new sailor

[GBB]

I see an Albin Vega 27, a 1973 model, on yacht world for sale here in Virginia. asking price is $12,000. Worth checking out?

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by GBB

I see an Albin Vega 27, a 1973 model, on yacht world for sale here in Virginia. asking price is $12,000. Worth checking out?

It is hard to go wrong with an Albin Vega. Great boat to start with and maybe stay with if you don't mind very limited space for cruising, although I would highly recommend something small light and fast, like a Laser or Lido 14 to learn on at the same time. The little boats will give you immediate feedback to your sailing questions and they are really fun. And I think what Paul Annapolis said is very good too. One thing, don't buy a boat without checking the engine! The cost of replacing or repairing inboards can really spoil the fun.

[LLCoolDave]

Originally Posted by GBB

I see an Albin Vega 27, a 1973 model, on yacht world for sale here in Virginia. asking price is $12,000. Worth checking out?

How tall are you? I would love a small boat but if you are doing long passages/liveaboard you will probably like standing headroom in the cabin.

Prices, I probably would avoid the $12k sailboat and I also think spending $100k on a 28ft is ridiculous. A sweet range IMO is 20k to 35k for an older boat 28-32ft that will still need some work.

In my mind starting with a big boat project while a newbie is a good way for your dream to die. You will never get off the hard.

[Rhapsody-NS27]

GBB Where in VA are you?

The BCC is a nice boat. For your budget, you could almost order up a brand new Nor'sea 27

I love my Nor'sea, despite the current refit I'm doing. I wouldn't give her up for anything.

If you like that style of boat, maybe another model with similar looks like a Cape George.

Welcome to the forum and good luck finding your boat.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by GBB

I recently retired and want to start a new chapter in my life while still relatively young enough to do it. my dream has always been to have a sailboat that was able to take me anywhere i wanted to go. i have done quite a bit of research and the Bristol Channel Cutter always comes as one of the top boats. i should say that the majority of the time it will just be me on the boat. i know i have a mountain of things to learn but i am willing to invest the time to reach my goal. I know everyone started where i am now at one time, so i was wondering if anyone could give me advice on the Bristol or anything else i may be over looking.
thanks

The BCC that you have found is the high end of production boats that will take you anywhere.

Another production boat that would take you anywhere is the WestSail 32. Technically this is a semi-production boat since many were owner finished from a kit.

I would take either to Antarctica.

Not quite on that level would be the Albin Vega (27') and the Contessa 32'.

Where are you located?

If you are on the east coast US I would suggest getting a Vega and cruising the ICW and Caribbean for a couple years to learn the ropes then move up to one of the other boats.

On the west coast US spend a year in Puget Sound up into Canada then the next year down to Baja Mexico.

Given that you latched onto the BCC I assume you are not in Europe.

[Don C L]

Not sure if you have seen these yet, but you should peruse bluewaterboats.org, and if you are thinking small, check atomvoyages.com too. sailboat-cruising.com also has a good collection of sensible advice. With your budget there are many very good options.

[Orion Jim]

The BCC is a handsome design. This one was anchored next to me this past spring while I was in St. Georges Harbor, Bermuda. Her crew consisted of an older gentleman (maybe older than me ) and his grand-daughter. She handled the anchor. I was singlehanding and considered borrowing the "anchor handler" . This BCC was equipped with a full cockpit enclosure.

[GBB]

thanks Adelie.
I looked up the Westsail 32. That is the exact look i am attracted to. Seems to have character. I'm still early in the process and i am sure will see plenty of different styles. But, so far i like the Westsail 32 you suggested and i still like the looks of the Bristol Channel Cutter. I researched the Albin Vega and i think the head room is going knock it out of the running for me. I'm only 5'10" but i do not want to walk around bent over all the time. If anyone out there has a Westsail 32 please let me know what you think of them. Everyone has been very helpful on here so far and i appreciate all the help.

[Orion Jim]

Nothing against the Westsail 32. I've always been attracted to the look. Many were finished by amatures so the build quality varies dramatically. They were referred to as "Westsnails" by those who had little appreciation for their speed and maneuverability. All Colin Archer derivatives look salty.

[Don C L]

Yes, check Tayana 37 and Alajuela 38 if you are attracted to Westsails.

[Paul J. Nolan]

Welcome aboard!

I agree with Paul A that the first thing is to get some experience while you are thinking about a boat. Learn to sail.. One member suggested a Laser or Lido 14, a suggestion I strongly endorse. You can learn to sail in a wide variety of boats, but, in my opinion, the smaller the boat, the faster you will learn.

Some other thoughts:

1) While $150 large seems like a lot, it may not be. Do you have a source of income such as a. pension, 401k, etc.? If so, this frees you up considerably. If your budget of $150k is intended to cover the boat and perhaps three or four years of cruising the situation is completely different.

2). A Westsail 32 is a very large boat. Boats are sized by weight (called displacement), not length. A Westsail 32 displaces 19,500 lbs. By comparison, a Cal 40's displacement is 15,000 lbs.

