What to Look for in (Almost) First Sailboat (Used)

[goofeyfoot]

Hello all.

I'm not sure whether this is the correct forum, but I am trying to get into a used sailboat. I'm 60 years old now and I used to sail when I was 20. That was a long time ago.

I am trying to figure out what I should look for, what brands I should look for, what brands I should stay away from, what features I need, etc. I would look in the size range of around 30', maybe in the 30-40K $ range.

I live in North Carolina so I would be sailing off the coast there. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Michael

 

[rgranger]

I predict that this thread will grow very large. You have indeed found the right forum though. The people here are very generous with their time and collective knowledge.

To get a really good answer you will need to provide a few more details like

1) How do you plan to use the boat?
- Mostly day sailing with a few overnights?
- Long weekend mini-cruises?
- Do you plan to keep it in a marina or on a trailer?
- Do you need a fully functioning galley, head and a comfortable bed or a more spartan cabin (read easy to maintain).

2) What type of water will you be sailing in? I also do a lot of sailing off of the NC coast and for me... I love a swing keel boat because I sail in the Pamlico and Albemarle and like to go into shallow coves for the evening. But if you are going to do some sailing off of the Atlantic coast, you might want a deeper draft boat.

 

[goofeyfoot]

Thanks for your reply.

Boat would be in a slip. Working now so mostly weekend use. Will probably stay onboard. Don't know whether my lady friend will like that, but what can you do? I suppose some internal amenities might be good, at least on that score.

Will probably do mostly weekend coastal sailing. Maybe a week or something when I can get off work.

Regards.

Michael

 

[rgranger]

There is a lot to choose from and $40K would get you a very respectable boat. Do you want a shoal draft boat or something that you would feel comfortable going to the Bahamas in.

Personally, if my plan is to mostly day sailing in the sounds... I would stick with something that has a shoal draft and/or retractable keel/dagger board etc. There are a lot of really nice, deserted coves in the sounds and a lot of water that is less than 5'.

Catalina; O'Day; Hunter; etc. The brand is probably less important than how well it has been maintained, the condition of the sales, the condition of the electronics and the condition of the auxiliary motor. Go shopping, get a bunch of free "test sails" with the owners...

If you are shopping around Oriental go to their "town dock" website to browse some boats for sale..
http://towndock.net/

& Don't forget Craigslist.

http://outerbanks.craigslist.org/

 

[Bill Roosa]

Begining with the end in mind does your lady friend (lets start calling her the First Mate BTW) need an electric hair dryer? That probably sounds silly but that is the one show stopper for lots of gals and is also (by far and away) the largest electrical load that the boat has to handle. Kinda drives the rest of the sizing of the boat. Hair dryers are 30+' boat items as I've never seen a smaller boat able to pack a battery bank-inverter or genset large enough to survive even a single hair drying and not have it dominate the rest of the boat (ie take up lots of space for other stuff that is more frequently used)
For the record the "best" First Mates don't need a hair dryer or AC of any kind.

 

[Gunni]

Start with fun sail charters in places that are configured for tourism, develop your skills, try out different boats and ease the girlfriend into the sport. The NC ocean inlets are notoriously rough, so I would target the huge sound areas, the Neuse, Alligator rivers. There is wilderness waiting to discover If I were buying a boat it would be a catarmaran like the Farrier, Tom Cat, or a SeaRunner tri and I wouldn't even plan on entering the ocean unless it was a smooth day on Onslow bay.

 

[Bill Roosa]

My First Mate (best a guy could ask for) informs me that you should also check your first mate for motion sickness issues. Bigger boats are required for folks that have MS issues.
Lest youall think I'm off topic I would note that solo sailing is kinad like having sex alone, yea it is fun but it is much more fun with someone else...... ;-) so getting the first mate engaged is kinda important to over all happiness IMHO.

 

[goofeyfoot]

Ha. Too funny. Yes, the hairdryer is the most important piece of gear, with sails running a distant second.

On a more serious note, how to you narrow down the field? There is so much stuff out there that all looks good it is hard to select what's worth seeing. I have a link to about half a dozen different models and they all kind of look the same. At least to me.

 

[justsomeguy]

On a more serious note, how to you narrow down the field?

You post those contenders on your list here, then succumb to information overload.

