[danielgoldberg]

Assuming the boats are comparable, and that the way you would maintain each is similar (i.e., the work you would do yourself v. hiring a yard), the cost differential between a 28/30/32 most likely is not significant (and of course we all have different views of what is "significant" when it comes to money). You say you've familiarized yourself with things like sails and dockage, so we'll skip that. That takes you to things like bottom paint, larger gear when the time comes for replacement, etc. I just don't think the difference in a few feet will matter. 10' matters, but 2 to 4, probably not.

Note that you said "comparable" boats. This is a HUGE point not to be taken lightly. A 30 foot boat with lots of exterior teak is going to take a lot more maintainence (and thus either time or money) than a 35 foot boat with no exterior teak. A 28 foot full keeler will require more bottom paint than a 32 foot shallow hull fin keeler. A tricked out 30 footer likely would be more expensive to maintain than a bare bones 34 footer (when it comes time to fix all the cool electronics and niceties when they break). You get the idea.

In terms of a boat, and just an idea, give some thought to a Pearson 10M. She sails very nicely and does well in PHRF. They have nice lines (I think). They have a large cockpit. There is standing headroom down below, and can be made to be relatively comfortable cruisers. I mention this boat for a few reasons: (i) they sail very well and you can race her successfully, which means you won't grow to hate her 'cause she's a pig; (ii) there are always a number of them for sale and the prices range from under $20K to just under $30K; (iii) She's small enough that you will not be intimidated to handle her, yet big enough that you won't grow out of her so quickly; (iv) she has the helm forward in the cockpit, meaning you can trim the main from the helm very easily, yet have an unobstructed cockpit for lounging; and (v) she's relatively stiff, which means your wife is less likely to freak if you go sailing in any kind of breeze. Just an idea. There are many MANY boats out there that are good "starter" boats. The one thing I would caution is that if you are looking to cruise a little and trying to entice your wife, don't go too small. If it's uncomfortable for her, it quickly will become uncomfortable for you.

Good luck with your search, and post updates; they're fun to read. And welcome to "coming out" on Sailnet!

 

[danielgoldberg]

The 10M is a reasonably well-constructed boat, but I don't think it's considered an offshore boat. It probably beats the Catalina 30 in that regard, and certainly a J24 or J80, but it's not meant as an offshore boat. I just don't really know if it's up to the type of race you are contemplating, as I'm not that familiar with Gulf of Mexico sailing. These events tend to have heavy gear requirements, which might be the biggest problem for such events, as that gear and its installation is neither cheap nor easy to accomplish for smaller boats.

I'd be surprised if you could find a 10M that does NOT have hot water and the other features you want, so I wouldn't worry about that. The one exception is air conditioning; that's probably not a common feature for a 10M in northern climes; no comment about boats that might be found in Florida and Texas (I just don't know).

In terms of sailing as many boats as you can, I agree, that's a difficult proposition. It's a great idea in concept, but the reality is that buyers rarely if ever can go sail 10 different boats they're thinking of buying. IMHO, what is a bit more realistic, and important, is to sail the boat you are thinking of buying, or maybe even the boats on a very short list. For instance, there are enough 10Ms out there that you probably can find a way to get a sail on one by approaching a 10M owner on a dock and explaining the situation (in this economy he might even offer to sell you HIS boat). Or at minimum, you should be able to sail the actual 10M you are thinking of buying, whether it be on a sea trial or before that. Sellers usually will want a signed contract before you can sail the boat, but there are exceptions. And in any event, just insist that the deal is subject to a sea trial satisfactory to you and that you can walk away if you do not like the way the boat sails (be specific about this point in the contract; it's not an unusual term but it often is not drafted clearly enough).