Why Did You Buy Your Boat?

[gpd955]

After suffering through a season boatless and going crazy, I went to visit the old dock last July and it just happened to coincide with the day that "I finally had enough". Had a great lunch on board a Chapparal with some close friends, realized how much I needed to be doing this all of the time and I texted the Admiral and told her "it was time". So that night, I was on the internet, found 2 boats (I knew what I was looking for since I spent the previous season trolling and sulking), next day I saw one, day after saw the other, day after that I made the offer.

Best part was that this boat needed no work (except what I wanted to do to it) and it had everything we wanted, and more!

It is the perfect boat right now but when retirement comes in a few years, it will be time to get something set up to do some long term cruising. Maybe we'll just modify this one...we'll see what it costs.

 

[arknoah]

Started with an MFG Sidewinder. Wanted something I could sail all day then go below and sleep in.

Our first boat was a MFG Whip: just sold her last week after motoring home in a MacGregor 25. Having the additional space below and ability to cruise comfortably was a big selling point, as was the good condition of the boat.

 

[Ketoj]

Buying with purpose

When I set out to buy my current boat (an H34 I've had for 10 years now) I had a very specific idea of what I wanted; a boat that could be comfortably lived on without feeling like camping (i.e., proper shower, hot water, refridgeration, mid 30 foot range, etc.), a layout that didn't have a table smack in the middle of the salon (easy to move about), A good costal/weekend cruiser but not a bluewater cruiser or racer (this opened up the selection to large scale production boats), a boat that gave me the most room for the least amount of money that required the least amount of work. Every broker I dealt with failed open on this criterea and showed me ever piece of crap they could find. In the end this H34 was the second boat I looked at in over 30 boats. I came back to this as the best value for the money and suiting my needs perfectly. I've had no regrets since and love the boat. Key lesson, sit down and decide what you want in a boat BEFORE you go shopping!!!

 

[Piratenorm]

I wanted to retire to a big blue-water liveaboard and never see snow again. My wife, a non-sailor, non-swimmer, landlubber scared of the water with terrible arthritis, wanted a house on land. So we compromised, and went with her plans. So now I'm looking for a smaller, single-hander, well built, heavy, beamie boat for her safety and comfort, with a large hatch opening and a roomy cabin to keep claustrophobia away, and there was only one choice, a Catalina 30. Now finding the right one proved harder, many too old-ish to consider. I wanted a good boat with upgrades someone else has paid for that I could make mine with little work, and found one priced outside my price-range but with a motivated seller. GOT IT. Then a full canvas enclosure, stack-pack, re-rigged for my safety, new windlass and a few other features, a proper renaming ceremony (when did Neptune develope a taste for real champagne over mead or rum???) and "Phoenix" became "Guilty Pleasure," and my own. And I've never been happier. She tracks well, points, handles the difficults and doesn't scare the bezeejus out of the One Who Must Be Obeyed. I'd love a 36 but will be happy with my 30 for many years to come. Unless she agrees to the increase, and then some one else will be telling you all about what a great boat he got from me...
Norm

 

[MikeinLA]

I must like my boat, I've bought TWO of them in the past 25 years. I bought my first Catalina 36 to live aboard. It offered all of the room, comfort and storage that I needed and it was easy to sail and singlehand. After 6 years, I was married and living on land. My then wife HATED the boat. I imagine it was because you couldn't drive it to the mall. Under pressure, I got rid of that boat and two years later got rid of the wife. After saving for a few years, I bought another Cat 36 which I still own today. The layout is absolutely perfect for me. I do sometimes drool over the master stateroom in the Cat 42, but since I like to be able to singlehand (and even when you're sailing with non-sailor friends, you're singlehanding) and I worry that the 42 might be a bit tougher to handle. However, if the perfect 42 came up, never say never.

Mike

 

[JSquires]

I bought my Ranger 28 (Gary Mull) named "Tykky-Dew" for price and mainly I wanted back out on the high seas. I love letting mother nature take me whereever! I enjoy my Ranger because she has good headroom (6') plus a great track record with other sailors.

