Offshore cruiser questions
 

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

Offshore cruiser questions
 

I would take a serious look at some older boats, specifically the Alberg
35, built by Pearson and the Alberg 37 built by Whitby. Both are tough
as nails, built in a time when fiberglass lay-ups were frequently the
same thickness as the wood they replaced.

The Alberg 37 in particular, is a very nice boat. It has a nav station
which I like. You can frequently find these boat completely fitted out
for wherever you might wish to sail, and well within the range of your
proposed budget.

I wanted an A-37, but at the time I was last buying a boat, just didn't
quite have the cash. I wound up with an A-35. If you search for article
on the A-35 you will find several, and one describes a couple who,
finding it rough, lay ahull for a few hours and played cards. :after
they found they had survived, with minimal discomfort, the fabled
Fastnet storm that claimed many leading edge racers and a few lives.

Jonathan

Wendy wrote:
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

Offshore cruiser questions
 

I would take a serious look at some older boats, specifically the Alberg
35, built by Pearson and the Alberg 37 built by Whitby. Both are tough
as nails, built in a time when fiberglass lay-ups were frequently the
same thickness as the wood they replaced.

The Alberg 37 in particular, is a very nice boat. It has a nav station
which I like. You can frequently find these boat completely fitted out
for wherever you might wish to sail, and well within the range of your
proposed budget.

I wanted an A-37, but at the time I was last buying a boat, just didn't
quite have the cash. I wound up with an A-35. If you search for article
on the A-35 you will find several, and one describes a couple who,
finding it rough, lay ahull for a few hours and played cards. :after
they found they had survived, with minimal discomfort, the fabled
Fastnet storm that claimed many leading edge racers and a few lives.

Jonathan

Wendy wrote:
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

Offshore cruiser questions
 

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

Offshore cruiser questions
 

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

Offshore cruiser questions
 

See the book for sale for $7.50 on ocean crossing-racing
www.ussailing.com (or similar).

Offshore cruiser questions
 

See the book for sale for $7.50 on ocean crossing-racing
www.ussailing.com (or similar).

Offshore cruiser questions
 

x-no-archive:yes (JAXAshby) wrote:

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.

I keep a list of CSYs for sail and these two probably meet your specs.

37' CSY b plan
Year: 1979
Listed: US$ 59,900
Located in Clearwater, FL
Hull Material: Fiberglass
Engine/Fuel Type: Single Diesel
YW# 23026-1164433

37' CSY Plan A
Year: 1979
Listed: US$ 59,900
Located in Oriental, NC
Hull Material: Fiberglass
Engine/Fuel Type: Single Diesel
YW# 1904-1098878

I also went to Yacht World as JAX recommended (although I did specify
that the boat had to be a cruiser with a diesel engine in the US) at
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...&pbsint=&ps=30
and got 433 boats. After eliminating makes like Benateau, Irwin,
Catalina, Morgan, etc. this list included

