Please Help with Some Guidance & Advice

[MarkJ]

With a family of 5 starting out from a firm base but only for one year I would go to the Caribbean and buy something there and do that area and sell the boat at the end in the same or similar place.

You wont get a Hallberg Rassy for $100k but you can get a beneteau.

For 4 humans and a wannbe you need a 40 footer or more.

if you start in other localities its either too much of a culture shock, or too 'close' to the USA. The Sea of Cortez would be wonderful but its only one 'other' culture. the Caribbean has many; the Med most.

[boatman61]

Excellent advice Mark.....
Check out BVI Yachts and some of the brokers in St Martin and Antigua... but be wary of the ex-charter boats... you'll find that you just get a basic boat then have to start kitting it out with all the extra's nessecary for living aboard.