First sailboat

zz4gta · #1 (**permalink**) 08-20-2007

I'll be looking to by my first boat next summer and wanted to get as much advice as I could from people who have been there and done that. My budget is tight (under 6,000), and I don't want to get more boat than I'm ready for.

Single handed sailing is a must, and I'd like to get something that has racing potential. I don't mind giving up some household goodies if the trade off is additional speed, however, I would prefer to have space to sleep 2 down below. My location will probably require a shoal draft, I'll be in the Potomac river, Chesapeake bay, and maybe a trip to lake Anna in VA. B/c of the different locations I would also like it to be trailer able, although, this is not a must.

I've been looking around at a few different boats and I have decided that I really like the lines of the Seidelmann. To me, it looks like what a sailboat should look like (my own opinion). Now I've read "questionable" things about the seidelmann's to say the least. Are there any other boats that offer that look with great performance?

Performance is key in my decision.
Thank you for any and all input, I'm very new to sailing and really appreciate any advice you can give.

-Trevor.

kwaltersmi · #2 (**permalink**) 08-20-2007

How about a Catalina 22? There's plenty of them around, along with plenty of parts and a knowledgable and active C22 community. The boat has a swing keel so a shallow draft and trailering is not a problem. It will sleep two and do just fine in races. It should also easily fit into your $6k budget.

Another option might be an S2 7.0 or 6.9. Both are trailerable and a bit racier than the Catalina. However, I think they'll also be a bit more exspensive.

Good luck and keep us posted!

DrB · #3 (**permalink**) 08-20-2007

Catalina 22 is a decent boat. Maybe a Pearson 26 or an O'Day 22. If you want to race, look at a J24. Don't know if they have a lot of creature comforts below (sleep/storage), but they are fast and a good day sailer. The J24 has a 4' draft and I think the O'Day and Pearson can be had with shallow drafts.

DrB

drynoc · #4 (**permalink**) 08-20-2007

I sail on the Potomac down near Quantico, and, depending on where in the river you are, you don't need to sweat the draft thing. My boat has a 6'2" draft, and it hasn't been a problem. Fortunately though, the Potomac and the Chesapeake are almost all mud, so you can't do a lot of damage. It appears that you are looking for a smaller boat, but I agree that there are some good racing boats out there. They often come cheaper (but they have to be looked at carefully for wear and tear), and don't have a lot of amenities to take care of. You have to decide how much work you want to do. I bought a fixer upper to save money, and I'm glad I did it all because I learned a lot, but there are times when it would have been nice to have a smaller, newer boat.

Sailormann · #5 (**permalink**) 08-21-2007

Get a Shark. They are fast, strongly built, trailerable, affordable and can be a very simple or highly technical boat - as you grow in your abilities, the boat can progress with you.

http://www.shark24.org/

sailaway21 · #6 (**permalink**) 08-21-2007

There's a 21' Cal up in Wareham, Mass called "Nodrog". Saw an ad for it somewhere the other day, thought it'd be sold by now. It's a one owner boat from the seventies! No trailer but reasonably priced, $2-3,000 if I recall correctly. Can't remember which broker listed. (best boat buy, or something like that)

I own one and they are nice boats, seems to fit your wants perfectly. And they're not stones like the Catalina or O'Days. (g)

USCGRET1990 · #7 (**permalink**) 08-21-2007

This would make a nice starter boat: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1981-...QQcmdZViewItem

sailaway21 · #8 (**permalink**) 08-21-2007

Found that Cal here:http://list.sailnet.net/read/attachm...mlversion.html

I suspect the boat is in good condition. The owner has been very active over the years in the Cal web-sites. From what they've posted over the years I am surprised that they are selling the boat-thought they'd never part with her. You can find descriptions by the owner, and others, on SailboatOwners.com and the old Cal site.http://www.calyachts.org/

mikehoyt · #9 (**permalink**) 08-21-2007

The price you indicated and single handing.

Two boats that race a bit and are cheap are Tanzer 22 and Thunderbird 26. Lots of Tanzers around and they are very affordable. The Thunderbird while 26 was generally a kit boat I believe and is fast but was originlly a marine plywood design. Also very affordable and some have decent interiors.

Mike

zz4gta · #10 (**permalink**) 08-28-2007

What about a San Juan? Anything good or bad?