Graduating to "Big Boat"

Oct 3, 2006
1,003
Hunter 23 Philadelphia
Greetings all,
I've been around here for a while, and had some great times with my Hunter 23 during college and shortly after, but things like adulthood, buying a house, and getting all my sh%t out of my dad's backyard took precedence.

I sold my Hunter 23 last year, sight unseen (even paid me extra to deliver it!), and he UPS'd me a toolbox I'd forgotten and the license plate off the trailer, so he must not think he got a bad deal, but as much as I miss the boat, I'm glad to be free and think I got the better end of things.

It was too small to justify slipping considering staying on it wasn't exactly comfortable for a 6'2 guy, too big to be worth daysailing compared to my 17' dinghy. The occasional weekends of trailer sailing were great, but the best memories are with it in a slip.

So, here I am, one year goes by where I don't pull the cover off and vacuum a foot of standing water out of the bilge, and thinking it's time to make a move. My two questions, where and what....

I live in the Philadelphia suburbs, so the "where" is Northern chesapeake up to the Raritan Bay area, suggestions?

As for "what" ; I'm all ears. Some poking around in the internet has me thinking S2 9.2, Cal 29, something like that...but I don't know anything. My 23 had a trolling motor, a porta-john, and an alcohol camp stove.

How much? I'm not made of money, but my boat budget can be a couple thousand a year. I don't really know how much slips run in the northeast
 
May 23, 2004
3,319
I'm in the market as were . Colonial Beach
The worst of the money is in the slips each year. Following that is insurance. Those two things keep you in the water for the year.

After that you have typical boat maintenance: Oil changes, impeller changes, transmission fluid changes, antifreeze for the winterization, and cleaning supplies. If you learn to do these things yourself you will save big money.

Then comes the other boat maintenance: Haul out, paint the haul, zincs, and things like that. These can get up there in cost.

Finally comes the other stuff: Sails, any motor issues, running rigging, canvas, etc. This is where the money really can be drained.

It is expensive to keep a boat. I figured that for my Catalina 30 I was spending around 2,000 on most years on basic stuff (slip, insurance, etc). Then haul out years add around 1,000 to that. Eventually you will need to buy sails and the sails for my boat cost around $1700 each on the low side.

Really look at your budget. Look at where you are cruising. When you look at boats also look up what sails cost. Look up what the slips will run. Also check out insurance premiums. As you get into smaller boats the costs go down a lot.

Really do your research and then buy the right boat that fits into each category. The final thing is that when you see the boat you want, you will know it!
 

Gunni

.
Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
Brian; Your budget wouldn't allow for your slip fees let alone amortizing a boat maintenance program. Notice I didn't mention the purchase money or loan. These things sit in salt and what the sea don't take, the sun will. A good rule of thumb handed down to me years ago by a guy who looked much like I do now (gray hair), is 10% of purchase price per year to maintain and slip. Have fun and charter for a few years while you save up for a big down payment....or wonderful charters down island. Sail everything you can, crew when available, make friends and connections and if you stick with it, good things will come, or bad things will not. Either way, patience, because if you buy a beater, or too small the joy never arrives, only the burden.
 
Jan 13, 2011
94
Hunter 33 (78 Cherubini) Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD
Six years Ago I Wrote Your Post...

I got the same answers. They were absolutely correct. Slip fees go up...so do insurance costs. Last year I spent $ 7,000.00 on maintenance costs for issues that came to light as I learned about the boat, found things that clearly were in need of replacement (packless shaft seal, motor mounts, prop repair, ect).

Each year I have some safety/service projact that takes about $ 1,000.00. Last fall I replaced four opening ports with NFM windows. This year...new lifelines.

I am completely redoing the interior. There is $ 200.00 of new Sailrite hull-liner on the boat now and new cabinets in my workshop. When I get my income tax return I will order a Dometic refrig/freezer ($ 599.00) as the boat came with a really bad ice box in 1978 and a pitiful fridge refit after that.

New sails...probably next year. I just received all the new catalogs (Defender, West Marine, Johnson...ect). I now pour over them as I once did a new Penthouse mag.