It is the information age, after all...

 

[goofeyfoot]

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/cache/searchResults.jsp?toPrice=40,000&Ntk=boatsEN&searchtype=homepage&type=(Sail)&sm=3&luom=126¤cyid=100&cit=true&toLength=32&fromLength=30&fromPrice=30,000&slim=quick&N=879&is=false&pricderange=$30,000%20-%20$40,000&No=20


This is what I found.

 

[goofeyfoot]

Sorry. Guess that search thing doesn't post the same.

 

[rgranger]

... If I were buying a boat it would be a catarmaran like the Farrier, Tom Cat, or a SeaRunner tri and I wouldn't even plan on entering the ocean unless it was a smooth day on Onslow bay.

Gunni is onto something if you know you want to mostly sail in the sounds. A really shallow, fast boat would get you over to Ocracoke or Manteo in plenty of time for sundowners. When I was shopping for my current sailboat, I looked at a few small cruising pocket cats (The Hirrondele & and a Wharram).

 

[Bill Roosa]

I cannot stress enough the importanct of having a happy first mate. That will require a head! And not a porta potty type BTW. Gals do not like having to jump in the water to pee. BTW the other name for your first mate is "admeral" That should tell you enough to keep the focus on the important things.
I've found that, as you noted, they all look pretty much the same and in fact they are. Most boats have the sail power part solved so your real questions are:
trim sail from the cockpit or at the mast (or other location)
shoal draft for anchoring out or deeper draft for ocean sailing
cost for the slip (biggest ongoing expense) measured by the foot of boat so longer is more $$$
roller furling jib or hanked on (ease of use verses cost)
tiller or wheel steering
bimini or just a dodger ( you want a dodger at least, trust me)
helper electric motors (halyard winch and windlass)
and while we are on the subject of windlasses, your first mate is TOTALLY capable of helming the boat while your he-man the anchor, and even if you have a windlass he-man muskles are required at times and God gave those to you and not her. Gender roles also apply to boat tasks. I cannot tell you the number of times I've seen a guy at the helm and his first mate hand-over-handing the anchor rode. None of them looked really happy.... did I mention having a happy first mate?
Does she like to cook? the smell of pizza, cookies, bread,..... wafting out of the cabin is wonderfull so if she likes to cook you will want to make that "nice" for her and not a PITA.

 

[Ken Cross]

Welcome to the best forum on the web!
Speaking of First Mate one thing we found is she was uncomfortable climbing over the side to board the dinghy. It's much better with stern access to the water. The walk through transom made that much better. Ours is a 1989 Hunter 30 that needed some work for $28,000 plus tax. I always assume all boats need some work. It also has a pretty small draft (4 foot 3) but it has an 11 foot beam.

Ken

 

[lee oakley]

hello I bought a 30ft hunter cheribini last year and it is in Bath n.c. The marina is small but really is great!! Anyway there are a lot of sailboats in that area you may want to look there or go online at ebay a lot of beautiful sailboats forsale there

 

[Monterey385]

Look at the Catalina 320 ... Will keep the Admiral happy

 

[goofeyfoot]

Thanks for all the advice folks. It is great to hear from actual owners about the real issues.

Michael

 

[seadaddler]

Get the best boat in the best shape clean well taken care of and least $$$$
for any repairs and something that can be added to to make better and make nice and maybe your mate will help you enjoy sailing more.
Nick

 

[31seahorse]

Hello goofeyfoot, Don't forget a working water heater, a reasonable sized head that offers some privacy, and air conditioning. Both the hair dryer and the AC will run using shore power at the marina dock. Check the quality of the interior cushions since you will be staying aboard. Good quality material to start and then you can add memory foam layers or get full mattress for a very comfortable night's sleep. Remember you need sun protection and sometimes wind protection in the cockpit.....therefore a good sized and good quality bimini plus a dodger are necessary for the cruiser in all of us. Personally, I would second what seadaddler said.....choose the boat that is"best taken care of, clean, & for the least money". There will always be expenses that will pop up no matter how much you spend, so don't go all in with the purchase. Enjoy the search! 31seahorse

 

[JohnVTX]

Best thing to do at this point is get aboard some of the boats. You will find a comfort feel in one or two of them. Then focus on those two brands in your search.