37' Alberg 37 1968 69,900 Portsmouth, RI
37' Alberg MK II Yawl 1984 67,000 Irvington, VA
35' Alberg Sloop 1962 52,000 Grand Rivers, KY
Shores, TX
35' Bristol 35.5 1981 69,900 Marathon, FL
35' Bristol 35.5 1979 62,500 Milwaukee, WI
35' Bristol 35.5 1978 65,000 Galesville, MD
35' Bristol 35.5 K/CB Sloop 1979 64,000 Fairhaven, MA
35' Bristol 35.5 Sloop 1978 59,900 Cape Coral, FL
40' Bristol 40 1975 69,900 Rock Hall, MD
35' Bristol Centerboard Sloop 1978 56,900 Panama City, FL
40' Bristol Cutter Yawl 1969 54,900 Anacortes, WA
40' Bristol REDUCED! 1979 69,999 Beaufort, NC
39' Bristol Sloop 1972 59,000 Yarmouth, ME
40' Bristol Yawl 1977 57,850 Forked River, NJ
40' Bristol Yachts 1973 56,500 Cataumet, MA
36' Cape Dory 1979 59,500 Fort Myers/Vero Beach, FL
36' Cape Dory 1981 55,000 Bridgeport, CT
36' Cape Dory 36 1980 69,000 Galesville, MD
36' Cape Dory Cutter 1981 69,900 Essex, CT
35' Cape Dory INTREPID 35 1978 69,500 Bangor, ME
36' Cheoy Lee Clipper 36 1981 53,500 Deltaville, VA
38' Cheoy Lee Ketch 1979 65,000 Orange Park, FL
36' Cheoy Lee Pedrick 1987 62,500 Racine, WI
36' Cheoy Lee Pedrick 36 1985 59,900 Kemah, TX
36' Cheoy Lee Pedrick 36 1985 59,500 Deltaville, VA
38' Cheoy Lee Sigma 1968 55,000 Mystic, CT
35' Cheoy Lee sloop 1979 53,000 Sausalito, CA
38' Cheoy Lee Sloop 1983 69,500 Honolulu, HI
35' Custom Steel 1984 59,900 Kemah, TX
35' Hallberg-Rassy Rasmus ... 1972 64,900 Essex, CT
35' Hallberg-Rassy Rasmus ... 1976 63,000 Manchester, MA
38' Ingrid 1974 69,900 Anacortes, WA
38' Ingrid 1974 64,000 Richmond, CA
38' Ingrid 38 1973 57,500 Seattle, WA
38' Ingrid Gaff Rigged 1980 70,000 Richmond, CA
38' Pacific Offshore 1977 53,000 Alameda/Fortman, CA
37' Tayana CT-37 1977 69,500 Honolulu, HI
37' Tayana Cutter 1979 55,000 San Pedro, CA
37' Tayana cutter 1977 69,500 Alameda, CA
37' Tayana Cutter 1976 69,000 Honolulu, HI
39' Vagabond pilot house c... 1981 58,000 St Augustine, FL
40' VALIANT (CUTTER RIG) 40 1976 59,000 Leesburg, VA

I would also recommend that you take a look at the boats that belong
to folks from the SSCA. These are people who are (for the most
part-at least the Commodores) out there doing blue water cruising
(That's where I've heard of these boats)

I'd also prefer a cutter rig as the sails are (imho) easier to handle
and more flexible.


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










grandma Rosalie

Offshore cruiser questions
 

x-no-archive:yes (JAXAshby) wrote:

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.

I keep a list of CSYs for sail and these two probably meet your specs.

37' CSY b plan
Year: 1979
Listed: US$ 59,900
Located in Clearwater, FL
Hull Material: Fiberglass
Engine/Fuel Type: Single Diesel
YW# 23026-1164433

37' CSY Plan A
Year: 1979
Listed: US$ 59,900
Located in Oriental, NC
Hull Material: Fiberglass
Engine/Fuel Type: Single Diesel
YW# 1904-1098878

I also went to Yacht World as JAX recommended (although I did specify
that the boat had to be a cruiser with a diesel engine in the US) at
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...&pbsint=&ps=30
and got 433 boats. After eliminating makes like Benateau, Irwin,
Catalina, Morgan, etc. this list included

37' Alberg 37 1968 69,900 Portsmouth, RI
37' Alberg MK II Yawl 1984 67,000 Irvington, VA
35' Alberg Sloop 1962 52,000 Grand Rivers, KY
Shores, TX
35' Bristol 35.5 1981 69,900 Marathon, FL
35' Bristol 35.5 1979 62,500 Milwaukee, WI
35' Bristol 35.5 1978 65,000 Galesville, MD
35' Bristol 35.5 K/CB Sloop 1979 64,000 Fairhaven, MA
35' Bristol 35.5 Sloop 1978 59,900 Cape Coral, FL
40' Bristol 40 1975 69,900 Rock Hall, MD
35' Bristol Centerboard Sloop 1978 56,900 Panama City, FL
40' Bristol Cutter Yawl 1969 54,900 Anacortes, WA
40' Bristol REDUCED! 1979 69,999 Beaufort, NC
39' Bristol Sloop 1972 59,000 Yarmouth, ME
40' Bristol Yawl 1977 57,850 Forked River, NJ
40' Bristol Yachts 1973 56,500 Cataumet, MA
36' Cape Dory 1979 59,500 Fort Myers/Vero Beach, FL
36' Cape Dory 1981 55,000 Bridgeport, CT
36' Cape Dory 36 1980 69,000 Galesville, MD
36' Cape Dory Cutter 1981 69,900 Essex, CT
35' Cape Dory INTREPID 35 1978 69,500 Bangor, ME
36' Cheoy Lee Clipper 36 1981 53,500 Deltaville, VA
38' Cheoy Lee Ketch 1979 65,000 Orange Park, FL
36' Cheoy Lee Pedrick 1987 62,500 Racine, WI
36' Cheoy Lee Pedrick 36 1985 59,900 Kemah, TX
36' Cheoy Lee Pedrick 36 1985 59,500 Deltaville, VA
38' Cheoy Lee Sigma 1968 55,000 Mystic, CT
35' Cheoy Lee sloop 1979 53,000 Sausalito, CA
38' Cheoy Lee Sloop 1983 69,500 Honolulu, HI
35' Custom Steel 1984 59,900 Kemah, TX
35' Hallberg-Rassy Rasmus ... 1972 64,900 Essex, CT
35' Hallberg-Rassy Rasmus ... 1976 63,000 Manchester, MA
38' Ingrid 1974 69,900 Anacortes, WA
38' Ingrid 1974 64,000 Richmond, CA
38' Ingrid 38 1973 57,500 Seattle, WA
38' Ingrid Gaff Rigged 1980 70,000 Richmond, CA
38' Pacific Offshore 1977 53,000 Alameda/Fortman, CA
37' Tayana CT-37 1977 69,500 Honolulu, HI
37' Tayana Cutter 1979 55,000 San Pedro, CA
37' Tayana cutter 1977 69,500 Alameda, CA
37' Tayana Cutter 1976 69,000 Honolulu, HI
39' Vagabond pilot house c... 1981 58,000 St Augustine, FL
40' VALIANT (CUTTER RIG) 40 1976 59,000 Leesburg, VA

