Hey guys, I think I've finally done enough research to post my own thread about my specific needs. I started out with dreams of living aboard and sailing down the east coast, but realistically, that will not be an option for at least a couple years. I figure I'll finish school and once I get a real job I will be able to afford a much more seaworthy boat that I will be able to enjoy living on a lot more.
Some background: I am about to turn 21, no debt, no family (of my own), no real obligations at all except my summer job 4-5 days a week. I have 3 summers experience taking sailing lessons on a 420 dinghy when I was younger, so I have a good understanding of sailing basics, but I have no experience on a larger boat. I am currently living with my parents for the summer (rent free) in Scituate, MA.
Moorings here have an unreasonable waitlist, and slip fees are prohibitively expensive, so consequently I am looking at trailer sailers. I would like a boat that can easily be rigged and sailed solo, but capable of sleeping two adults comfortably. I am looking to sail around Scituate, the Boston harbor islands, and possibly make extended weekend trips to the cape and islands or Maine. I have access to an F-150 with 5.4 V8 so towing capacity should not be an issue.
My max budget is ~$5000 but ideally I would love to find something closer to $2-3000. This budget is for everything including trailer and anything necessary to make it ready to sail. This will primarily be used as a daysailer or over nighter, so cabin comfort is less of a priority than sailing ability, speed, and MOST importantly, FUN FACTOR. I'm sure that there are tons of boats that fit these requirements, but I'm hoping maybe you guys can point me towards some boats I either hadn't considered or thought wouldn't suit my needs.
Here are some of the boats I have been looking at:
Catalina 22 - always reccommended, but does not interest me as much as some others, not really sure why, seems more like a slow family cruiser
Potter 19 - this boat seems almost ideal, but at the upper end of my price range
Rhodes 19 - also not really in my price range, not as comfortable looking as the potter but faster? and more fun?
Potter 15 - less appealing than the 19 for obvious reasons, but more affordable
various O'Days - for some reason I'm not attracted to these boats, but you guys could easily convince me otherwise
MacGregor 26 - on here because it appears to be the largest trailerable boat
MacGregor 23 & 24 - probably more realistic in my price range
Let me know what you guys think, I'm definitely still in the early stages of this purchase, so I'm not really set on anything. Let me know if I left out any important information that would be helpful. Also, last but not least, where are some good places to look for boats other than craigslist, yachtworld, sailboatlistings, etc...
Some background: I am about to turn 21, no debt, no family (of my own), no real obligations at all except my summer job 4-5 days a week. I have 3 summers experience taking sailing lessons on a 420 dinghy when I was younger, so I have a good understanding of sailing basics, but I have no experience on a larger boat. I am currently living with my parents for the summer (rent free) in Scituate, MA.
Moorings here have an unreasonable waitlist, and slip fees are prohibitively expensive, so consequently I am looking at trailer sailers. I would like a boat that can easily be rigged and sailed solo, but capable of sleeping two adults comfortably. I am looking to sail around Scituate, the Boston harbor islands, and possibly make extended weekend trips to the cape and islands or Maine. I have access to an F-150 with 5.4 V8 so towing capacity should not be an issue.
My max budget is ~$5000 but ideally I would love to find something closer to $2-3000. This budget is for everything including trailer and anything necessary to make it ready to sail. This will primarily be used as a daysailer or over nighter, so cabin comfort is less of a priority than sailing ability, speed, and MOST importantly, FUN FACTOR. I'm sure that there are tons of boats that fit these requirements, but I'm hoping maybe you guys can point me towards some boats I either hadn't considered or thought wouldn't suit my needs.
Here are some of the boats I have been looking at:
Catalina 22 - always reccommended, but does not interest me as much as some others, not really sure why, seems more like a slow family cruiser
Potter 19 - this boat seems almost ideal, but at the upper end of my price range
Rhodes 19 - also not really in my price range, not as comfortable looking as the potter but faster? and more fun?
Potter 15 - less appealing than the 19 for obvious reasons, but more affordable
various O'Days - for some reason I'm not attracted to these boats, but you guys could easily convince me otherwise
MacGregor 26 - on here because it appears to be the largest trailerable boat
MacGregor 23 & 24 - probably more realistic in my price range
Let me know what you guys think, I'm definitely still in the early stages of this purchase, so I'm not really set on anything. Let me know if I left out any important information that would be helpful. Also, last but not least, where are some good places to look for boats other than craigslist, yachtworld, sailboatlistings, etc...