Want To Buy: Looking for my First Boat

[bobconnie]

Everyone has to have a first boat !! And a lot of us have bought the wrong one first !!As Zee said sail with others first and as much as possible!! take courses on sailing and then Charter with a more expeinced couple for a week or so and you will have a better idea what ya want and really need !! just a thought from a sailor who made a few buying mistakes in my 50+ years of buying fixing and selling boats.

[rivonia]

A lot of people on here have stated that 37 foot is too big-RUBBISH a 37 foot can be handled single handedly. Do not be put off go for your dream enjoy it, make mistakes, enjoy the huge learning curve. Thats what I did and still enjoying it. It is only ill health that is forcing me to sell our lovely yacht ( out of your budget) so not a sales pitch.

best of luck

Peter

[zeehag]

even a 51 formosa can be single handed---is up to the sailor sailing--if you are feeling able-go for it--whatever boat you enjoy sailing is the one to buy--sail everything and sail everywhere first--boats are difficult to resell now--find what you want and go for it.

[CharlieCobra]

Single handing a big boat is just an altered state of mind. Ya do things slower and more deliberate because haste hurts either you, the boat, somebody elses boat or all of the above.

[speedoo]

Originally Posted by CharlieCobra

Single handing a big boat is just an altered state of mind. Ya do things slower and more deliberate because haste hurts either you, the boat, somebody elses boat or all of the above.

I doubt that any experienced sailor would disagree. Single handing a larger boat is not at all difficult for a person who has some experience, and has properly prepared 1) the boat and 2) him/her self.

However, this thread was started by an OP who wants to buy as a first boat, a 37 footer. My reply to the OP was that he or she should go smaller, if they are not an experienced sailor. (Most first boat buyers are not experienced sailors, I think we can agree on that.) I stand by that advice.. Unfortunately, as is typical in these kinds of threads, we have not heard from the OP again, so we are still lacking any information about their sailing experience.

[capn_billl]

I don't know things that go wrong on a bigger boat.

Line slips from your hand, and gets caught by the wind flogging youa couple of times before slipping into the drink, and wrapping the prop.

The sail you are lowering gets caught by the wind and goes over the side in a tangle.

a shifting side wind causes main to get jammed halfway up, so you cannot raise or lower it.

Actually the mind boggles, but in a smaller boat a simple long reach gets things back under control, in a bigger boat having a second hand to control the tiller, or hang on to something while you drag it back to where it belongs, and secure it is very handy.

For me that threshold right now is about 27ft, I hope larger boats get more managable as I get better, ...maybe planning ahead so I don't let things go over the side?

[CharlieCobra]

I will agree that when things go sideways on a big boat they go in a hurry. Especially if you're solo...