Good boats at bargain prices
Kevan,
Every once in a while a real deal comes by. You need to know what you want, or can live with before hand. Then when a deal comes along, you can jump on it. That Seafarer was probably a deal, and as such it didn't last long. The really good boats at really good prices will go in a heartbeat. Another thing to consider is buying a smaller starter boat, and sailing it for a year or two. This will teach you a lot, and give you lots more knowledge than you have. Someone suggested a Catalina 22. I would think you could buy one of those for two or three grand, sail it for a year or two, enjoy the hell out of it, take care of it, and not loose a dime when you want to move up in size.