I would also recommend that you take a look at the boats that belong
to folks from the SSCA. These are people who are (for the most
part-at least the Commodores) out there doing blue water cruising
(That's where I've heard of these boats)

I'd also prefer a cutter rig as the sails are (imho) easier to handle
and more flexible.


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










grandma Rosalie

Offshore cruiser questions
 

On Thu, 29 Jan 2004 08:58:38 -0600, "Wendy"
wrote:
I know
Westsail is a definite possibility, but what other boats should I consider
based on my plans and price range?

You are going to get a lot of advice here. I will withhold my valuable
(in other words, free) opinion until I know more about your plans. Are
you single-handing for instance? Are you fit? Are you able to go on a
foredeck in a storm and not fall off? Do you have lots of time or a
schedule? Fast or safe or both (that's the most expensive!)
Stuff like that.

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 :)

You have more sailing experience than a lot of people if you've crewed
for a year. I would suggest that the best course you could take is to
offer to crew on a transatlantic delivery in return for instruction
and practical experience. In conjunction with this I would encourage
you to take some sort of professionally recognized sailing competency
certification such as the "Six Pack" from the U.S. Coast Guard or the
"Yachtmaster" courses in the UK from the Royal Yachting Association.

Those bits of paper will make you desirable crew, which will inform
you directly as to what is desirable in an offshore cruiser. On your
off-watch, you can read the Smeetons, the Hiscocks, the Pardeys, Hal
Roth, Don Street and a few others from the last 40 years or so who did
things the hard way in ocean cruising so you don't have to. With the
exception of GPS/EPIRBs, hardly any of the "improvements" that will
make your journey a safe and pleasant one are particularly new or
involve electronics.

The good news is that there are a lot of unfashionable (narrow, dark,
overbuilt, no wet bar) old boats that are very suitable for offshore
work, can be altered cheaply and bought for a song because everyone
wants a big-arsed Beneteau to impress the yachtie crowd. There are
some excellent ocean going cruisers made today, but not at your price
point, and most of them are not the "popular" names. An example of a
"good old boat" is the Westsail 32 "Satori". You could look that up
and learn how a well-made boat can survive even a "Perfect Storm".
It's not like the movie had things, by the way.

Your mileage may vary. The best scenario, quite frankly, is getting
the boat of some fastidious perfectionist who died putting the latest
bulletproof roller-furling on his immaculately maintained old 36
footer, leaving a wife who hated sailing and just wants to get rid of
the thing.

Skip Gundlach's saga on this list will inform you mightily. It's worth
it to take the time necessary to decide, because a thousand miles
offshore, there's no tow truck, is there? G

Good luck,

R.

Offshore cruiser questions
 

On Thu, 29 Jan 2004 08:58:38 -0600, "Wendy"
wrote:
I know
Westsail is a definite possibility, but what other boats should I consider
based on my plans and price range?

