Hello,
I won't make any comments on the specific boat you described. My comments are just 'food for thought.
Forgive me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you are new to sailing. If that is true then you have a lot to learn and you don't know what you don't know. You might find that sailing and boat ownership is something you love, and that you want to spend more and more time on the water. Or, you may find that sailing isn't your thing.
You can start with a cheap boat that meets your needs and take it from there. Are you handy? Do you enjoy working on mechanical things? Do you get pleasure from fixing something and the satisfaction of it working correctly? If so, then a fixer upper might by a good choice for you. You can do some sailing, do fixing, and learn as you go. I can tell you that a 28' boat is large enough for 2 people to spend a weekend aboard. If you have done any camping, especially in a small trailer, then a 28' would be similar. My first 'big boat' was a 28' Newport. It had a reliable diesel engine, hot and cold running water, marine head with shower (but TINY), and comfortable bunks. My kids were young at the time and we spent many happy weekends on that boat. It was too small for a week board but fine for a weekend.
Anyway, if you do buy a small fixer upper and spend time improving the boat, and then decide that you want a larger boat, you should be able to recoup most of your investment in the boat. This assumes that you do the work yourself, and do decent quality work. Don't expect to earn $50 / hour working on your boat but you should be able to get out what you put in.
Good luck,
Barry
I won't make any comments on the specific boat you described. My comments are just 'food for thought.
Forgive me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you are new to sailing. If that is true then you have a lot to learn and you don't know what you don't know. You might find that sailing and boat ownership is something you love, and that you want to spend more and more time on the water. Or, you may find that sailing isn't your thing.
You can start with a cheap boat that meets your needs and take it from there. Are you handy? Do you enjoy working on mechanical things? Do you get pleasure from fixing something and the satisfaction of it working correctly? If so, then a fixer upper might by a good choice for you. You can do some sailing, do fixing, and learn as you go. I can tell you that a 28' boat is large enough for 2 people to spend a weekend aboard. If you have done any camping, especially in a small trailer, then a 28' would be similar. My first 'big boat' was a 28' Newport. It had a reliable diesel engine, hot and cold running water, marine head with shower (but TINY), and comfortable bunks. My kids were young at the time and we spent many happy weekends on that boat. It was too small for a week board but fine for a weekend.
Anyway, if you do buy a small fixer upper and spend time improving the boat, and then decide that you want a larger boat, you should be able to recoup most of your investment in the boat. This assumes that you do the work yourself, and do decent quality work. Don't expect to earn $50 / hour working on your boat but you should be able to get out what you put in.
Good luck,
Barry
