# Best sub $8k boat for bahamas and caribbean?



## gtsail (Sep 14, 2017)

I'm searching for boats in the sub $8k range which are suitable for living aboard as well as cruising the bahamas and caribbean.

Thoughts? In that price range I'm seeing a lot of late 70s Hunters, Pearsons, Irwin Citation, Bombay Clipper 31, O'Day 30, etc. Hunters seem to be, by far, the most common brand in this price range for the 28-33 ft range.

These would all be easily livable for a single person like myself, but not sure if they are suitable for bahamas and the caribbean.

Also what's the max draft I should be looking for?


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

You might want to keep in mind that any boat around 30 feet you purchase for less than 8 grand will most likely require at the very least another 8 grand to make it ready for a sail to the Caribbean.
Not to be rude, but you are putting the cart before the horse. Get some sailing experience and sail on some of these boats before you lay out your hard earned money. Every boat has it's pluses and minuses. Without experience, you are just buying a pig in a poke. Buying a boat is just the first, and by far the easiest, part of a process of getting that boat ready for a voyage such as you are contemplating.


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## gtsail (Sep 14, 2017)

capta said:


> You might want to keep in mind that any boat around 30 feet you purchase for less than 8 grand will most likely require at the very least another 8 grand to make it ready for a sail to the Caribbean.
> Not to be rude, but you are putting the cart before the horse. Get some sailing experience and sail on some of these boats before you lay out your hard earned money. Every boat has it's pluses and minuses. Without experience, you are just buying a pig in a poke. Buying a boat is just the first, and by far the easiest, part of a process of getting that boat ready for a voyage such as you are contemplating.


I'm not saying you're wrong (and I don't mind if it requires some extra $$ after the initial purchase because I wouldn't be leaving anytime soon), but can you be a little more specific? What are some examples of things that would require an additional $8k?

Many boats in this price range (I've been scouring craigslist) have rigging which has been replaced within the last few years, sails that have also been recently replaced, up-to-date electronics and wiring etc, autopilot, chart plotters, etc. I've scoured craigslist and it seems there are usually some great finds sitting around.

Assuming the integrity of the hull and deck is good, rigging is in good condition, what are the must-have electronics or other items? I don't mind continuing to spend money before I'd actually be ready to do that cruise, plus it'd allow me to have a much more in-depth knowledge of the boat if I get to work on it.

The only boat I've ever owned is my current 1979 Pearson 28 and it can really take a beating, still sails well in light wind etc. And I bought it for $3k so I have to imagine I can get a lot more with an extra several grand.

I more want to know which of those boats are going to be best suited for the caribbean and bahamas based on things that *can't* be replaced like the hull and guts of the boat. The keel, rudder, draft, etc. I don't mind if I need to do engine work or update electronics or instruments etc.


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## kd3pc (Oct 19, 2006)

gtsail said:


> The only boat I've ever owned is my current 1979 Pearson 28 and it can really take a beating, still sails well in light wind etc. And I bought it for $3k so I have to imagine I can get a lot more with an extra several grand.


Sounds as if you have the boat...what is it about your pearson that renders it un-usable? That will help you decide what is important in your next boat. Plenty of people and couples lived aboard similar boats when they were new. It is only the last couple of decades that people want yachts...

bests


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## gtsail (Sep 14, 2017)

It's currently in Lake Michigan, and I decided against sailing down south or trucking it there. So I'm looking to buy something in FL instead, and thought I'd see what else is out there.


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

gtsail said:


> I'm not saying you're wrong (and I don't mind if it requires some extra $$ after the initial purchase because I wouldn't be leaving anytime soon), but can you be a little more specific? What are some examples of things that would require an additional $8k?
> 
> Many boats in this price range (I've been scouring craigslist) have rigging which has been replaced within the last few years, sails that have also been recently replaced, up-to-date electronics and wiring etc, autopilot, chart plotters, etc. I've scoured craigslist and it seems there are usually some great finds sitting around.
> 
> ...


You seem to be taking the word of folks intent on selling you something. Would you do that if you were buying a car or house?


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## gtsail (Sep 14, 2017)

capta,

Do you have any actual advice for me on the topic of specific boats, equipment, things to look for, etc? If so, please do share. I'm not being snarky, I would really like to hear your advice other than telling me it's going to cost more than I think. Thanks.


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

I can't think of a boat in that size range I would recommend at that price.

Boat prices seem to be fairly self correcting, you don't normally get much more than what you pay for, but folks often get less.

Is there any reason the Florida Keys wouldn't work for you? You can get a really nice trailer sailer for that price.


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## krisscross (Feb 22, 2013)

From the boats you list, Bombay Clipper 31 would be my first choice, all other things (like condition and gear) being equal. These are very solid boats with lots of room inside. The negative is that they don't sail very well upwind.


