My first advice is to drop the phrase "blue water cruiser." It makes you
sound like you want to be the Tidy Bowl man.

Bob Whitaker wrote:

Hello,

Been thinking of moving up to the 30-34 foot range, ideally a sailboat
that would provide safety in open waters, extended cruising
situations. Would love to get a Pacific Seacraft Crealock 34, but "The
Admiral" won't let me, and the bank won't either... I would prefer a
project boat (I would actually enjoy it).

Not a good idea IMHO, but diff'rent strokes etc etc. Most boats sold as
'project boats' are bad deals, since the cost & labor to complete are
tremendously more than the buyer realizes. Most soak up huge amounts of
time & money and never get into the water. But a cruiser must enjoy
working on his boat, it's a prime requirement... so you might as well
get that pleasure if you can't get the rest of the package.


... Heard great things of Cal
34's.

From where? Cals are nice enough but are run-of-the-mill mass-produced
boats. I happened to cruise a Cal 34 (somebody elses, it was far more
boat than I could afford at the time) up and down the East Coast in the
late 1970s. Lots of fun, but not on my short list for taking offshore.


... What other boats do folks recommend. Goal is extended coastal
cruising, crossing Gulf of Mexico (Corpus Christi, TX to FL), keys,
Bahamas, maybe extended Caribbean cruising.

How much are you hung up on name brands? A Pearson of older vintage
might be a good deal, or a Cape Dory, for slightly more $$ you get a
Bristol or Tartan; or if you wanted a well built boat with more pep, an
Ericson or an Islander. My recomendation would be something more off the
beaten track like a Sabre or an Oyster, or one of the Scandanavian
boats. A J-32 would be nice but you're not likely to find one in the
bargain bin. You never know until you start looking.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King