Is there a used sailboat that can ...

[Archis]

Happy New Years to All!

I'm planning on buying my first sailboat. My budget is < 30k and I'm looking for a boat that can meet the following set of criteria:

Decent accommodations for short stays on board,
Good performance especially in light air,
Capable of cruising to Nova Scotia or the Caribbean
Can be sailed single handed
Open and spacious below deck (for my claustrophobic wife),
Have decent re-sale value in a couple of years.

Thanks for you help!
Jim

[PBzeer]

One thing you can do, is go on Yachtworld.com and use your budget amount to get a list of boats that you can then browse through. Expect though to have to spend some money on upgrades/refits (typically 10% or purchase price). This way you can see some different layouts and designs to go by.

Good luck with the search,

[Archis]

Thanks, That's a good idea for the layouts, but I'm hoping folks can give some pointers on the other issues such as build quality and sailing ability.

Take Care

[pigslo]

Two of the requirements may be at cross purpose if taken too literally. How spacious below will determine a bit of how fast and light a performer she is. A good light air performer will tend to not be as comodius below. The Heritage One Ton 37 can be bought under 30 and was built as a racer and maybe the cabin is big enough. I own the heavier cousin the Heritage West Indies 36 that is huge inside and while fast enough in 10 knots of wind would not be considered a light air performer. Always a trade off and so I would say figure out just how big and just how fast you need.
pigslo

[Archis]

That's a good point. I think with my wife, it not going to be the size of the cabin as much as the size of the windows to let in light. I've always liked the looks for the Compaq 27, but those little round portholes will probably close her in too much.

I think for the first boat, I would do better to have more space and less speed.

[hellosailor]

Archis-
"Northern" boats and "tropical" boats will always be different. What's good in the tropics with lots of ventilation and a wide companionway, isn't what will be good up north or offshore, where small ports, etc. make the boat more weatherproof.

Like the light air tradeoffs pigslo mentions: A light air boat must be light with a big rig. But, an offshore boat to take you down south, should probably be heavier, stiffer, with a more conservative rig.

And singlehanding usually means re-rigging the boat (if the PO hasn't) because what works for single-handing, usually is too much stuff all in the same place, making a crew trip over each other while trying to work it. Other than changes in the mast (for running backstays, which are unlikely in what you're looking at) almost everything else can be moved to make single-handing easier though.

Compromises will be in order.

[ebs001]

Another boat tthat is within your criteria is an older C&C 30. See my post in General Discussion about a Canadian registering a US boat. If you do import the boat register it first then contact Customs Canada about the GST before you bring it in.

[Goodnewsboy]

I nominate the 1980s era C&C 27. Very similar to the C&C 30 (I own the latter) but much better in light air.

See:
http://www.cc27association.com/

Your budget should be $10-15K for a good example. Check Yachtworld.

[camaraderie]

Archis...with due respect, I think a lot of your criteriea are contradictory in nature.
Rugged enough for offshore work...yet spacious...yet "cheap" AND a good light air performer...able to go to Nova Scotia yet accomodations for "short stays"

Let me ask a question. Are you realistically going to sail 3 months or more to just GET to the Caribe or 1 month to Nova Scotia in the next few years?? If not...I'd suggest getting a boat that will let you explore the Chesapeake, the Albermarle and Pamlico sounds that will be large enough to really enjoy sailing and living aboard for long weekends and vacations....all within your budget. If you get an older boat, depreciation will have largely taken place already. And when you're really ready to cruise long distances, you'll know what you want in your next boat. Suggest looking at production cruisers in the 30+ ft. range...Catalina, Hunter, Beneteau, Irwin, Endeavor, Ericson, O'day, Pearson are just a few of the brands with boats in this size range that will fit your budget.

If, on the other hand, you do plan to take off for the briny blue, then you need to sacrifice length and spaciousness for seaworthiness and go for something like a Cape Dory or an Allied...that are built more ruggedly and are narrower and more sea-kindly.

I agree with the suggestion that you look at a lot of boats on Yachtworld...but you also need to refine your desires a bit and then get out and see some boats...there are plenty close by in Baltmore and Annapolis and more brokers thn buyers especiallly at thistime of year!

[SailorMitch]

Agree with Cam that you need to do some more thinking about your realistic sailing plans. You say this is your first boat, but what is your sailing experience to go along with that boat? Frankly, you'd do well to buy a decent boat and sail the Chesapeake for a couple of years, let your wife acclimate to longer stays aboard, and then get a larger boat more suitable for longer range cruising if that is something you both want to do. Lots more to consider.

Having said that -- another boat to consider is a Pearson 27. Very open interior, good light air performance, great boat to learn on. My old one is for sail in Annapolis (I now own a Pearson 33, which I sail out of the Patapsco). If you want to check it out, PM me. The fellow who bought the boat from me is now a two boat owner and would like to become a one boat owner.