New questions

[ekelly36]

Hi all, I’m Eric, I have been a lurker for a few years and am very close to pulling the trigger on a sailboat. I have a few questions that I probably have read the answer to over the years but figured it would be easier to just open a thread and hopefully not get flamed. A little background of myself might help also. I have taken a couple fresh water sailing classes and that is what peaked my interest quite a few years ago.... other than that I have had a a couple small motor boats all fresh water. I am a travel nurse by trade and typically work 13 week contracts and during those contracts I work 6 days on 8 days off which gives me a lot of time to get something cheap and fix it up to my liking. Before I was a nurse I was a mechanic so I am mechanically knowledgeable.... so working on motors and rebuilding things are sort of a hobby at this point.

My plan is to buy something over 30 ft because I want something big enough to be comfortable to live on when I am not on contract working. And big enough for me to travel comfortably. I don’t have the money for a catamaran.... I’m thinking of something under 10 grand which I know is possible but it would require a lot of work on my part to be sufficient. I want to basically work 6 months of the year and sail for 6 months.... I also want to sail the Bahamas and Mexico so mostly Gulf sailing. I am 6’1” 220... so I’m not a small guy.... my questions are.... would something in the 35 to 40 ft range be too much to solo sail if I can find something in my budget? I understand it would be a learning process and that is also the reason I want something I can fix up because I feel like if I built it if something went wrong or when something goes wrong I can fix it....

I have seen quite a few sailboats that I could work with and I have been on one 28 ft sailboat but I felt that the 28 was just a little small and cramped. Also how hard it is to find places that allow you to live aboard and work on the boat? From what I have read I think the average is about 10 bucks a foot for a slip in the gulf... but i May be wrong about that.... if I could get something down toward Galveston I have some good friends that are also mechanically inclined that would help for the cost of beer and materials...

I know there are a lot of aspects to my post, thank you in advance.

[Sailing Ohm]

I purchased a 1978 37C Hunter Cherubini boat for less than $10K and have been fixing her up for the last three years. At this point I’ve touched almost everything and have pretty good confidence in being able to fix anything that arises (on my boat and others). I’ve learned a lot of good skills this way and even have turned that knowledge into some cash flow.

Mid 30s is a good size to single hand. It should have all the amenities and enough head room to be comfortable. A lot of people who’ve ‘upgraded’ to high 40-50s actually come back down to 30-40 foot range due to being easier to handle as cheaper.

Outside of Florida, liveaboard marinas are pretty cheap. I felt they were almost giving them away in New Orleans.
I currently live on the hook in S. Fl and dinghy to shore for work or errands. Pros and cons to being on the hook vs at a marina. Overall I think I like being in the hook better.
You can look at morning fields also.

My estimate, based on what others have done, was that it would take 2-3 years (and about $10-15k extra) to refit the boat I got to get her ready to blue water sail again and that was a pretty good estimate. Seems to be a common time frame for many.

Anything in the 20’ range was way to small in my opinion (I’m also over 6’ and headroom was a big concern) especially if guests come over. The cabins were small but most boats this size have such small water/holding tanks it makes any long term cruising challenging.

Look for a boat with a solid dry hull, good rudder, and good mast/rigging. Everything else is extra amenities as far as a sailboat goes. A survey, or at least having someone knowledgeable about sailboats, look at the boat can be a plus, especially if you are a total greenhorn, as certain failures can be life threatening.

If you’ve never owned a boat before, or done much sailing, it will be hard to know what you like initially. My advice is to get a boat and don’t do any many major overhaul or redesign until you’ve sailed her a bit and know what will and won’t work for you.

Being a mechanic can be a good thing but also I’ve seen it cause problems. Be sure you do not get stuck in your “on land mechanic” mind as a lot of things in the boat world are approached/handled differently than in cars or other land items.

If you are thinking about it my advice is to just DO It! Remember it’s a sailboat and you’re not going anywhere fast so go slow and take your time.
The liveaboard/Cruising community has been one of the friendliest and most helpful communities I have ever been a part of. There are some real good people on the water and that has been one of the best aspects of owning a sailboat.

[ekelly36]

Thank you.... question though.... do you have to worry about someone stealing your dingy?

[Calif.Ted]

Originally Posted by Grim36

Thank you.... question though.... do you have to worry about someone stealing your dingy?

Depends where you are, take the kill switch lanyard with you, thieves are stupid and it'll take them an extra minute to figure it out.

[Sailing Ohm]

Yes and no. We are members of a sailing club so where we normally leave the dinghy is pretty secure. If we go dock somewhere else or will leave the dinghy on shore for a few days then we have a 20’ vinyl coated 5/8” security wire attached to the motor that is then locked to a cleat on the dock with a stainless steel lock.

[chris mac]

You have a good plan and I wish you luck with it.
35 to 40 foot can be single handed easily if it is setup right. Most of the restrictions for single handling comes from weight or access. hoisting sails, anchors, docking, ect. once underway most boats in that size range are pretty simple. Autopilot is your best friend!
Obviously bigger typically equates to more expensive. So a balance will need to be met there.
My recommendation would be to focus on boats setup to single hand (or easy to convert) easy access to all lines, lazy Jack's, windlass with controls at the helm, quick access to cleats for docklines, ect.
Then fine tune your choices by comfort. Standing headroom, adequate size bed, and head. A boat becomes much smaller quickly if you are always having to wedge yourself in and out of the toilet!
There's a lot of options out there. The trick is finding one that fits your needs.
Have fun!

[JPA Cate]

I'd say autopilot AND dodger are one's two best friends, and then propane stove. Ah, well.

Hello, Eric, welcome aboard CF. Yes, good plan. Yes, there is concern about dinghy and outboard theft. We have chain on our anchor rode, that we use to chain up the dinghy where needed. Also, using one's spinnaker halyard and a bridle to hoist the dinghy up overnight and chaining it to the shrouds, makes it harder for thieves to access who come out to the boat.

When you go look at boats, TRY OUT THE BUNKS, for length. For some tall guys, especially if you like to sleep stretched out on your back or tummy, short bunks can be a problem. You need your sleeping room as much as your headroom.

Finding places to live aboard can be a challenge, some people manage by keeping a low profile, and being sneakaboards. Stay with the smallest boat that will satisfy you, you can always move up, but smaller boats cost less to insure and berth, as well as lower initial expense. I think you will have more fun with the project if you get a boat that is in sailable condition. You'll enjoy rewarding yourself by going for a sail. And learn how the boat is to handle. If you turn out to enjoy the sailing part--and not all folks do--you can take pride in doing it well. If you race, you'll hone your skills by competing with the other skippers, and it might be a fun thing for you.



Ann