Advice Wanted: 30'' + for Retiree...

[shoopdj]

....on a budget. The "shellman" thread was interesting (Advice Wanted: 32''-36''), but I don''t have $100 grand to throw at a boat, my limit being more like $25-35K. As a retiree, I will have plenty of maintenance time to donate, and there will be just me and mamma, eyeball to eyeball, with occasional grandkids visiting. The boat will be just for day sails on Lake Erie with an occasional sleep over. I like the Cape Dory''s looks, but I don''t want a dog. I want some spunk if I can get it and I want something that will be resellable when I''m too brittle to play with it. Any advice?

[Jeff_H]

I would suggest that you could get by with a lot of different models. A few that fall to mind are:
Beneteau 305
Hunter 30 (1980-81)
Pearson 323
Tartan 30

For the most part the Cape Dories probably would not meet you preformance goals.

Jeff

[mabwjm]

Check out the Alberg 30...you can find them ranging from $12-25K, boats in very good condition with lots of updates for high teens to low twenties.

Perfect boat for the kind of sailing you''re talking about.

Best of luck!

Bill

[Wega24]

look into the J 30

Thorsten

[winslow59]

I''d like to hear more about the J/30. The specifcations show a surprisingly low (30%) ballast to displacement ratio.

How do these boats sail when not loaded with crew on the rail?

Are they a good choice for an active couple wanting a 30'' performance boat that they can cruise for a weekend or week?

Known weakness or faults? Are there model years that are prefered?

[Wega24]

AS much As I would like to help. We just bought our first J 30 ( still on the hard somewhere in Michigan )

Therefore most is hearsay, however funded enough that I shelled out a lot of hard earned money to buy the boat.

They are fast ( phref 141)
They are somewhat trailearable ( LIMITED to good trailer and BIG car ) but one can do it.
Fractional rig so my wife doesnt have to work all too hard on the smaller jib.
I think they look good.
The have full standing room all the way to the front. Big enough restroom, lots of storage . SUPER nice BIG Coolbox.
Active Class Racing and Phrf Racing Community with lots of help
Being able to surf and go like a bat out of hell
Lotsa Spare sails available as the hardcore racers will replace every two years, and those sails have lots of life left.
Can be singlehanded with Main alone
No silly Mainsheet which goes from the middle of the boom all the way forward up and down and than backward again.
Big enough boat to spent vacation in and get into rough weather without fearing the worst ( 91 Fastnet Race ! )

Now. I know that there are faster boats out there which are lighter and maybe w=sail circles around me in very light air. I also know that yopu need a couple peopl on the rail in heavy weather racing.But in Cruising mode you simple change jibs put a reef or two into the main and the boat stays flat and fast ( fast enough anyhow)

I think I am gonna like our new boat.

AS far as best models ? Yeah the 84 and later have a nicer kitchen, more room in the cockpit and are more desirable but also up to 10 grand more than an earlier model.
I decided for an older one, purely because of much less money.

I also looked at 28 Lasers, about the same price as J 30 ... faster in light air, easy to trailer, but the wife didnt like the spartan inside accomodations and killed it from the list rather quick. Actually it was my wife who picked the J 30.

Email me back in a couple of months and I cantell you more about the actual sailing... lol

Thorsten

[winslow59]

Thorsten,

Funny, my partner nixed the Laser 28 we went to see based on the size and colors (orange & yellow) of the interior. I think the Laser interior is very clever, but she was right about it being to small to fit us.

I''ll take a closer look at the J/30...and look forward to seeing a report/review from you here.

[Wega24]

lol that is too funny indeed, as my wife wasalso irritated about the yellow inside, I told her to paint it and I was doing all kinds of wrestling to make it work, but no way, jose.
That color stuff is irritating for sure. I think in the long run I like the j 30 better
anyway.

Plus there is that other issue when ever selling the boat. J boat have a good reputation, being fast and they have lots of real expensive line of other boats. The laser will be know as the only try to built a big boat, having built millions of small lasers...... We all have big egos and running around in a tshirt with the laser emblem or a t shirt with J boats will make a difference to some people ( I have to admit, it makes a difference to me ...lol )