i hope this hasn't been answered too many times...

Falmouth Cutter is an awsome boat, if you like confined spaces. Bristol Channel Cutter is amongst the best of the best. Hope you have deep pockets. West Sail 32 is nice, but still a bit pricey, Folkboats might be an option, and have been mentioned here. Catalina 27 is a great boat, inexpensive, and easy to sail, but not an ideal boat for blue water.
As for how a trimaran handles, compared to a Hobie, no comparison. Large (40'-50' trimarans are commonly cruised by one or two people.

[Sailormann]

1 alberg 30 - excellent choice - very seaworthy

2 albin vega 27 - harder to find but a great boat

3 allied seawind 32 - too big for the amount of money that you have

4 bristol 27 - good quality - Alberg 30 will be better

5 bristol channel cutter 28 - way out of your price range

6 cal 20 - don't know them - can't say

7 cape dory 25D - definite contender

8 catalina 27 - not in the same league as the others - not durable enough

9 contessa/j. j. talyor 27 - great boat but built for offshore only - you won't be able to stand up and there is no sliding hatch on the companionway...

10 contessa 32 - out of your price range

11 dana 24 - great boat if you can afford it

12 falmouth cutter 22 - hard to find, very slow

13 flicka 20 - great boat - serious contender but you can get more space for the same money

14 folkboat 25 - very cramped !

15 francis/morris 26 - $$$$

16 nicholson 31 - do't know it

17 pacific seacraft 25 - great boats - expensive though

18 pearson triton 28 - another serious contender

19 southern cross 31 - this has a cored hull - personally I would never buy one unless it came to me from the factory - too many unknowns - also will cost a lot to maintain

20 westsail 32 - big, heavy, slow - great passagemaker but maintenance will be a lot more than a smaller boat

If your funds are limited - get the smallest boat that you can be comfortable on. It costs far more money to keep and maintain a 32 foot boat than a 25 foot boat. Personally I'd look go for the Alberg 30, the Triton, the Cape Dory and the Dana and finally the Flicka, in that order...

[cyrano138]

are there any boats you guys think were left off of this list? someone in a review of the boat mentioned the cheoy lee offshore 27, for example, and there was one for sale here (16900) about a month ago. i mentioned that before, if i'm not mistaken, but if there are any other inexpensive, well-established cruisers like that, i'd love to hear about them...

[unbusted67]

http://www.amazon.com/Twenty-Small-S.../dp/0939837323

Buy this book it will help you in your decision

[Steve Rust]

I would agree with sailormans picks and add that the Nicolson 31 would be and excellent choice but am not sure if you would find it in your price range. Well built British boat from Camper-Nicolson maybe not as well known on this side of the pond. The Cal 20 is a popular club racer on the West Coast, are easy to find and inexpensive. Not really meant as a blue water cruiser but they have been sailed to Hawaii. I would add one of my favorite CCA era boats, the Pearson Vanguard 32. May be at the top of your price range or over if fitted with a diesel. Larger version of the Triton.

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by cyrano138

.. just how little can you spend and sail blue water? i can deal with a really small boat

i ask because i really want to sail abroad...for a sailboat... 15,000 is a good number.

Yo Cyr,

NO ONE can choose a boat for you.

Your own due dilligence will reward you with a good fit, financially as well as otherwise. And if you are dilligent the right boat will choose YOU, and you'll just know it immediately upon either seeing her at her mooring, or as you step below and begin to feel a special intimate connection.

To find this "right" boat does not require a lot of money. But you must accept the responsibility for a life's work of learning seamanship, and maintaining your boat.

You are well-off choosing a smaller boat, as long as it is suitable for your purpose. EVERYTHING will be cheaper. And you'll have more fun and less worries. Certainly the 27'-30' range is plenty of boat, and there are many choices. It is possible to find a potential bluewater sailboat well within your budget.

To succeed, you will want to SAIL as much as possible in order to gain the experience necessary for you to know the RIGHT boat when she offers herself to you. This is extremely important! Do not skip this step! Without discounting your Hobie experience, you are well-advised to gain keelboat experience before you commit.

