first boat

[jkiser]

i have been doing some searching and have found a cal 9.2 30' and a c & c 30' hoping someone could give a complete novice some advice besides the obvious lessons

[DRFerron]

Welcome to Sailnet!

It's hard to give advice without some background information. Are you new to sailing or just new to boat buying? Do you want advice on the types of boats you listed or advice as to whether they are good first boats for a novice sailor?

Forum members are more than willing to jump in and provide their opinions, we just need a little more guidance. Otherwise you'll receive opinions on anything and everything.

Cals and C&Cs have been covered extensively in the forums. They seem to be among the first of the large-ish boats that new to sailing folks seem to target.

[ImASonOfaSailor]

My personal advice would be don’t be closed minded to just traditional style sailing! Almost everyone here is MONO sailors 1 Hull sailors! Which is fine we all enjoy the power of the wind? I am just saying don’t be afraid to try the other world if you have never sailed before, I say go to a school, or find someone to crew with Learn, that way you will see if you really like it.. What type of water are you going to be sailing in? I can’t tell you how many times as a kid I would see these people our neighbors on the dock, BUY a huge expensive sailboat and don’t know how to sail it or even want to learn it. Then it sits at the dock. Everyone here is very nice and very experienced in a lot of areas they will help you with anything or just tell you straight out if you’re in danger of being KILLED! Well i can tell you that too.

What type of experience do you have?

[jkiser]

very limited exsperience i would like to at some point sail the east coast between va and florida i am looking into schools and instructors now i have owned several power boats but looking for a bit of adventure with sailing i want as small of a boat that will handle the coastal waters, as i will be singlehandling the boat most of the time. im going to start in the chesapeke and work my way from there

[Faster]

While both 30 footers the Cal 9.2 and the C&C are quite different beasts.

The C&C is a good all-round cruiser/racer, well recognized in North America (and in Europe as a "Trapper") and plenty of them have been built. They are available in both gas engine models and diesels, as are many of the 70s/80s boats.

The Cal is a smaller, lighter IOR influenced design and it will reward you with better performance when well handled (esp upwind), but will likely be somewhat more tender and less forgiving overall. They are a nice looking boat, a Ron Holland design and he had some major successes in his career.

If you intend to do a fair bit of club racing the Cal may prove more suitable, but the C&C will make a better summer home for cruising. Of course both boats can do both; it depends on what your main priorities for use will be.

Outside of these comments, I'd suggest you don't get locked into either of these at this early stage.. get out and do the dock walks, look at all sorts of boats and try to get some time on the water at a local club to get a feel for the differences between boats. Local race crews are often shorthanded and many skippers are happy to introduce new people to the sport. Be reliable, listen and learn and you'll be invited back. Sailing OPBs (other peoples boats) is definitely the most economical way to do this....

Best of luck...

[jkiser]

thanks, that is great advice my main priority will be cruising. I want something that will be comfortable for summer long cruises down the east coast (after a couple of seasons of the bay) im not set on these boats but at the price i found them they were the most boat for the money i am open to all suggestions and tips

[DRFerron]

Originally Posted by jkiser

im going to start in the chesapeke and work my way from there

There are oodles of opportunity for sailing in the Chesapeake. As Faster said, try other people's boats first. Local club races happen most Wednesday thru Friday nights during the season up and down the Bay so you'll be hard pressed not to find a sailing opportunity. Racing is the quickest way to begin gaining sailing skills. Even just a few times can help tremendously.

Where are you located on the Chesapeake?

[jkiser]

im acctualy located in winchester its about 2 1/2 to 3 hours away

[JoeDiver]

My personal opinion....

For my first boat, I wanted something inexpensive to learn in. Not just how to sail, but also taking care of the boat and the ability to spend weekends aboard, at the marina and on the hook. It had to be fully equipped with a galley, head, and sleeping quarters. Big enough to be comfortable, but not so big it would be difficult to handle. Besides, at this stage of the game I'm not sure what I really want/need in a boat anyway.

I decided on my Catalina 25....it was priced very well, highly regarded as an entry level boat, has everything I need and has a great owners culture. As I learn to sail, I'm also learning about boat maintenance, overnighting at the marina and on the hook, and most importantly, what I REALLY want/need in my next boat. With purchase price and upgrades/repairs I'm less than $5k into this boat....an amount I'll get most of back when I go to sell her in a couple years.....and upgrade to my next boat....one that will have/do what I really want and need in a sailing vessel.

[jkiser]

Thanks Joe the maintenance side is not a huge concern for me I have owned other boats and am fairly mechanically inclined both with engines and wood working I am considering living aboard during sailing season do you think your 25 footer Would be comfortable for that