What type of sailboat should i buy

Starting there helped us narrow in quite quickly. But this was only after…. We began our search the wrong way. We desperately wanted a catamaran and tried to adjust everything else to fit that desire. Once we got honest about our budget and how we intended to use the boat, we realized quickly our budget , intention , and desired type of boat were not compatible. Once we were realistic with ourselves and our goals, things started to come together much more quickly. Many of the boats from this era are significantly overbuilt because there was simply a lack of knowledge of just how durable fiberglass really was.

We looked at hundreds of boats online. Boat hunting. Condition: Sail Away? This is a touchy topic. Everyone wants a deal. There are thousands of boats sitting around in boatyards that you can buy for next to nothing. Surely these must be a steal right?! We knew that any boat we bought would need some work. It was up to us to decide what type of work we wanted to learn how to do and how much of it we were willing to do.

Do not underestimate this. Ep 5 is now live on YouTube! Location, Location, Location All else being equal, location can play a major role in which boat to choose.

Given two similar boats, one in your neck of the woods and one on the other side of the country, the choice is obvious. But, unlike real estate, boats are not immovable objects, nor is their pricing the same around the world, or even around the country.

Or, given your sailing plans, you really need to focus your search into one geographic area. In the beginning, our search literally spanned the globe. As we got more and more serious, we narrowed our scope drastically. We spent time looking at sailboats on the west coast of the U. We looked at a catamaran in Mexico , then went to see another catamaran in Seattle , and eventually we saw a few sailboats in our backyard, San Diego.

We became hyper-focused, looking only for sailboats located on or near the Great Lakes, and more specifically Lake Michigan. A few shots from our sailboat recon mission to Mexico, when we were suckers for catamarans. We still are. No matter where you plan to use your boat, no matter where you currently are, go find the nearest marina or boatyard and start looking. Everyone loves talking about their boat. Ask them if they know of any boats for sale. Find the perfect catamaran anywhere in the world, quit our jobs, sell everything and go!

This was our plan until we came to terms with our budget. With a monohull now in our sights, we started thinking more about where we really wanted to start our sailing journey. After about 4 months, we found our Tartan Learning how to live on a boat is a big change. Living on a boat while constantly on the move takes it to a whole new level. Doing all these at the same time and cutting off your income source is downright scary! We decided it would be far easier for us if we made these big jumps one at a time.

So, while we did move across the country to buy our boat, we stayed with family while we searched, and then we kept the boat at the dock for the first few months. This also made it much easier to continue working our remote jobs to sustain some financial stability. This meant all we needed to focus on was learning about the boat and how to live aboard. We bought a boat!!! Boat ownership is a TON of work. Some kidding aside, boat ownership is a fantastic adventure.

Owning a boat requires a commitment to take care of the vessel that will be taking care of you. If this commitment is making you a little anxious about owning, chartering can be a cheaper and much simpler option to get yourself aboard, allowing you to indulge in all the fun and almost zero of the work, for a week to a few weeks or whatever you can afford per year.

From the beginning our goal was to live aboard, travel slowly, and immerse ourselves in different cultures. While there are numerous ways to go sailing without owning a boat, it is difficult to live on a boat full-time without owning it. For us, sailing has almost always been a secondary goal.

After all of this, our answer to the question above was still yes. At least we will be in exotic places! Coincidentally, the day after I saw your purchase video, I was looking through the local sailing rag and saw a tartan 37 in their classifieds. Hi Peter, there was a broker involved in our purchase, but he was the listing broker and did not work for us. That said, he pretty much handled everything. We relayed all our purchase requirements to him over the phone price, contingencies, etc and he put it into a legal contract.

I believe he used a standardized form that organized it all, but it was pretty straight forward. Just seems like a tough nut to crack every year… So saying that do you feel the same way or is it just all part of doing business?

Hi Ken, unfortunately there is not really a good answer to your question. Sailing is expensive. There is really no way around that. All of those sayings are true… That said, the best thing you can do is try to learn as much as you can, and be hands on. This sail design can be especially handy when sailing short-handed as it means that sail trim and reefing are easier. Multiple masts also effect the boat design.

For instance, a monohull ketch has a deep centre cockpit and small aft deck. Down below there is usually an aft cabin that is separated from the main living area. Many sailors find this design feels safer while on deck and gives needed privacy down below. The most common materials used in boat construction are wood, steel, aluminium and fibreglass.

Each has its own merits and draw backs. The important thing is to educate yourself so that you understand what you are getting into when it comes to future boat maintenance and potential problems. WOOD — The oldest material used in boat building, wood is not used much these days as the disadvantages out weigh the advantages, literally. Wooden boats are very heavy.

They also require lots of maintenance as they suffer from rot and, if left out of the water, shrinkage. Wooden boats are beautiful, and there were many reputable builders, but are now mainly kept by those who are classic boat enthusiast. Lighter than fibreglass, steel boats are prone to rust if not maintained, especially below the waterline.

