I have recently decided that I want to buy a boat. The only problem is I dont yet know a whole lot about what brands are better for what reason or what size boat can handle certain situations. I have been out with a friend of mine on his Catalina 22 and I like it. What I am looking for is basically something I can go on a vacation cruise with. I live in the Houston, TX area and would love to be able to sail down to the Caribbean. Im not looking for an ocean crossing vessel just something to get me accross the gulf or even just along the coast and then out to the caymans or the bahamas and down to cozumel. I would love any input on size and brand of boat any of you would recomend. Thanks.
What to buy...
- Thread starter mrmagik
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Mrmajik, You must crawl before you can walk. You must learn to sail before you buy a boat. crossing the Gulf of Mexico is an ocean crossing, just a narrow portion. You will need a boat that will carry everything you will need for three weeks of living and maintaining yourself, your crew and your boat. There are very few places to stop and get more coffee when land is 300 miles away.
You have answerred you own question. Buy a Cat22. They are cheap, easy to sail and hold their values relatively well. Use that to coastal cruise while riding on other people's boats to help decide which boat is right for you(and family). Walk the docks, crew for races, sail on friends boats.
Sizes and brands vary. A 30 ft. Pacific Seacraft is much different then a 30 ft. Catalina or a 30 ft. J boat. Boats have been designed for different uses; racing, ocean cruising, coastal cruising, daysailing, liveaboard, etc. There are certianly better brands of boats for what you want to do but I will leave that discussion up to people who like to argue. If buying used, do not expect to simply "drive" it home and leave the next day. You will almost certainly need to do upgrades. I bought a boat that I considered to be in excellent condition but have spent many hours and dollars doing upgrades just to make her a comfortable and safe coastal cruiser.
No one here can possibly tell you what you need to know. You must come to this conclusion through your own experience.
Sizes and brands vary. A 30 ft. Pacific Seacraft is much different then a 30 ft. Catalina or a 30 ft. J boat. Boats have been designed for different uses; racing, ocean cruising, coastal cruising, daysailing, liveaboard, etc. There are certianly better brands of boats for what you want to do but I will leave that discussion up to people who like to argue. If buying used, do not expect to simply "drive" it home and leave the next day. You will almost certainly need to do upgrades. I bought a boat that I considered to be in excellent condition but have spent many hours and dollars doing upgrades just to make her a comfortable and safe coastal cruiser.
No one here can possibly tell you what you need to know. You must come to this conclusion through your own experience.
Kemah go down to marinas and ask people about their boats
People love to talk about their boats. Ask them what makes the strong and weak points are. You might just makes some firends that will take you out.
Sailing classes are a good place to start. You'll need a boat bigger than 22 feet. Also, go to boat shows and look inside. See how much room there is for a long trip.
Stronger boat cost more, just like with cars!
People love to talk about their boats. Ask them what makes the strong and weak points are. You might just makes some firends that will take you out.
Sailing classes are a good place to start. You'll need a boat bigger than 22 feet. Also, go to boat shows and look inside. See how much room there is for a long trip.
Stronger boat cost more, just like with cars!
Re: Kemah go down to marinas and ask people about their boats
I asked, talked and researched many boats. What I heard was that Beneteau wasn't the best but wasn't bad either. Plus the parts are easy to get and there are plenty of Beneteaus out there....So I bought one and have been happy with it for the last several years. Are there things I would change, yes but the same can be said about a wife/girlfriend or even your dog.
I asked, talked and researched many boats. What I heard was that Beneteau wasn't the best but wasn't bad either. Plus the parts are easy to get and there are plenty of Beneteaus out there....So I bought one and have been happy with it for the last several years. Are there things I would change, yes but the same can be said about a wife/girlfriend or even your dog.
First boat...
i agree with tim r. you must decide this based on your own experiences. talk to as many people you can about their boat and what kind of sailing they do. if you can find some that do what you want to do ask a lot of questions and listen carefully. we all love our boats but most, if asked, will tell you what they don't like about their boat. boats are a collection of compromises so you'll have to decide which compromises you can live with and which you can not. priority one should always be safety. the boat must be safe for the type of sailing you plan to do.
you might consider joining a sailing club to not only get sailing training and experience but to sail many different types and size boats. good luck and let us know what you end up doing and of your experiences getting into sailing.
ken
i agree with tim r. you must decide this based on your own experiences. talk to as many people you can about their boat and what kind of sailing they do. if you can find some that do what you want to do ask a lot of questions and listen carefully. we all love our boats but most, if asked, will tell you what they don't like about their boat. boats are a collection of compromises so you'll have to decide which compromises you can live with and which you can not. priority one should always be safety. the boat must be safe for the type of sailing you plan to do.
