need some help

[sailor girl]

I sailed on a in-frequent basis over 14 years ago and am attending sailing school in Ft. Lauderdale in April. My husband and I have 3 kids, 8, 9, 12 and would like to purchase a boat in the next 3 months. ( I finally talked him into it) What advice could those sailing with a family of this size give me? We are looking at long weekend trips. We are in TN and will be sailing on the KY lakes. We want a nice boat, with a lot of room. We are not interested in speed, but rather comfort and relaxation. I decided I didn''t want to wait until I retire to start living my dream of sailing on a regular basis. We can likely only commit to two weekends per month on the boat. A friend of mine who sails told me to look at the smallest boat we can comfortably sail, and save the big $$ until we retire. ( we are not wealthy, but thrifty... I am foregoing a new car for a boat) I want my kids to be comfortable in case we decide to take an extended vacation on the boat, and I would like to be able to have a decent size boat to anchor out on, on weekends. I am open to all advice. thanks.

[sailingfool]

sailor girl,

Congratulations on your decision and on showing an excellent sense of priorities! Hopefully your sailing expereinces will fully reward you.

A first rule of sailing is that everything is relative including big$$ - you might add some specifics to get on target advice:
- what''s the most you want to spend
- will you leave the boat in the water
- does it need to be trailerable
- are 5 people going to stay overnight on the boat?

Good luck.

[sailor girl]

We can spend up to $30,000 and will be keeping the boat at a marina. We will also be spending the night on the boat.

[sailingfool]

Ok, that should get you into the game! So here''s my 10 cents...

Look for a popular model around 30'' in sail-away condition, preferably mid-''80s or newer. ''30 should provide minimum camping-style accomodations for a family. 30'' may sound big, but you will find the boat shrinks quickly after some use. You might have an experienced friend or a captain sail with you for the first few days until you past any intitial stage fright. Read everything you can and sail on other boats.

I don''t know what boats are popular in the area you mention, but Catalina, Pearson or O''Day would come to mind, and Cal at the higher end (Cal 28-2 is nice!). Given lake sailing you could consider newer Hunters, along as their resale market is solid. I would stay away from any fix-me-ups as the costs of engines, sails, or hull repairs are very capable of making even a free boat too expensive...

Focus on buying a popular model for a fair price, so you can sell-out later if plans change (or you want to up-size...). Always hire an experienced, qualified marine surveyor to complete a thorough survey done. Get some quotes, then hire the most expensive surveyor, provided he can explain why he/she is worth the cost and even then check several references...

Good luckm, and hopefully others will add to these comments.

[Stan S]

One item of advice. Sail the boat several times without the family before you take them out. And pick a perfect weather window for the first family outing. Otherwise, you
may need a boat the can be single-handed.

[sailingfool]

Good advice Stan! Sailing girl might even consider making the first few family trips just boat outings (power only, no sail) to try to ease the gang into the fun of it all.

Even better yet, see if everyone take the learn-to-sail classes so the kids can start off feeliung like part of the program...

[DuaneIsing]

Sailing fool,

That could work OK. Then after a trip or two you can make a big production of turning off that stinky, noisy engine and let everyone revel in the feel of just the wind! Hopefully, they''ll be hooked.

[Irwin32]

My 2 cents: I agree that a popular brand is a good idea for resale purposes. With 3 kids the interior layout is going to be critical. It is best if the 3 kids are not sleeping in the main cabin as this will limit parents use to times when kids are awake. I would plan to put 2 kids in V berth and the third either in a quarter berth or aft berth. It seems to me that the trend towards the aft double berth actually takes away livable interior room. A stowable main cabin table also helps open up things up as opposed to a dinette type arrangement. With a family of 5, look for a large head tank. In this situation, it would seem that interior room is the #1 criteria. An older C&C 36 in good shape might be around for 30K. The Nonsuch 30 is a very roomy and well mannered boat that could be had for a little more.

[sailor girl]

A lot of great ideas and I appreciate everyone''s help. I like the idea of the fold up table, I had never thought of that. Can you give me a heads up on what boats you all feel are a good value for the money? Anyone out there near TN? I plan to get whatever boat we choose surveyed, but I don''t want to get ripped off. (and thus, an explanation as to why I hate shopping for used cars) What boats should I avoid? All I remember from the guy I dated prior to I got married, (when I actually sailed was, how much he hated hunters) Any advice will be respected and appreciated.

[1Rsalsman23]

Hi Sailor girl. First, let me say I agree with the old boyfriend. Stay away from Hunters. If you want a better midrange boat which hasn''t yet gone out of business, try a Beneteau First series, or possibly a Catalina.
I am in Kentucky and have been sailing here for years. While I understand your lack of interest in racing, keep in mind that the winds tend to the lighter side in KY, particularly in the summer. So a heavy cruiser may not be practical. (I should know, it has been my dream to sail a Tayana or an old Allied Mistress or Princess. Far too heavy to sail well in our waters.)
So, my advice would be to stick with the lighter coastal cruisers. If you like accomodations, Catalina makes a nice mid-size boat which should be available in your price range. But the Beneteau Firsts are better sailers.
Good luck on your search.
See you on the water!