You can't do a boat "cheap." You can save money (more than half usually) by DIY but...there are costs to everything.

I took the answers to my questions here as gospel because they came from people who did what I wanted to do. If you look at my other posts you will see that I have no regrets. My boat has been everything I hoped it would be...and much more than I ever dreamed. I have no idea what I would have done with the $ 7,000.00 I spent on repairs if I did not have a boat.

I know that all my efforts are now focused on getting her ready. The upper Cheasapeake is thawing, my slip is empty and Dunlook'n and I have a thousand adventures waiting for us.

The money is necessary, important, and must be factored in. The return on investment...and my soul renewed...is priceless.

Send me a PM if you want to spend the day helping me get her ready.

Good luck...God Speed to where-ever your dreams take you.
 
Dec 1, 2005
33
Catalina 25 Essex, MD
We're in the northern Chesapeake. After a lot of comparison shopping, for a 25' boat slip fees are going to run you a minimum of $1200 a year, a 30' boat will be more. That is if you leave the boat in the water year round (I know people do it, but I personally wouldn't in this climate). Winter storage, haul and launch will run between $25-30 a foot additional depending on where.
 
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Mar 6, 2012
357
Hunter H33 (limited edition cabin top) Bayou Chico
on any kind of budget midset after you cross the line of about 36 feet it starts to get really really expensive, 33 is tolerable, 30 is pretty sweet and the 27-29 size boats start getting really simple, like a heavily built oversized trailer sailer.
 
Nov 18, 2013
54
Oday 32 Ketch North Fort Myers, FL
What seldom comes up in these frequent conversations is the variability of purchase prices of all types of craft depending on where it's purchased. If you buy any commodity in an area where they're rare or unusual, you pay a premium compared to a locale where they are more common. A sailboat in the central region of the U.S. is going to command a higher price than one sold in, for instance, S. Florida, where boats are common and it's purely a buyers market. It may benefit you to look for your next vessel in an area where they are like fleas on a dog. Good luck in your search.

Highest Regards, Darrell
 
Oct 26, 2008
6,044
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
Your budget will be stretched if you look anywhere from Jersey Shore to Raritan Bay, especially if you look for a slip. I would guess that your best option is to look for a mooring on the northern Chessy for least cost. I don't know if there are good options on Delaware Bay, but nobody ever discusses that as an option.

I think a boat with a diesel engine may add to the maintenance expense, assuming that your budget is going to put you in an older boat with an older engine. If you stepped up just a little in size (to say 26') you can probably have an outboard. I don't have any particular reason for suggesting that a diesel will add cost, just a hunch from my own experience. I ended up re-powering instead of re-building ... but both options were costly. With an older boat and engine, you can't really predict where the money is going to be spent, just know that it will be necessary.

Don't forget winter storage ... it will be substantial if you can't trailer the boat home.

If you doubled your anticipated budget, you might be better prepared. Heck, that's less than the cost of lunch, so skip lunch!
 
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
Greetings all,
I've been around here for a while, and had some great times with my Hunter 23 during college and shortly after, but things like adulthood, buying a house, and getting all my sh%t out of my dad's backyard took precedence.

I sold my Hunter 23 last year, sight unseen (even paid me extra to deliver it!), and he UPS'd me a toolbox I'd forgotten and the license plate off the trailer, so he must not think he got a bad deal, but as much as I miss the boat, I'm glad to be free and think I got the better end of things.

It was too small to justify slipping considering staying on it wasn't exactly comfortable for a 6'2 guy, too big to be worth daysailing compared to my 17' dinghy. The occasional weekends of trailer sailing were great, but the best memories are with it in a slip.

So, here I am, one year goes by where I don't pull the cover off and vacuum a foot of standing water out of the bilge, and thinking it's time to make a move. My two questions, where and what....

I live in the Philadelphia suburbs, so the "where" is Northern chesapeake up to the Raritan Bay area, suggestions?

As for "what" ; I'm all ears. Some poking around in the internet has me thinking S2 9.2, Cal 29, something like that...but I don't know anything. My 23 had a trolling motor, a porta-john, and an alcohol camp stove.

