# First Mate requesting advice... Senility has landed.



## FirstMate (Feb 21, 2013)

My father is officially a senior citizen. Unofficially, he is going senile from lack of open air, sea spray, and sunshine. For the past few years he has talked about getting a boat, he acquired some money for said boat, and then proceeded to surf the web in a manner that made a technologically inclined child proud. Except that he is a lurker. 

Just a lurker. Which is irritating as, being that it is his first boat, first private sailing endeavor, he has lots of gaps to fill in. But he won't post. Books do help, but we all know how anecdotes and direct advice can be. My father is always on this site, reading about you guys, and trying to fit it into his own setup. But not posting..

So I have bridged the gap for him - hi Dad.  You shy lazy sod.  


What do you guys think about his boating ideas? Here is what I know he has worked out and maybe seeing this will kick him into gear to post some details himself!

Seeking a 30-34 foot craft.
Leisurely purposes; day and overnight ventures starting on Lake Champlain... Possibly several week treks elsewhere, tropical quite preferred.
Monohull, he started with cats but price worked him down.
I know he likes Hunters... 
Boat budget of maybe $25-30k.
3 person crew (one with naval experience, one techgeek, and the last one to stop us spending all the leftover$, if it is more than a myth, on pirate outfits)

Please help this guy out with his plotting. Hopefully more detail to follow once he notices this post and makes an account. :laugher


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## TropicCat (Oct 14, 2008)

First off welcome aboard. Tell your Dad that we don't bite....much. But we do disagree quite a bit on here. Contrary to popular opinion, we can't make up your Dad's mind for him. We can only make suggestions.

I'm not sure if it wouldn't make more sense to look for something like an older Watkins 30 or Endeavor 32. Should find one for roughly 1/2 what you mentioned. Look at both models as one is sleek and fast and the other, not so much but solid and tons of room below.

Buying at the lower end of the market offers one major benefit other than the obvious. You can sail the boat for a season or two, from it make the list of what you really miss having on board, sell the boat for about what you paid for it and your new found experience firmly in hand, find and buy the 'keeper'.


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

TropicCat said:


> Buying at the lower end of the market offers one major benefit other than the obvious. You can sail the boat for a season or two, from it make the list of what you really miss having on board, sell the boat for about what you paid for it and your new found experience firmly in hand, find and buy the 'keeper'.


Tropic is spot on, IMO. There are lots of very decent boats at the b ottom of their depreciation curve, especially on Lake Champlain, that have been well maintained, used seasonally and can be had for under $20K... usually well under.
If your dad likes Hunters, this is his lucky day, because if you were to draw a two circle Venn diagram with "Hunter" in one circle and "Good 30' boats under $20K", at the intersection is a very, very good boat:
The Hunter Cherubini 30.


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## chucklesR (Sep 17, 2007)

Have fun while you can, when you can. 

Welcome aboard.


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## Lake Superior Sailor (Aug 23, 2011)

Lurking is good! And a lot better than trying to remove foot from mouth!..Welcome Aboard! if you can't get on board get a plank! ....Dale


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## FSMike (Jan 15, 2010)

Don't post, get a boat and go sailing.
Much less confusing that way.


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## Silvio (Nov 10, 2010)

Welcome aboard both of you!
We really don't bite, more like a nibble here and there.

Jump in, post, ask, discuss, toss out ideas and dreams, we have all been at the start of our sailing adventure at some point. Some started as children, others (myself included) came to sailing as an adult. 

There are a lot of boats out there that fit the bill as you described it. The start of the season is right around the corner, get your boat and get ready to sail!


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## KieranD (Jul 18, 2011)

Welcome aboard. Lake Champlain is a breathtaking in fall. Its always cool in the summer. 

In your area and range I recently saw a 30 ft Bristol, 30 foot Newport and 33 C&C. For a first boat, get off the computer and find a 17-24 foot Pearson, Bristol or O'Day. They are all over up there. 

Consider this, 17 -24 foot keel boat will sail well, travel behind the pick up truck and you can explore the 1000 islands, Champlain & St. Lawrence Seaway. The package will be 10-14 K complete. If "Dad & you" enjoy the learning, the 24 goes to Biscayne Bay or Florida Keys for 2-4 weeks of luxury sailing in February. Still have the bug, mom likes it? Go for the 35'-40'. Keep the little guy for "home sailing with Jr." "Jr's Boat" 

The stuff you don't know, the opportunity lost by analysis cost more than the 17-24 foot learner. Make a mistake on a 24'? You can probably muscle, repair or replace pretty easily. The same is not said for 24,000# of pride and joy. In a rush, you can donate the little boat to the boy scouts and make informed decisions on what you want in the bigger boat. 

Finally, the best boat is someone else's. You will learn a lot when your out there, including what works, and what you don't want to repeat. I have had many customers that went the boat show route, with the dream boat. The experience typically is painful and short of the dream. 


Kd


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

I wonder how dad progressed in the 5 *years* since this post? Has he stopped lurking and joined in the fray? Did he buy a boat?
Did he find his Navy man to assist him? No offense to the Navy, but most MOS's in the Navy don't transfer well to small sailboats, except perhaps those swabbies who swabbed the decks. lol


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

FirstMate said:


> I know he likes Hunters...
> Boat budget of maybe $25-30k.


Buy it!

What's he going to do with the money anyway? Give it to you little blighters?

Give your dad the best years of his life.

:smile


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## roverhi (Dec 19, 2013)

Love these ghost ship posts that surface after many years. Do wonder how it all worked out. She didn't get much response on the initial post. My advice would be to stay at the lower end of his size range around 30'. Way easier to single hand, plenty of room for two or three people to overnight on short cruises and much cheaper to own and maintain.


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