Wendy, just go to yachtworld.com and put in 30' 40', $80,000 and start
reading.

As far as telling which are serious bluewater boats and which are serious dock
dwellers, first eliminate all Hunters, Catalinas, Oday's and most every other
mass produced boat (mass produced boats are marketed to the masses, which
normally sail around on weekends on more or less protected waters), then look
at a picture of the boat out of the water. Pretty good rule of thumb is that
the more boat below the waterline as compared to boat above the waterline, the
more seaworthy a boat is _likely_ to be. Not a hard fact, but good general
rule.

Good luck.

Hi-

I'm new to this group, and while I have done some archive digging I have a
few questions I was hoping I might get some answers to. Specifically, I am
interested in a sailboat in the 35'-40' range that is suitable for serious
offshore work to include transatlantic crossings. The boat should be easy
to sail, obviously well-built, preferably sloop-rigged, and (here's the
catch!) around $80,000 or so. I would live aboard the boat- I'm single with
no kids- while building up a cruising kitty. I am going to look at a 1990
34' Pacific Seacraft this weekend; at $99,000 it is more than I would like
to pay but perhaps it's negotiable. There is also a 1985 Cheoy Lee Pedrick
36 (yes, I know about the teak decks) at $60,000 that has caught my eye.
Obviously one gets what one pays for, and the Seacraft is no doubt the
better boat, but is the Cheoy Lee suitable for serious passages? I know
Westsail is a definite possibility, but what other boats should I consider
based on my plans and price range?

I do not have a lot of sailing experience- some time on 30' Catalinas and a
Hobie Cat. I crewed on a 90' motor yacht in the Caribbean for a year and
also ran 40-50 foot dive boats out of a resort for another couple years, so
the basics of boat operations and upkeep etc are no mystery to me (I know
what I'm getting into here, and must admit that I am wondering about my
sanity

Thanks!

Wendy