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Discussion starter · #21 · (Edited)
I would make one decision first. To trailer or not to trailer. If you go the trailer route, everything is cheaper. Less maintenance because it's not in the water all the time, less moorage by far. You can also have it at your abode to work on and tinker with, which as you say, is part of the fun of owning a boat. You and your buddies can also take road trips with the boat to other interesting cruising grounds.

If you're not going the trailer route, make sure you're doing it for a good reason, because it will cost a lot more. If you plan on using the boat very frequently for example, then it makes sense not to keep launching and putting the mast up and down. On the other hand, nothing says you can't keep a trailer sailor in the water on a mooring....

MedSailor
I thought long and hard about trailering but decided against it for three reasons:

-When we trailered our powerboat, we hated it. It was a pain to wait in line to use the ramp, put the boat in the water, park the truck, and then do it all over again that evening. Having to do all that plus rig a sailboat would be hell. If it was an FJ that would be one thing, but a ~25 footer... To us, it would be worth it to have the boat on a mooring.

-When we trailered, we didn't work on the boat more. When we had free time, we would put the boat in and work on it at the lake.

-The largest trailerable boat is on the small end of what we would be looking for. That 30' C&C caught my eye...

I think the term I was looking for was "coastal cruising". Making weekend or week-long trips without having to stay within a mile of shore.
 
If you don't know enough at this point to know what to look for (or to know what you don't know) then a pre-purchase survey is a wise move. If the survey reveals a fatal flaw, you're only out the cost of the survey rather than being stuck having paid $10K and have a boat that is not safe/usable.

If you intend to insure or finance the boat, a survey may well be required in any event.

Suggest you make yourself available during the survey and accompany the surveyor. You will learn as much or more from his ongoing comments as from his official 'report'.
going to agree with faster, here. if you don't know what you are doing, a survey by someone who does is a must. many popular older boats have common failures associated with them, falures a good surveyor should be aware of and know to look for. (yes. i am aware of the irony of this post)

for instance, the catalina 30 is a well known boat. i believe that i read, somewhere, that more of them were produced than any other production boat. however, they have issues associated with them. one is the mast step. the compression post sets on a wooden block that is glassed over. over time, they tend to rot and then the mast will begin to sink as the wood supporting it deteriorates. similarly, their keel has a wood/glass laminate floor. the wood rots in the wet environment of the bilge and the keel bolts begin to sink into the soft rotten wood, causing the keel to crack. they even have a name for it; "catalina smile."

a good surveyor should know about these issues and look for them. if you are fairly inexperienced, you probably won't and that could be a costly mistake.
 
This might be a long one... Sorry...

I'm at a point in my life where, as a matter of sailing, I don't know what to do. We just sold our small bowrider after 10 years. I am the boat person in the family; my father bought the boat, mostly for me (for which I am VERY grateful), and everyone else kind of tagged along.

As a family, we aren't opposed to getting another boat, especially one that we can use more (e.g., perhaps weekend on or trailer). I'd want to keep the boating costs as cheap as possible though. Shoestring.

"Where" and "What" are the big questions. Looking for ideas to answer the questions below!

If we had a sailboat, we would do a lot of weekending on the hook. This is illegal :)eek:) in our old stomping grounds--Winnipesaukee, so that is out. Looking for something that is seaworthy enough to safely take a trip to, say, Nantucket. I'd also prefer an inboard diesel to an outboard for similar reasons.

We live in central MA. Newport and the Cape are each an hour away. We are 20 minutes outside of Boston.

  • If we were to keep the boat on a mooring, WHERE would be a decent location, keeping in mind that I wouldn't want to spend a fortune on a mooring?
  • WHAT kind of boat should we look into? I'll set a tentative budget of $10,000 for the boat itself (understanding all the other costs). I'm thinking given my requirements, something OLD and in the 25-29 foot range to start?
  • I have a lot of dinghy sailing experience, but not cruising anything beyond daysailing. Any books I should read?

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts and comments! Sorry for the length of this unorganized post!
Given that I moor in Boston, and have a boat in your size range I feel a need to respond.

In terms of mooring locations Boston proper has the Boston Harbor Sail Club which rents moorings as well as boats.

Within the general area there are many other places to moor including Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Quincy, Weymouth and Hingam.

In terms of comparing the sailing consider how long you think your trips will be. Boston suits me because I'm fairly time constrained, and with its islands there are lots of destination 1-4 hours away which offer day trip and anchoring opportunities which seem perfect for a family.

Sailing in the city is also a pretty neat experience. On a whim we can go out for an evening cruise and get for "free" the night cruise that lots of people on the Spirit of Boston or the Odessey are paying good money for.

Some may argue but North (Salem/Marblehead) and South (Scituate/Plymouth/Cape) I think offer somewhat fewer immediate destinations. The bay side of the cape for example just doesn't have that many ports.

Buzzards bay, or Narraganset bay I think would be comparable to Boston, probably better, in terms of nearby destinations.

Though a lot of this is sort of moot if you think you have more time for trips, because obviously with a few extra hours/days you can go anywhere from anywhere. Also, like other people said, the closer the boat is the better, so carefully consider traffic etc, which is often awful getting to/from some of these places. Surprisingly downtown Boston isn't that bad because the water is right off either 93 or 90 and you can find cheap garages during non-work hours ($10).

In terms of the boat there are lots of great boats in this size/price range but you do need some combination of savvy, luck and patience to find them. A good/newer inboard will put a premium on the boat that will force tradeoffs elsewhere and an older inboard will just be a roll of the dice - and a bad roll will be a big liability. Of course that said, a good inboard is a great thing.
 
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