You are going to get a lot of advice here. I will withhold my valuable
(in other words, free) opinion until I know more about your plans. Are
you single-handing for instance? Are you fit? Are you able to go on a
foredeck in a storm and not fall off? Do you have lots of time or a
schedule? Fast or safe or both (that's the most expensive!)
Stuff like that.

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 :)

You have more sailing experience than a lot of people if you've crewed
for a year. I would suggest that the best course you could take is to
offer to crew on a transatlantic delivery in return for instruction
and practical experience. In conjunction with this I would encourage
you to take some sort of professionally recognized sailing competency
certification such as the "Six Pack" from the U.S. Coast Guard or the
"Yachtmaster" courses in the UK from the Royal Yachting Association.

Those bits of paper will make you desirable crew, which will inform
you directly as to what is desirable in an offshore cruiser. On your
off-watch, you can read the Smeetons, the Hiscocks, the Pardeys, Hal
Roth, Don Street and a few others from the last 40 years or so who did
things the hard way in ocean cruising so you don't have to. With the
exception of GPS/EPIRBs, hardly any of the "improvements" that will
make your journey a safe and pleasant one are particularly new or
involve electronics.

The good news is that there are a lot of unfashionable (narrow, dark,
overbuilt, no wet bar) old boats that are very suitable for offshore
work, can be altered cheaply and bought for a song because everyone
wants a big-arsed Beneteau to impress the yachtie crowd. There are
some excellent ocean going cruisers made today, but not at your price
point, and most of them are not the "popular" names. An example of a
"good old boat" is the Westsail 32 "Satori". You could look that up
and learn how a well-made boat can survive even a "Perfect Storm".
It's not like the movie had things, by the way.

Your mileage may vary. The best scenario, quite frankly, is getting
the boat of some fastidious perfectionist who died putting the latest
bulletproof roller-furling on his immaculately maintained old 36
footer, leaving a wife who hated sailing and just wants to get rid of
the thing.

Skip Gundlach's saga on this list will inform you mightily. It's worth
it to take the time necessary to decide, because a thousand miles
offshore, there's no tow truck, is there? G

Good luck,

R.

Offshore cruiser questions
 

Consider upgrading and refitting a Robert Perry design: Tayana37,
Valiant 40, etc. These older designs (although heavyweight by todays
standards) have dominated passagemaking and voyaging for the past 30+
years. Depending on where you are located the best prices are in
Florida/Gulf Coast. Prices for older still useable/rebuildable (with
alluminum masts) should be in the neighborhood of $65K-100K These
boats are built like Sherman Tanks and usually are quite sound
structurally (overbuilt ).
If you have to refit, figure a 20% added to your purchase price -- and
that may be true for ANY used boat you buy.

Most of the 'good' older ones are offered principally through eMail
discussion groups or 'owners groups' such as on Sailnet, etc. Goto
the Sailnet.com website, follow the links to email discussion groups.
Also you can look up the 'archives' on various designs, etc.: email
archives, etc. on sailnet, etc.

Tayana, Passport, Valiant, Baba, TaShing, etc.



In article .com,
Wendy wrote:

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

Offshore cruiser questions
 

Consider upgrading and refitting a Robert Perry design: Tayana37,
Valiant 40, etc. These older designs (although heavyweight by todays
standards) have dominated passagemaking and voyaging for the past 30+
years. Depending on where you are located the best prices are in
Florida/Gulf Coast. Prices for older still useable/rebuildable (with
alluminum masts) should be in the neighborhood of $65K-100K These
boats are built like Sherman Tanks and usually are quite sound
structurally (overbuilt ).
If you have to refit, figure a 20% added to your purchase price -- and
that may be true for ANY used boat you buy.

Most of the 'good' older ones are offered principally through eMail
discussion groups or 'owners groups' such as on Sailnet, etc. Goto
the Sailnet.com website, follow the links to email discussion groups.
Also you can look up the 'archives' on various designs, etc.: email
archives, etc. on sailnet, etc.

Tayana, Passport, Valiant, Baba, TaShing, etc.



In article .com,
Wendy wrote:

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

Offshore cruiser questions
 

wrote in message
...
You are going to get a lot of advice here. I will withhold my valuable
(in other words, free) opinion until I know more about your plans. Are
you single-handing for instance? Are you fit? Are you able to go on a
foredeck in a storm and not fall off? Do you have lots of time or a
schedule? Fast or safe or both (that's the most expensive!)
Stuff like that.

