First sailboat for the West Coast of B.C. Canada.

[Keith9c1]

I'm looking to buy my first sailboat for the West Coast of B.C. Canada.
Vancouver B.C. to be specific

My budget is $6,000 candian , I'll be sailing around Vancouver, south coast Vancouver Island and Desolation Sound area.

Preference's are a small cruiser sailboat that I can learn to sail , ( after I have taken some professional lessons ) and easy to sail singlehanded and spend a few weeks on.
Most of my sailing will have to be done in the winter months, Oct till May , as I plan to do summer seasonal work next year June till Sept.

After doing lots of research. I came up with 2 small cruisers that seem to match my budget and preference's, a mid 1970's Mirage 24 or a mid 1980's O'Day 222.

I'm leaning heavily towards the O'Day 222 here's few reasons why I like it.

More modern design then the Mirage 24, inside and out.

Spare parts seem to be readily available on the Internet ( not so with Mirage 24 )

The O'Day 222 is a swing keel and draft down to 1.6 feet.

( this will be ideal for getting into shallow inlets and sheltered bays in Desolation Sound , where other sailboats can't go )


As I am completely new to sailing and never bought a boat before, I was hoping I could get some advice from the forum and I do have a couple of questions.

1. Will the O'Day 222 be OK for these coastal waters ?

2 Is it even remotely possible to buy a O'Day 222 on the West Coast of Canada. ? ( most of these boats seem to be for sale on the East Coast or Mid West USA, even the Mirage )


Any futher information I could get would be very helpful. Thanks Keith.

 

[Shoaldrafter]

Keith9c1 and canadian money

Keith9c1 (aka Keith#2) or (Canadian Keith)

I have an O'Day 26 which would likely be suitable for your uses and there are several on the market now. But any old boat is that, an old boat!

I know at least two guys in Seattle, USA who bought sailboats on eastcast of USA and trailered them to the Pacific Northwest. You have to plan, take your time and be careful. Both made it without issues.

Conclusion: If you see boat on east coast that meets your needs and budget, take a week to get it.

But, a good trailer can cost almost as much as you are budgeting for boat.
A good galvanized trailer would likely cost $3,000 to $5,000. For any boat in your interest, a dual axle trailer is what is needed. Also, dual axles are better for long haul according to some.

So, a problem with your budget is cost of boat and trailer suitable for your interest. The market is right to buy a used sailboat.

For a first time buyer without experience, I recommend buying smaller. A smaller boat is just easier to handle, learn from and in a couple of years, you have a better understanding of what you should have.

So, take a basic sailing course first. Then look small for a year or two to get experience and better idea of what would really work for you. With a small boat, if things do not work out, you can give the thing away. If you want a bigger boat, you can still give the thing away and call it a school boat.

Here is a website of the boat the guys from Seattle made the trip for:
http://www.rhodes22.com/ But you cannot afford one.

Also a good book to read:

Sailing Small -- Inspiration and Instruction for the Pocket Cruiser Edited By Stan Grayson

http://www.devereuxbooks.com/sailingsmall.htm or

http://www.devereuxbooks.com/

Ed K
26
South Carolina, USA

I'm looking to buy my first sailboat for the West Coast of B.C. Canada.
Vancouver B.C. to be specific

My budget is $6,000 candian , I'll be sailing around Vancouver, south coast Vancouver Island and Desolation Sound area.

Preference's are a small cruiser sailboat that I can learn to sail , ( after I have taken some professional lessons ) and easy to sail singlehanded and spend a few weeks on.
Most of my sailing will have to be done in the winter months, Oct till May , as I plan to do summer seasonal work next year June till Sept.

After doing lots of research. I came up with 2 small cruisers that seem to match my budget and preference's, a mid 1970's Mirage 24 or a mid 1980's O'Day 222.

I'm leaning heavily towards the O'Day 222 here's few reasons why I like it.

More modern design then the Mirage 24, inside and out.

Spare parts seem to be readily available on the Internet ( not so with Mirage 24 )

The O'Day 222 is a swing keel and draft down to 1.6 feet.

( this will be ideal for getting into shallow inlets and sheltered bays in Desolation Sound , where other sailboats can't go )


As I am completely new to sailing and never bought a boat before, I was hoping I could get some advice from the forum and I do have a couple of questions.

1. Will the O'Day 222 be OK for these coastal waters ?

2 Is it even remotely possible to buy a O'Day 222 on the West Coast of Canada. ? ( most of these boats seem to be for sale on the East Coast or Mid West USA, even the Mirage )


Any futher information I could get would be very helpful. Thanks Keith.

 

[Joe11688]

I'm looking to buy my first sailboat for the West Coast of B.C. Canada.
Vancouver B.C. to be specific

My budget is $6,000 candian , I'll be sailing around Vancouver, south coast Vancouver Island and Desolation Sound area.

Preference's are a small cruiser sailboat that I can learn to sail , ( after I have taken some professional lessons ) and easy to sail singlehanded and spend a few weeks on.
Most of my sailing will have to be done in the winter months, Oct till May , as I plan to do summer seasonal work next year June till Sept.

After doing lots of research. I came up with 2 small cruisers that seem to match my budget and preference's, a mid 1970's Mirage 24 or a mid 1980's O'Day 222.

I'm leaning heavily towards the O'Day 222 here's few reasons why I like it.

More modern design then the Mirage 24, inside and out.

Spare parts seem to be readily available on the Internet ( not so with Mirage 24 )

The O'Day 222 is a swing keel and draft down to 1.6 feet.

( this will be ideal for getting into shallow inlets and sheltered bays in Desolation Sound , where other sailboats can't go )


As I am completely new to sailing and never bought a boat before, I was hoping I could get some advice from the forum and I do have a couple of questions.

1. Will the O'Day 222 be OK for these coastal waters ?

2 Is it even remotely possible to buy a O'Day 222 on the West Coast of Canada. ? ( most of these boats seem to be for sale on the East Coast or Mid West USA, even the Mirage )


Any futher information I could get would be very helpful. Thanks Keith.

Keith,
The O'Day 222s are a great boat but don't overlook the O'Day 23s built after 1974. The older 23s had issues with cast iron keels. The 222s have issues with rudder blades. They have a tendency to split open at the seams and break. They are foam filled blades. Even the larger O'Days have had these same issues. Outside of that, they're a great boat. I bought mine new in a boat show in Boston, years ago. I've made quite a few changes and modifications to mine through the years. The 23s are set up better for single handing than the 222s, I think. They have a full stern rail with winches and Gennie tracks on the combings. They're probably a little more suited for the waters in your area than the 222 and the free board of this boat isn't as excessive as the 25s and 26s. For more info on the O'Day 222, check out the Owner's Directory on this site under "Trinkka."
Joe