you might consider joining a sailing club to not only get sailing training and experience but to sail many different types and size boats. good luck and let us know what you end up doing and of your experiences getting into sailing.
ken
I really appreciate all the input. Ive done some looking around and found a couple Cat 22's that are ready to sail but obviously need some work for what seems to be a fairly decent price. I am more than ready to take on a small project boat. Ive been helping my dad overhaul a Pearson 30 he just bought and Ive loved every minute of it.(Ill post some pictures when its done.) I have a thing with fixing stuff and making it look fantastic. So considering that I already have experience with the Cat 22 I may just stick with that as my first boat. I am definitely going to do a lot of chatting down around the marina anytime I'm down there from now on to prospect what my upgrade boat should be. I am still going to keep looking around and try to meet as many people as I can before I by a Cat like yall said. See if I dont find something I like a bit more. Ill be sure to keep all of you updated!
There are a lot of sailing clubs in the Galveston Bay area like TASS (Texas Association of Single Sailors), GBCA (Galveston Bay Cruising Association...but they are mainly for racing), Seabrook Sailing Club, TMCA (Texas Mariners Cruising Association) and so on. There is a lot of mis-information and mis-guidance in some of these clubs so just take what you hear with a gain of salt. I think you could learn a lot from TMCA though. They do monthly weekend cruises around the bay. A great place to start.
A catalina 22 is a great boat but it is on the small side for a vacation. I owned a Helsen 22 which is very simular. If you are going out into the ocean very often you may want something closer to 30' but more important is the weight of the boat. Shoot for something that weighs over 8-10,000#s. If you want small and capable something like a Pacific Seacraft 25 which is a small but very capable boat. But I saw a Catalina 22 roll coming through the jetties and it was dismasted. I was on a friends 28 and we had no trouble. My Pearson 323 is immensely more comfortable and seaworthy than my old Helsen 22. A catalina 30 might be a good boat but even a Catalina 30 is not a great boat to cross the gulf of mexico. It is roughly 400 miles across the gulf and that means 4-5 days at sea. http://www.sailingtexas.com/spacificseacraft25a.html
From Galveston to West Florida is really a 8-10 day trip due to rigs, normal wind pattern and so on and just about the same time via the ditch but the ditch has you motoring most of the way. A small boat, plain on 10-12 days of food/water at minimum for you and your crew.
what to buy
A catalina 22 is a center board trailer sailer more suitable for lakes or protected
bays. If you want a small starter boat there are many good old boats
out there under 25 ft at a reasonable price with a Keel. If you want to learn
and are planning some coastal cruising a board boat is not the place to start
A catalina 22 is a center board trailer sailer more suitable for lakes or protected
bays. If you want a small starter boat there are many good old boats
out there under 25 ft at a reasonable price with a Keel. If you want to learn
and are planning some coastal cruising a board boat is not the place to start
Fat Cat , The Sparkman and Stephens designed "Finisterre" was/is a centerboard boat. It won the Newport to Bermuda race three years in a row.
Often acheiveing the biggest dreams...
...require a series of smaller steps.
Twenty years ago when I was twenty I dreamed of a 30 footer at the Providence boat show. Eight years ago the dream was reborn and I took sailing lessons one summer on a lake in 14 foot O'days. Six years ago I took a vacation which included an intensive week long basic keel boat course on a Hunter 28.5. Five years ago I rented Rhodes 19's from a local sailing center for a summer and went out with a friend on his Freedom 28. Four years ago I bought a Lancer 25 from the same sailing center for $1000. I figured that if I couldn't cut my teeth on that boat from both a sailing / maintenance perspective I really didn't deserve to invest money in a larger boat. This summer I bought my 30 footer.
Certainly don't wait as long as I did, but take the spirit of my message to heart, as well as the advice of others on this site. You need to accumulate some knowledge and experience before you go cruising. There is also a lot of joy to be had in enjoying the journey. I am sure that many on this site would say they learned a lot in a boat MUCH smaller than their current boat. In my opinion it is MUCH easier to sail a larger boat, within reason, than a smaller boat. At some point the necessary mechanical advantages add a burden, but the boom on a larger boat moves slower and usually is less likely to hit you in the noggin. So I got that going for me. (By the way...love the new Smiles Phil.)
...require a series of smaller steps.
