[dnr]

Thanks for all that. When I fist started looking, the thought of share ownership didn''t have any appeal. At this point, I''m starting to see some advantages and would seriously entertain such a joint venture if it presents itself. Full ownership is still my preference. I have talked to more than one seller who said they were selling because they weren''t sailing as much. If I can''t get together on price, share ownership may be something I might present to them.
As for berth capacity, here is my frame of mind. I spent a week at a sailing school where we lived on a 39'' O''Day - myself, the instructor and 3 other grown men. It had a v birth, two aft quarter births and each settee converted. It was tight, but I really didn''t mind it. My crew will be my family most all of the time, and the confined space wouldn''t be much different than camping. I don''t anticipate that being a problem, but until I''ve spent some time in that situation I can''t be sure. Also, full family crew of 6 will be the exception, more likely 2 to 4 of us on most trips.
I am really intrigued with the number of makes and variety of sailboat designs. I''ve spent most of my time trying to get familiar with the various design purposes, advantages and disadvantages. This research keeps leading me back to the Pearson 36'' centerboard model. I would think it would be well suited for Keys/Bahamas. Pearson''s seem to have a very loyal owners group. The late 80''s model has a nice interior configuration with 1 quarter berth plus v berth. Salon is arrainged nicely. Most used Pearson''s in this size range also seem to be cared for a little better than some of the higher production models like the Beneteaus - maybe that is just a function of the numbers. I can''t get a feel for the sailing speed of that size Pearson, although I signed up for their email list on this site to get some insight. I also like the C&C 37.
I do realize my price range and boat wants don''t mesh very well. I will end up buying a smaller boat for that money, or raising my price.