"The Boat"

[kmclarke]

Hello all.

This is a repost of a thread I started on the ssca bb it is an attempt to gather as much info as possible


I am interested in gathering some opinions on suitable boats for extended cruising with a family of four . I realize this question has been asked many times already. I have reviewed most if not all of the posts from the old bb.
"The plan" is to buy a boat preferably on the west coast and hone our sailing skills on the new to us boat for two to four weeks in Canada or the U.S. depending where we buy the boat. then sail it down to the Sea of Cortez for the first winter and cruise there until spring Then we will leave "the boat " in a slip somwhere and we will return to Canada to work for the summer. This adventure will begin October 07 (the boat will be in a suitable location to begin sailing by this date). If the first winter goes well and we feel confident enough we will continue down the Pacific coast and possibly across to the South pacific. If not , then another winter in the baha will be our cross to bear.
"The Boat" will be no less than 12 foot beam , no deeper than 6-7 foot draft, no longer than 44 feet and no shorter than 39 feet with no less than two staterooms. Those are more or less the hard facts .Now the stuff that I could have my mind changed on. I would prefer a keel with some substance that could withstand a minor grounding without major damage and a skeg hung rudder for the same reason . My wife and I both value performance but not at the expense of safety. for that reason the Valiant is a very strong contender on my short (less than 15) . Ocasionally a benneteau weakens my resolve espeacially when I read the performance numbers.
My wife and I are going to San Diego and Los Angeles to look at boats and get on as many boats as we can in October 06
I don't want to spend more than 90k for "the boat "reserving another 20k for what have you.
Our sailing experience is limited to charters and lake sailing but we will be continuing to educate ourselves in the areas we are weak, I believe training and education are the greatest safety tools one can have.
Sorry for the longish post but i want to give as much quality info so I can recieve same. I should ad that any boats I do manage to get on I will be writing down my observations and taking lots of pics. I will be happy to share what I have learned with anyone who is interested.


Here is the shortened list;

Peterson 44
Sabre 42
Brewer 12.8
gulfstar 41
mason 43
valiant 40

Those are the boats we are serious about buying.They meet our specs and anyone of them would suit us, at least as far as we can tell from scanning the internet. We will be trying to get on some of the other boats that didn't make it on to the short list as well , just to make sure we didnt overlook anything.

I would appreaciate any comments from sailors with experience on any of these types.

Can anyone reccommend abroker in the San Diego area? And the Vancouver Canada area

Also looking for info on the rating system used to quantfy comfort at sea.

It's a lot to ask , Iknow but I appreaciate the help
Thanks very much. Kevin C.

[MoontideC30]

Kevin,
I want to say that you read too many books. But we have all been there and it is part of the dream. We from da north country seem to do that alot. But, your logic seems correct. The boats on your list are great.I do have three suggestions though. One, after you buy the boat, take it easy. Dont have a tight schedule. Do a lot of day sailing in various conditions. This will help those who are supporting your dream to get the hang of it. Two, learn to work on your boat. Develop those skills needed to fix your diesel in heavy seas, to install your own electrical, to repair your own leaks and rigging, etc.
Three, add another boat to your list. One of the Peter Ibold Endurance series which have Blue water experience and a pilot house for the Pacific Northwest or just to keep the sun off your head. They also offer a seperate salon area for privacy making them feel like a larger boat for those of us who still have our land legs.
Good luck Kevin with what sounds like a great adventure

[sailingdog]

You seem to be choosing boats, that will be pushing your budget, yet you only have a relatively small amount set aside for refitting the boat. It might be better if you went a bit smaller and had a bit more for re-fitting the boat.

Just my $.02 worth.

[camaraderie]

If you're on the SSCA board...look at the note on the home page...guy with health issues has a REALLY ready to go Peterson for $130k.
Good cruising boats!

[kmclarke]

Moontidec30

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Yes I do read alot, however this is not just some plan that I am researching for the fun of it. My wife and I have been taking courses and chartering vessels to be sure this is what WE want to do. WE are very serious about making it happen and have no doubt that it will. Thanks for the tip on the endeavour.

Sailingdog

Thanks for the input. You are right my budget as described is a bit light. I am willing to spend upto about 150,000 CDN all in. You as well as severall others have made comments that when you buy THE BOAT that you should hold inreserve about ten to twenty % of the value to spend on upgrades . Is this really neccessary? If the boat is well maintained and reasonably well equipped what would I NEED to upgrade ? Iwill be mostly coastal cruising for the first winter then returning with a freshly fattened kitty ( cruising kitty,that is for you cat lovers) and can add or repair what needs attention then. Is this a realistic approach.?

Does anyone know of a reputable broker in the San Diego area?

Thanks for the input.

Regards Kevin C

[sailingdog]

Kevin-

Even on a new boat, 10-20% is not an unreasonable amount to have set aside for outfitting, re-fitting, repairing, upgrading, and customizing the boat.

Even a well-maintained and equipped boat will have a few things that the original owner did in a way that doesn't work for you. The boat has to be setup to work for you.

Lines being at the mast or led back to the cockpit are a good example. Some like the lines at the mast, others want everything lead back to the cockpit.

Electronics are another place where personal preferences might cause equipment changes. For instance, say the original owner had a non-chartplotter GPS, you might want to upgrade it, even though the existing GPS is perfectly functional.

New sails are another example. The current boat may not have any real light wind sails, like an asymetric or a spinnaker, and if you're planning on cruising, those sails are fairly important, as they are needed to take advantage of light breezes.

Electrical systems are another example. A well-maintained boat may not have enough electrical charging or battery capacity for the way you may want to use the boat. Adding additional batteries or auxiliarry charging systems are pretty typical. Solar panels, wind generators, a larger alternator are possible choices, although I prefer the panels and generator as they do not use precious fuel in the process.

Of course, you may luck out, and have the boat come to you in exactly the way you need it to be...but I kind of doubt that would happen. I'd also recommend you sail the boat a while before making any changes, to see if the changes you are thinking about, like leading lines aft, are really necessary or just something that you heard about and thought would be nice.