How Did You Decide?

[mvweebles]

Just finishing a major refit of our Willard 36 trawler that we've owned for 23 years. She spent most of her life in San Francisco but we are headed south through Central America and home to Florida. I can share some thoughts on our choices that are mostly applicable whether sail or power.

1. Ventilation. We added several opening ports to improve airflow through the boat.

2. Slip size. We own a slip that will barely accommodate our 36-footer. Frankly, would have made a lot more sense to buy a slightly larger boat but then would not have a place to store it. Regardless, you have to consider where you will berth.

3. Covered outdoor space. Someplace to lounge. Speaking of which, comfortable seats. I am amazed at how shallow seating is in many boats. Not comfortable for long periods.

4. Dinghy storage. We replaced a mast/ boom and installed a pipe-crane davit to more easily hoist a dinghy.

5. Air Draft. Depending on your cruising grounds, this can be a consideration. Harder with a sailboat, but there are some areas with fixed bridges.

6. Draft. We live in St Pete and there's a fair amount of skinny water. Plan is the Bahamas. For a powerboat, protected prop is important as it let's you probe skinny water with less concern. Sailboat draft can limit options in some areas.

7. Outdoor sleeping space. We reconfigured our fkybridge to have two long parallel benches that are almost 30 inches wide. We also installed a hard top for rain protection.

8. Berth that doesn't require climbing over your partner. We had a forward quarterberth (head forward ) which wasn't great, especially in hot weather . We reconfigured our stateroom. Into a v-berth. Bow of a trawler is much wider than a sailboat so the berths are wide and comfortable. Downside is bunks forward are not usable underway unless calm weather, but a tradeoff we are happy with.

9. Engine room access. This is a problem on many, many sailboats. Even on my trawler, engine space is cramped due to two 225 gallon saddle tanks. But still much better than many sailboats. Working on equipment (not just engine) is a fact of life. Need room for mechanic stuff like pumps, compressors, etc.

10. No exterior woodwork. Boat had heavy thick caprails that I simply hated maintaining (sistership photo gives a sense of original, which is a modest amount of wood by trawler standards). . And that was in San Francisco. God forbid the work in hot climate. So I had the caprails encapsulated in fiberglass and sprayed with Alexseal.

11. Simplicity, close to water. We both have a strong draw towards old, classic designs (1970 model of a Wm Garden design - Weebles is the last of 39 hulls launched by Willard Vega out of Costa Mesa CA. First was launched in 1961) .
I also attached a picture of a sistership showing the large covered cockpit.


Attachment 250511

[Mike OReilly]

My view, which is similar to Skip and a few others, is that the only way to really know what you need in THE boat is to get some serious experience with other boats. How you do this can vary. The best way is to befriend people with cruising boats, and spend significant time out with them. Better still, take their boats out for extended cruises with just you and your spouse.

Barring this option, club racing is another good option. Don't get confined to one boat though. Make a point of experiencing as many as you can.

If neither of these are viable, then chartering doesn't hurt, but it's probably the worst of the three options.

Once you have an idea of what you want, and need, in a boat. My view is that you should get a cruising-level boat and go cruising. This boat doesn't have to be large or expensive, but it should have all the general capabilities of a cruising boat. Something in the 28 to 32 foot range for a monohull is perfect for a couple.

Go cruising with this boat. And by that I mean go out and spend as much time as life allows, exploring your nearby waters. Spend weeks, or months if you can, living and learning with this boat. This boat will teach you what you really want, and more importantly, what you really need, in your eventual boat.

In addition to all this, of course you want to read as much as possible. Study the magazines, and watch the tuber videos. But it's hard to substitute watching and reading for actual experience.

[Calif.Ted]

Since waitlists at the harbor nearest me can be 6-10 years or more I always start with the biggest boat that will fit in the space I have to keep it. So 30' slip meant 33' overall, marinas measure boats like Sony does TV's, on the diagonal so my 32' boat is 33'9" by them.
After that the list was:
Lead fin keel, no wood exposed to weather, conventional main, Perkins or Yanmar preferred engines.
Shortlist was Catalina 320 or Beneteau 323, I'd had a Catalina 270 from which the 320 was designed. I'd sailed both boats a bit and the Cat was just a better fit for us.
Have you looked into slip availablity near you ?

[valhalla360]

Very few people buy that perfect boat the first time...most go thru multiple boats. As a newbie, you don't know enough to know what to ask.

