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Boat recommendations for a Newbe

3K views 19 replies 17 participants last post by  smurphny 
#1 ·
Hello,

I'm looking to purchase my first Sailboat and I'm overwhelmed by all the different models available.

I would like to purchase a Boat between 24' and 30' to learn to Sail. I would primarily Sail The Great Sacandaga and Lake Champlain in NY.

I would like to sail this Boat for about 7 years and then buy a 32' or larger Boat to make trips down to Florida and possibily the Bahama's.

I have been advised to look at the Bristol 24 - 29 models and I do like that design.

All recommendations and any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You
John
 
#3 ·
The first thing you need to do is determine how much you are going to spend, what you want to do with the boat, and where you are going to keep it. Then you need to look for boats that are on the market in your area. There is no point in recommending a boat to you, when there are none on the market in your area.

Look at the local listings, pick out the ones that appear to fit your criteria, and post them here for comment. That will help us figure out which way your tastes run too!
 
#4 ·
Might want to look at something trailable. Lots lower costs without moorage fees, can go to more places, able to do work in your backyard, more options for winter storage. Should be ok on the lakes. Usually we're talking about boats under 3,500lbs, 22-25 ft. There's sailnet threads on the best alternatives
 
#5 ·
I always favor learning to sail a dingy. I started small and I wish I had the time for a small boat again. Someday.

Sail Delmarva: The Merits of Learning to Sail on a Small Boat

While some thing small is undignified, you learn a feel for the wind and the water you may NEVER get in a larger boat. Like trying to learn algebra never having learned multiplication tables.

Start with a small slope that is popular in your area, sail it for a summer, and then sell it for what you paid. Sail it for 2 seasons in all weathers and jump straight to the 32-footer, no problem. Big boats aren't about sailing, they are about planning and systems.
 
#6 ·
I sailed dinghies, Hobie Cats, Lasers, then sailed on friend's 23-footers & 30-footers. My first "big boat" was a Catalina 34 (which I lived aboard). And it turned out to be a great boat for my purposes.

It would be great if you could sail on a few different boats to see the pros and cons of different designs. There are always trade offs! But until you can get a feel for those, it's hard to say what you'd like.

Is there a sailing club in your area? That might be the best way to get some experience with different designs before you spend big money on a boat.

My two cents.

Happy hunting!
 
#7 ·
A boat to learn on, and to keep for several years before moving up to something bigger, calls for something that you won't outgrow. On Lake Champlain, a Sonar or J/24 might be good options. The Sonar is perhaps more oriented towards daysailing. The J/24 has potential for minimalist weekending. Both are fun to sail, available at reasaonable cost, and hold their values reasonably well. (You won't lose your shirt when you sell them to move to a bigger boat, because they're popular enough to maintain a viable market). Both are trailerable, but launching by hoist would probably be easier than finding a suitable ramp. Look around and see what suits YOU best, as well. Fair winds!
 
#8 ·
All that I did was start looking and buy the most boat for the low budget that i had. After all, it is a first boat so don't try to buy your dreamboat right out of the gate. Make sure that you have a pal that is experienced to get you up to speed and if you have no experience on the water at all take a safety course and get to know your charts before going out.

If you buy this boat at the low end you will never lose. There are lots of boats for cheap right now so be patient.

My $.02

Bill
 
#10 ·
I think it's helpful to get a few specific recommendations. As you research and shop around for those specific boats, you'll become familiar with their features and may start to spot others that would provide the same benefits. You'll start to develop a feel for what you want to pay for and what you don't care about.

The big piece of missing information is how much you want to spend.

Last year I started shopping for my first boat, and I was initially focused on the Bristol 27 and the Alberg 30. These are similar boats, designed by Carl Alberg. The Pearson Triton is also similar, and also designed by Carl Alberg. These boats are probably a little more difficult to find than others, but they have a good reputation and, because of that, they tend to sell for a bit more (rough guess, $8-$15k for the Bristol and $15-30k for the other two.)

