We are looking to buy a boat on which to live and sail. Neither of us can sail at this point but we are willing to learn. We were wondering if anyone can recommend any specific type of boat for people such as ourselves. We intend minimal big water crossings and it is more to potter about in and see the world. Hope someone can give a bemused couple some advice! Thanks x
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John C. Baumgartner
geeeeeeee
Let me ask you a question? I want to buy a car, what would you recommend? same answer to your question. depends on what you want, day sail, weekender, live aboard, how many people, trailerable?, fist take a sailing course, or sail with someone experanced,fixed keel? displacement-requirements, bridge height clearence (my favorate),standing heigh,power (electrical) requirements, a Hugo or a Rols , depends on your requirements and how much you want to spend. If I can be of any help e-mail me LKYusnret2@aol.com
Let me ask you a question? I want to buy a car, what would you recommend? same answer to your question. depends on what you want, day sail, weekender, live aboard, how many people, trailerable?, fist take a sailing course, or sail with someone experanced,fixed keel? displacement-requirements, bridge height clearence (my favorate),standing heigh,power (electrical) requirements, a Hugo or a Rols , depends on your requirements and how much you want to spend. If I can be of any help e-mail me LKYusnret2@aol.com
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Les Murray
Dear Bemused...
Time to start your research. As the previous post stated, you have not given us any real requirements to help you make your choice. So, my suggestion is to start researching what you want in a boat. Some questions to answer are things such as Blue Water or Coastal Cruiser, trailerable vs. moored, big vs. small, expensive vs. cheap, new vs. used, etc. As you can see, it is very hard to answer your question. Seeing that you are very new to the sport, my first recommendation would be to learn how to sail and find out what you like about the sport. If you are near water, you should be able to find a place that gives sailing lessons. Or even better, sign up for one of those chartered learn-to-sail cruises. That way you will spend a week or two on the boat learning to sail and run a cruising boat. This will allow you to determine if you really like it or not. Nothing replaces the experience of waking up one moring in a perfect anchorage off some tropical island. Also, there is nothing quite like waking up after a night of tossing and rolling through a storm and having everything you own sopping wet. This is a great sport and I have certainly enjoyed being on the water in my own sailboat. But to get to this point, I took several sailing courses, chartered several boats in different areas, and have owned some small boats previously. Good luck on your search. Les Murray s/v Ceilidh '86 C-36 #560
Time to start your research. As the previous post stated, you have not given us any real requirements to help you make your choice. So, my suggestion is to start researching what you want in a boat. Some questions to answer are things such as Blue Water or Coastal Cruiser, trailerable vs. moored, big vs. small, expensive vs. cheap, new vs. used, etc. As you can see, it is very hard to answer your question. Seeing that you are very new to the sport, my first recommendation would be to learn how to sail and find out what you like about the sport. If you are near water, you should be able to find a place that gives sailing lessons. Or even better, sign up for one of those chartered learn-to-sail cruises. That way you will spend a week or two on the boat learning to sail and run a cruising boat. This will allow you to determine if you really like it or not. Nothing replaces the experience of waking up one moring in a perfect anchorage off some tropical island. Also, there is nothing quite like waking up after a night of tossing and rolling through a storm and having everything you own sopping wet. This is a great sport and I have certainly enjoyed being on the water in my own sailboat. But to get to this point, I took several sailing courses, chartered several boats in different areas, and have owned some small boats previously. Good luck on your search. Les Murray s/v Ceilidh '86 C-36 #560
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Tom Monroe
get some experience
Many years ago, the very experienced live-aboard sailer Hal Roth wrote a book called "After 50,00 Miles", his observances on what made a good boat. He talks about a couple who had never sailed who were boat shopping, and he gave them some stern advise. Godd some experience, he said. Charter. Get your ASA certifications. The first time you get caught in a blow out of sight of land, you might decide you're never going to do this again. For some people, the discomfort just isn't worth the benefits. Better to know that now than after you've sunk a good chunk of your life savings into a boat. You can't "potter about and see the world" from the deck of a sailboat without loving sailing and making some blue-water passages. Find out if you can do it before looking at boats. Tom Monroe
Many years ago, the very experienced live-aboard sailer Hal Roth wrote a book called "After 50,00 Miles", his observances on what made a good boat. He talks about a couple who had never sailed who were boat shopping, and he gave them some stern advise. Godd some experience, he said. Charter. Get your ASA certifications. The first time you get caught in a blow out of sight of land, you might decide you're never going to do this again. For some people, the discomfort just isn't worth the benefits. Better to know that now than after you've sunk a good chunk of your life savings into a boat. You can't "potter about and see the world" from the deck of a sailboat without loving sailing and making some blue-water passages. Find out if you can do it before looking at boats. Tom Monroe