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## mikel1 (Oct 19, 2008)

Check out the Ericsons . . . great initial build quality nice interiors, have sailed the world . . .


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## Yorksailor (Oct 11, 2009)

You can go most places in the Bahamas drawing 5 ft and anything shallower might not be much fun on the off-shore portions of the trip.

If you sit on the Pacific side of the Panama Canal you see small boats getting ready to cross the Pacific that cost less than $8K

ps my liferaft cost $8K


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## aeventyr60 (Jun 29, 2011)

gtsail said:


> capta,
> 
> Do you have any actual advice for me on the topic of specific boats, equipment, things to look for, etc? If so, please do share. I'm not being snarky, I would really like to hear your advice other than telling me it's going to cost more than I think. Thanks.


How long is a piece of string? Hundreds of boats that fit the bill. All kinds of outfitting options as well. Read a bit more here for an extended period of time. It won't be summarized in a few paragraphs either.

At the end it will come down to the man. Lots O dreamers here.


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## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

If it were me looking at the list you provided and doing a quick scour of YW - I'd focus on Pearsons and Ericsons...and find the best and biggest one of those I could. I'm a Hunter owner and advocate, but not in that price range (size/age/condition).

For example, this Pearson 36 sounds like it needs a lot of interior work but at under $10K might be worth the pain if the rigging, engine, electrics, etc. are good.










She's pretty amazing outside.

That said, you definitely should be ready to spend a good amount of money after purchase bringing whatever boat you buy up to standards. You can read a bit about our experience on that here:

The Money Blizzard | SMACKTALK!


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## bigdogandy (Jun 21, 2008)

I'd add the Morgan Out Island 33 to your list....stout, comfortable, built for the area you want to sail.

Here's an example - a bit out of your stated price range, but there's always room to negotiate. I have no interest in this boat, just using it as a for instance.....

1975 Morgan 33 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com


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## bblument (Oct 22, 2012)

I'd strongly advise you to stay away from Ericsons. You definitely don't want one of those.





Mostly, because if and when we outgrow our Pearson 26, we'll probably get an Ericson and I want plenty to choose from. .... sooooo..yeah...you don't want an Ericson......


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## jwing (Jun 20, 2013)

In my opinion, you are asking the wrong question. You might get more helpful answers if you describe what you intend to do with your boat, then list design features and accessories that you consider necessary, those that you consider desirable, as well as lists of undesirable features and unacceptable features. That way, you'll indicate what level of thought that you have given to this endeavor and what level of advice you are seeking. Then, ask experienced Bahamas and Caribbean cruisers what features and accessories that are not on your list, but you should be considered.

After you have a comprehensive list, prioritize it for yourself. When you are actually ready to buy, look at the boats that are for sale at the time, then buy the one that closest meets your prioritized list.


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## cdy (Nov 10, 2013)

The sailboat market in Florida has pretty much collapsed for boats 32 feet and under - you just need to be here with cash in hand - although a lot of boats were lost in Irma - lots still out there - $8K is pretty low for a ready to go boat - what you will mostly find for that amount are boats that have not been used the last several years - it will take some knowledge to know which ones can be ready to go for little and which ones are dark holes that you will throw money down.

There is a Pearson 33 in Ft Myers for $6500 or best offer that looks in good shape - nothing beats feet on the ground - I would get to Florida to do the looking, checking them out on the internet is fine - but many are not as described - the serious looking has to be done in person.


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## Skipper Dan (Mar 31, 2017)

Still depends on whether or not you are going to be at anchor or tied to a dock. At a marina where you can use facilities or on a ball where you need a shower and much more water. I plan on doing that trip on my Chrysler 26 which I rigged for just myself. Totally electric, with solar and a backup generator. Not a lot of room but, plenty for myself. I like the 3/4 keel with the added benefit of a swing keel. I'd also look at the Irwin 37 Center cockpit. You can find them for less. Major room aboard. Made for liveaboard more than for sailing, but you spend 80% of the time anchored or tied. Watch "Sailing Uma" you do not need a fancy, shiny, got everything boat to do this. You need a solid boat that floats with great rigging.


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## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

Forget the manufacturer or model. Instead look for

New or recent standing rigging and sails in reasonable condition.

A working diesel that starts easily and does does not smoke heavily.

Water and fuel tanks that do not leak and are in good order. Be wary of anything built in the far East with black iron tanks. 

You also want autopilot, fridge, solar panels tender + outboard, 

Check for any major structural defects eg hull to deck separation which is a known issue on some Morgans. 