Steel boats are known for being hot underfoot and down below if not properly insulated, and they do require special antifoul paints.

However, because steel is so easy to weld and work with they are very popular with DIY boat builders. There are several well known European manufactures whose boats are prized for their designs. Since it is a material that requires specialized skills and equipment there are few DIY-ed aluminum boats on the market. The biggest downside of aluminum is that it is not compatible with other metals, so fittings like thru-hulls have to be carefully installed or else risk dangerous corrosion.

As well, special preparation and anti-fouling paints are required, sometimes making general maintenance a costly affair. It can easily conform to smooth, round shapes making for slick, fast boat designs. With advancements in technologies fiberglass hulls have become thinner, reducing the overall weight of vessels, however there is nothing wrong with the early builds that are still on the market. Fiberglass requires very little maintenance and is able to withstand a variety of coatings making antifouling or painting your vessel easy and cost effective, even when sailing overseas.

Advancements in technology and materials have certainly influenced boat building and design over the last few decades. However, it is not significant enough to make any boat manufactured in the last 60 years obsolete. This leaves perspective buyers with the option to buy either new or pre-owned.

Purchasing or building a new boat does allow you to customize the vessel to suit your tastes and best serve your needs. Cabins can be moved, saloon layouts modified, and deck hardware upgraded to your specifications. As well, buying new gives you the safety net of warranty repairs. But, that new boat smell does come with a hefty price tag.

For the more budget minded boat buyer there is no shortage of preloved sailboats on the market. You can find plenty of well appointed, late model boats for sale, as well as a large selection of vessels that need some care and attention, and everything in between.

In fact, there are so many pre-owned boats for sale that browsing listings can sometimes become a little overwhelming. Making a list of the attributes you are looking for — size, style, equipment needed — will help narrow down the competition.

As well, have a firm budget in mind so that you spend time looking at realistic choices. So, you found a boat that ticks all the boxes, but how do you know if a boat that looks ok is actually in good condition? The only way to be sure is to have a qualified marine surveyor to inspect the hull and equipment. Hauling the boat for survey is usually a stipulation of the sale as it is the only way to get a proper look at the condition of the vessel below the waterline.

A rig inspection by a qualified rigger is also important as they will be able to identify any weak points or problems aloft. It is also common for the perspective buyer to take a vessel out for a test sail. This allows you to get a feel for the vessel as well as inspect the sails and running rigging. Which do you choose? Here are a few advantages and disadvantages to help you. Catamarans are very popular in the charter industry but when looking for your own boat, unless you are very experienced, it is probably more sensible to choose a monohull.

Fin keels are generally the most popular. They give good stability and recovery from capsize and are the most effective at preventing leeway, but they have deeper displacement, so cannot enter shallow water and there may be less options for mooring. Bilge keels have shallower drafts so they are more useful in shallow water and most can dry out on a mooring, but they tend not to be so stable and may need reefing earlier.

Lifting keels have the best of both worlds, but there is more mechanism to maintain and there is concern about the keels jamming particularly if the boat is bumped on the bottom. Inboard or outboard? This is a matter or choice but normally depends on the size of your boat, draft requirements and usage. Usually a small boat of less than foot will carry an outboard engine, while about 30 to foot and longer will have an inboard.

My advice would be to take a lot of time to do as much research as you can. Look at the boats available at boat shows, talk to people who know their boats, read about them and if you have the opportunity then try them out for yourself. But if you get it right it could provide you with many years of joy and excitement. Please select language below:. More options. New and used New Used. Category Sail Power Commercial. All boat types. Metres Feet.

Post by: Dee White. You should consider: Cost — what can you afford, taking into consideration insurance, mooring, towing and all the add-on equipment you will need? Usage — where you will use it, what for and how often. Storage — have you got a mooring or storage facility? These are sometimes more difficult to obtain than an actual boat. Is it your first boat or do you want to upsize, downsize or change your type of usage? If you are fairly new to sailing, consider getting some lessons and trying out different types of sailboats.

Your First Sailboat This should be affordable, large and comfortable enough for an overnight stay or a week away and easy to sell on when you want to upsize or uprate, or in the unlikely event that you hate everything about sailing. Sloop rigged — a single foresail and a main.

This is both efficient and simple and suits a boat this size. Fin or bilge keeled — depending whether you have a drying mooring or need a shallow draft. Types of Sailboats Daysailers — These are ideal for cruising up and down rivers, estuaries, creeks etc. They are usually 13 to 30 feet long, with open cockpits and one or two sails that you can set quickly with a small crew. Some carry a small outboard engine for when the wind dies or there is a tight entrance to a harbour. Cruisers — These have a huge range from 20ft pocket cruisers with one or two berths, for a weekend away, to luxurious 60 footers and more with multi cabins, for long haul trips around the Med or the Caribbean and beyond.

It is an intellectual as well as athletic competition which lends itself to a variety of formats and boats from modern carbon-fibre raceboats and wooden classics, to foiling dinghies and ultralight catamarans.