I agree whole-heartedly
There's no substitute for experience. The trick is to get it without spending lots of your hard-earned cash in the process. I'd start off by getting some simple sailing instruction in a large daysailer or small keelboat in the 18 to 24 ft range. A smaller boat will become uncomfortable after an hour or two and anything bigger doesn't give you the kind of feedback that you need initially to develop some confidence and skills. I don't think that ASA Basic Keelboat is a good course for a complete rookie, and instruction on a charter is not much better. These are intensive and fairly expensive ways to learn, and even though course content may be standard, schools vary in equipment and quality of instruction, so you may end up not getting enough bang for your buck. In my humble opinion, the overall objective should be to gain experience at a pace that's comfortable and relatively stress-free for you. That way, sailing becomes truly enjoyable and each trip out only whets your appetite for more. It is that desire that enables you to shrug off the skinned knuckles, painful sunburns, waterlogged clothes and cold, rainy beats back to harbor on a Sunday night. As you gain experience you'll have a better and more realistic idea of the kind of sailing you like, and the type of boat you are best able to manage and maintain. This is what should guide your buying decision. Of course, having said all that, I do know people with no experience whatsoever who saw a boat, bought it on a whim and are still sailing happily years later but I consider them to be extremely lucky exceptions. Good luck and happy sailing. Peter H23 "Raven"
There's no substitute for experience. The trick is to get it without spending lots of your hard-earned cash in the process. I'd start off by getting some simple sailing instruction in a large daysailer or small keelboat in the 18 to 24 ft range. A smaller boat will become uncomfortable after an hour or two and anything bigger doesn't give you the kind of feedback that you need initially to develop some confidence and skills. I don't think that ASA Basic Keelboat is a good course for a complete rookie, and instruction on a charter is not much better. These are intensive and fairly expensive ways to learn, and even though course content may be standard, schools vary in equipment and quality of instruction, so you may end up not getting enough bang for your buck. In my humble opinion, the overall objective should be to gain experience at a pace that's comfortable and relatively stress-free for you. That way, sailing becomes truly enjoyable and each trip out only whets your appetite for more. It is that desire that enables you to shrug off the skinned knuckles, painful sunburns, waterlogged clothes and cold, rainy beats back to harbor on a Sunday night. As you gain experience you'll have a better and more realistic idea of the kind of sailing you like, and the type of boat you are best able to manage and maintain. This is what should guide your buying decision. Of course, having said all that, I do know people with no experience whatsoever who saw a boat, bought it on a whim and are still sailing happily years later but I consider them to be extremely lucky exceptions. Good luck and happy sailing. Peter H23 "Raven"
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Tom
Join a Sailing Club
I joined a sailing club where I learned all the basics and I got the opportunity to try out a lot of different sailboats. I would definitely recommend you get some experience before you buy a boat. I went into the sport expecting that I would enjoy racing but after a few overzealous skippers I decided that wasn't my interest. I really love sailing but I am definitely not interested in rushing to get to my destination. Those type of preferences can make a lot of difference in what type of sailboat you want to buy. Tom
I joined a sailing club where I learned all the basics and I got the opportunity to try out a lot of different sailboats. I would definitely recommend you get some experience before you buy a boat. I went into the sport expecting that I would enjoy racing but after a few overzealous skippers I decided that wasn't my interest. I really love sailing but I am definitely not interested in rushing to get to my destination. Those type of preferences can make a lot of difference in what type of sailboat you want to buy. Tom
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Mike
Time share
I joined a time share sailing club a number of years ago. For a fee, I was allowed to sail a selection of boats a set number of times over the season. The deal came with enough lessons to ensure that I was not a danger to myself or others. The club was set up by a dealer who would apply your club fee towards the purchase of one of his boats if you bought during that year. It was a great way to get to know what I liked and didn't like about a few different kinds of boats. No maintenance, no insurance, no dock fees, just show up and sail. We only did it that one year as my wife got pregnant with our first child that summer, but what I learned then carried over to my eventual boat purchase a few years later.
I joined a time share sailing club a number of years ago. For a fee, I was allowed to sail a selection of boats a set number of times over the season. The deal came with enough lessons to ensure that I was not a danger to myself or others. The club was set up by a dealer who would apply your club fee towards the purchase of one of his boats if you bought during that year. It was a great way to get to know what I liked and didn't like about a few different kinds of boats. No maintenance, no insurance, no dock fees, just show up and sail. We only did it that one year as my wife got pregnant with our first child that summer, but what I learned then carried over to my eventual boat purchase a few years later.
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