[danno]

While I''m not sure where to begin, I thought that I would post a few questions for the masses to help me with. I am new to sailing, having only taken a few classes on learing to sail, but have a few years experience on powerboats. My question is as old as sailing itself: which boat for me? I realize that no one can answer this for me, but I tought that some people might be able to lend their experience. I have read all of sailnet''s articles on it, and have done my best to determine what I want in terms of length and type of boat. The real question is should I go for a newer production type boat or an older one and do complete refit myself? The reason that I ask is that I would like to learn how to repair/upgrade a boat for future cruising plans. My fears are that I will bite off more that I can chew, or that the overhaul will become a large hole in the water into which I throw money. I have experience in carpentry (mostly framing, some finish work) and as an auto/motorcycle mechanic as background and I tend to pick up skills with a minimum of frustration. Also, I feel that a boat is one of the few places that you cannot learn from your mistakes, as there is no shoulder to pull over onto if anything goes horribly wrong. Any thoughts or experiences on the matter, as well as any good reads would be greatly appreciated.