While zeroed in on the Albergs, I happened across a Craigslist ad for a Cal 2-27. It was about half what I would have paid for a low-end Bristol 27. I looked at it that afternoon and bought it the next morning. It's been the perfect boat for me, my family, and my budget. It is very different than those other boats and doesn't have the same classic looks, but it does have a reputation for being bullet proof and it's a pretty nice family weekender. You ought to be able to find nice examples of this boat for less than $8k.

So, bottom line: collect some ideas, shop around, walk around every boat yard and marina you see, and be ready to strike when the right boat comes along.

Oh, and good luck lasting 7 years without an upgrade!
 
#11 ·
The small boat idea is a good one to learn how to sail. Even a Sunfish will do for starters. I learned on a Lightning which would IMO be a good choice: trailerable, a real sailboat with a headsail, not overly expensive. On the other hand, if you wanted to go right to a keelboat, an A30 or a Triton might be boats to think about. They would carry you south with no problem, eliminating the need to switch later.
 
#12 ·
An Aileron 28 would fit the bill.... at $50-70K :eek: ;)

As would a Catalina 27 at $5-7K :)

See the problem? How much would you like to spend? How 'old' are you willing to go? How much space do you need? Daysailing or weekending to start? etc..etc...

More data!!
 
#14 ·
Personally, I find it interesting and a bit puzzling that people want to buy a sailboat to "learn" to sail on. Have you sailed on other boats at all? Have you taken a course?
I concur with what HardTAC says ... think about trying to get out on other people's boats, sailing on different designs, and determining what you do and don't want is helpful. Racing with others on thieir boats, is very helpful in accomplishing this .

Untill you have sailed a bit, you won`t really know enough to determine what you want and need in your own sail boat. Be prepared that it will most likely depreciate in value rather quickly after you buy it, so if you find that sailing is not what you enjoy or expect, that you need to be prepared to resell your boat at a loss.
Or adversely if you find you really enjoy it, you will likely likely be upgrading within seven years.

With very little info re: prize range ... a C & C 27, or a Catalina 27 are pretty forgiving, in a reasonable price range, are good basics boats for day and weekend sailing, and would likely meet most of your needs.

If you can`t sail with others on varioius designs - shop around, come up with three boats that you think meet your needs and price range, then come back here. It will be easier to narrow down the pros and cons of the designs.

Good luck in your search
 
#15 · (Edited)
Personally, I find it interesting and a bit puzzling that people want to buy a sailboat to "learn" to sail on...
x2

John, Here's my five-step process to getting into (or bailing out if it ain't your thing) of sailing:

1) Befriend a competent person with a sailboat and have him teach you. If that isn't possible, join a sailing social group. These groups match-up people who own boats with people who either wanna crew, learn to sail, or just enjoy sailing in general. If any of these don't work, enlist in a ASA certified sailing school.

2) Next (if you still think sailing is your thang), go buy a sailing dinghy. Sailing a dinghy will REALLY hone your skills, and teach you a lot about the physics of sailing.

3) Next (if you still think sailing is your thang), Join a Sailing Club. Sailing clubs allow you to rent boats by the hour, by the day, or by the weekend. Here you can start out small (foot wise), and work your way up to the size of boat you think you may eventually wanna own. If cruising is your end game, this is where I see most newbies discover that they would have quickly outgrown that 20-something footer had they bought one.

4) Next, If you've come this far, I'll assume sailing is your thang, and the somewhat controversial portion of my advice: If you truly love sailing, and, cruising is indeed your end game, and you have the resources to do so, go buy the boat that will fit those needs, and carefully grow into it. You won't be sorry you did.

5) Go enjoy life on the water.
 
#17 ·
I bought a 30 ft boat, learned on it, and loved it! Now I got LUCKY. Original owner is a friend of the family, showed me a lot and crewed for me when I was sailing in rougher weather. He bought a great boat and now passed that on to me because he bought a bigger boat.

My advice, go down to the local yacht clubs and harbor and talk to people about boats. After doing lots of research there are only a few other boats I would even consider buying because of the tiller, performance, size and amenities.
 
#19 ·
Thanks for all of the Good advice. I would like to stay under 10K for my first boat. I have been looking at a few Catalinas and Bristols around the NY - New England area. It looks like it gets real expensive to have these boats transported.

Anyone recommend a Sailing Club in the NY area?
 
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