Right then- would like to do some single-handing now and again, I am pretty
fit (rock climber), barring 60' seas I doubt I'd fall off, and I probably
have a year or so to find what I want.

You have more sailing experience than a lot of people if you've crewed
for a year. I would suggest that the best course you could take is to
offer to crew on a transatlantic delivery in return for instruction
and practical experience. In conjunction with this I would encourage
you to take some sort of professionally recognized sailing competency
certification such as the "Six Pack" from the U.S. Coast Guard or the
"Yachtmaster" courses in the UK from the Royal Yachting Association.

I have loads of experience on the water, just not much fooling around with
sails. I've all the documents rounded up to sit for the USCG 100-ton
license, I've just not gotten around to doing it. The transatlantic
delivery idea is a good one, but not terribly practical at this point in
time. I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand, though.

The good news is that there are a lot of unfashionable (narrow, dark,
overbuilt, no wet bar) old boats that are very suitable for offshore
work, can be altered cheaply and bought for a song because everyone
wants a big-arsed Beneteau to impress the yachtie crowd.

I am more interested in the former, obviously :) I'm not averse to a bit of
work, but I decidedly do not want a project. Boats are enough work as it
is.

Your mileage may vary. The best scenario, quite frankly, is getting
the boat of some fastidious perfectionist who died putting the latest
bulletproof roller-furling on his immaculately maintained old 36
footer, leaving a wife who hated sailing and just wants to get rid of
the thing.

One can dream :)

Skip Gundlach's saga on this list will inform you mightily. It's worth
it to take the time necessary to decide, because a thousand miles
offshore, there's no tow truck, is there? G

I'll google up the saga. I've been doing a bit of flying and, as
problematic as the broken-down boat can be, I can't imagine the situation
would be as dire as an aviation-related failure. I can deal with stress :)

Good points, all of them- thanks for taking the time to write them.

Wendy

Offshore cruiser questions
 

wrote in message
...
You are going to get a lot of advice here. I will withhold my valuable
(in other words, free) opinion until I know more about your plans. Are
you single-handing for instance? Are you fit? Are you able to go on a
foredeck in a storm and not fall off? Do you have lots of time or a
schedule? Fast or safe or both (that's the most expensive!)
Stuff like that.

Right then- would like to do some single-handing now and again, I am pretty
fit (rock climber), barring 60' seas I doubt I'd fall off, and I probably
have a year or so to find what I want.

You have more sailing experience than a lot of people if you've crewed
for a year. I would suggest that the best course you could take is to
offer to crew on a transatlantic delivery in return for instruction
and practical experience. In conjunction with this I would encourage
you to take some sort of professionally recognized sailing competency
certification such as the "Six Pack" from the U.S. Coast Guard or the
"Yachtmaster" courses in the UK from the Royal Yachting Association.

I have loads of experience on the water, just not much fooling around with
sails. I've all the documents rounded up to sit for the USCG 100-ton
license, I've just not gotten around to doing it. The transatlantic
delivery idea is a good one, but not terribly practical at this point in
time. I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand, though.

The good news is that there are a lot of unfashionable (narrow, dark,
overbuilt, no wet bar) old boats that are very suitable for offshore
work, can be altered cheaply and bought for a song because everyone
wants a big-arsed Beneteau to impress the yachtie crowd.

I am more interested in the former, obviously :) I'm not averse to a bit of
work, but I decidedly do not want a project. Boats are enough work as it
is.

Your mileage may vary. The best scenario, quite frankly, is getting
the boat of some fastidious perfectionist who died putting the latest
bulletproof roller-furling on his immaculately maintained old 36
footer, leaving a wife who hated sailing and just wants to get rid of
the thing.

One can dream :)

Skip Gundlach's saga on this list will inform you mightily. It's worth
it to take the time necessary to decide, because a thousand miles
offshore, there's no tow truck, is there? G

I'll google up the saga. I've been doing a bit of flying and, as
problematic as the broken-down boat can be, I can't imagine the situation
would be as dire as an aviation-related failure. I can deal with stress :)

Good points, all of them- thanks for taking the time to write them.

Wendy

Offshore cruiser questions
 

Wendy wrote:
I am more interested in the former, obviously :) I'm not averse to a bit of
work, but I decidedly do not want a project. Boats are enough work as it
is.


