New sailor

[Cecilia Ve]

Hello, I am a new sailor and want to buy a boat to live in it and learn how to sail slowly. In 2-3 years sail down to Costa Rica so I need advice. Which one would be better for a mature woman, a 1984 Hunter 31 or a 1981 Catalina 30?
Thanks and any other tip would be greatly appreciated.
Cecilia

 

[agprice22]

Why only those two boats? Neither one is really a blue water sailer. Where will you sail in the meantime? You seem more intent on immediately living aboard than sailing. Why? How mature are we talking about? Sailing requires strength. Are you planning to single-hand the boat? That takes strength, skill, planning and endurance. I think you can see that this is more complex than just a choice of two boats.

 

[Cecilia Ve]

Hi, thanks for replying. Those are the 2 that are available right now in San Diego in more or less my price range. I want to live in it to make sure I like it, and learn while i live in it and sailing would be just around here, maybe to Catalina Island, down to Mexico, but not far of course until I feel I am ready. I will not be sailing alone, I will always find someone to help, if not my kids, someone. I am mature but very strong, very determined, very handy (general contractor), very organized, have gone around the world on a van for 2 years, so if I like living on my boat, I can go anywhere and eventually maybe buy a better boat and cruise around the world (on my bucket list). So what do you think which would be best for a beginner ? Thanks for your time.

 

[LeslieTroyer]

water and food storage will likely limit you on either of those boats on the length of trip you can go on.

 

[Cecilia Ve]

Hi Leslie, thanks for your advice. What i am thinking is like I told Andrew before, this is my first boat , so its mostly to learn and end then go on short trips, but its sort of big enough to live in it comfortably and see if I like boat life. Eventually if things go as I expect and decide to sail afar, then probably I would get a bigger and better boat. So your suggestion, which one would be best for my purposes now? Thanks

 

[David in Sandusky]

I’d pick the boat first in better condition and, second that you like. I agree with the earlier posts, but if you do enough sailing and reading in the next few years, you will be ready to make your own decision about whether to upgrade before you head south. Both boats would serve you well until then.

Good luck with your move to join us in the cruising crowd!

 

[kloudie1]

My take on both .. The Hunter probably has a little more storage space and is a very small bit faster sailing ..It requires more attention at the helm when sailing.. I like Yanmar engines better than Universals, but that is a personal preference thing..
The Catalina has a little roomier feel and is a more forgiving boat to sail..
Both are good sturdy coastal cruisers .. Check out the owners' evaluations on site here: https://hunter.sailboatowners.com/resources/index.php?task=model&mid=25
https://forums.sailboatowners.com/i...a-30-issues.186969/&highlight=catalina owners
Go and sail on a couple.. to get a feel for your preferences..
Welcome to the group !

 

[JohnShannon]

It isn't too hard to sail a boat slowly, fast is a little bit tricky. 30 ft is a good size too big, and everything gets expensive, and physically hard to handle. Lin and Larry Pardee (sp?) have written some books they are hardcore cruisers and suggest 30 ft as about optimum size.

 

[agprice22]

I think either BRAND would be fine for coastal cruising. Can you take them for a sail? See which one you prefer on the water, underway, sailing.
Will you have a survey? If you do not sail and have not owned a cruiser before, then you need experienced eyes to look over all the equipment before you buy, otherwise, you could be spending money fixing the boat. Do not place a high value on electronics on an old boat.
The two boats you have chosen are pretty equal high-production, lower cost, brands. They are fine boats for your purposes and price range.
Thus, it is not so much the brand as the condition of the boat for the money. Also, perhaps do not just look in your immediate area. I have to imagine there are more than 2 from which to choose. The more boats you see, the smarter you will get!
Right now, asking generally about brand and length and year is a start. Now you gotta go much deeper.

 

[capta]

First and foremost you should be looking at the livability of any well built boat you are thinking of buying. Very few folks sail even 10% of the time, but if they live aboard they do that 100% of the time.
There are some boat manufacturers that are much more interested in their bottom line than the safety of the folks who sail their boat, or just plain do not design or build some boats in their lines for offshore sailing. Often this is a matter of personal choice, but if you read through old threads you will soon get an impression of which the members prefer for offshore sailing and those the majority do not.
Generally, it is not a good idea to purchase a boat larger than a dinghy before you have some sailing experience under your belt, on as many different boats as you can. How can you choose wisely if you know nothing of the subject?
I completely disagree with the posting above about needing strength to sail. Almost everything we do aboard our boats is aided by mechanical advantage and equipment that is designed to minimize the physical strength needed. If you think about it, what difference would strength make when manhandling my 77,000 pound boat, which I have singlehanded? I'd best be using leverage and mechanical advantage whether I'm 21 or 71, or I am going to injure myself.
Some go for sailing lessons, but I'd recommend you begin this adventure by walking the docks in your area and working your way aboard other people's boats for day sails. This is most easily accomplished by being there when the boats come in after sailing and offering to help clean and put the boat to bed.
You might want to pick up a copy of Royce's Sailing Illustrated as a basic primer. It covers just about everything one needs to know to safely handle a small craft in a fun, yet comprehensive format. From anchoring to boat nomenclature and even splicing, it's got most of what you'll need for getting started, yet is still a good reference book for the most experienced of us. No preachy tome here.
The sailing is the easy part! It ain't rocket science, humans have been doing it for eons. It's the maintenance and repairs on the boat that take the time and expertise, or a big bank account to pay someone to do it for you. So be prepared to become a rigger, electrician, plumber, engineer, mechanic and refrigeration tech, plus a whole lot more.