 

[elle]

R22 suits singlehanding

Retirement and Bahamas were on the schedule ...so we found our H 33.5.
We never got to sail it here or there due to illness...after hubby died I found the Rhodes 22 which I can singlehand as it has furling main & jib. It is one of a few in the country that has a wheel & pedestal rather than a tiller. It has sleeping and galley, and a full head.It's a great river & Chesapeake Bay boat.

 

[Peppercorn]

We didn't know squat about sailing or sail boats but we knew it was a lifestyle we wanted to be a part of. We read everything we could find, blogs, journals and of course advertisements. We began searching and wanted a degree of self sufficiency for extended week ends or longer. We also wanted a strictly cash deal. We found two that just happened to be not only on the same pier but directly across from each others. We decided on Peppercorn. That was in November and we have been doing upholstery, motor work, wiring, electronics and very soon a bunch of scrubbing. We're loving it! Next week we're opening it for summer.

 

[SHADS]

We first bought a 22 foot Mac Gregor to learn on and it was fun. It was a little on the small side. We liked the lines of the Hunter 26 and it has more room. She seemed stronger looking than the Mac Gregor.

 

[Ron20324]

Why did I buy my boat? I had way too much money and wanted to do something that would insure I would not have to suffer that situation again.

 

[Dalliance]

THERAPY
I'm a recovering workaholic.

 

[Mark Maulden]

We ran across this S2 11.0A in freebie mags in Anacortes. To set to story, I had an S2 9.7C for several yrs and lived aboard. I traded to an S211.0Afor several yrs and lived aboard her for several yrs. This was back in late 80s. Met my wife and we decided to trade up to a Gulfstar 44 ketch and lived on her for 12yrs and had terra ferma up by Mt. Baker. I had to admit my trades were very worthwhile trades on my part. We sold the Gulfstar to somebody who wanted her more than we and we starting to circle the wagons for retirement. Sold Terra Ferma and bought a house in Burlington WA that needed a lot of work and spent fiver yrs remodeling a house. Everyone should go through one remodel. Fast forward ten yrs, we often thought about if we ever see an S2 11.0A come on the market we would sorta go look at it. Well one showed up and we were in Elliott bay within three hrs looking at a 32 yr old boat expecting it to be "well used. We were surprised to learn she has not been used much. The original lifejackets from TIARA were on board and pristine. The original sails were on board and had to be restitched. The original S2 brochures were on board and pristine. No electronical upgrades. I offered well below asking price contingent on survey and sea trial. Another fast forward with good survey and a wire transfer it became ours for the under the price of a new car. Now rewiring battery circuits with new batteries etc. Rebuilt bilge pump.There are a few things I knew going in that would require work like a new battery charger. BTW, we came from Seattle to Anacortes on batteries that would barely start the engine and were half full of electrolyte. After that is propane installation safely and new stove. and then sawzalout the hot water tank and figure out somethig else. After that is replacing windows/ports. Then all runnig rig gets replaced. Need new radio..and list goes on

 

[Mark Maulden]

We ran across this S2 11.0A in freebie mags in Anacortes. To set to story, I had an S2 9.7C for several yrs and lived aboard. I traded to an S211.0Afor several yrs and lived aboard her for several yrs. This was back in late 80s. Met my wife and we decided to trade up to a Gulfstar 44 ketch and lived on her for 12yrs and had terra ferma up by Mt. Baker. I had to admit my trades were very worthwhile trades on my part. We sold the Gulfstar to somebody who wanted her more than we and we starting to circle the wagons for retirement. Sold Terra Ferma and bought a house in Burlington WA that needed a lot of work and spent fiver yrs remodeling a house. Everyone should go through one remodel. Fast forward ten yrs, we often thought about if we ever see an S2 11.0A come on the market we would sorta go look at it. Well one showed up and we were in Elliott bay within three hrs looking at a 32 yr old boat expecting it to be "well used. We were surprised to learn she has not been used much. The original lifejackets from TIARA were on board and pristine. The original sails were on board and had to be restitched. The original S2 brochures were on board and pristine. No electronical upgrades. I offered well below asking price contingent on survey and sea trial. Another fast forward with good survey and a wire transfer it became ours for the under the price of a new car. Now rewiring battery circuits with new batteries etc. Rebuilt bilge pump.There are a few things I knew going in that would require work like a new battery charger. BTW, we came from Seattle to Anacortes on batteries that would barely start the engine and were half full of electrolyte. After that is propane installation safely and new stove. and then sawzalout the hot water tank and figure out somethig else. After that is replacing windows/ports. Then all runnig rig gets replaced. Need new radio..and list goes on ShareThis