Don't worry about cosmetics minor hull damage the odd small soft spot on the deck


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## timangiel (Sep 8, 2006)

gtsail said:


> It's currently in Lake Michigan, and I decided against sailing down south or trucking it there. So I'm looking to buy something in FL instead, and thought I'd see what else is out there.


The fresh water boats on Lake Michigan, that are stored from October to May, are likely to be in better shape than boats of the same age in Florida.

Of course, how well they were or were not maintained is a big factor

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## boatpoker (Jul 21, 2008)

We all see these threads constantly. " i don't know anything about boats but I want to live on one and go cruising and I have $5k to spend".

I am reminded of a story about 25 years ago in one of the sailing magazines about a bankrupt homeless guy that moved on to an abandoned boat he found in a field. After a while he raised enough money to get it to water and at some point made some rudimentary sails from some canvas he got a hold of. The final paragraph in the story was that he had made it to Dominica (or perhaps it was Dominican Republic).

The boat was a filthy empty shell ridden with mold with absolutely no amenities, no head, no stove, no running water, no refrigeration. So yes, it can be done. My tastes are a little different.


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## Sal Paradise (Sep 14, 2012)

smackdaddy said:


> For example,]this Pearson sounds like it needs a lot of interior work but at under $10K might be worth the pain if the rigging, engine, electrics, etc. are good.
> 
> She's pretty amazing outside.
> 
> ...


I read your blog with interest, and I know that the blizzard of money is just going to get worse, because I've read your blog before.

But you have highlighted here what I think is another bane of cheap boats; ugly interiors. I've never seen a decent cheap used boat ( in this instance under $10k) with a nice interior. I've looked at a Pearson 10M in my harbor and I really like the lines. But their interiors seem horrible. Annd that is what you really see when you are on board. 

















Not for me.

To the OP, it seems that a boat with the necessary features will be more money. Necessary being refrigeration, hot water, autopilot, windlass,chartplotters, solar power. It is really those types of things which make it more than a daysailer or coastal cruiser. And they are not cheap. Good luck.


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## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

Sal Paradise said:


> I read your blog with interest, and I know that the blizzard of money is just going to get worse, because I've read your blog before.
> 
> But you have highlighted here what I think is another bane of cheap boats; ugly interiors. I've never seen a decent cheap used boat ( in this instance under $10k) with a nice interior. I've looked at a Pearson 10M in my harbor and I really like the lines. But their interiors seem horrible. Annd that is what you really see when you are on board.
> 
> ...


When you are looking for a cheap boat internal cosmetics are unimportant. When he gets to the DR he can recover cushions or paint bulkheads.

Are chart plotters necessary? I think not a basic GPS and paper charts will do just fine. Incidentally just done a reef rescue off the south coast of Grenada that was almost certainly plotter induced. Mark one eyeball rules.

Water heater ? You are joking. If someone is such a shrinking violet then a solar shower does the job.

Anchor windlass ? This cheap boat is going to be around 28 to 30 ft. The OP is young and can manage to pull up the anchor by hand.


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## Sal Paradise (Sep 14, 2012)

TQA said:


> Water heater ? You are joking. If someone is such a shrinking violet then a solar shower does the job.
> 
> Anchor windlass ? This cheap boat is going to be around 28 to 30 ft. The OP is young and can manage to pull up the anchor by hand.


As for the water heater, maybe at your latitude. Not mine.

As for the windlass, yes I see your point.


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## jwing (Jun 20, 2013)

Sal Paradise said:


> As for the water heater, maybe at your latitude. Not mine.
> ...


I spent an entire summer living outdoors at 41N. The solar shower was always too hot. I learned to shade half of the solar heater with a towel and not fill it up entirely so that I could temper it by adding a bit of unheated water.

I spent another summer on a boat in The Bahamas. The thought of wanting heated water for showering would've seemed ludicrous to us. Swim to catch diner and get clean. For special occasions, fill a small bottle with fresh water to rise the salt away.


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## boatpoker (Jul 21, 2008)

jwing said:


> I spent an entire summer living outdoors at 41N. The solar shower was always too hot. I learned to shade half of the solar heater with a towel and not fill it up entirely so that I could temper it by adding a bit of unheated water.
> 
> I spent another summer on a boat in The Bahamas. The thought of wanting heated water for showering would've seemed ludicrous to us. Swim to catch diner and get clean. For special occasions, fill a small bottle with fresh water to rise the salt away.


Try a winter in Toronto without a water heater.


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## jwing (Jun 20, 2013)

boatpoker said:


> Try a winter in Toronto without a water heater.


Why would I try a winter in Toronto under any circumstance? BTW, did you read the title of this thread?


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## boatpoker (Jul 21, 2008)

jwing said:


> Why would I try a winter in Toronto under any circumstance? BTW, did you read the title of this thread?


