Blue Water for living for approx. $100000 in Europe

[oleg24]

Hello, all

I’m almost new to sailing. 2 years of experience. I’m currently searching for a boat for approx $100K 30ft - 40ft to live and sail.

I live in Russia, so the primary market for me to consider is Europe. And I plan to live on a boat for a year-two in Turkey Mediterranean to travel to some Med. countries on the boat and then maybe to go far, to cross the ocean to the Caribbean.

I need someone to narrow my research, because I think I’m a little lost right now.

After I read this forum I can see that most of experienced sailors often vote for better brands like Hallberg Rassy or Oyser. But considering that I’m willing to spend only approx. 100K I can choose only between 25 to 30 years old Hallberg Rassy versus new or 5-10 years old mass production brands like Bavaria, Beneteau...

I gathered some stats from yachtworld.com for the Europe boats for less than $120000 and not older than 1980, and here are numbers (list I can choose from):

Brand => boats number currently for sale
beneteau => 615
bavaria => 514
jeanneau => 526
dufour => 186
elan => 163
moody => 96
dehler => 91
Gib'sea => 86
hanse => 80
westerly => 50
feeling => 50
hallberg rassy => 42
Van De Stadt => 35
x-yachts => 35
grand soleil => 30
etap => 21
catalina => 15
hunter => 52

I’m not the one who likes to do much repair work myself. So I want the boat to work for me for at least 5 years without big problems. I want to work on a computer on a boat so I need some space but not really much. I want to invite some friends from 3 to 5 from time to time.

So she should be single handed Blue Water reliable cruiser with enough space for one-two living persons (in the 34-40 foot range, I think). I also hope this boat will not lose much in 5 years in case it is not new one, so I could sell it.

Most of the mass production brands in Europe are after charter, so I don’t think they are the best choice.
What should I look at to start my in deep research?
Hallberg-Rassy 352 25-30 years old, hoping there is not much to repair,
Hallberg-Rassy 31-34 25-30 years old spending additional $10-$20K for repair and upgrade,
Bavaria 30-40ft new or 5 years old
Beneteau first 30-40ft new or 10 years old
or something else.

I need 3-5 boats to keep in mind while researching. Currently there is much more and I’m really confused.

Thanks in advance.

[omaho5]

Any boat that you buy will be work, likely lots of it. An older boat will be more work. A bigger boat will be more work still.
All larger sail boating is expensive. There s no getting around this.
From a financial point boating makes little sense.
One must love the act of sailing to make it worthwhile.
With all this out of the way..up front, you need to find a liveable and worthy
craft that you love.
I enjoy the process of looking at sailboats and thinking of their sailing characteristics.
For example I own a full keel sloop with a narrow beam and low aspect ratio.
Others would only like a fin keel, with a wide beam
So find the boat that you enjoy, get very used to it under most conditions
and then sail away.
For off shore use, I would not choose a Hunter or a Catalina, others would.
I love some of the Benneteau boats.
Many have gone transatlantic.
In American boats that I have sailed, I love Bristol 29's
Cape Dory 28, 30, 33, 36.
Very strong boats
Brittain's older boats are worth looking at; Hell they invented the sport.

[sailingdog]

Just curious, why do you think you need a blue water boat? Most bluewater boats are going to be less well suited for living aboard, since they're generally narrower, with less interior room, than coastal cruisers.

[oleg24]

omaho5, thanks for the answer.

For example I own a full keel sloop with a narrow beam and low aspect ratio. Others would only like a fin keel, with a wide beam

I already found a boat l like the look, alajuela 38, but there are only few for sale and all in the US. I actually don't think mentioned factors are really important for me now. The main two I can say for sure are: living space, blue water capability.
There were many topics saying that beneteau or Bavaria or other mass production brands are not worth considering for offshore sailing. Unfotunately there are not much Cape Dory or Bristol in Europe due to yachtworld.

sailingdog

Just curious, why do you think you need a blue water boat?

I want to get some experience for these 1-2 years in Turkey and then to go for offshore voyages, maybe cross the ocean, maybe to circumnavigate, if I'll be confident in myself and have everything ok with finances till that time.

[sailingdog]

There are quite a few British built boats, like the Contessa 32, Elizabethan series, and such that are bluewater capable with little modification that you could be looking at.

[oleg24]

sailingdog, thank you

Contessa 32, Elizabethan series

i will take a closer look at contessa and Elizabethan now, and read about it for some days. However I would like a boat with a bit more space. for contessa it could be closer to 35foot or more. There are some on yachtworld.

[sailingdog]

The Elizabethan series were made up to 37' LOA or so IIRC. The HR Rasmus is 35' LOA IIRC.

[omaho5]

I forgot the French built Wauquiez 35. Not to be overlooked.
The Dufour, Beneteau, and some others are not in the W's league.

[oleg24]

sailingdog,

Elizabethan series were made up to 37'

Unfortunately there are no boats on yachtworld more than 33'. I currenlty search through this site mostly.

The HR Rasmus is 35'

last boat Rasmus 35 was built in 1978, I try to search not older than 1980.
I was thinking about HR 352 which is newer. Is she a good one?

omaho,

The Dufour, Beneteau, and some others are not in the W's league.

Sorry for my english. I don't know what means "not in the W's league"

There are some Wauquiez boats, I'll take a closer look at them, thanks.

[omaho5]

Sorry for the English idiom/slang.
Your English is very good.
This means that Wauquiez is thought to be a much better built craft than the others mentioned in the forum.
I would take a Wauquiez sailing in conditions that other boats would not do as well.
Most informed people would agree on this point.