first boat

[marid22]

My husband and I have decided to purchase our first boat. We have limited experience sailing, (he much more than me!), so we would prefer an easy to handle, easy to maintain, get it out on the water more than wrestle with it kind of boat, (sort of the Volkswagen Beetle of boathood!). We are located in Northern NJ and plan to keep the boat in the Hudson river. We are looking for something in the 25-30 foot range and are hoping to do this for around $10,000. Any suggestions? Any caveats?

[maestro]

being a Hudson river sailor, here are a few suggestions.

1st, get a boat that does not have a long or full keel. The current in the Hudson causes so much leeway when sailing.

2nd, realize that north of the GW bridge, the river is a bit narrow for sailing, untill you get to the Tappan Zee (where the sailing is excellant all the way to Peekskill esp. Haverstraw bay)

3rd, there are lots of boats that can fit into the 25-30 ft range that would do you very well in these waters although if you are new to sailing, smaller is much better to learn on. ( Catalina 25, O''Day 25 come to mind) A step up would be Both of those boats in the 28-30 ft. range..Catalina 27,Catalina 30, O''Day 28, O''Day 30 although finding a 30 footer for $10,000 is a bit tougher. I''ve seen a dozen 25-27 ft. boats for sale under $10,000. A real stable boat to learn on, albeit slow with tons of leeway would be a Seeward 24. I know of 2 of them for sale. I know a good fin keeled (not swing keel) Catalina 25 on the Hudson for sale that is in AWSOME shape. There''s an O''Day 28 for sale in Haverstraw that I looked at a few weeks ago that was real nice.

Although I not an ''expert" these boats are what I see every day sailing on the Hudson during the summer.

Best of luck with your search.

[JohnDrake]

Hi there,

I grew up near to the Hudson river and spent a good deal of time sailing and boating there and on the Sound. So much fun.

The comment the poster above made about the current is very important. I helped a friend race a new Catalina 25 there (years ago). On one occasion, we tacked to the north to head upwind...which was also up current. Whew. The boat could barely make way. Not a good thing considering we where fairly close to the bridge.

At any rate, all this is to say that if you are looking at boats up to 30ft. Get a boat with a nice enough cabin to enjoy weekending in, as it is just gorgeous there. And get a boat that can fight its way upwind. A boat that has an underbody that can provide plenty of lift and a sail plan that can provide plenty of drive.

Compare the PHRF''s of the boats you look at.

And enjoy!

John

[marid22]

Actually Haverstraw is where we are looking to be! We are considering an 1976 Ericson 27. Would you consider this a reasonable choice?

[marid22]

Can you tell me how I might find these boats to take a look? Please feel free to email me directly marid22@yahoo.com.

[Irwin32]

I am not in your area, but I am familiar with a lot of smaller boats suitable for coastal cruising. The Ericson 27 is an excellent choice and would meet your needs very well. The catalina 27 is another candidate to look at. There are so many of these boats available that prices are excellent. O''Day also would server you well.

In this range, I would look for an established builder at a good price. It will be easier to sell - and if you have to lower your price to sell they can be had cheap enough that you can''t lose too much on resale.

In protected waters, your needs are not complicated. You should be able to find something suitable for well under 10k.

[maestro]

A good frind of mine at my club has an Ericson 27 and he and his wife LOVE it. Perfect for this river. Lots of cabin room for a 27 footer.

S for the others..let me get their emails and I''ll foward them to you asap.

good luck

Mike C.
O''28 unnamed

[JohnDrake]

Hello

I also have a good friend who is actually living aboard an Ericson 27 and sails it off the FLA coast frequently. She loves it.

It seems very appropriate for the Hudson. It is a somewhat lighter design with a modern keel that seems to provide a good deal of lift.

Hope this helps

J

[foxglove]

2 cents

This is just a thought but if you are considering trailering your boat to other areas, I would consider a water ballasted trailer sailor in the 25 - 26 foot range.

12 years ago, I bought a used 26 MacGregor so I could sail places like the coast of Maine and the Florida Keys without spending weeks getting there.

With an anti-sway bar, it trailers easily (the swing keel weighs only 45 lbs). It isn''t the fastest boat on the water but even with the sudden strong gusts off Mt Desert Island, I''ve never been knocked down when the ballast tank was full.

It''s definitely like camping on the water. There''s no stand-up headroom unless the pop-top is up and the head is difficult to use.

But if you might want to trailer up the the Erie Canal for a weekend, launch and drop the mast when motoring, put it back up when you get to open water, this kind of boat might be worth a look.

No matter what you get, I would prefer to buy a fresh water boat. Even a week in the Keys caused noticable salt damage to every metal part on my boat.

A survey might be a good idea too even if you aren''t financing or if the bank doesn''t require one.

[bbyrnes]

If you are planning on using Haverstraw as the marina, talk to Miles or Larry at Great Hudson Sail or George at Samelot Marine. They both act as sailboat brokers in the marina. We keep our boat there and bought through Great Hudson and were very pleased with the service.