Sounds to me like you already know a lot about it. But shopping for the
boat itself can be a daunting project. How are you at library research?
Check out a few references on small boat surveying, the one that I have
on my shelf and find very good is Ian Nicholson's "Surveying Small
Craft." Then you will have some excellent parameters to start weeding
out the boats on the market that you know you don't want.



Skip Gundlach's saga on this list will inform you mightily. It's worth
it to take the time necessary to decide, because a thousand miles
offshore, there's no tow truck, is there? G


I'll google up the saga. I've been doing a bit of flying and, as
problematic as the broken-down boat can be, I can't imagine the situation
would be as dire as an aviation-related failure.

You might be surprised. Things can happen quickly on the water, and
consequences can be dire indeed... I mean, it can be fatal, how much
more dire can it get?

Anyway, it is certainly possible and a very interesting challenge. Go
for it!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Offshore cruiser questions
 

Wendy wrote:
I am more interested in the former, obviously :) I'm not averse to a bit of
work, but I decidedly do not want a project. Boats are enough work as it
is.


Sounds to me like you already know a lot about it. But shopping for the
boat itself can be a daunting project. How are you at library research?
Check out a few references on small boat surveying, the one that I have
on my shelf and find very good is Ian Nicholson's "Surveying Small
Craft." Then you will have some excellent parameters to start weeding
out the boats on the market that you know you don't want.



Skip Gundlach's saga on this list will inform you mightily. It's worth
it to take the time necessary to decide, because a thousand miles
offshore, there's no tow truck, is there? G


I'll google up the saga. I've been doing a bit of flying and, as
problematic as the broken-down boat can be, I can't imagine the situation
would be as dire as an aviation-related failure.

You might be surprised. Things can happen quickly on the water, and
consequences can be dire indeed... I mean, it can be fatal, how much
more dire can it get?

Anyway, it is certainly possible and a very interesting challenge. Go
for it!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Offshore cruiser questions
 

hey eh dude, she is not qualified for a "Six-Pack" license. Not enough time.
Besides, a six pack license is as impressive to most sailors as a Crackjack
ring.

In addition, I have never personally known any sailor who took any sailing
course from anyone, though I have known quite a few sailors who *taught*
sailing courses. Sailing is the best, and cheapest, instruction there is.

Wendy, if you want to do more crewing and a bit offshore (usually no great
shakes) list yourself free on 7knots.com "crew available", save the URL and
send the URL out to anyone expressing a need for crew. It is probably the best
site there is (I have picked up a number of crew ops from there and had to turn
down a number more). Be aware that as a woman who wishes to sail you are in
short supply. Most of the women I have talked to re sailing found this to be
interesting, though of course one or two thought this terrible. I can not
speak for others, but I personally would not take a just-met woman onboard for
an extended passage if there were to be just me and her (some weird women out
there who can be hard to get along with, I assume the same is true of men from
a woman's point of view) but would not feel uncomfortable if there were several
crew onboard. A "captain" always looking for crew and with a bad rep both as a
sailor (justified, he is horse****) and as a scumbag with women is Captain
Jerry Eden, someone to stay away from (the Coast Guard contacted me regarding
various claims said "captain" may have made regarding having a Masters
License). As far as pickup crew goes, I have had only one bad crewing
experience myself, and I walked off a boat owners boat (not a delivery boat)
before it sailed (the boat sunk a few a couple weeks later, the other crew
having walked off as well, with new crew added).

Just my experience (meaning others may have had a totally different experience)
is that only and 1/2 of cruising boats (moving down the ICW) had couples
aboard, while about 25% had 2 or 3 guys aboard, presummably a guy pressed a
buddy or two into helping him move the boat (though some could have been
couples as well), and the last 25% were solo men (never saw a solo woman). The
solo men tended to have smaller boats (easier to handle, less costly to own)
and most were more than eager to say Hello to a woman, there simply weren't
enough women around. Some of the solo guys in big and fancy boats almost
seemed to be trolling in much the same way a 45 year old guy sometimes might
buy a Corvette to troll for chickies. And, like the guy in the Corvette,
seemed to sometimes get a bite.

Wendy, very good luck to you and fair winds.

"Wendy"
wrote:
I know
Westsail is a definite possibility, but what other boats should I consider
based on my plans and price range?

