# What's before Novice



## RickyT35 (Oct 28, 2015)

Too new to sailing to know any better. I have somehow caught a “dream” or thought about retiring, living and sailing on a yacht. I had thought you could buy a sailboat and sail anywhere and liveaboard, but that’s not what I am learning. Of course nothing can be this easy.

What’s a new sailboat that’s not so expensive ($175,000.00 or under) that can be sailed by myself, is safe and go most places????

Or maybe I should scuttle the dream and go on walking on dirt.

Thank for any real advice!


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## Markwesti (Jan 1, 2013)

Assuming you are for real , you came to the right place . Welcome aboard . 175 K is a lot of money you should be able to find something . But you also said new . My dock neighbors just bought a new Catalina / Morgan 315 . Very nice boat if that is your cup of tea . What interests you , Modern or traditional ?


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## krisscross (Feb 22, 2013)

RickyT35 said:


> I had thought you could buy a sailboat and sail anywhere and liveaboard, but that's not what I am learning.


If I had $175,000 for a boat and this kind of a dream, I would not be buying a brand new boat. There are so many absolutely fantastic used boats in that price range, already loaded with gear needed for living and cruising full time, and suitable to take you anywhere in comfort and safety. The used boat market right now is just great for a buyer.


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## XSrcing (Aug 22, 2015)

You can get a great Perry boat for that much.

Or 30 BS bathtubs.


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## Don L (Aug 8, 2008)

go to yachtworld.com and explore


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## RickyT35 (Oct 28, 2015)

I don't even know the difference between "modern or traditional" in terms of sailboats. But it seems to me to get a new sailboat with the right equipment, it costs a lot of money. I would find something new that would have a warranty and has the safe equipment you would need to sail alone. I would like to be able to sail from California to Hawaii and beyond. I realize I have a lot to learn. There is no guide that I am aware of for ratings of boats really define what's a sailboat that can sail in the open ocean as opposed to one that can't.


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## Stumble (Feb 2, 2012)

In the last century no one in my family has ever bought a new boat. The depreciation is just too high, and by the time you actually get them outfitted and debugged you have spent a decent bit more than the purchase price. 

Take a look at 5-7 year old newer boats already ready for long term cruising. In your price point there are a lot of good contenders.


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## WharfRat (Aug 4, 2015)

RickyT35 said:


> Too new to sailing to know any better. I have somehow caught a "dream" or thought about retiring, living and sailing on a yacht. I had thought you could buy a sailboat and sail anywhere and liveaboard, but that's not what I am learning. Of course nothing can be this easy.
> 
> What's a new sailboat that's not so expensive ($175,000.00 or under) that can be sailed by myself, is safe and go most places????
> 
> ...


It's good to dream, and sailing is a lovely passtime.

That said, the advice I would give is : start small. Before you even buy a boat, you might want to take some sailing classes and maybe crew on someone else's boat a time or two.

Then, when you buy you're first boat, you may want to get a "trainer" boat first, to learn what you do and don't like. Don't forget that your major expenses will be in slip / moorage fees, maintenance, taxes, insurance, fuel and such. You can get a pretty sweet daysailer for 30 or 40 grand that is already outfitted and ready to rock. Sail all you can for a while, and you'll get a better feel for how it all suits you. When the day comes you're ready to blow $100K plus, you'll have a better sense of what to spend it on.

Good luck!


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## SeaDubya (Sep 5, 2015)

Ricky, what part of the world are you in?


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## Tanski (May 28, 2015)

Also a new boat will usually come less well equipped than an older boat that has already been cruising. When you buy a new boat you a buying pretty much the basic boat, nowhere near a "turn key" operation. Add a few things and you can day sail it, add a lot more and your set up for short cruises, add a whole bunch more and now you're ready for serious cruising.
It's the endless list of small things that really adds up when you first get into boating.
Don't take this the wrong way but the ignorance of a new boater is sheer bliss! Reality comes crashing down when you realize everything costs at least a thousand $, also known as a boat buck!
To each his own, I look at a boat like a car, buy used low mileage and let the first owner take the major depreciation hit and install some gear, add a couple sails, auto helm, whatever.


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## Markwesti (Jan 1, 2013)

My interpretation of modern or traditional (people please note this is IMO) and please I'm not saying mod.VS. trad. , lets start with modern . The Catalina 315 for example is a modern boat . CATALINA 315 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com 
Underneath the water line you see a modern type keel and rudder . On deck you will not see one stick of wood , to alot of people thats a good thing . And I don't really know how to explain it , but it just looks modern and sleek . This boat is sloop riged .
OK , now for my favorite the old salty traditional boat . Here is one . WESTSAIL 32 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com
that keel type is called a long or full keel . Jokingly we refer to the rudder as a barn door, on deck you see lots of wood , a bow sprit and a stern boomkin . This boat is rigged cutter .
There is a ton more info on both types .....
California is a good place to start , these people started in the Gulf of Mexico http://sundownersailsagain.com/first-post-and-first-sail/


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## MarkSF (Feb 21, 2011)

Take ASA 101. By the end of that, you'll know if you like sailing or not. Plus, you will have acquired a valuable skill.


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## Stu Jackson (Jul 28, 2001)

Ricky, while you've come to the right place, what you're asking is pretty much similar to asking your mother who to marry before you've had your first date.

ALL of us were in your shoes. ALL of us.

What we did was a lot of homework and research. We read, we looked on the internet (like you have, but more deeply - no way for us to know how much you've done, but it seems just a little, so far) and we walked the docks to look at boats.

In most cases, the first important thing was to define what appealed to our own eyes. Each of us is different.

After reading many, many, too many of these types of questions, the salient and useful summary of replies and advice consist of:

1. Homework and reading

2. Learn to sail

3. Learn to sail a small boat first

4. Buy a reasonably small boat but one that has the kind of systems found on a much larger boat. An example is the popular and reasonably $$ available Catalina 30, which has a diesel inboard motor, pressure water systems, a head (toilet) and an electrical system. Once you learn to sail and maintain this type of boat, you'll be in a position to know HOW TO do maintenance and repairs, and then begin to define what YOU want and or need in a sailboat.

The rest, as they say, just comes naturally. It's a step-by-step *process*.

Good luck and welcome to our silly little world.


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