On Sun, 14 Mar 2004 16:21:52 GMT, "O:P\)" wrote:

What are you opinions? Please, I need as much info as you folks can provide
from you past experiences.

I sail out of Toronto and bought a 33' foot sailboat as my first boat.
It's five years later and I am saving for a somewhat bigger boat to go
world-cruising. So I would have to say I've embraced the concept with
both arms...

I don't want to make any more mistakes than what I have to when buying a
boat. Any good surveyors in Toronto area?

Plenty. At your level of experience, it would be foolhardy NOT to use
one. Check out GAM, Lake Ontario Sailor, www.boatforsale.org, and the
various local brokers online.

Should I look for a private deal
or I'm better of with a broker?

Very hard to say. I went private and got a very satisfactory
deal....AFTER the surveyor gave an intelligent look at the
deficiencies (many) of the boat (few were, however, insurmountable or
deal-breakers, and now, most are fixed and/or "better than factory").
Old boats are cheap for a reason, and your level of handiness and/or
williness to do your own repairs will determine whether you go for a
simple old boat or a more complex newer one. Fewer things will need
fixing on the newer boat, but will be more expensive when they
inevitably break. Or when you, in the first flush of sailing
experience, break them by mistake.


If I tell a broker that I want to spend
around 10 thousand, will he take me seriously? (his commission will be much
lower than if I'm looking to spend 250, right?)

Not as a percentage. Try online "buy and sells" or the "Buy and Sell"
magazines sold at convenience stores. 10 grand can still get you a
decent middle-aged 25 footer daysailer, or a couple of Sharks, or
whatever. It's up to you to determine the kind of sailing (racing,
cruising, dawdling at dock, or above of the above) which in turn will
help you narrow your choices. Boat club bulletin boards and web sites
have a lot of good private deals, too. It's morbid to say, but the
best deals are found when a careful old hobbyist keeps his
old-fashioned, dark and wood-filled old vessel in perfect running
order for 25 years, dies, and his boat-hating family low-balls it for
a quick sale. The man's boat, which is frequently his refuge, goes for
a song because it's not modern and sleek and it needs the sort of TLC
yards of fibreglass don't...until it gets past 10 years old, that is.

Eventually, I would like to take the boat to Florida (Miami area), how long
should I plan for a trip like that on a sail boat?

Not to be facetious, but as long as you need. If you bought your boat
in May, sailed in Lake Ontario in all weather all summer, learned in
the fall how to decommission and service your boat, took Power
Squadron safety, pilotage and nav courses in the winter and crewed on
a Christmas delivery from St. Pete's to the BVIs in February, you
would be as skilled as about half of the sailboaters in Miami, and
maybe would have more practical heavy weather knowledge.

As for sailing/boating schools, any suggestions?

Canadian Power Squadron and take an Intro Crew course at a yacht club
(many are quite cheap....$250 or so for lessons and a season's worth
of hitching rides on boats) and offer to crew for club racing all
summer, particularly on the range/size of boat (I'm guess
Quarter-Tonner or so) you think you are interested in.

Hope this helps. I took a somewhat head-first approach in that I went
from Intro Crew to Senior member in a yacht club in one season, and in
that I bought a mid-sized cruiser racer. But I found the bigger boat
easier to sail, roomy for my crew, and great in all but the nastiest
weather. Your mileage may vary.

R.