First boat?

[cemdev]

Originally Posted by Icarus

Buy the boat you want
Why buying something 'cheap' to 'learn on' but you don't really want? After you 'learned' what then? Try to sell and start all over again?
Sailing boats is an experience and intuitive process... Some people take to sailing and 90% boats are tied to a marina for ever...
Learning how to sail a yacht isn't exactly rocket science.. Old or new, small or bigger.
I am still learning after been around once...

Good luck

Boat I want is 400k+. I can't get insurance on it, and I'm not willing to take the risk of loss on that much money. Pretty simple, just comes down to money. A starter boat I can self-insure and log the miles so I can get insurance later on a different boat.

[cemdev]

Originally Posted by VBsail

The Iroquois is mine. I am 6'3" which is why the layout has been changed. The bridge deck is dinette sitting/lounging and sleeping space. Headroom is well over my head in the hulls. I made the bed about 90" long since I like to stretch out.

I've PM'd you. Would love to chat. Wasn't really planning on pulling the trigger just yet, but I like it.

[Heath68]

I had a look at it and it looks in good condition for the price.. it looks a heck of a lot like a Prout Snowgoose and if it's anything like them it's pretty bomb proof.

That said, I wouldn't buy a boat as a stop gap to the one you want. Selling it can be a pain and costly plus you're mooring it and repairing it in the meantime. Assuming you have some theory behind you, why don't you offer to help sail the type of boats that you are buying on somewhere like crew seekers? You cover getting there and back but often they feed you and you can learn a lot and stack up miles quickly.

Anyway, best of luck

Originally Posted by cemdev

Hi,

I'm contemplating buying my first boat, and am considering the aventura 37 and nautitech open 40.

I sailed dinghies extensively as a kid, owned a laser and Hobie 16 and a couple of others. Have crewed a couple of times on larger monos for a week or two at a time, but have very limited experience on anything over 20 foot.

My heart is set on a cat. That said, there is part of me thinking it would be wiser to buy a cheaper used mono for a season first to get some experience.

Money's not really tight, but it sounds like I would have a hard time getting insurance on a new cat and I would definitely want that.

So, my question are.

1. Does it make sense to buy a sub $100K mono for 6-8 months to get experience?
2. Would that be enough experience to assist with getting insurance when I got a cat?
3. Are there any other 35-40ft cats I should be looking at? I want something that feels like sailing, not like a tank, has reasonable performance, that has decent salon/cockpit space and room for kitesurfing gear. Would be just 2 people. Not as concerned about berths, so narrow hulls would likely be a better option.
4. Are there any great places/times of year to find a good deal on mono I would only have a short while?

Currently in latam, so would buy anywhere between Southern USA and Panama.

Whatever I get, I'd hire an experienced skipper for the first week or two to get me up and running.

[cemdev]

Originally Posted by Heath68

I had a look at it and it looks in good condition for the price.. it looks a heck of a lot like a Prout Snowgoose and if it's anything like them it's pretty bomb proof.

That said, I wouldn't buy a boat as a stop gap to the one you want. Selling it can be a pain and costly plus you're mooring it and repairing it in the meantime. Assuming you have some theory behind you, why don't you offer to help sail the type of boats that you are buying on somewhere like crew seekers? You cover getting there and back but often they feed you and you can learn a lot and stack up miles quickly.

Anyway, best of luck

Thanks for that, reassuring that it looks good to people with more experience as well. I understand what you're saying, it makes total sense, and I would love to crew to get the experience and miles (regardless of whether it helped with insurance or not), but I have a dog, and he comes with me everywhere. Makes it a bit challenging. I completely understand I'm going to lose money on this, but it also potentially gets me out there a year or two sooner.

[JustMurph]

There is a lot to be said for just getting out there sooner! Just do it!

Back when I was saving for my cat, with a long way still to go, I came across a really neat old 40' Adams that I was so close to impulse purchasing. In hind sight, I should have just done it. I would have gone all of the same places and had all of the same adventures....and a lot sooner.