Another aspiring cruiser seeking advice/mentorship (Seattle)

[aDemilich]

Hello all,

I'm currently looking to buy a sailboat in the 27'-34' range to live aboard full time in the Seattle area while working remotely and learning to sail/maintain the boat. I've never sailed before without extensive supervision, and I know basically nothing at this point beyond what a couple weeks of online research has yielded. I've done a lot of reading here, and I know this isn't something I should rush into, but I'm in real need of change in my life right now.

Right now I can afford to spend about $6000 maximum on the boat. This wouldn't leave me without much savings left in terms of hard cash, but I make decent money and can get my cash reserves back up pretty quickly. Here's an example of the types of listings I'm looking hard at: https://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/83546

I know to look out for things like the conditions of the sails/rigging/deck/engine before getting a survey, but what else should I really be looking at on a first inspection? I'm pretty sure I want to go with a fiberglass with an outboard diesel motor, but am open to suggestion. Are there any good surveyors and places for sailing lessons around Seattle that anyone can recommend, or any general advice anyone can give to help me embark on this journey? I'm sorry if this post is really long and vague- I'm 100% certain I want to do this and I've spent lots of time on boats, but I'm having serious anxiety about the fact that I have no idea what I'm doing.

Additionally, if anyone in the Seattle/PNW area is willing to talk to me or help out in any way, I would be eternally grateful and will do my best to return the kindness, as it seems what I need most right now are friends with sailing experience. I'm currently in Denver but will be moving to Seattle permanently in a couple weeks.

Thanks for reading!

[Tillsbury]

Outboard diesel?

That one you linked looks like a lot of boat for the money. Have you Read the surveying 101 thread on this site?

[aDemilich]

Originally Posted by Tillsbury

Outboard diesel?

That one you linked looks like a lot of boat for the money. Have you Read the surveying 101 thread on this site?

Haha, I warned you guys that I know nothing.

Thanks for the recommendation of surveying 101, I skipped over that before. Lots of great information there.

[Chayal]

Welcome to the forums!

I hope you find a good one that works for you... it may really be worth bringing someone along for initial inspection, survey, etc.

Inboard diesels are great..

[Chayal]

Originally Posted by Tillsbury

Outboard diesel?

That one you linked looks like a lot of boat for the money. Have you Read the surveying 101 thread on this site?

Yanmar makes them. Called DTorques and are still fairly new to the market.

Saw a fabbed yamada (Not Yamaha)Diesel engine in Philippines for this purpose too. They’re make anything work there.

[Cpt Mark]

In order to insure it which will be required to go into a marina you will need a survey done by a licensed surveyor. WA will also tack on a "Use tax" of 9% I believe plus WA registration which is about $100 per year.

Next issue and it's a big one is finding a liveaboard slip. Expect to pay $600-$700 per month.

Starting out with an outboard on this boat depending where you berth it shouldn't be an issue. It is definitely the cheapest option within your budget. Sailing in Puget Sound pretty much sucks by the way. Too little wind,. You do get some spectacular days but they are not the norm.

[aDemilich]

Originally Posted by Cpt Mark

In order to insure it which will be required to go into a marina you will need a survey done by a licensed surveyor. WA will also tack on a "Use tax" of 9% I believe plus WA registration which is about $100 per year.

Next issue and it's a big one is finding a liveaboard slip. Expect to pay $600-$700 per month.

Starting out with an outboard on this boat depending where you berth it shouldn't be an issue. It is definitely the cheapest option within your budget. Sailing in Puget Sound pretty much sucks by the way. Too little wind,. You do get some spectacular days but they are not the norm.

Thanks for the information, I had no idea about the lack of wind on the sound, and had imagined it as a sailor's paradise- disappointing for sure, but I'm glad I found out now. Can you at least move most days? I don't imagine being too concerned about getting anywhere quickly while starting out.

[LLCoolDave]

A lot of marinas have a minimum length for live aboard. Often over 32ft. From other members here it is also difficult to get a regular slip in the area. A live aboard slip is even more difficult.

Since it doesn't matter where you live I'd look at the east coast. Lots more live aboard friendly, longer sailing season, and huge cruising grounds.

[Cpt Mark]

Originally Posted by aDemilich

Thanks for the information, I had no idea about the lack of wind on the sound, and had imagined it as a sailor's paradise- disappointing for sure, but I'm glad I found out now. Can you at least move most days? I don't imagine being too concerned about getting anywhere quickly while starting out.

Hmmm, can you move most days. If you mean go forward at a pace slightly faster than pushing your boat on land without a trailer then sure! You can move most days lol.

It's not that bad of course so yes, I'd say you can probably put sails up more then not and get on a nice reach. If you really want to learn to sail, buy a small sailing dinghy or laser sailboat that you can sail in very light winds. Of course with these boats when you're learning and making mistakes you'll find yourself in the water having to right the boat, get in, bail. It's the fastest way to learn how not to sail Pretty much all of the good sailors started out in dinghys. I learned on a 28' sailboat, got my certification but really didn't learn about sailing until I started spending a lot of time on lasers. After that I was competent but not good. That came after racing on a super highly competitive boat in SF bay. It takes time and practice. When you get out here find some local sailing clubs, beer can races etc.. If you show up wanting to learn, willing to do whatever they ask and show up for every race you will quickly become a valuable member of the crew and you'll learn a lot. If the 1st boat or 10 doesn't fulfil your needs keep looking. In SF we have a magazine Latitude 38 that posts every race in the bay area. You can also see which are the winning boats and target those for crew positions.

[kmacdonald]

You've come to the right place for advice.

[aDemilich]

Originally Posted by LLCoolDave

A lot of marinas have a minimum length for live aboard. Often over 32ft. From other members here it is also difficult to get a regular slip in the area. A live aboard slip is even more difficult.

Since it doesn't matter where you live I'd look at the east coast. Lots more live aboard friendly, longer sailing season, and huge cruising grounds.

I am strongly considering the east coast as well, actually. My main reasons for picking the Puget Sound are the beauty of the area and that I have friends and family nearby, but these replies are making me re-think that a little.

Originally Posted by Cpt Mark

Hmmm, can you move most days. If you mean go forward at a pace slightly faster than pushing your boat on land without a trailer then sure! You can move most days lol.

This gave a a genuine laugh, so thanks for that! It makes sense to learn on a smaller boat first, but my lease and long-term relationship have just ended, so I'm trying to do the liveaboard thing as soon as possible. Obviously this isn't something you want to rush into without a lot of preparation, so I thank you all again for helping me out with advice. I'm sure it's obvious that I could use a lot of it when it comes to this topic.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Cpt Mark

In order to insure it which will be required to go into a marina you will need a survey done by a licensed surveyor. WA will also tack on a "Use tax" of 9% I believe plus WA registration which is about $100 per year.

Next issue and it's a big one is finding a liveaboard slip. Expect to pay $600-$700 per month.

Starting out with an outboard on this boat depending where you berth it shouldn't be an issue. It is definitely the cheapest option within your budget. Sailing in Puget Sound pretty much sucks by the way. Too little wind,. You do get some spectacular days but they are not the norm.

Actually you do not need a survey to get insurance on a boat.

You can get liability insurance which will allow you to get a slip a marina.

I pay about $10.00/month for $500,000 liability insurance on my boat which was never surveyed when I bought it in 2011.