# Need advice on choosing a Boat



## ericjackson227 (Nov 18, 2014)

Hey all, So I am currently in the process of looking for a boat and well its no easy task. My first thought was to get a small weekender 20-25 foot to further my experience sailing before I move up to the big leagues of a liveaboard. After doing some craigslist surfing and finding anything local that is going to cost me 3k-8k for a decent boat. My next thought was to get something a little older 10k-15k that I could spend some time working on and sailing to eventually become my liveaboard boat (fearful of fixing something up because I know it can dig huge holes in your pockets). My final thought after doing some more shopping is to go with a 25k-40k boat(really like the 2000 hunter 290) that I can jump into living on and sailing. Yes at that price I would have to finance but I can live with it and I know living aboard I can get that paid off in a couple years. Need some advice on what stage to go with, what do you think? what experiences can you share that might lead me to make the best decision. Ive always herd bigger is better to an extent, manageable by just me. Let me know what you think. 

Cheers,
EJ


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## Don L (Aug 8, 2008)

My thoughts are that buying a smaller boat with a planned update is just throwing money away. BTW - a 29' boat is still just a small boat/


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## ericjackson227 (Nov 18, 2014)

Don, Thanks for the advice I agree with you. a 29 may seem small but its all I need since its just me on the boat and the price on them is manageable.


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## SHNOOL (Jun 7, 2007)

Only 1 boat for you... a Mac 26x... don't blame me I'm just the messenger.


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## ericjackson227 (Nov 18, 2014)

Shnool, Appreciate the feedback but I personally don't like the design of that boat nor do I need an outboard motor like most are equipt with.


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## blowinstink (Sep 3, 2007)

There are so many things that make price and length less than the ideal criteria for evaluation (not to sound like SD  ) Can you tell us where you sail and what (besides living on the boat) you'd like to do with her? Maybe you'll get some better suggestions.
-M


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## ericjackson227 (Nov 18, 2014)

Blowinstink, over the next 2 years I will be sailing around the east coast of Florida and the upper bahamas. I have a 3-5 yr plan to set sail for a circumnavigation pending funds. Looking for something that's worthy for a solo sailor that's not going to cost me my soul.


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## seawolf82 (Sep 27, 2006)

I was in a similar situation last year, going back and forth between those 3 options. I had it narrowed down to a Typhoon Sr. or Quickstep 24 on the small end, a 1988 28' Freedom sloop in the middle and a 2001 Hunter 310 on the upper end. We ended up going for the middle option as we could pay cash and still maintain the ongoing operating costs. We have been quite happy, the smaller boats really would have been a challenge to overnight comfortably and the stress of the higher cost of the Hunter wouldn't have been worth it for us. Best of luck in finding a boat that works for you.


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## Slayer (Jul 28, 2006)

Get a real good one.


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## blowinstink (Sep 3, 2007)

Sounds like fun Eric! I wonder whether you can't accomplish that in a boat in the middle range without too much "upgrading". Is it just you living aboard? I was happy as hell on a 33'er (very small for a 33'er) in FL and the Abacos for a couple months. Seems to me there are plenty of boats from CD 27's & 28's for 10-12K to Catalina 30's for 10-15K that would fit the bill nicely if you are willing to go with a well maintained older boat. Some of it is how much "creature comfort" and "modern styling" you want / need . . . from the frosty NE, I can tell you that stuff seems pretty secondary at the moment!


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## ericjackson227 (Nov 18, 2014)

Seawolf and Blowinstink, Thanks for the advice that was what I needed. Guess im going to have to weigh my pros and cons to see if a hunter is worth it and if not keep my eye open for the right middle boat. Thanks guys


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## jwing (Jun 20, 2013)

Don0190 said:


> My thoughts are that buying a smaller boat with a planned update is just throwing money away. BTW - a 29' boat is still just a small boat/


Don makes two excellent points, but they might not be the best approach in Eric's scenario. Here's why I say that:

Eric, you say you want to circumnavigate, yet your financial situation is such that you are considering borrowing money to buy a Hunter 290. Adding interest, your total purchase price for the boat will be much more than US$40K.

A Hunter 290 might be great for you doing short cruises along the coast of Florida and The Bahamas. The 290 doesn't have much stowage area, so the trips will have to be fairly short. But if that is all you are going to do, you can purchase a suitable boat for much less than US$40K + financing costs. With the money you save, you can outfit your boat the way you like it, as you learn from experience.

