# Cruising beginner



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Can anyone recommend a sailboat for cruising down the East Coast under the $40K mark,
I have a wife and two children (and a dog)
so the comfort level is important. I''m not looking to race just to relax and enjoy.
There seems to be so many options, that
any help narrowing them would be a good start.


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## RobGallagher (Aug 22, 2001)

I just purchased my first sailboat so I can relate. It took me 2 years to finally figure out what I was looking for then find the right boat at a good price. I ended up spending less than I thought!

One thing I can tell you is that what you think you want in a boat now, might not be what you end up with. There is almost always a trade off unless you have an unlimited budget. Look at as many boats as you can. You will learn more climbing ladders and walking docks than you think! Differences that you can''t see now will become common knowledge.

This is the short version of my story:
1) I learned to sail on a hunter. They are modern looking an roomy. I even considered the Hunter 26 trailersailer.
Then...
2)I figured O''days and Catalinas are a little stronger (maybe) and still roomy below with alot of extras for the $$$
Later...
3)I decided that I wanted a generaly stronger boat that might be a tad faster so I started looking at Tartans. But, there was not that many for sale in my area and price range.
still later...
4)I started looking at slightly smaller 27-28 Odays, Catalinas, and Newports. Still kind of cheaply made but a great bargain and lots of room below for what I needed.
Then...
5)I almost bought an older, but really nice Columbia 28. It was not what I wanted but the price was rock bottom (owner was moving and had to sell fast). I figured I could always sell it in a couple of years.
Finaly...
6)Started looking at C&C 29 - 31. My search ended there. (but a bigger Tarten is in the distant future lol).

I am far from an expert on any sailboat. I am just relating what I learned and how your views might change in time. Keep and open mind.

Good luck and get a survey!


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

I am not exactly sure what you mean by ''cruising down the East Coast''. That could mean a lot of things (a cruise from Maine to Key West or simply cruising on the Atlantic coast) that could affect the type of boat that you works for your needs. 

With a wife, two kids and a dog I would think that you would minimally need around a 30 footer for simply weekended in and perhaps a week of point to point cruising. (Without the dog you might get by with a 25 footer but that''s another story.)If you literally mean a cruise down the East Coast then you are living aboard and cruising and that suggests a boat over about 35 feet with 38 or so feet being more ideal. 

If you are literally, ''doing the ditch'' then draft under 6 feet is helpful. It is nice to have a boat that is laid out so that there is enough storage so that the bunks can be left made up and enough water to support 4 people and a dog for a 5 days or so incase you want to jump off at the Keys and come in at Hatteras. With a $40,000 budget I would try to keep the boat simple. 

One more point, cruising boats of this size and in this price range are going to be older and more tired than either a more expensive or smaller boat. You will be looking for an example of an older boat that has been taken care of, updated and is in good shape. You will see some that have really been trashed. Take your time and make sure that you have a NAMS or SAMS certified Marine Surveyor survey what ever you buy. 

Here is a list of possible suspects:
Allied Princess: Slow, solid, simple boats that were well built but not exactly elegant down below. It would not be my choice but they are certainly a workable boat for what you want to do.

Cal 36: Venerable and beautiful boats. They sail well and offer a lot of boat for the money.
-Chris Craft Apache 37: Most people don''t remeber that Chris Craft once built a line of quality sailboats. The Apache was a very nice boat for its day. They sailed well and had a simply but close to ideal layout. 

-Columbia 38: These are classic mid 1960''s era cruising boats. They were built as both centerboard and deeper keel versions. They will be comparable slow and cramped for their length but are good boats. They should not be cinfused with a Columbia 39 or 40 which I advise against.

C&C 35: Good all around boats. Quite cramped by modern standards and probably too small for distance cruising but a good boat for weekending or short point to point cruising. 

-C&C 38: A more modern design than the 39 and offers a bit more room. A little short on fuel and water tank capacity but that can be added. There were several versions including a centerboard version. This is not the same boat as a C&C Landfall 38. The Landfall 38 never did anything for me but a landfall 38 might workl for what you''d like to do if you found one in your price range.

-C&C 39: Good older design. Well consturcted and quite fast. Their easily driven hulls mean that you can get by with less sail area. Nice workable layout but quite tight for a 39 footer. A little deep as well. 