 

[Roland5048]

FWIW, get a copy of "Sailing for Dummies". The author(s) goes (go) into the many, many aspects of sailing and cruising without losing you in the process. What you gain from the book will give you an idea of what to look for and the questions to ask. Good luck with your endeavor.

 

[Cecilia Ve]

Thanks for all your input!!! I will be checking them out this weekend. I am leaning towards the Catalina, for the roomier side of it, and yes coastal is what i will be doing eventually. Reeeeeaaallllyy excited, at last my own boat!!!
I know, lots of work but I guess thats part of the fun. Will let you know what I decide and come up with more questions. Thanks all. Cecilia

 

[agprice22]

That is a great attitude! Working on the boat is part of the love!

 

[CaptKimble]

Smooth sailing. Don't forget to walk the docks and get to know other sailors...understanding that there are as many opinions about boats as there are sailors....everyone has one.

 

[Cecilia Ve]

Hello its me again, comments on this please.

"Inboard Universal M-15 11-HP engine (inop since I owned it - never disagnosed) Nissan NSF9.8 (10HP) outboard. Always a dry bilge, manual head, fresh water pump, galley includes toaster oven and microwave. A hauled survey was done in November of 2016 and is available to serious buyers."

Survey done last November, I would presume I still need a new survey or not necessary ??
Do you take the old engine out or leave it in place due to weight I guess ??
Is it eas
Is the Nissan gas o diesel ??

Would like your opinion.
Thanks again for your help on this new chapter of my life.
Cecilia

 

[agprice22]

I would not want an outboard on the ocean. Being hung on the transom, it will be lifted out of the water by waves when you need it most. It could get flooded when waves break against the stern, again when you need it most. Also, you will get no directional thrust from it as it will be aft of your rudder, making steering at slow speeds difficult.
The Nissan is a gas motor. It may be 2 or 4 stroke. Keeping gas on board is more dangerous than diesel.
I would pass unless you will repair the diesel.

 

[agprice22]

By the way, that was a good question to ask.
Also, a survey will depend on the value of the boat, your banker’s, and your insurer’s requirements. If you are only spending a few thousand, not financing the boat, and the insurer does not require it, you can get away without one. By the way, if you are keeping the boat in a marina, the marina will require you to carry insurance on the boat.
If a survey is not required, then it would depend on your ability to judge a boat. In your case, I think you are indicating you have scant experience with sailboats. If your budget can support a survey, it could save you a world of heartache.
Maybe also visit some websites to help you create a long list of questions to ask when buying a boat.

 

[DayDreamer41]

I don't think I would venture into the waters of a boat that has an inboard diesel but the owner abandoned that and hung an outboard on the stern, you have to wonder what other cobbled messes have been duct taped as a fix. This is just my thoughts but if it were me I would be turning the other way.

 

[CaptKimble]

Daydreamer has an excellent point. There are too many good boats out there that aren't duct taped together. The 27 ft Catalina in the slip next to me has been for sale for over a year. Many look but inspite of the good price compared to other boats people walk away. The topsides are clean but if you look for just a moment below the water line it's clear the boat hasn't sailed in years. The build up of growth on the bottom has to be seen to be believed. A bottom cleaning would go a long ways towards a possible sale. I heard the owner tell a possible buyer about the 'new' outboard. Sure, it may have been new a couple of years ago but when was the last time he ran it? I have been in the next slip for over a year and have never heard it run. Buyer beware.

 

[jeepbluetj]

Daydreamer and CaptKimble have excellent points.

There's C-30's for sale all over SoCal. I'd even go for an A4 over the M-15, and never for an outboard. All of the boats in the your price range (I'm guessin price range based on the prior posts) will be older and in need of some TLC. You need to look for examples where that TLC is the least expensive. For instance, to repower that M-15 to a more modern diesel will likely cost more than the boat - that's why there's an outboard hanging on the back. But if you look around you can find a M25 powered C-30 for not much more.