# Help! East Coast Cruising Boat for Less Than 25k



## Wompfish (Jan 18, 2018)

Im looking for a boat to live on and cruise seasonally on the East coast with my long time girlfriend. Loose plan is to work during the summers in Maine and work during winters in Florida or Georgia using the shoulder seasons for cruising. We plan on living aboard at marinas while we are working and on the hook while cruising. 

We currently live in Hawaii and will be moving to New York in August to stay with family until we can find a boat in that area. We're in our 20's. I'm a professional captain (100 ton) and sailing instructor. 

I'd like to find a coastal cruiser of above average build quality that would be somewhat comfortable doing multiple day near shore legs up and down the east coast with favorable weather and island hopping. I also have aspirations to do longer coastal cruises in northern canada.

If anyone has any boat suggestions they would be much appreciated! 

These are the boats I'm looking at currently If anyone would like to share their experience with them.

C&C 35
C&C Landfall 35
Sabre 34
C&C 34
Cal 34
Morgan 34
Pearson 33-2
Tartan 33
CS 33
Pearson 31-2
Cal 31
Pearson 28-2
Cal 28-2

If anyone has a boat they are selling I'd be interested in talking with you. Any boat I buy will be surveyed out of water and sea trialed and I'd be paying cash.


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

Huge number of boats for sale in the east that would be suitable. I would start by checking Yachtworld.com for brokered boats and Sailboatlistings.com for boats for sale by owner. Since you will start in NY, look initially at boats in the Long Island Sound area.

As to your list of potential boats, you have a very wide range of sizes from a C&C 35 to a Cal 28-2. I would stay towards the higher end of the size range. You are talking about living aboard. And including your budget would be helpful in providing suggestions.


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## Wompfish (Jan 18, 2018)

Thanks JimsCAL
We would like to keep it under 35 feet to limit costs to some extent. I'm considering the pearson and cal 28-2's Because they seem to have a very well designed and workable layout. The aft head really opens up a lot of room and believe would add a lot of privacy. I have never been on either so they may seem smaller in person but I like the design. 

Our budget is 25k. Our mindset is to find the smallest boat we'd be comfortable on rather than the biggest boat we can afford.


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## Barquito (Dec 5, 2007)

Just from a quick peek, I like the layout of the Cal 28-2 with the mid-ship head. If it comes with tiller, that would be better than wheel to open up cockpit space. 

For everyone; obviously a bigger boat will have more storage, tankage, etc but, are there layout thresholds that would make a significant difference for live aboard? Aft cabin, 2nd head, fabulous galley...?


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

Wompfish said:


> Thanks JimsCAL
> We would like to keep it under 35 feet to limit costs to some extent. I'm considering the pearson and cal 28-2's Because they seem to have a very well designed and workable layout. The aft head really opens up a lot of room and believe would add a lot of privacy. I have never been on either so they may seem smaller in person but I like the design.
> 
> Our budget is 25k. Our mindset is to find the smallest boat we'd be comfortable on rather than the biggest boat we can afford.


You will note that I have a Cal 33-2 which is the big brother to the 28-2. There is a Cal 28-2 in our club and I have been on it. Both were designed by Hunt in the mid-80s. The 33-2 is significantly better in almost all respects - more room, faster, better sailing boat, etc. And also a better choice than the other two Cals on your list (old 34 and 31). I would also include the early 80s Cal 35 over either of those.

I do agree that with a budget of $25k, you are going to be limited to older boats at the upper end of your size range. I will point out that I paid $30k for my 1985 Cal 33-2 in 2009. And although you said you wanted "high quality construction", I would not exclude boats like the Catalina 30 or 34 as there are so many of them out there and the chance of finding a good one at a good price is high. Another boat I would consider is the ODay 34/35. Also a Hunt design and built by the same parent cpmpany and in the same yard as the Cal 33-2 and 28-2.


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## BarryL (Aug 21, 2003)

Hey,

If were going to live on a boat I would want something 40' long. I could probably make do with something mid 30's but no way would a boat under 30' be large enough.

With a budget of 25K I would second the idea of an O'day 34/35. i don't think you can get a decent 35 for that price but the 34 is definitely a possibility.

The C&C 35 is a great choice if you can find a good one. Be careful because I believe they have a cored hull. The C&C 34 is not as nice as the 35 but would be OK too.

I would not rule out Catalina 34 or 36.

After a quick search on yachtworld I would check these out:
1. 1980 CS 36
1980 CS 36 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

2. 1984 Catalina 36
1984 Catalina Tall Rig Sloop Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

3. 1988 C&C 35 Mark 3
1988 C&C 35 MKIII Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

4. 1986 O'day 35
1986 O'Day 35 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

5. 1987 Catalina 34
1987 Catalina 34 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

Good luck,
Barry


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

Before you get too deeply invested in this plan, I suggest that you check out possible marinas and how much they cost. Livin aboard in a marina can be a bit pricey!