How much? I'm not made of money, but my boat budget can be a couple thousand a year. I don't really know how much slips run in the northeast
a lot of boats will do what you are looking for, but I cant speak for any that I havent done some homework on...
I have learned a bit about the cal boats.
a cal mk II or MK III is a nice solid boat for the price... its affordable and will hold its value over however many years you own it providing you keep it in decent usable condition...

the early models I wont say too much about other than the hulls were designed with nice lines.....and werent changed thruout the life of the building of the model, because they worked so well.
the later models had some changes made during the construction, and to the rigging that strengthened them a bit more.... but not to the lines of it.
the ratio numbers add up to a nice cruising boat, but no matter what boat you get and how much love you have for it, eventually there will never be enough room inside of it.
the later versions of the cals made the most of the available space and was well crafted with teak interiors... so, for an older boat and the price point, its about as good of a value as it gets... lots of other good boats to choose from also, depending on how and where you will be cruising... the Cal will go anywhere you will ever want to go..
 
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
Well you have already sold your boat so my advise is kind of mute but perhaps it could help someone now thinking about it. I would have suggested that you find a slip for the h23 and learn first hand the advantages and costs of keeping a boat in the water. The argument of "It was too small to justify slipping..." does not hold water. The boat itself is just one component of the overall boating experience. From being able to go for a night sail on a whim or just to sit in the cockpit enjoying a beer talking to a neighbor it can be done in a small boat as well as a larger one. I know many that keep small trailer sailers in slips because they enjoy the fun of sailing small boats and do not need bigger boats but still like the convenience and atmosphere of a Marina.
 
Oct 3, 2006
1,003
Hunter 23 Philadelphia
Well you have already sold your boat so my advise is kind of mute but perhaps it could help someone now thinking about it. I would have suggested that you find a slip for the h23 and learn first hand the advantages and costs of keeping a boat in the water. The argument of "It was too small to justify slipping..." does not hold water. The boat itself is just one component of the overall boating experience. From being able to go for a night sail on a whim or just to sit in the cockpit enjoying a beer talking to a neighbor it can be done in a small boat as well as a larger one. I know many that keep small trailer sailers in slips because they enjoy the fun of sailing small boats and do not need bigger boats but still like the convenience and atmosphere of a Marina.
Hi Benny,
I did slip the 23 for a few years in Rochester, NY. , and enjoyed the slip part of things a lot! Getting another 20-something boat is definitely on the radar, but something a little more friendly to staying aboard, especially given the distance of Philadelphia from any big water.
 

Ward H

.
Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
Brian,
Several of my slip mates on the Barnegat Bay live in the Philly area. About 1 1/2 drive taking the Rt70 to Rt72 path to Barnegat. Most of them weekend on the boat.
I have my 25 in what they call a 30' slip. My minimum costs per year are: Slip $2400, Winter Storage $800, Insurance $300, Yearly maint $500 (what I think I will pay over a 3 yr period divided by 3. this includes bottom paint, OB service, etc). This does not include upgrades.
I think I could find a lower cost slip but the location is absolutely great and the Admiral will not move.

Sounds like a Catalina 27 or O'day 28 might fit your needs.

Enjoy the hunt!
 
Oct 14, 2005
2,191
1983 Hunter H34 North East, MD
Brian...

Slips in the northern Chesapeake Bay (and on the North East River) are going to run you about $100/foot or more for those providing water & electric. A slip for a 30 foot boat will be more difficult to find than a 25 footer as it is a popular size slip for both sail and power. A 31 or 32 footer will require a 35 foot slip at greater cost in most marinas. Winter storage will run you at least $30 a foot for haul-out and relaunch in the Spring.

There are some mooring locations available for significantly less. A 30 foot boat will be a bit more difficult to find a slip for as it is a popular size for both sail and power. A 31 or 32 footer will require a 35 foot slip at greater cost in most marinas.
 
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
Bryan, I hear you. Well in that case I would definitely consider getting a berth in the Chesapeake Bay. If I recall correctly there was a nice Marina on the North side of the C & D Canal and it was an easy drive from Philadelphia.