# Best 30 ft sailboat for family



## docdonnyb (May 28, 2001)

I am looking for a stable (stiff) boat for a family of 5 for day and coastal cruising. Any suggestions re. Catalina, Tartan, J-Boat, Morgan, Irwin, O''Day, and my preference the Pearson 303. What do you think?


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## Denr (Feb 7, 2001)

A family of (5) will soon grow out of a 30 footer. It took my family of (4) only two years to out grow or Sabre 28. I strongly suggest that you consider a 34-36 foot boat if your budget allows for the additional bucks.


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## halyardz (Sep 2, 2000)

In some ways I agree with denr...that is if
your kids all want to sail as teens. Mine
systematically jumped ship as they hit the
teen years. They were also not big on long
sails, preferring to dock for the evening and cruise the town, hence size and # of
berths grew less & less important.

Why not start with a 30 and if they all 
continue to enjoy cruising, you can move up
later to a 34/35''. Your budget should also
be a major factor. Pearsons are good boats
and hold resale value better than most, at 
least on the east coast.


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## rbh1515 (Jul 7, 2000)

I think 30'' is a good size boat for you. The boats you listed are fine. Just make sure that whatever boat you buy, you can easily turn around and sell it when you are ready to sell.
Rob
~~~~_/)~~~~


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I bought a Catalina 30 2 years ago as my "first" boat. Love it. Its older (''82), but the previous owner spent alot of time & $$ on upgrades and this boat is one of the best Catalina 30''s around. For my wife & I and 2 teenagers things get a little close. So I''m looking to move up next year sometime. My point is look for a used boat that is very well cared for and popular. That way if you want to move to a larger boat it easy to sell the old one.


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