This doesn't mean you shouldn't ask and research but in my mind expecting to pick to perfect boat for you in 5yrs time with no experience is likely an exercise in futility.

Far better to get out there and start cruising, even if just weekending. That will give you a much better feel for what you enjoy and what you want.

Keep in mind much of the advice here is based on other peoples needs and wants. Those may have little or nothing to do with what will be best for you.

[toddster8]

I decided to buy as I wanted something that I could practice, practice, practice and not worry too much about breaking things. (As I would if it were rented.) (Actually, it was my second sailboat - the first was a Hobie cat with which I could learn the fundamentals for cheap.)
#1 criterion, even if it was a “project boat” was that it must be sailable and cruisable at time of purchase. Working motor, working sails and rigging. (Even though you learn later that it all needs to be replaced…). Figured I’d haul it out after a year and fix stuff (still learning) in the back yard.
#2 criteria - had a few things that I thought I wanted, but there’s really no way to know until you go out and cruise the boat. I wanted standing headroom, an inboard motor, a real head, a galley with a gimbaled range. Thought I wanted wheel steering, but turns out that I really didn’t.
#3 (should really be # 0.5) Available moorage. In my area:trailer sailor - no problem. <30 feet, 3-5 year waiting list. >30 feet 5-10 year waiting list. Or drive many hours to next available moorage.

Yeah, this was totally just a “practice” boat. But after 12 years of sailing, fixing and upgrading, somehow, I’m now preparing to move aboard.

[gamayun]

If I recall correctly, it went kinda like this.

1) Ooooh, I like sailing. It's much more efficient than a power boat for cruising the world.

2) Holy sh$#. Heeling in 15 knots is scary! Tell me again what's the difference between a jibe and tack? What's that thingee called holding up the boom?

3) I wanna buy a boat. Specifically, a shoal draft, easy sailing boat that I can cruise around the calm waters of the Chesapeake.

4) Err, nevermind. Now I've moved to San Francisco Bay and it might be better to find a deeper keel boat for bigger wind. I wonder if I would like ocean sailing?

5) Holy sh$#. Heeling in 30 knots is so much fun. I wonder if I can singlehand on my own?

I figured out that I would want to be able to dive my boat, live on it, and not look too bad on race days. It also needed to be a simple set up because I still didn't know that much about sailing, I researched as many boats as possible that were under 70K (my budget) and made a short list of 25 that I went to see one weekend in the Pacific Northwest area. I still have that spreadsheet if you'd like to see it. It was in a matrix format so I could better balance the pros/cons of each boat.

Basically, I took the plunge when I was ready and felt like I knew enough to be dangerous. My motto is "what's the worst that could happen?" The answer was I'd hate the boat and sell it for few bucks less than I paid for it.

At some point, we each have to accept that to ring the most out of life, you have to accept some level of risk with the possibility of failure. Just know that very few of those risks will actually kill you. Some will slow you down. Some will cost you money. But most will teach you so many amazing things that you never knew you needed to learn. You will be so enriched by the process no matter what. So my advice is to do the best you can to research and assess everything you think you need to know and then just go for it. Trust yourself. Don't overthink it to paralysis. You will find that a few holy sh$# moments really make life worth living.

Good luck!!

[alctel]

All three boats I've bought (Cherubini Hunter 36, Shark 24, Rafiki 37) were the first one I looked at.

I guess I'm just lazy (or not very picky)

It's often the case that your first boat isn't 'the' boat, but acts as an excellent way to figure out what you actually want in a boat

1st boat I bought because 'oh cool a sailboat, would be fun to live on one, this seems like an affordable price for me? I guess I should buy a book on sailing and boat maintenance' (this boat ended up taking me up to Alaska and down to Mexico and would have gone across the pacific if not for covid)

2nd one was 'I need a dirt cheap, fun boat for the summer' (and it was)

3rd one was 'I want a 34' - 39' cutter rig, with a tiller, good tankage, more storage, encapsulated keel would be nice...' (I had far more an idea of what I wanted after 7 years of boat ownership)

I guess my advice would be, don't overthink it

[Island Time O25]

As mentioned above - before even thinking about what boat to get - sail, sail, sail. On whatever boats are available - friends', clubs', ads looking for sailing buddies, sailing on the water courses, rentals, charters, etc. Travel far and wide if only to spend a few days and nights on the water.