Hunter 37 cutter: Hunters take a lot of criticism on the internet. Some of this criticism is fair, a lot is not. In the early 1980''s Hunter built a number of pretty heavily built boats that were good all around boats for the kind of thing you are considering. These included the Hunter 37 cutter and the sloop rigged version of the same boat, the Hunter 36. They had nice clever layouts and good sailing characteristics. That said you need to find an example in good shape as many of these have been really trashed over the years. 

Hunter 40: This is a more controversial choice. I have always liked these boats. They sail well and have a very nice interior layout. They have a very workable deck plan. BUT they were not as well built as some of the boats on this list. Again, you are looking for one that has not been beat to death. 

Morgan 382 (38): These Ted Brewer design are nice well rounded designs that sail reasonably well. They are not especially fast nor are they good in light air but they are considered to be good sailing boats. (BTW There is a 38 foot Morgan Out Island that is for sale at Light House Point that is mislabled as a Morgan 382 in the listings. I am not a fan of the Out Island series but they sure seem to have their followers)

-Newport 41: This is a big. pretty, inexpensive boat. Simply constructed and not the sturdiest boat in the world, they are very good sailors and offer a lot of boat for the dollar. With a 6''3" draft these will be trickier boats on the ICW but will offer reasonably good light air performance if you end up sailing Long Island Sound or the Chesapeake. 

Niagara 35: Solid, go anywhere, cruising boats.

Pearson 35, 36, 37: These are three very different boats. They are probably too small for distance cruising with your gang but a good boat for weekending or short point to point cruising.

-Pearson Invicta: Not the most common boat out there, the Invictas are centerboard yawls and sloops from the mid 1960''s. They are good sailing boats with a reasonably nice, but simple interior layout. They are a dated design in many, many ways but they are good sturdy boats.

-Ranger 37: A lot of these old race boats have been fitted out with nice interiors and offer a lot of boat for the money.
Rhodes 41, Rhodes Bounty: Venerable older boats. You should find one in really nice shape for less than $40K but it may still have a gas engine and a fair amount of work. These are good boats for a lot of things but you do give up some performance and some ability in a chop with these old girls. 

That''s a quick list. I need to get to the office. 

Jeff


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Thanks Rob and Jeff, I really appreciate the suggestions.


Regards

Sean


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## macfhearguis (Jan 19, 2009)

I know that Jeff_H wrote this 14 years ago, but I'm wondering why the Columbia 39 is specifically not recommended.
I am in the market for a boat, and the Columbia 39 is my main prospect at the moment.
However, due to there having been only 43 of them made, it is difficult to find reliable info on the internet.

Would anyone care to expound Jeff_H's blurb?

I am hoping this boat could be a candidate for some island hopping; be tough enough to handle heavy seas, if they came up.

Thanks


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## orthomartin (Oct 21, 2006)

Jeff is correct right from the get go that we need more information regarding the type of cruising. If you are spending time in the ICW a retractable keel or centerboard would be ideal. The shoal draft boats often have wing type keels w/ can be rather difficult to get off the bottom (can't kedge) and given the state of dredging in the ICW you will find yourself on the bottom!

40k is low but doable. Just give us a bit more detail and we can be much more specific. Also how handy are you with mechanical and structural things?


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## macfhearguis (Jan 19, 2009)

Ah.
I may have been unclear in my question. 
I am looking for, specifically, why the Columbia 39 fixed keel 6' draft would not be considered a good boat. 
Perhaps I should start a new thread. 
This thread is one of there very few locations on the internet where a person has made any opinionated remark regarding the Columbia 39, and I was hoping I could benefit from some 1st hand, or at least educated knowledge of this particular model of boat. 

Jeff_H said that the Columbia 38 was a good boat, but that the 39 not was not. Before I purchase a 39, I was hoping for some intel.


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## captain jack (May 5, 2013)

macfhearguis said:


> Ah.
> I may have been unclear in my question.
> I am looking for, specifically, why the Columbia 39 fixed keel 6' draft would not be considered a good boat.
> Perhaps I should start a new thread.
> ...


you could try sending him a private message asking him if he could chime back in on this thread. he'd be the perfect person to ask what he meant. i would be interested in hearing the answer just as a learning exercise. the more you know about what's out there, the better off you are.


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