Yes I did read the title however, as is typical of these "dreamer" threads the OP provides virtually no information and he could be starting from Boston or Halifax or Chicago or ...... Toronto.

The OP or yourself may choose to live without amenities as is your right, I do not. Yes, even in the Bahamas my wife and I like to wash and do dishes with hot water.

PS. Coldest week I've ever spent on a boat was anchored off Sarasota many years ago. Wish I'd had a water heater or any other kind of heater.


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

boatpoker said:


> Try a winter in Toronto without a water heater.


I did. But I don't really recommend it. We weren't a far walk to the marina washrooms though.


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## boatpoker (Jul 21, 2008)

Arcb said:


> I did. But I don't really recommend it. We weren't a far walk to the marina washrooms though.


Never used the club washrooms or shower..... did both onboard.


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## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

The OP does specify the Bahamas and Caribbean as his cruising destinations.


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## boatpoker (Jul 21, 2008)

TQA said:


> The OP does specify the Bahamas and Caribbean as his cruising destinations.


From Spitsbergen ?


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

As so often happens it appears the OP has faded away, failing to receive validation of his 'plan'.


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## Rocky Mountain Breeze (Mar 30, 2015)

Or he has had enough of members "projecting" their ideas of a cruising boat onto him rather than simple suggestions of what to look for or be aware of. I thought the responses started out good but, as always, soon deteriorated into the personal crusade thing. He stated that he had a boat in the Great Lakes but wanted to buy a boat already in the south so as to avoid transporting a boat there. Perspective is always a good thing to keep in mind. I can travel and live on a shoestring when alone, however when my wife is along basic takes on a whole new perspective......... No Spam to begin with.....


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

RMB,

I can't really see any body being too over the top in this thread. 

I can be pretty comfy with not much. I'm out for a few nights on my 21 footer with no electricity what so ever. The rest of my team consists of a 3 year old and an old basset hound.

The two of them are snuggled up in the cuddy, and I'll spend the night in the cockpit. All is good. We're all comfortable and happy, we could do this for weeks.

The problem I see with the OPs plan is where he wants to go and the size of boat he wants to do it in. 

I don't think folks are being stinkers, there are a lot of legitimate challenges in his plan.

An $8k 30' boat on lake Michigan is fine, but he's talking about an upwind grind from Florida to the Carribean, not just the Bahamas. 

I do doubt that he could easily find a 28-30 ft boat that I would feel safe on for that voyage.


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## Rocky Mountain Breeze (Mar 30, 2015)

I am not trying to be contentious but looking at things from a direct angle. Joshua Slocum sailed around the world in a boat that I am sure most modern sailors wouldn't want to sail across Puget Sound with so perspective and expectations shade judgements. In my younger years I rode a Honda CL350 from central Iowa to Denver, Colorado and up through the Black Hills before heading back across Nebraska to Iowa. Was it comfortable? I didn't mind at the time. Would I do it again today? Not on a bet......


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Arcb said:


> An $8k 30' boat on lake Michigan is fine, but he's talking about an upwind grind from Florida to the Caribbean, not just the Bahamas.
> 
> I do doubt that he could easily find a 28-30 ft boat that I would feel safe on for that voyage.


.. I think many people don't realize that while the Bahamas is a 'mere' 40-50 nm from FL, to get to the Caribbean chain is near 1000nm upwind in the trades.

With a good weather window his boat proposed boat would/could do the Bahamas, I suspect.. the rest of the itinerary is something else again.

Perhaps once the dust clears he should shop in Antigua assuming any boats survived to sell again.


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## jephotog (Feb 25, 2002)

I always wonder how the person with only $8k or even $15k in the bank to buy a boat expect to support themselves when in the Bahamas.


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## aeventyr60 (Jun 29, 2011)

jephotog said:


> I always wonder how the person with only $8k or even $15k in the bank to buy a boat expect to support themselves when in the Bahamas.


With all that raw vegan food for free, just growing on the trees. Sprouts too. Hey, the wind is free. Your not trying to dissuade the dreamers are you? Shame, shame..


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## jephotog (Feb 25, 2002)

aeventyr60 said:


> With all that raw vegan food for free, just growing on the trees. Sprouts too. Hey, the wind is free. Your not trying to dissuade the dreamers are you? Shame, shame..


Yes but neither the beer nor fresh water is free. So you have to make some tough choices and you will need some money.


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## aeventyr60 (Jun 29, 2011)

jephotog said:


> Yes but neither the beer nor fresh water is free. So you have to make some tough choices and you will need some money.


50 cent draft beers and the sky is bucketing it down...ha ha of course he'll need some money, some cajones too.


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