Need help and advice, buying first time sailboat

[ashley_nathan]

hello,

This is first time posting, but I have been reading a few very interesting debates!!
In May decided to leave my job, sell the house,car and the power boat to buy a sail boat and go sailing for 3-5years or maybe even longer.....
~Problem now is trying to find the right sailboat, I must admit to not knowing anything 3 months ago and now even less and a bit confused!
I think what I am looking for is something about 46-50ft with 3 cabins (got 3 girls) a fairly shallow draft (for the Carribean) safe and sturdy (for ocean passages) easy to handle (only two of us most of the time). I thought originally a sloop but now not so sure.

Boats looked at so far....

Hinckley 49 (looks beautifull but top end of the budget, and would like to have some money left in the bank, just in case!)

Dynamique 47 can''t find much info on these, French boat. Seems to be ideal size and layout.

Ta Chiao CT 49 - this is what prompted the message - Have no idea what it is at all and would appreciate some feedback.

If anyone has any tips or advice, it will be greatly received.

thanks

Ashley

[39512]

Have you chosen a broker yet? A good broker has access to a great deal of information and a customer base, some of whom share your criteria.

Whatever you buy, make sure the gear and accessories you need to rely on are still manufactured. Some of the parts for this stuff are very hard to get. You should start noting the components used in the more highly regarded designs. They are used for a reason.

[aflanigan]

Ashley

You''ll probably get several responses to your query (hopefully), and if you''ve checked out other posts on this BB the theme of "I''m chucking it all and going to sea" is a recurring one.

What you are suggesting (if you are really serious) is a big time undertaking. Beyond suggesting specific boats, I wonder if you and your family of 4 or 5? are really prepared and up to taking this step.

You mention a power boat. What kind? How much and what kind of boating have you done? Any extended cruising? Any sailing experience?

What sort of "go sailing" do you have in mind? Adventurous transits to exotic locales, or modest, coast-hugging journeys?

I don''t mean to discourage you or burst the bubble of your dream. Does your whole family share your itch to weigh anchor and sail away?

I met a couple with a young baby who were basically living on a 70 foot wooden schooner. Their life revolved around caring for and maintaining this boat, and it gave them endless adventure, joy, hard work, and all the other things that come with the challenge of living in a floating house bobbing around on the ocean. I don''t know how they came to decide on their chosen lifestyle; maybe they had stars in their eyes, maybe they were realists who knew how much hard work and struggle they were letting themselves in for. Maybe they were compelled by the realization that there was no other life for them than life aboard a beautiful old boat at sea.

The great thing about sailboats is you can "try out" for the sailing life. If your dream in life involves being reincarnated, there''s no way to realize your dream except to die and hope you do get reincarnated. But when it comes to sailing off into the horizon, there are praticial things to do to test your (and your family''s) preparedness for, and compatibility with, long term life on a sailboat.

Good luck,

Allen Flanigan
Alexandria, VA

[ashley_nathan]

Hi Allen,

Thanks for the response and concern!

THis is not a decision which has been taken lightly and one that has been debated and discussed at length with the whole family. Without going into too much detail it is mainly two of us who will be " chucking it all and going to sea", the girls will then join us during their school holidays.

We have had a motor boat for the last 5 years a Fairline Targa 40. The furthest we have travelled in one go was several hundred miles to France and the Channel Islands.
Our plan is not really to coastal hop but to circumnavigate over an extended period with a bit of coastal hopping! We are also quite handy so a bit of work needed is not something that would cause a problem, in fact we would prefer a bit of tidying up which would make the experience a little more fun and the boat more personalised.

So the only thing to do now is find the right boat !

rgds
ashley

[paulk]

Sounds like you''re in England, so you should likely check out Moody''s as well. They made a nice 3-cabin 44'' center-cockpit boat at one point. The one I saw seemed well put-together and didn''t have too much draft. If it''s just going to be two of you for long stretches, 49'' may be a lot to handle. Boatbuilders in Asia, as most everywhere else, have spotty histories. Some are good, some are not, and you are wise to find out as much as you can. As always, caveat emptor!

[ashley_nathan]

hi Paul

Thanks for the tip, had a look and just found a 3 cabin 42'' Moody sloop which may fit what we are looking for. She also fits into our budget!

ashley

[ashley_nathan]

hello,

thought I would drop a quick update, we went to look at the Moody and bought a 37ft Colvic Countess! We moved aboard the second week in October and have loved every minute since. We have completed our day skipper course a couple of weeks ago and are currently in Portugal. We plan to spend the next 12 months in the Med and then venture further afield. The last few weeks have been wonderful we found the boat of our dreams and everyone we have met has given us a lot of help and advice, looking forward to the next 5 years.....!

ashley