If you really will be circumnavigating, the Hunter 290 will pose some challenges that you might be uncomfortable tackling. In other words, you'll probably want a different boat. But you'll be stuck with your Hunter 290 and a boat loan. I'm guessing that you will lose more than a few $Ks when you sell the 290.

My advice is to keep looking for your ultimate boat. Meanwhile, you can learn a lot about sailing and boat ownership with a simple weekender or even a day sailor. That should set you back no more than $2K, but you should be able to recoup most of that when you are ready to buy your trans-ocean liveaboard.


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## chuck53 (Oct 13, 2009)

Do your research as to what qualifies as being a "Bluewater" boat as that is what you need to circumnavigate the world. A Hunter 290 doesn't qualify.

If you want to cruise around FL and do some island hopping, go for it, but crossing oceans...not what it was built to do.


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## ericjackson227 (Nov 18, 2014)

Thanks Jwing and Chuck, I am going to continue to search for the best possible bluewater boat for my price range. my biggest fear is buying something for 15k and having to dump another 15k into it. this is about a 5 year plan till i actually set sail so I understand I am going to have to put money into whatever I get but I dont want to have to build a new boat. i figure in 5 years I can purchase sail and retrofit a boat to my liking all while saving up to set sail for the big blue. If you have any suggestions one worth bluewater boats that hold there integrity please share Thanks!


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## chuck53 (Oct 13, 2009)

I'm not a bluewater sailor so I'm not the best one to answer. But, when you are out in the middle of the ocean and the s##t hit's the fan, you want something that is going to bring you home safely and in my opinion, a cheap boat ain't going to do it. Yes, $30k is a cheap bluewater boat.


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## Tenoch (Sep 28, 2012)

Eric, I don't know if this will help but I kinda did the same thing. I bought a 27 foot boat, moved aboard it, lived in a marina for 3 years, sailed a lot, and saved money to buy my current 'blue water' boat. I'm not necessarily planning a circumnavigation, but I am planning on going cruising. I'm not sure how easy it is to find a place to live aboard down there, but it works in the Pacific Northwest. Anyway I am now on the bigger boat, working on upgrades and continuing to save money. Good luck with your plan. It can work.

(Also, I spent around 8k for the first boat, and will be into my 'cruising boat' about 30k when it's all said and done)


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## zedboy (Jul 14, 2010)

If you buy a "what I need now" 25'-27' boat for $3-5k with a solid hull/rig, decent sails, extremely simple systems, and a reliable O/B, you will be able to explore how committed you are to your dream while building your skills - with very little risk. If you decide you hate it, you sell it; even if you only get back half what you paid for it, you've taken a very small bath and hopefully had some fun.

Boats get significantly more expensive as size and complication go up. Seems silly to stretch or borrow to buy what you don't need yet, and risk it going belly-up (or more likely losing the steam you need to complete a refit).

Another plus: time with a "learning" boat will teach you a lot about what you want/don't want in the "over the horizon" boat.


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## christian.hess (Sep 18, 2013)

my only rule with the boats I have had is first to own them from the get go...cheap or not...sell if crap hits the fan and recoup some part if you will

I would never ever take out a loan on a "bluewater" project new or old...as we all know life changes so what are you going to do with a very specific boat sale that isnt even yours...you will lose BIG money that way

peace


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## ChristianSailing (Jul 16, 2011)

I would be less likely to go offshore in anything under 33-35 ft. However, if you're new to sailing, I don't think it's a horrible idea to to buy something smaller and learn all you can about sailing in rough conditions, at-sea maintenance, etc... 

Bryan
christiansailing.com


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

There are only two boats I can recommend for live aboard space, and still maintain excellent cruising abilities - the Morgan 33 Out Island (Which I currently own) and the Morgan 41 Out Island, both of which can be single hand sailed with relative comfort and safety, both draw just 4 feet and while they are no longer manufactured, they are still out there in good numbers and many are in like new or better condition for a great price.

I lived aboard my 33 Out Island for 6 months, loved ever minute of it, and would still be there if I were not married. (My loving wife of 52 years refused to live aboard.) I have all the conveniences of living on land, hot and cold running water, shower, gas stove and oven, refrigerator/freezer, AC heat pump, Flat screen TV, AM/FM/CD player, Wi-Fi from many free sources, and lots of comfort. When I need to go to work playing music, I usually can dock right at the location where I perform, unload my gear directly on the dock, roll it to the marina's tiki bar or restaurant, and within 20 minutes, I'm ready to sing to the ladies. All of my music gear stores nicely in the quarter berth with room to spare, and I carry a lot of gear.

Just my .02 cents worth,

Gary


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