3) Will you be cruising single-handed or with a crew? If alone, boats from 5,000 lbs. to 12,000 lbs. are about right and I believe a 28' Bristol Channel Cutter was built and she was around 12,000 lbs. displacement. If with a crew (of one) perhaps 9,000 lbs. to 12,000 lbs, would be about right. In addition to the BCC, the Alberg 30 and, in particular, the Contessa 32 are good choices. You may wish to read Trekka Around the World by John Guzzwell and also visit the Atomsailing website.

4). I insist that my boat is always in Bristol condition with the absolute best sails and equipment. This level of equipment was always affordable in the small boats I sailed and raced. On your budget you can comfortably keep small boats to this standard. If you have an income or other capital, you could even bring a Cal 40 to this standard. But consider just your sails. Most of the junk floating around in harbors today have only a roller furling job and a mainsail aboard. And old and crappy ones at that. You will need a minimum of six sails and probably several more. Call your local North or Quantum loft and get a price for a full blue-water suit of sails for a Westsail 32. Then a price for the same for a Vega 27. Everything aboard the boat from ground tackle to bottom paint will have a similar differential. Think small.

There is much more to say, but that's enough for now.

Paul

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by Paul J. Nolan

. . .
4). . . . . You will need a minimum of six sails and probably several more. Call your local North or Quantum loft and get a price for a full blue-water suit of sails for a Westsail 32. Then a price for the same for a Vega 27. Everything aboard the boat from ground tackle to bottom paint will have a similar differential. Think small.
. . . .

A] How did you get to 6 sails minimum and likely more?
The Westsail and BCC are cutters. Going offshore I would add a removable forestay to any single headed boat, sloop, ketch or yawl. While this is not universal advice it is fairly common.

For most sailing the sails you need at main with 3 or 4 reefs, yankee, staysail, drifter and probably a storm staysail. That makes 4 or 5.

Only if I would going high latitude or sailing in areas off season then I consider a trysail. The OP is a newbie and probably shouldn't be sailing in either of these conditions for at least a good 5 years or so.

You might be thinking about a CodeZero for light weather or downwind but that's a sail that will cost at significantly more than twice what a drifter would cost with all the necessary hardward for only a moderate speed advantage.

Or you might be thinking of a spinnaker which is not a good sail short-handed except for very experienced sailors which the OP is not.

B] Why would you send the OP to North or Quantum? They are just going to steer him/her towards things like full batten mains and roller furling for both the yankee and the staysail, fine for coastal cruising and/or racing but arguable for offshore cruising.

If you want true offshore sails then Hasse & Co or Shattauer.

If you want pretty good sails for a decent price have SailRite build them, you can have the working sails built with extra heavy cloth, you can even have the upper panels done in safety Orange cloth. Yes they are kind of vanilla sails, but they are a much better bang for the buck than North or Quantum. There are a plenty of other lofts that will build cheaper vanilla sails with a lot less quibbling than you will get from the big names trying to up-sell you to something fancier but not necessarily better.

C] To the OP I agree whole-heartedly about starting with a small boat. A really good starter boat to get right now would be a Cal20 or a Catalina22. Sail one of those for a year while you are looking for the boat you want to end up on. This will teach you to sail and provide you with first hand experience you need when you start looking for the cruising boat.

[Paul J. Nolan]

Yes, when I said six sails I was thinking of a chute and a trysail. A person who is unable to set and carry a spinnaker probably should postpone offshore sailing until his skill level increases.

The lofts I suggested are two large operations who could give market quotes to be used for comparison purposes. The choice of a sailmaker is a very personal one and I understand and respect your suggested firms. For my money were I young enough to go cruising today it would have been Steeve Haarstick of Rochester, NY who recently retired.

I'm glad we agree on small boats for learning (and fun). Of the two you suggested, I would opt for the Cal 20. In addition to having a real fixed keel and a better pedigree, Cal 20s are somehow sexy, not unlike a stout barmaid with a twinkle in her eye.

Paul

[Paul J. Nolan]

And now to further address the original poster's query:

Many different boats have been suggested to you, but the choice of a boat is intensely personal, not unlike the selection of a spouse. I say, buy the boat you want. A Bristol Channel Cutter at 28 ft. and 14,000 lbs. is a bit large and expensive, but if you can afford her, I say, go for it!

One last thing: I think the simpler the boat, the happier you will be. As the army said, KISS. Keep it simple...

Paul

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by gamayun

Welcome, GBB I don't know a thing about this cutter, but I see there are only 3 listed on YachtWorld ranging between $70 ('77) and $250K ('05). If your total budget is $150K, then I'd suggest finding a boat for about half that and using the rest of the money to upgrade especially as you sail it more and will know what you and the boat really need. It could easily take another $50-70K to do that...provided you do much of the work yourself. Even the newer boats always seem to need something. Let us know what you do and post pics! Good luck!

very good advice from this one

And welcome to CF