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To go a bit bigger or not?

2K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  cdy 
#1 ·
I have a Pearson 26 , in good shape, that I keep in Cocoa Florida on a mooring ( of my own making) , I like the boat it is a good daysailor, simple to maintain. I use it as an escape from all the women in my life ( wife , daughters) they will go occasionally but not really their thing.

The boat is decent size below but being 6'2" I cant really stand up and don't fit well into any berths for sleeping - vberth is best, boat does not have roller furling so sails are usually stashed up there.

I have had larger boats in the past - Cal 36 , Ericson 36C - I don't need or want anything that big again. The Pearson is great for daysails - but staying overnight is more like camping. I could fix it up to make it a bit more comfortable - roller furling for example - but in Florida a Pearson 26 is a $3K boat - if I put $3k more into the boat - its still a $3K boat - at this point I am trying to decide if I should upgrade to about a 30 footer or just make do - want to take a trip to the Keys around Christmas and the Bahamas next year - not sure if I can make the boat comfortable enough for me for more than a weekend.

Its a good boat, sails well, has upgraded rigging and main, solid working 9.9 outboard, just a little on the small side, maybe I should toughen myself up and keep the boat.
If getting something bigger would look at a Cal 29,31, maybe Ericson 29 or 30, older design but one that sails well. Can pick them up for under $10K in good condition in FL , Thoughts?
 
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#4 ·
Maybe sell the P26 and shop for a similar sized boat that has the features you think you're missing.

Better berth (long quarterberth, for example, if you're mostly solo). If it's mainly berth length rather than standing headroom you're after there ought to be some possibilities.

For the type of daysailing you do something more spritely might be more fun.

Spend the pension fund and get an Aileron 28 ;)
 
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#5 ·
... but in Florida a Pearson 26 is a $3K boat - if I put $3k more into the boat - its still a $3K boat ...
Who the **** cares?

Is this a financial investment plan (if it is, it's not a good one) or is it something you want to use?

If you put $3k into it and it becomes a boat that suits your needs and that makes you happy, is that $3k then wasted because you can't recover it if you ever decide to sell the boat?

Seriously, WTF is wrong with people that they won't do something unless they feel it has an ROI. Not everything in the world is there to improve your investment portfolio. People will dump thousands of $$$ on an idiotically big television that's worth absolutely zero in 5 years ... but you'll hymm and haw over investing a few thousand to make your hobby more enjoyable.

Seriously. Take a step back and consider the possibility that you're looking at this all wrong. Then dump 3 grand into the boat and go sailing.
 
#6 ·
It's prob weighing $s and time/commitment vs what you have that is already figured out...and paid for.
You can fab a stowable platform for more sleeping room.

I like the outboard...simple, no-brainer.
A new 30 will have secrets to be found and possibly some serious hits on the wallet.

If you feel that need to go to something else, pull the trigger and enjoy.

It's your getaway/sanity machine....
 
#8 · (Edited)
As a life long liveaboard, it's all about comfort for me. Camping out on a boat, even for just a few weeks at a time, is a total deal breaker for me.
If this is to be your man cave, your home away from home, then by all means make it a place where you can stand up, lounge around or lay down (sleep) comfortably.
I guess I'm saying that I think you should go ahead and buy the boat that you fit aboard, comfortably.
 
#9 ·
At 6'-2" you are going to find it difficult to get the interior head room you need to stand up without going with a larger boat. And, I have a friend that owns a 30 Catalina Tall rig and he's the same height, bangs his head constantly. He sails with me a lot because he cannot get remotely close to head banging in my Morgan 33 Out Island, which has nearly 7 feet of interior head room.

The women probably don't give a damned what you buy, just as long as you stay away from them as much as possible and for extended periods of time, or at least until they need you to do some strenuous work they cannot handle. I know these things - I was born married. ;)

Good luck,

Gary :cool:
 
#11 ·
I always try to buy low and sell low - that way I don't have to screw around too much with dipsh*t buyers who have a ton of questions and no money, I know I will get a bigger boat in the future - its just a matter of when - I have about 5 years until I can take months off at a time - now its more weeks.

I usually buy and sell using CL - while its a good place to purchase/find deals - and it has been effective at selling - it does bring out the wierdos - maybe its a Florida thing.


Looked at a tricked out Ericson 28 this week while in Miami - the guy did a great job and claimed he invested about 40K in the reconstruction and updates - it looked it - he has it for sale for $17K - which is probably a good price in many parts , but in Florida boats are so cheap - you can pick up a nice Cal 31 for a little more than half. I have no problem in investing in a boat that I plan to keep for the long term - but if my ownership is just going to be a few years - I am careful on my investment into it.
Besides - need to save some of the fun money for the moto.
 
#12 ·
..... I have no problem in investing in a boat that I plan to keep for the long term - but if my ownership is just going to be a few years - I am careful on my investment into it.
.....
https://spacecoast.craigslist.org/boa/6101503375.html

They're asking a bit too much for this one, but if you're looking for a keeper.......and it's right down A1A from you (no connection to this boat or seller, BTW).
 
#14 · (Edited)
Smaller boat, smaller aggravations. Everything is a bigger headache with a bigger boat. Everything costs more. You need more bottom paint, more time to apply it, bigger sails, more fuel, more systems, more insurance, a better slip, bigger decks with more core to rot.

Then there's selling a bigger boat, the tire kickers, the conditional offers the surveys, all the while you are paying more to store it, insure it and maintaining it while the buyer takes his sweet time to find a surveyor, then changes his mind.

There is definitely something to be said for keeping the smaller boat that you know rather than buying the bigger boat that you don't. Sucks about not having a berth, you'd think they would have designed one decent sized bed into a 26 foot boat.
 
#16 ·
Get the boat that you will enjoy for the money. Stop thinking it's an investment because it's a money pit unless you are going to live on it.
 
#17 ·
I never look at a boat as an investment - I just try to limit my potential loss.

Probably biggest problem in Florida is hesitating to pull the trigger because you think you can find a better deal - so many older sailboats for sale and limited number of buyers, many just want to get out from the $$ for upkeep. But boats that are in good shape and priced right - do sell or the boats that are pieces of crap but are very cheap will sell as housing.
 
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