You can't fail on that budget
Lucky sailgirl, with $200k as your budget you'll be able to buy a brand-new fiberglass anything-you-like from any maker and probably be happy. Don't we all wish we were you! The previous folks are right that you should put some study into this and that many, many boats will fit your bill. I'll try to offer a couple of random useful thoughts: The cockpits on the newest production fiberglass boats seem to be better sorted out for short-handed sailing than slightly older boats. When I go to the boat shows I always feel like new Catalina cockpits have the highest "fun" factor. Whatever brand you like, pay as much attention to the outside of the boat as the inside. Don't forget to factor in the other costs of boating: slip fees, storage, taxes, etc. The difference between a 30- and 40+ footer could be 30% of your boat-buying budget. Think a little more about where you'll REALLY go. There's a fine line between "Island hopping" and making passage. The kind of boat you buy for cruising the ICW (shoal keel, air conditioning and DVD players) may be different than what you would buy for seriously heading out to the offshore islands (steel hulls and lots of anchoring gear). Don't get sucked into the eternal debates until you really do some research. Anything with mizzen masts, center cockpits, bowsprits, wood hulls, steel hulls, hydraulic bulb keels, furling mainsails or double steering wheels are not ideas for newbies to go into blindly. You probably want a good standard boat. Go to the boat shows and see what the standard setups are. Books are your most important piece of hardware. Read, read, read! I hope you get a wonderful boat! Bon voyage!
Lucky sailgirl, with $200k as your budget you'll be able to buy a brand-new fiberglass anything-you-like from any maker and probably be happy. Don't we all wish we were you! The previous folks are right that you should put some study into this and that many, many boats will fit your bill. I'll try to offer a couple of random useful thoughts: The cockpits on the newest production fiberglass boats seem to be better sorted out for short-handed sailing than slightly older boats. When I go to the boat shows I always feel like new Catalina cockpits have the highest "fun" factor. Whatever brand you like, pay as much attention to the outside of the boat as the inside. Don't forget to factor in the other costs of boating: slip fees, storage, taxes, etc. The difference between a 30- and 40+ footer could be 30% of your boat-buying budget. Think a little more about where you'll REALLY go. There's a fine line between "Island hopping" and making passage. The kind of boat you buy for cruising the ICW (shoal keel, air conditioning and DVD players) may be different than what you would buy for seriously heading out to the offshore islands (steel hulls and lots of anchoring gear). Don't get sucked into the eternal debates until you really do some research. Anything with mizzen masts, center cockpits, bowsprits, wood hulls, steel hulls, hydraulic bulb keels, furling mainsails or double steering wheels are not ideas for newbies to go into blindly. You probably want a good standard boat. Go to the boat shows and see what the standard setups are. Books are your most important piece of hardware. Read, read, read! I hope you get a wonderful boat! Bon voyage!