You are going to get a lot of advice here. I will withhold my valuable
(in other words, free) opinion until I know more about your plans. Are
you single-handing for instance? Are you fit? Are you able to go on a
foredeck in a storm and not fall off? Do you have lots of time or a
schedule? Fast or safe or both (that's the most expensive!)
Stuff like that.

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 :)

You have more sailing experience than a lot of people if you've crewed
for a year. I would suggest that the best course you could take is to
offer to crew on a transatlantic delivery in return for instruction
and practical experience. In conjunction with this I would encourage
you to take some sort of professionally recognized sailing competency
certification such as the "Six Pack" from the U.S. Coast Guard or the
"Yachtmaster" courses in the UK from the Royal Yachting Association.

Those bits of paper will make you desirable crew, which will inform
you directly as to what is desirable in an offshore cruiser. On your
off-watch, you can read the Smeetons, the Hiscocks, the Pardeys, Hal
Roth, Don Street and a few others from the last 40 years or so who did
things the hard way in ocean cruising so you don't have to. With the
exception of GPS/EPIRBs, hardly any of the "improvements" that will
make your journey a safe and pleasant one are particularly new or
involve electronics.

The good news is that there are a lot of unfashionable (narrow, dark,
overbuilt, no wet bar) old boats that are very suitable for offshore
work, can be altered cheaply and bought for a song because everyone
wants a big-arsed Beneteau to impress the yachtie crowd. There are
some excellent ocean going cruisers made today, but not at your price
point, and most of them are not the "popular" names. An example of a
"good old boat" is the Westsail 32 "Satori". You could look that up
and learn how a well-made boat can survive even a "Perfect Storm".
It's not like the movie had things, by the way.

Your mileage may vary. The best scenario, quite frankly, is getting
the boat of some fastidious perfectionist who died putting the latest
bulletproof roller-furling on his immaculately maintained old 36
footer, leaving a wife who hated sailing and just wants to get rid of
the thing.

Skip Gundlach's saga on this list will inform you mightily. It's worth
it to take the time necessary to decide, because a thousand miles
offshore, there's no tow truck, is there? G

Good luck,

R.

Offshore cruiser questions
 

hey eh dude, she is not qualified for a "Six-Pack" license. Not enough time.
Besides, a six pack license is as impressive to most sailors as a Crackjack
ring.

In addition, I have never personally known any sailor who took any sailing
course from anyone, though I have known quite a few sailors who *taught*
sailing courses. Sailing is the best, and cheapest, instruction there is.

Wendy, if you want to do more crewing and a bit offshore (usually no great
shakes) list yourself free on 7knots.com "crew available", save the URL and
send the URL out to anyone expressing a need for crew. It is probably the best
site there is (I have picked up a number of crew ops from there and had to turn
down a number more). Be aware that as a woman who wishes to sail you are in
short supply. Most of the women I have talked to re sailing found this to be
interesting, though of course one or two thought this terrible. I can not
speak for others, but I personally would not take a just-met woman onboard for
an extended passage if there were to be just me and her (some weird women out
there who can be hard to get along with, I assume the same is true of men from
a woman's point of view) but would not feel uncomfortable if there were several
crew onboard. A "captain" always looking for crew and with a bad rep both as a
sailor (justified, he is horse****) and as a scumbag with women is Captain
Jerry Eden, someone to stay away from (the Coast Guard contacted me regarding
various claims said "captain" may have made regarding having a Masters
License). As far as pickup crew goes, I have had only one bad crewing
experience myself, and I walked off a boat owners boat (not a delivery boat)
before it sailed (the boat sunk a few a couple weeks later, the other crew
having walked off as well, with new crew added).

Just my experience (meaning others may have had a totally different experience)
is that only and 1/2 of cruising boats (moving down the ICW) had couples
aboard, while about 25% had 2 or 3 guys aboard, presummably a guy pressed a
buddy or two into helping him move the boat (though some could have been
couples as well), and the last 25% were solo men (never saw a solo woman). The
solo men tended to have smaller boats (easier to handle, less costly to own)
and most were more than eager to say Hello to a woman, there simply weren't
enough women around. Some of the solo guys in big and fancy boats almost
seemed to be trolling in much the same way a 45 year old guy sometimes might
buy a Corvette to troll for chickies. And, like the guy in the Corvette,
seemed to sometimes get a bite.

Wendy, very good luck to you and fair winds.

"Wendy"
wrote:
I know
Westsail is a definite possibility, but what other boats should I consider
based on my plans and price range?

