for a reply, keep posting, bring it on!!!!!!

[TeddyDiver]

You better look for a bargain in some remote islands where someone's cruise has allready ended..

[Doodles]

Here you go ... and a $100 left over.

1977 Tartan Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

Make sure and get a survey though. I just notice the last thing say "last haulout '04" !!!

[Doodles]

Another possibility ....1979 ERICSON MARK II sailboat for sale in Florida

[capngeo]

There are gobs of good old monos for sale in FL under $25k. A buddy just bought a 30 something Pearson for $12k... Yeah it needs some work, but what boat doesn't?

[Doodles]

And most listed at $25K are very negotiable.

[Reach-around]

Yes. You will find issues on any 25k boat. Far less than a 10k boat.
Get a survey. The money spent on survey will save you many thousands and give you more negotiating power.
You will also now have a list made by an experienced captain of what needs to be addressed.

[Lowcountry]

Allied makes some great cruising boats in the 30' range that are both seaworthy and affordable.

[Reach-around]

I should correct myself in saying, money spent on a survey will save you because a good surveyor will point out problems that,could be used for negotiation.
Also, be sure to use your own surveyor and not one hired by the sellers broker.
I would look at Endevour Yachts also in the 30-35ft range.
Whatever you get, make sure it is a moderate or heavy displacement for more steady motion at sea.
What you give up in speed and/or comfort will give safety and peace of mind during passages. Caribean waters have larger waves and higher winds than those near Florida.

[newbiesailor]

sure that might be cheaper, but its expensive to get to some places and if the boat is no good it might be a waist of a trip... i think in florida are much more boats to choose from , sure its probably more expensive...

[newbiesailor]

Originally Posted by Reach-around

I should correct myself in saying, money spent on a survey will save you because a good surveyor will point out problems that,could be used for negotiation.
Also, be sure to use your own surveyor and not one hired by the sellers broker.
I would look at Endevour Yachts also in the 30-35ft range.
Whatever you get, make sure it is a moderate or heavy displacement for more steady motion at sea.
What you give up in speed and/or comfort will give safety and peace of mind during passages. Caribean waters have larger waves and higher winds than those near Florida.

thanks for that, thats some good points. i think its much more comfortable as well then a smaller boat, specially after a few months boats tend to feel smaller.... but also to consider the costs, i think 35 feet or so would be our max, as marina fees ,haulout etc get more and more expensive with bigger boats. not want to spend much time in marinas anyway, but it all adds up after a while..

[newbiesailor]

Originally Posted by Doodles

And most listed at $25K are very negotiable.

like that point.. i see many many boats on the market in this pricerange. will be hard to choose i guess once we visit a few...

[Phisher]

I purchased my boat last month and paid less than half of the asking price. Times are tough for some and one man's trouble may be another man's dream. Look at a lot of boats and be patient. Good luck!!!

[starfishy]

We bought a 1969 Pearson P35 with a good running diesel engine for $9k last summer in FL. Granted she needed some updating (no refrigeration, new water tanks, new standing rigging, etc.) but she is a good boat that we spent 2 months on in the Bahamas this winter and we live aboard FT. She got us through some gnarly seas (12-15 beam seas off of Eleuthera!).

Spend alot of time on the boat you want to buy, look at everything, ask questions, if you don't know what to look for, spend the money for an informal survey (we had someone that surveyed boats for insurance companies do a survey for us where he didn't do the write up that takes a ton of time and costs alot, it cost us $100). Then make them an offer. We offered $6k less than the boat was listed for and they took it without haggling at all.

Good luck!! Get out there now :-) You won't regret it.