Also not seen mentioned above, start thinking of and making plans for change of careers/business plans which will accomodate your sailing dreams. Decide early on what's more important. Otherwise the dreams will stay dreams.

[mvweebles]

I don't understand the responses here. OP asked how experienced sailors chose their boats, what attributes were important, what influenced their choices, etc.. Instead, OP is getting advice on how OP needs more experience - go back to the end of the line.

Personally, sounds like a good question for any experience level. Much of the allure of boats is how varied they are and how each finds a fan-base.

Peter

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

I don't understand the responses here. OP asked how experienced sailors chose their boats, what attributes were important, what influenced their choices, etc.. Instead, OP is getting advice on how OP needs more experience - go back to the end of the line.

Personally, sounds like a good question for any experience level. Much of the allure of boats is how varied they are and how each finds a fan-base.

Peter

The reason is is that the OP is beginning with a false assumption that experienced people can tell you why they choose and importantly that experience translates into the OPs frame of mind. It’s the last part that’s difficult. It’s like trying to experience life by simply listening to other people telling their stories.

Boat choice is incredibly personal and the sage advice given here is

1. Get experience
2. Your first boat isn’t your last
3. Don’t hang around

Is much better advice then trying to “ unpick “ why someone like me on my 7th boat , decided to buy what I did.

( ps asking advice on specific issues is different, or where you are seeking specific feature comparisons )

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Is much better advice then trying to “ unpick “ why someone like me on my 7th boat decided to buy what I did.

I know it's meant as helpful, but just sounds a bit condescending given the OPs question. She didn't ask what boat she and her husband should buy (a very common question here). She asked what was important to others when they bought their boat. That's a legit question that deserved a legit answer. Not a brush-off pat-on-the-head "grasshopper, you will understand when you have mastered the the art of sailing as I have done."

If you don't think your experience is useful, why respond? Why criticize the question and thereby the questioner, a relatively new member and infrequent contributor on this forum?

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

I don't understand the responses here. OP asked how experienced sailors chose their boats, what attributes were important, what influenced their choices, etc.. Instead, OP is getting advice on how OP needs more experience - go back to the end of the line.

Personally, sounds like a good question for any experience level. Much of the allure of boats is how varied they are and how each finds a fan-base.

Peter

It's because those new to sailing/cruising don't know enough.

You have to know a little before you can even start asking

What some cruiser that's been doing it for many, many years thinks is great about a boat might actually be the very worst thing for some one new to the lifestyle which is probably why many buy catamarans. (we want a house on the water that doesn't tilt too much)

So again Mrs. OP, the sooner you get some sort of boat you can sail and do overnighters on the better then you will know enough to ask the question and then you will even have more questions

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by thomm225

It's because those new to sailing/cruising don't know enough.

You have to know a little before you can even start asking

Someone - a married adult - comes in a sailing forum and asks to learn from the experience of others. Do you really think it's helpful to tell them they don't know enough to even ask the question let alone understand the answer and therefore you're not willing to respond? .

Peter

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

Someone - a married adult - comes in a sailing forum and asks to learn from the experience of others. Do you really think it's helpful to tell them they don't know enough to even ask the question let alone understand the answer and therefore you're not willing to respond? .

Peter

You are looking at it the wrong way.

We are just saying you need a little experience with boats, sailing, overnighters so you can make good judgements on the recommendations of others.

It's like the guy wanting to know which boat to get for a circumnavigation. If he has to ask, he isn't ready.

Everyone's tastes or so different. What is good for some, others would not want.

You have to know before you can know.

[sinnerman]

If you plan to "live aboard" in a marina and have certain marinas in mind, you will need to see their restrictions on boats. For liveaboards many have minimum length limits. Also if a boat is very old they will require a professional survey and maybe higher insurance. Also, many marinas do not permit steel hull boats for some reason.

"Cruising" can be coastal or blue water (open ocean) which have different minimum requirements.

Older boats are cheaper, but you will need to do most of the repairs yourself as labor for repairs on boats costs $$$$$$$, and will break your bank.

If you will liveaboard in hot climate marinas you will need AC. Cold climates- some way to heat the boat and remove condensation (and insulate it...)

A bigger boat gives you more living space for creature comforts and is better riding in heavy seas, however the sails and anchoring equipment are more difficult to handle. Also the larger the boat the more your docking skills need to be refined.