Novice needs guidance

[redmans]

Sailingdog, I liked reading your advice regarding the purchase of a used sailboat. My husband and I are looking to purchase a 32 -36 foot with a 50,000 dollar budget. We have sailed smaller boats and we are not experts. There are many used Catalina's on the market, a few Hunters, and Ericsons. Do you have any recommendations such as preferred years, gas verses diesel, sail configuration?
Thanks
Redmans

[PBzeer]

The choice of a boat has a lot to do with how and where you'll use it. For instance, are you looking for something to spend a lot of time on? Or just something to take out for the day and go home at night? Questions like that can help you narrow your search. Also, if your budget is 50K, look to be putting 10 to 20 of that in upgrades/refits on a used boat.

While diesel is preferable from a safety standpoint, there are a lot of Atomic 4's out there doing just fine. Rigwise, you're probably going to be looking at a masthead sloop rig.

The main thing though, is get a boat that suits what you want to do.

Regards,

[sailingdog]

PBzeer is correct about setting aside about 20-30 percent of your budget for upgrades and refits....this is true regardless of whether you're buying a new boat or a used one btw.

As for boats... it really depends on the type of sailing you plan to do with the boat, and the area you plan to sail in. What maybe a great boat for daysailing on San Francisco Bay, may not be so suitable for gunkholing in the Florida Keys. Once you've narrowed the boat choice down, by what kind of sailing you'll be doing, then narrowing it down to the best out of the possible candidates is relatively easy.

As for gas vs. diesel... it depends a lot on the boat. A good Atomic gasoline engine that has been well maintained is worth much more than a poorly maintained diesel with low hours.

Gasoline is a perfectly safe fuel if used properly, and gasoline engines are generally a bit easier and cheaper to maintain IMHO.

Also, some people prefer having only one fuel aboard, and if you use a gasoline powered outboard for the dinghy, then a gas-powered engine for the main boat simplifies some things.

However, with the current push for ethanol-blended fuels in the US, I would say that you're probably better off with diesel as a fuel. The ethanol-blends are not as stable as the older MTBE-based gasoline blends and have some serious issues in a marine environment. The E20 blends now showing up are actually damaging to marine engines...and the ethanol is causing problems with the fiberglass fuel tanks on older boats.

Just my $.02 worth.

[tcdsngrp]

Hey everyone. I, too, am looking for advice on a boat. I have been sailing for the last couple of years on the clubs daysailer (capri 22), in the light air of Long Island Sound. I knew it was a dog, but I didn't realize how much until I returned from a week of "perfomance cruising" at Jworld. Yikes. I felt like i was trying to ski black diamond runs on water skis...I regularly crew on an iod, and am looking to put my toe into racing myself. However, I have two small children that I need to be willing to sail so I need something that would satisfy all of us. Speed and agility for me, comfort and a head for my kids...I would like to be able to take occassional trips to block island, etc, so overnighting would be something I would like to be able to do. I was looking into the J30's, and would love some seasoned advice so that I can at least narrow my compulsive surfing of Yachtworld. Yes, I've got it bad.

Thanks,
Teresa

[DirtManly]

It's kind of hard to reply, with out more information to go on, but I can at least share some experience with you.
Catalina's seem to hold there resale value quite well if reasonably well maintained. Catalina's don't really do anything spectacularly but they do everything reasonably well for there price point. (my experience 18' - 42')
The older Hunters ( cherubini ) are good boats and the newer Glenn Henderson designed boats are pretty good boats, my experience with the boats in between hasn't been very good and I tend to avoid them. I am almost invariably seeing large areas of delamination on the boats I am hauling and working on. (all my experience here is with boats 30' & <)
I have very limited experience with Ericson and am thus far largely unimpressed. The two that I have see have been so covered in blisters that you can't put your finger between them. These are boats that have had regular maintenance and still they have continued problems. (only experience 23' & 29')


Teresa,
Wow, I am sorry that you have had that kind of experience with the Capri 22. We have won five club championships with one. We regularly trash A fleet in light air and very nearly went to the Hospice National Championship on it. We tied for first place point wise and they won because they had a bullet in one race. Anyway we regularly beat J24's, J22's, Ultima 20's and in very light air we can get J80's.

Best of luck to all
Dirt

[sailingdog]

Teresa-

You really should start your own thread instead of hijacking this one.