Good Weekend Sailboat?

Some on your list are trailerables, others not... you need to decide which you want to get the real list. If you're able to go with keelboats then the choices expand considerably..

Also by your list you're into a relatively low budget operation (certainly less than $10K??) - and of course that's another limiting factor.

In the keel boat sector, for starters I'd add

Ranger 26
C&C25
Cal 25
Coronado 25
Catalina 25

BoatKid5 said:

thanks for all the replys. I really like the Pearson 26 and the Coronado 23 & 25

is a 25ft. boat to much to handle as your first sailboat? should i try to stay to like 22 and 23 foot boats instead?

Click to expand...

You'll do fine with a 25/26 footer... lately it seems to me I'm running into lots of people buying 35' and up as "starters"... too much disposable income, I suppose.

Starting a little bit up the LOA scale could avoid an early case of twofootitis - if you start at 22 and really take to it, then before you know it you'll be looking for a bit more space, a little more speed, and be shopping again. For most people it's a budget limitation more than a size issue.

Don't forget to factor in storage or moorage (as the case may be) into your financial and logistical planning. Some areas are moorage-poor, in our area it's so tight it's difficult to sell a boat that doesn't have transferrable moorage. Other costs to be ready to bear include insurance, surveys, haulouts etc. A wise man on this board generally recommends keeping 20% of your budget aside for after-purchase items...

Boat Kid,

Don't let the high numbers discourage you. If you are careful, you can find a boat in your range with annual costs that aren't too high (Certain high cost areas will increase the costs significantly). On a limited budget (it's ok, everyone starts somewhere), don't be tempted to go for the bigger boat, but instead get one that you can sail right away without having to rebuild it, even if it's smaller.

When you have a fixed amount of money, the bigger the boat at preset price, the more likely it is to have problems that will require spending lots of money to bring it up to sailable status. No question about it, the bigger boat is generally has more room, more aminities, and can make cruising more comfortable. But bigger requires more expense in everyway, and buying a cheap boat needing lot's of work isn't likely to save money in the long run, because it's cheap because it doesn't stack up as well against one the same size that's been maintained well....it's pay me now or pay me later (with repairs and lots of time/money...and hours of work...trying to bring it up to the standards of that somewhat more expensive boat of the same size that you can use to go sailing now.

If you buy a trailerable boat (21-24 ft. for example):

You have a lower initial cost ($5000)
If you buy one that is ready to sail now without rebuilding, you don't have to spend much in the way of maintenance/upgrades.
Keep it simple, you don't need all the fancy gadgets...a simple hand held GPS vs. on with chartplotter. Get the basic things, avoid fancy, even if they are nicer.
You will save on slip fees because you can keep it at home.
You won't have to haul it out every year or two to clean/paint the bottom.
Systems are simple and you can do most of the repairs yourself. You can, to a great degree, control the amount of repairs if you take care of the boat...sailing to the extreeme in extreeme conditions tends to break things, and boat repairs/parts are horribly expensive (~3X that of similar repair on a car).
Your insurance costs will be lower (maybe $250/yr.)
Your property taxes will be lower (maybe $200/yr.)
Your maintence costs shouldn't be more than $250-500 if you don't have major replacements.
This boat is not going to be as shiney as a new one, but it'll sail just as well.
Now if you want restored and shiney as new, you are going to start pumping lots of money and work into it. Pretty comes at a price in any size.

Now go to 25-27 ft.
It's a lot more boat, more room, sails more solid, etc., but more expensive.

Initial purchase price $5,000
Repairs/upgrades to bring it up to go sailing conditions (still not shiney) (maybe $3000 to $5000)
Slip fees since you have to keep it in the water: (maybe $2,000 to $4000) depending where you are.
Haulout and repainting the bottom every two years (maybe $1,000 if yard does it)
Insurance (maybe $300-400/yr)
Property Taxes (maybe $300-$400/yr.)
Routine upkeep beyond restoring (maybe $500 - 750)
And you still have a boat with lots of dings, but it sails just like the fancy new one.

The trailer boat is a bit of a pain raising and lowering the mast and launching each time you use it, but this is what you give up to save on costs. A boat in the slip and a little bigger is nice and adds to the pleasure, but it comes at a cost.

Hope this helps. Go for it. I think you and your parents will enjoy it. Both size boats sail and get you out on the water.

I know that Catalina 22 quite well. My father owned 3 Catalinas (22, 27, 30) and I worked for two dealers in the South Jersey area in the late 70's. I think that Catalina in general is a fine boat for its intended purpose (overnighting and coastal sailing). You won't go wrong owning one.

I do not think that you will be happy trying to squeeze 4 people inside the 22 for anything more than an hour. You can not come close to standing and the "galley" is a joke. It's a great day sailor or overnighter for a couple of adults on a cool night; it gets REAL stuffy REAL fast in warm weather. You would do much better to get a Catalina 25 or 27 or something similar. Go older if the price is a problem; the great thing about Catalinas is that there are lots of them and the prices are appropriately low.

As to difficulty handling a first boat; it's like anything else. Practice, ask questions, don't be afraid to mess up. EVERYONE on Sailnet has messed up (see the Bonehead Moves thread ). if you haven't messed up more than once, you haven't been on the water long.

My recommendation is to go with the 25, take some lessons on the boat, read, ask questions, don't get too uptight when you mess up (you will), seriously analyze when you mess up, and have fun. This boating stuff isn't magic though boat yards, riggers, sailmakers, engine mechanics, and assorted dock rats will lead you to believe so.

Good luck.