DUE DILLIGENCE.

best, andy

[cyrano138]

this is excellent advice; please don't think for a moment i'm taking issue with what you're saying.

there is, unfortunately, no real practical way for me to do so that i'm aware of. i've been to the sailing sqadrons on friday nights and been yelled at for dunking my foot in the water during a "just for fun" race (you'd think i had just run over the guy's puppy with a lawnmower). all those guys want is ballast. quiet ballast that doesn't ask a lot of questions. other than that, or giving up my apartment to try and crew from fort lauderdale, i'm not sure what to do.

my plan is to save money, buy a boat that is solid, safe, and can be made to roam the bluewater, and learn as i go. i'm not going to set out for atlantic crossing on my first day. but if i get the right kind of boat, i can spend time in between small offshore jaunts getting it ready for the big show.

there are tons of hobie enthusiasts around, tons of boats, but if i'd hoped to get my feet wet on someone else's boat, i'd still be waiting.

cyrano, I understand what you mean. There are some racers out there that are very serious about what they do. For many of us, that is not what we call fun. Keeping the budget low, and the boat small will allow you to get out there, but realize, you will likely not find the perfect boat in your first boat. I would recommend keeping the choices to a boat that you can sail right away, and is a common enough design that you can re-sell it later to get what you want. You also might look a bit further away for boats to crew on. Not all club races have that "Americas Cup" mentality. Some, really are in it for a friendly challenge, and a beer afterwards. If you can locate one of those groups, it will likely change your whole game plan.

[clsailor]

I am a owner of a Cheoy Lee Clipper 36, 1977 model. Strengths: STRONG HULL, rest of boat suspect. Not good ss, bedding of deck fittings bad, etc. all of this can be fixed with some sweat equity. I have knowned people who have lived aboard and sailed a Cal 25 from Chicago to the Bahamas, so the question is how big are your cojones. Sailing is an adventure, live it.

[starfish62]

We sailed a 33' Pierson sloop from Florida to Australia, sometimes with three of us aboard. Just bought a 44 Gulfstar and attempting to refit and refurbish to live aboard when the last offspring leaves for college in two years. The new boat (new to us) feels huge but we have kids who like to visit for months at a time so we kind of need it. The 33 was plenty big enough for the two of us and was a great blue water boat. Oh, paid $24,000 for her. Sold her in Australia for mid $40,000 (after duty, taxes) and paid $44,000 for the new one. Prices are negotiable. Do the work yourself and find one that needs a lot of it.

[starfish62]

We sailed a 33' Pierson sloop from Florida to Australia, sometimes with three of us aboard. Just bought a 44 Gulfstar and attempting to refit and refurbish to live aboard when the last offspring leaves for college in two years. The new boat (new to us) feels huge but we have kids who like to visit for months at a time so we kind of need it. The 33 was plenty big enough for the two of us and was a great blue water boat. Oh, paid $24,000 for her. Sold her in Australia for mid $40,000 (after duty, taxes) and paid $44,000 for the new one. Prices are negotiable. Do the work yourself and find one that needs a lot of it.

[cyrano138]

what is the difference between a cape dory 25 and a cape dory 25d? i've only seen them without the d's.

[David_Old_Jersey]

I would suggest that with your budget that you get a small boat!

This may sound obvious, but their is always a temptation to buy a bigger boat that is in poorer condition than a smaller boat of the same price. Nothing wrong with that if you like the work required, have the time and the budget.

How big is a small boat? I would say for your budget around 27 foot, small enough to get a decent example with your budget and still small enough so that some sort of refit / upgrading / customisation is not going to be a mammoth money and time eating excercise, plus in broad terms the smaller the boat the more manageable the maintanence.........

What model, well if re-sale is not your No.1 priority then whilst those boats with the top names / reputation will be attractive I would go for those which are a bit less well known but are basically the same thing.

Obviously I do not know what is what in the US when it comes to models which are any good But over here, instead of a Contessa 26 or a GRP Folkboat I would go for something like:


Halycon 27





Invicta 26

[Steve Rust]

I think the Cape Dory 25 is the original design and the 25D is the Carl Alberg design. IMO the 25D is the better one of the two in looks, size, and build. I also thought that the D designated a diesel engine.

[Prflyer1]

well...... I guess size is relative, I have heard circumnavigation on 28 footer, but I am VERY sure they spent some money on the rigging
Like I mention in another thread, get the boat regardless of size that has the best engine, sails, rigging. After that other things are depending on your skills, my uncle navigates by site durint the day and stars at night, he has been navigating for God lnows how long, so all other equipment is relative, also a good bucket helps as a bathroom and one hell of bilge pump... good luck in your search, and happy sailing

Danny