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

I would think 28-30 ft should be plenty for a marina live aboard for professional sailors in their 20's. If you're used to living in small spaces with minimal stuff, it should be fine. Most of your time will likely be outside working or socialising any way.

Marina's almost all seem to charge by the foot, so the shorter the boat, the less it's going to cost.

I know lots of people who have lived aboard 30 footers, myself included. Knew a couple who lived aboard an Alberg 30 year round in Canada and those boats are tiny inside. He always seemed happy.


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## ianjoub (Aug 3, 2014)

Arcb said:


> Knew a *couple who lived* aboard an Alberg 30 year round in Canada and those boats are tiny inside. *He always seemed happy.*


Yes,_ she_ may have issues


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

He always seemed to have about 3 hippy girls down there with him, I have no idea how he swung it. There were also the biggest propane tanks I've ever seen on a boat to run his heat continuously.


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## bigdogandy (Jun 21, 2008)

I'd suggest you look for the boat in the best condition - maintenance and upgrades - in your price range and for the most part forget about what brand. You may find a Catalina, Beneteau, Bristol, Aloha, Westsail, Endeavour, or even (gasp!) a Hunter! that has been upgraded and maintained well that would make an awesome liveaboard and cruiser.

I live on a 32 footer and have plenty of room. Like Arcb mentioned you'll spend a lot of time somewhere other than the cabin, but when it rains there is plenty of room to be comfortable even on my boat, which is relatively small for a 32 footer.

Also - how much have you budgeted for repairs and upgrades after you purchase your boat? Even with. "Turnkey" boat there will likely be boat bucks to be spent on something.....

Good luck with the search. I did a quick Yachtworld search and this one 1983 Aloha 34 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com popped out at me as one to check out


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## Capt Len (Oct 9, 2011)

I also endured years of Canadian west coast winters aboard as I built.Had wood heat so the hippy chicks were a welcomed bonus Ah, the hardships we had to put up with. Moorage was a $ a foot and a dozen empties $2,50 ,a dead battery $5.00 ,Gas for the Cad was .10/ litre .


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## sailpower (Jun 28, 2008)

Arcb said:


> I would think 28-30 ft should be plenty for a marina live aboard for professional sailors in their 20's. If you're used to living in small spaces with minimal stuff, it should be fine. Most of your time will likely be outside working or socialising any way.
> 
> Marina's almost all seem to charge by the foot, so the shorter the boat, the less it's going to cost.
> 
> I know lots of people who have lived aboard 30 footers, myself included. Knew a couple who lived aboard an Alberg 30 year round in Canada and those boats are tiny inside. He always seemed happy.


You will find that many marinas on the East Coast charge a minimum based on their slip sizes.

EG if their smallest slip is 35' then that is what they charge for no matter how much smaller the boat is.

Also, not all marinas allow liveaboards and those that do often have an additional fee for that.


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## CaptnBry (Aug 9, 2014)

Search right here on SAilNet for RAWSON30
If you are over 6ft, its your Pocket Cruiser (I'm 6'4" in mine)
Yes, hurricanes, gunk holes, cheap slips etc are all a Rawson's glee.
Go Cheap, Go Now!


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

CaptnBry said:


> Search right here on SAilNet for RAWSON30
> If you are over 6ft, its your Pocket Cruiser (I'm 6'4" in mine)
> Yes, hurricanes, gunk holes, cheap slips etc are all a Rawson's glee.
> Go Cheap, Go Now!


In more than 55 years of messing about with boats and something over 50 tropical cyclonic storms, I could never have imagined that someone would use the words glee and hurricane in the same sentence!


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## Wompfish (Jan 18, 2018)

Thanks for the replies guys. We are young and very minimalist and so I think size will be too much of an issue as long as the layout is practical. I'm 6'1" so I would ideally like to have standing headroom in the galley and decent length for the berths. GF is 5'1" so no issues there. Not sure how many hippy girls we will be bringing aboard but I would have thought all that body heat would have cut down the propane usage! More testing may be required.

I think id have a hard time considering a O'day or Catalina 34 when good condition C&C 35 mk3's are going for 20k. I grew up sailing dinghy's and club racing a santa cruz 27. I'm more attracted to performance oriented designs. There also seems to be issues with O'day 34 keels falling off? I've read 2 cases of complete detachment followed by immediate sinking. I believe O'day and Cat were using cast iron keels with threaded ss keel bolts rather than lead with bolts cast in place. 

With regards to the Rawson... I know that CCA style boats have a lot of inherent hull strength and rudder protection in their design. Some of them also heave too well. However I think that's about as far as their positive attributes go. They heel excessively and hobbyhorse in even mild chop going to weather with their slack bilges/high VCG and long overgangs. Downwind they go through enormous roll and yaw angles because they lack a effective keel for roll dampening and a efficient rudder to counteract the yawing forces of a following sea. 

