Hi all,
I looked at a Valiant 40 today that was located near me (Ventura, CA). Wow, what a great looking boat for cruising! At the risk of heavy flaming, I will admit that my current boat is a Catalina 36, and that I am planning on sailing her to Mexico and the Sea of Cortez. My dilema is that I might want to make the Pacific puddle jump after that. I know the C36 is not considered a "Bluewater" vessel, which is why I thought I would take a look at one that is.
This one is old (1976) which is good from a blister standpoint - not one of the bad years. It has lots of cruising gear including a full suite of sails, storm and otherwise. Watermaker, vane, SSB, weather fax, etc., and is in pretty good shape. All the standing rigging is bullet-proof and oversized. So the general ballpark cost of outfitting a boat that I have heard here (25-30% of purchase price) should be much less. The boat is listed for $99K. If I was actually going to put in a bid, I would go somewhere around $70.
Now here is where I could use some advice. My current boat meets the first part of my future cruising plans, Mexico and the Sea of Cortez, which will be in about 1 1/2 years. Not so if I continue on with the puddle jump. Should I try to sell my boat now and get the boat that I will eventually need, or stick with my current boat and do Mexico to see if in fact I want to venture further? If I keep my boat, I will be putting some time and $ into her to get her ready for the trip. This same money could go towards getting the "Bluewater" boat ready also.
Opinions?
Thanks in advance, Bill
I looked at a Valiant 40 today that was located near me (Ventura, CA). Wow, what a great looking boat for cruising! At the risk of heavy flaming, I will admit that my current boat is a Catalina 36, and that I am planning on sailing her to Mexico and the Sea of Cortez. My dilema is that I might want to make the Pacific puddle jump after that. I know the C36 is not considered a "Bluewater" vessel, which is why I thought I would take a look at one that is.
This one is old (1976) which is good from a blister standpoint - not one of the bad years. It has lots of cruising gear including a full suite of sails, storm and otherwise. Watermaker, vane, SSB, weather fax, etc., and is in pretty good shape. All the standing rigging is bullet-proof and oversized. So the general ballpark cost of outfitting a boat that I have heard here (25-30% of purchase price) should be much less. The boat is listed for $99K. If I was actually going to put in a bid, I would go somewhere around $70.
Now here is where I could use some advice. My current boat meets the first part of my future cruising plans, Mexico and the Sea of Cortez, which will be in about 1 1/2 years. Not so if I continue on with the puddle jump. Should I try to sell my boat now and get the boat that I will eventually need, or stick with my current boat and do Mexico to see if in fact I want to venture further? If I keep my boat, I will be putting some time and $ into her to get her ready for the trip. This same money could go towards getting the "Bluewater" boat ready also.
Opinions?
Thanks in advance, Bill