Chesapeake Bay Sailboat

[boucherja4784]

Hello Everyone,

This is my first post on this forum so hello again to you all! I have always wanted to live on a sailboat, and I think I'm at a point in my life where I might be able to finally reach this goal. My wife and I are planning on purchasing a boat next year possibly by an April time frame. Our price range I believe will be in the 200k-300k range, and I am looking for a cruiser that I can coastal sail for at least the next 10 years. We currently live in Pasadena, MD and will be keeping our prospective boat near Pasadena as we both work fairly close to here. I've been reading posts on this forum and researching different sailboats (all designs and hull types) for a few weeks now. I understand that there is a number of people on this forum that are opposed to mass produced boats, but the newer Hunter 45CC and 50CC have a lot of advantages in design and layout that I think will fit our needs. My question for everyone is do you have suggestions for other manufacturers for me to investigate? I am unfamiliar with most non-mass-produced sailboats and find I don't know where to start researching. Here is a list of criteria I would like to find in a boat (with some give and take here as I understand all dream lists are unreasonable).

• No more than 15 years old as one lender told me that was the loan limitation
• 40' - 50' range
• A fairly shallow draft for the Chesapeake Bay
• A/C
• Heated / Well insulated to live in during the winter
• Shower Stall
• An interior layout that is more suited for living in (decent galley size, nice master stateroom, etc...)
• Simplicity in design (I don't want something that is difficult to sail)
• Something that could possibly do some water sailing">blue water sailing (once I've gained some needed experience)
• Any additional creature comforts would be welcome

Thank you all for your time and I can't wait to be on the water!

[CnC40sailor]

I’m going to go ahead and assume this is your first boat. If it is indeed, then I think you should buy a starter boat. In which case, a hunter would be a great boat and only in this case the hunter would be great. They are very comfy and have a fantastic rig(very easy to handle and decently powerful). Please elaborate on your prior experience with sailing before I carry on with my recommendation.

[boucherja4784]

This will be the first keel boat that I own. I grew up sailing an 18' Dart catamaran with my father and then later when I was in the Navy I sailed a 27' Catalina through their sailing club in Norfolk, VA. With regard to the Hunter, ease of sailing was something I read that caught my attention and made me think this might be a good fit. The other boat we are looking at is the Gemeni 105Mc.

[CnC40sailor]

Well, you do have some experience, but a 27ft boat and a 40ft boat are two different worlds in everything for the most part, yet alone anything bigger. Your price range will allow you to afford some top brand boats that you may be unaware of with stronger construction methods and a better overall feel at sea (although used, but I’ll get to that latter). As you said you wanted to do quite a bit of sailing, you should really look at the more traditional styled boats. Avoid the condo styled cabins as they are quite awful underway, they have no handholds and so will through you around (this style is more common in the cheaper proaction boats). Also, check out the drawings of the boat, make sure the boat doesn’t carry the beam aft as "Sometimes when you get a boat with too much beam aft the waterlines go quite asymmetrical when the boat heels over giving it a multiple personality, i.e. it's balanced and well-behaved when sailed upright, but a real unbalanced bear when it's heeled” according to sailing magazine.
As i said, you can get some top boats in your range, albeit used. Especially for a fairly inexperienced sailor, a lightly used boat would be perfect. It would allow someone else to work out the kinks and deal with the loss in value.

[TheOffice]

I'd look for a used Sabre rather than a new Hunter Catalina or Beneteau, all of which fit your specs.

[boucherja4784]

Thank you for your thoughts. I will keep the hull shape in mind as I continue to look into different boats. I haven't looked at Sabres yet so I'll start checking them out. Thanks again for the responses.

[chef2sail]

I would check out some of the larger used Passports. Tayanas, Masons or even a Gozzard. These are primarily cruising boats.

If you are looking for a Bay boat with a performace side to it Sabre or the Tartans are nice.

If you feel you want to go the mass production route, Catalina has a better esale value than Hnter or Benne on the average.

The production boats offer more "condo " type accutrements as CNC40 has stated, but may not be the best for sailing and their tankage as well as rudder protection may not be the best for offshore cruising.

As far as ease of handling...40-45 is optimal size for two people . Pick a boat that has a variety of sailing plans ( ie detachable stay) for the ability to adjust you sailing from the light air of the Chessie to the strong steadies of the tropics.

I keep my boat in Pasadena also on Rock Creek. where you are. Feel free to PM me and we can exchange phone numbers. We keep our boat at the Maryland Yacht Club

Dave

[CnC40sailor]

Originally Posted by TheOffice

I'd look for a used Sabre rather than a new Hunter Catalina or Beneteau, all of which fit your specs.

AGREED!!!!!!!! Or possibly shannon. If you give Tartan a look only check out the 4300, everything else in their lineup has a fat tranny which is no good.

[CnC40sailor]

Actually, if you want to live on a boat, the shannon would have to be the best bet if you can find one in your price range. It's already heavy and has tons of storage. It's got a fantastic rig for shorthanded sailing yet powerful enough to move in light winds. It has centerboard options which can allow a very short draft (probably good for the bay) and pretty well protected rudder. For your offshore sailing dreams, its arguably the safest boat on the market (I'm not sure about this but I thought I read one article about a shannon being beached during a hurricane and was able to be dragged off and sailed back home, which obviously wasn't far away) there is certainly nothing else I would rather cross oceans in. It's a very traditional look on the outside, but it also has those traditional values down below, featuring quite a few handholds and a great seagoing cabin.

Here's a pick of it.


Here's a review in general of shannon yachts:
http://www.yachting.com/research/man...on-yachts.html

[CCR2580]

I too am looking for a boat. So I just wanted to say thanks to you guys who forwarded comments. Very interesing and valuable information. Your knowleadge is appreciated and thanks for sharing.

[boucherja4784]

Thanks for the advise everyone. After talking things over with my other half, we have decided to put off the purchase of a sailboat for about a year. In the mean time we are planning on joining Sailtime Annapolis. This will do a lot of things for us (even though I hate the idea of putting off owning a boat). We will be able to take sailing lessons through Sailtime and gain ASA certified training. It will give us more time to save up for a down payment on our eventual purchase. My wife will be able to at a minimum learn the basics of sailing and this will help with the transition to living on a boat. Finally, it will allow more opportunity to figure out what the right boat is for us. Thank you again for your thoughts.