I think the reputation of CCA type boats as being good cruisers has more to do with their being rugged and easily modified/repaired then It does to do with their sailing behavior and comfort at anchor. The GF probably won't be too happy when she's trying to cook a meal underway and the boat is pendulum rolling through 30 degrees every 2 seconds. Sorry I'm ranting a bit but I find it concerning how much praise is given to CCA type boats and I dont think its justified. Although some are very pretty  

I'm pretty sure a Rawson 30 would sink in a hurricane just from the amount of rain the cockpit would collect... Maybe the dinghy is for reserve buoyancy.


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

Lots of misinformation about O'day keels out there. O'day switched to lead keels somewhere in the 1984-1985 timeframe. An O'day 34 won the Marion to Bermuda race in 1991.


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

And I have found NO instances of O'day 34/35 keels falling off in over 9 years of looking. I believe that documented keel issues were with the O'day 302 and 322. Unfortunately I am in Europe (on my phone) and cannot point you to the documents, so verify this before accepting. (I think SBO.com is where this was documented by Maine Sail and others)


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

Buy whichever boat that you like, C&C, Pearson, Hunter, whatever you can afford... (personally I don't care), but keep your facts straight.


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

And I doubt you will find a "good condition" C&C 35 mk3 for $20k. More likely to have wet hull core at that price. But if you do find one, grab it.


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## mikel1 (Oct 19, 2008)

I think Ericsons should be on you list . . . .great build quality . . Ask around at ericsonyachts .org


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## Wompfish (Jan 18, 2018)

Eherlihy you are correct, my apologies. both the cases I was looking at were the later gen 302 and 322. 

Looking more in depth at the 34/35 they like a nicely drawn somewhat moderate boat with pretty respectable sailing performance. They would probably be excellent boat for our purposes. Thank you for correcting me, I would have probably passed them over if you hadn't. There are 3 in our area that are in budget and look to be well appointed and in good condition.


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## Wompfish (Jan 18, 2018)

Thank you mikel1. The later model ericsons look very nice although we would be stretching our budget a bit. They have a good reputation here in Hawaii as well and quite a few of them have made the trip.


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## cdsnyder83 (Jun 25, 2015)

There is an Ontario 32 for sale at the Ashtabula Yacht Club (ohio). He is asking $15,000 for it. Look up the information on these Ontario 32s and you'll find that they are amazing boats. Lynn and Larry Padre sailed one around the world and they are well respected for ocean Crossing and it's not so heavy as to be cumbersome on the Great Lakes. I was going to buy it and then stumbled across an aloha32 that I absolutely fell in love with. Message me back if you'd like the contact info for the fellow selling it


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## cdsnyder83 (Jun 25, 2015)

Be Leary of the eriksons, especially the 1970s and early 80s 32 foot models. I love that boat but I found that they had Mast step issues big time. The compression post is off center and not fully supporting the mast. There is a plywood Bridge built into the cabin top to support the Mast and that is notorious for rotting out. I looked at several for sale but couldn't find one with a halfway decent deck or mast step


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## SanderO (Jul 12, 2007)

With that sort of budget... staying in marinas makes no sense. Why do that? If you can anchor or for free? Admittedly some boat projects go easier tied to a dock... but almost all can be done on the hook.

Headroom is important if you are going to be living aboard... stooping all the time down below gets old very fast. This will be your home... you want it to be comfortable. Maybe you need to save for a larger boat?


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## Wompfish (Jan 18, 2018)

cdsnyder83 said:


> There is an Ontario 32 for sale at the Ashtabula Yacht Club (ohio). He is asking $15,000 for it. Look up the information on these Ontario 32s and you'll find that they are amazing boats. *Lynn and Larry Padre sailed one around the world* and they are well respected for ocean Crossing and it's not so heavy as to be cumbersome on the Great Lakes. I was going to buy it and then stumbled across an aloha32 that I absolutely fell in love with. Message me back if you'd like the contact info for the fellow selling it


Did they really? I'd be interested in hearing more about that.


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## Wompfish (Jan 18, 2018)

SanderO said:


> With that sort of budget... staying in marinas makes no sense. Why do that? If you can anchor or for free? Admittedly some boat projects go easier tied to a dock... but almost all can be done on the hook.
> 
> Headroom is important if you are going to be living aboard... stooping all the time down below gets old very fast. This will be your home... you want it to be comfortable. Maybe you need to save for a larger boat?


We'd only be staying in marinas while working. 2 people working full time and having to commute by a shared dinghy seems like a bad idea.

I'm pretty sure we can find a boat with standing headroom for 25k.


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