 

[Liam]

Beneteau Oceanis 331

This is my 4th sailboat in 35 years. I have owned her for 7 years now and put over 12,000 miles under the keel.
For me this boat is the best balance between very good performance and strength (rated category A).
At 34 feet LOA it is the upper limit of my ability to comfortably handle in all conditions as 98% of my sailing is done singlehanded and I am 60 years old.
There is practically no exterior wood so maintinence is limited to rigging, mechanical, and electro-plumbing systems. That and the occasional wax job.
The interior layout is very comfortable and there is enough storage for 6-8 weeks of provisions.

My previous boats were Cal24, Cal40, and Mason33.
This is by far my favorite of all and it will likely be my last boat.
There are a lot of people who don't like Beneteau boats and give them a bad rap. My guess is that a good number of them have only been aboard a Beneteau at a boatshow.To them I say, take one for a two week cruise and then tell me what you think. Two weeks on a beat to shit charter boat don't count!

 

[smack]

Ranger 28. Had a Catalina 27, which I liked but missed the strength of a Ranger. So, it sold and I found my Ranger. Had two Ranger 23s, they can take the wind and not be put up wet. The Ranger 28 is my pregnant guppy, but she hauls on the lake. I have been out in over 30 knots of wind and felt very secure. If you watch the movie "The Dove" They used 6 Ranger 23s as the boat, just watch how it is in the ocean. Mine is a 1967, not beautiful all around but get 30 feet away and she looks great. Of course you might only see the stern.....

If you want to see her sail, go on You Tube and type in rf4pilot they are all one song long.

 

[PipedreamV]

Because, I love sailing

 

[NorthStar]

1. needed to fit in available slips (2yr wait list) 40ft +/- 10%
2. needed to be sailed by 2 people, me and wife
3. needed to be new, not wanting to be in the fix what someone else screwed up.
4. looked for most stuff for least price.
Its a 2007 Beneteau 423 last year of production

 

[soleilsailor46]

If it weren't for the boat show then I would still have a C&C 40, but we went to the boat show, and there she is, a grand soleil 46, I'm not sure if it was the Italian styling or my wife's European roots, but she fell hook line and sinker for that boat. Although that being said, fantastic interior ( for my wife ), fantastic regatta record (YES!), And a very strong hull for long trips, but still lots and lots of money I could have had.

 

[Steve Walsh]

Great thread. After a 2 week live-aboard trip thru the Florida Keys in our learn-to-sail Precision 21, the Admiral demanded an enclosed head, shower, roller furling, wheel steering, stand up head room, something that actually resembled a galley, bigger V-berth, no outboard and more room. The Newport 28 MKII was to be a transistion boat for a couple of years to a mid 30' boat. We've had it 12 years and it has turned out to be a great St. John's River boat, able to sneak under a 44' fixed bridge, allowing us to dock at a favorite resturant and bar. We get our big boat fix with annual BVI bareboat charters. She likes sailing and spending weekends on it. Still planning for a bigger boat someday, but her arthritis problems are escalating with recent shoulder and knee replacements, so it may not be in the cards.

 

[soleilsailor46]

Yeah the admiral got tired of the sink of a shower, which was a little bit annoying but also she hated the v berth, it was to small and really just a bed, which she did not like. But other than her dislikes of the boat, it was just impractical for long journeys :'(, fuel tank only 18 gallons, water was onoy about 50 and the holding tank was about 20 to. Not exactly what you want for a Atlantic crossing.