Twenty years ago when I was twenty I dreamed of a 30 footer at the Providence boat show. Eight years ago the dream was reborn and I took sailing lessons one summer on a lake in 14 foot O'days. Six years ago I took a vacation which included an intensive week long basic keel boat course on a Hunter 28.5. Five years ago I rented Rhodes 19's from a local sailing center for a summer and went out with a friend on his Freedom 28. Four years ago I bought a Lancer 25 from the same sailing center for $1000. I figured that if I couldn't cut my teeth on that boat from both a sailing / maintenance perspective I really didn't deserve to invest money in a larger boat. This summer I bought my 30 footer.
Certainly don't wait as long as I did, but take the spirit of my message to heart, as well as the advice of others on this site. You need to accumulate some knowledge and experience before you go cruising. There is also a lot of joy to be had in enjoying the journey. I am sure that many on this site would say they learned a lot in a boat MUCH smaller than their current boat. In my opinion it is MUCH easier to sail a larger boat, within reason, than a smaller boat. At some point the necessary mechanical advantages add a burden, but the boom on a larger boat moves slower and usually is less likely to hit you in the noggin. So I got that going for me. (By the way...love the new Smiles Phil.)
My first "big boat" was a Catalina 22. I can not say enough about them. The boat was solid and sailed great in buzzards bay. It was a great plaform to learn on. The Catalina National Association is very active and very helpful. Look up them up on the web. Also if your considering a C22 look for a model with the "Pop Top". This gives you a little more cabin room.
From there I got an ODay 30 and sailed her up and down the coast from NYC to Boothbay Harbor in Maine. She started to get a little tight for 3 people and my dad and I had the same goals in mind for a bigger boat. This time we went with an Irwin 38' MKII Center Cockpit. So far we have only been to Maine but heading back down south next year... Important thing to remember is that your just starting out. There will be more boats if the bug bites you.
From there I got an ODay 30 and sailed her up and down the coast from NYC to Boothbay Harbor in Maine. She started to get a little tight for 3 people and my dad and I had the same goals in mind for a bigger boat. This time we went with an Irwin 38' MKII Center Cockpit. So far we have only been to Maine but heading back down south next year... Important thing to remember is that your just starting out. There will be more boats if the bug bites you.
My first big
sailboat is a Catalina 22. We started sailing it this spring and we love it. We went on a couple of weekend trips with it and had a great time. It is a great starter boat. Parts are readily available and support from the factory and fellow owners is great.
sailboat is a Catalina 22. We started sailing it this spring and we love it. We went on a couple of weekend trips with it and had a great time. It is a great starter boat. Parts are readily available and support from the factory and fellow owners is great.
Age??? I started sailing when I was 20 on a Sunfish that I bought with a trailer for $450. That was 34 years ago!!!! If you are young and have lots of time it is hard to argue with starting on a Catalina 22. But if you are in your 50's then you may not have 30 years to work up to a larger boat. BUT a catalina is a daysailer that you can camp out on overnight or a weekend..maybe a week for a couple. It will never be suitable for crossing the gulf of Mexico or crusiing the Bahamas from Texas. The GREAT thing about a Catalina 22 is that you can trailer it behind a small truck or standard car. SOOOOOO if you want to do the Bahamas you could trailer it to Florida and then sail across to the Bahamas in good weather. I met a guy who spent a month in the Bahamas on a Beneteau 235 that he trailered to Miami and sailed across the stream. When I owned a Macgregor 26 we trailered it a lot from our home base on a lake in east tennessee. We went to Kentucky lake several times, Charleston SC, Panama City Florida and several closer lakes. I would never take it out in the open ocean but we had great fun in lakes and bays. Right now with my Pearson 323 it would take a month to get to the Bahamas!!!! Something like the Pacific Seacraft 25 offers the best of both worlds in that it is trailerable(but needs a heavier truck) and is blue water capable. It would be an expedition to trailer a catalina 22 from Houston to Miami and then sail across the stream but it could be done within a 2 week vacation if the weather was OK. 4 long days of driving a week in the bahamas and 3 days for the unexpected.
http://www.norseayachts.com/westboat.php
http://www.norseayachts.com/westboat.php
The Cat 22 sounds like a reasonable starting point, I started with a 26' MacGregor and still have it. One of the thoughts to consider is what kind of sailing are you going to do today vs years from now. The smaller cat 22 will serve your immediate future very well as my Mac does me. Your dreams and aspirations may change as you gain experience, you may decide on world cruising or you may decide that daysailing with the odd weekend excursion will suffice. It is the first foray into sailing that will give you some groundwork to decide what the future holds. I have decided that my Macgregor suits both my sailing style and venue quite nicely, it is a glorified daysailer that weekends quite well. I sail the Pacific Northwest, San Juans & Gulf islands.
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