Fun Starter Boat for 7k or Less?

[CatalinaFan]

Greetings,

Sasha is very intelligent, eloquent, and I am following her advise

After I finish my lessons, I'll buy a boat for under 7k.
I would like to know what is a fun, fast, and comfortable boat
for this price.

One day I'll write a post about me in the warm, blue green waters of
the Bahamas, in my 38 foot something or the other. Thanks Sasha.


Sincerely,

CatalinaFan

[artbyjody]

Originally Posted by CatalinaFan

Greetings,

Sasha is very intelligent, eloquent, and I am following her advise

After I finish my lessons, I'll buy a boat for under 7k.
I would like to know what is a fun, fast, and comfortable boat
for this price.

One day I'll write a post about me in the warm, blue green waters of
the Bahamas, in my 38 foot something or the other. Thanks Sasha.


Sincerely,

CatalinaFan

This is where you will have to do due diligence and research Craigslist, Yachtworld, Boat Trader etc... and find the best bang for your buck...Values of boats vary and it will depend on if you want a 17 footer, 25 footer etc... best bet is do some research and then come back, research the forums and then ask questions ....

[rennisaint]

Personally, I'd say get something decent sized, like 25'-28' that has been heavily used, but still can still be dropped in the water and sailed away. Then, sail the sh!t out of it for the first season only doing what is necessary to keep her sailing. Pull her out for the winter, get her some new (but cheap) chinese made sails, clean her up, paint, varnish, wax, whatever. Sail the sh!t out of her again. By now you should know exactly what you _really_ want to change. Now you can start changing a few things, fixing things, replacing things etc.. Then, theoretically keep sailing her, or sell her for a decent profit because she looks so much better than she used to!

[PBzeer]

Hard to go wrong with a Catalina 22 for a first boat.

[Gryzio]

I really can not recommend what you will like.

But, go look at a few boats close to you. Get inside the cabin and see what a 22' and 25' and 30' look like for room and layout.

Learn about the different Keels? Swing-Keel (Retractable) good for shallow areas. Fin keel may give more agility. Full keel may give more stability. Each has good points depending on what you want.

Many 22' "may" only have a Drop Board (Yes there are some with other keels too). 22' "may" have a porta-potty and a Coleman stove. 25' may have a full head and stove with an oven. Both may sell for the same price?

I know I not offer much. But, looking at the real thing, inside and out. You will gain some idea of what you have and what you can not have.

I going to look at two boats soon. Catalina 22' and a S2 24' (7.3 M). I thinking the Catalina actually looks more roomy down below as it is more open. But, it have the Retractable Keel. The S2 is a Full Keel. The S2 is $1,000 more. So, for a fun boat and the money, I lean more toward the shorter and cheaper Catalina.

[cjmcfall]

CatalinaFan,

Where are you located? I have a great Ericson 29 that may fit your bill and do exactly what you are looking for. PM me if you are interested.

My father also has a Catalina 25 for sale.

[jimmd]

i did a lot of reading and looking after taking my first lessons and was able to find a 33 year old grampian 23 for a good price that was (is) actually in pretty good candition. i don't thinks the POs left the dock very often. it's big enough to learn on and small enough to handle. i figured that even if i did something stupid (look out dock) i would be upset but not financially hurting.
look around - there are a lot of older fun boats out there.

[CaptKermie]

"After I finish my lessons, I'll buy a boat for under 7k.
I would like to know what is a fun, fast, and comfortable boat for this price."

Fast & Fun for under 7K....? Sounds like you want to get wet. I have seen a few in the 15-18 foot range at this price, Hobies and Lasers come to mind as fast & fun for under 7k. Bombardier made a 16 footer that sailed pretty fast. There are a few others, but unless you take something older it may be difficult to get in under 7K that keeps you dry.

[chucklesR]

Based on the information you've passed so far, and on your profile I recommend this:
http://www.hobby-lobby.com/nirvana.htm

It'll save you enough money until you know more about what you want, where you want it, and how you intend to use it.

[sanctuarysam]

the negative bouyancy aside (translation..no foam to keep her afloat, so don't swamp her or she'll sink like a stone)..the J/24 is about as much fun as you can have w/ your clothes on..fast, nimble and will let you know when she's trimmed and when she's not.
creature comforts are spartan, but for 7k, you should be able to pick up an early 80's vintage J with lots of life left in her...
word to the wise..think Dry Sail when you look..paint her bottom as needed, but a dry sailed J will be a breeze to maintain.