You are going to get a lot of advice here. I will withhold my valuable
(in other words, free) opinion until I know more about your plans. Are
you single-handing for instance? Are you fit? Are you able to go on a
foredeck in a storm and not fall off? Do you have lots of time or a
schedule? Fast or safe or both (that's the most expensive!)
Stuff like that.

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 :)

You have more sailing experience than a lot of people if you've crewed
for a year. I would suggest that the best course you could take is to
offer to crew on a transatlantic delivery in return for instruction
and practical experience. In conjunction with this I would encourage
you to take some sort of professionally recognized sailing competency
certification such as the "Six Pack" from the U.S. Coast Guard or the
"Yachtmaster" courses in the UK from the Royal Yachting Association.

Those bits of paper will make you desirable crew, which will inform
you directly as to what is desirable in an offshore cruiser. On your
off-watch, you can read the Smeetons, the Hiscocks, the Pardeys, Hal
Roth, Don Street and a few others from the last 40 years or so who did
things the hard way in ocean cruising so you don't have to. With the
exception of GPS/EPIRBs, hardly any of the "improvements" that will
make your journey a safe and pleasant one are particularly new or
involve electronics.

The good news is that there are a lot of unfashionable (narrow, dark,
overbuilt, no wet bar) old boats that are very suitable for offshore
work, can be altered cheaply and bought for a song because everyone
wants a big-arsed Beneteau to impress the yachtie crowd. There are
some excellent ocean going cruisers made today, but not at your price
point, and most of them are not the "popular" names. An example of a
"good old boat" is the Westsail 32 "Satori". You could look that up
and learn how a well-made boat can survive even a "Perfect Storm".
It's not like the movie had things, by the way.

Your mileage may vary. The best scenario, quite frankly, is getting
the boat of some fastidious perfectionist who died putting the latest
bulletproof roller-furling on his immaculately maintained old 36
footer, leaving a wife who hated sailing and just wants to get rid of
the thing.

Skip Gundlach's saga on this list will inform you mightily. It's worth
it to take the time necessary to decide, because a thousand miles
offshore, there's no tow truck, is there? G

Good luck,

R.

Offshore cruiser questions
 

"Rich Hampel" wrote in message
...
Consider upgrading and refitting a Robert Perry design: Tayana37,
Valiant 40, etc. These older designs (although heavyweight by todays
standards) have dominated passagemaking and voyaging for the past 30+
years. Depending on where you are located the best prices are in
Florida/Gulf Coast. Prices for older still useable/rebuildable (with
alluminum masts) should be in the neighborhood of $65K-100K These
boats are built like Sherman Tanks and usually are quite sound
structurally (overbuilt ).
If you have to refit, figure a 20% added to your purchase price -- and
that may be true for ANY used boat you buy.

Most of the 'good' older ones are offered principally through eMail
discussion groups or 'owners groups' such as on Sailnet, etc. Goto
the Sailnet.com website, follow the links to email discussion groups.
Also you can look up the 'archives' on various designs, etc.: email
archives, etc. on sailnet, etc.

Tayana, Passport, Valiant, Baba, TaShing, etc.

I'm in Texas (Houston area), so it's good to know that Gulf Coast prices are
best. I thought they might be, compared to a California or Maryland price.
OK, I'm off to sailnet now...

Wendy

Offshore cruiser questions
 

"Rich Hampel" wrote in message
...
Consider upgrading and refitting a Robert Perry design: Tayana37,
Valiant 40, etc. These older designs (although heavyweight by todays
standards) have dominated passagemaking and voyaging for the past 30+
years. Depending on where you are located the best prices are in
Florida/Gulf Coast. Prices for older still useable/rebuildable (with
alluminum masts) should be in the neighborhood of $65K-100K These
boats are built like Sherman Tanks and usually are quite sound
structurally (overbuilt ).
If you have to refit, figure a 20% added to your purchase price -- and
that may be true for ANY used boat you buy.

Most of the 'good' older ones are offered principally through eMail
discussion groups or 'owners groups' such as on Sailnet, etc. Goto
the Sailnet.com website, follow the links to email discussion groups.
Also you can look up the 'archives' on various designs, etc.: email
archives, etc. on sailnet, etc.

Tayana, Passport, Valiant, Baba, TaShing, etc.

I'm in Texas (Houston area), so it's good to know that Gulf Coast prices are
best. I thought they might be, compared to a California or Maryland price.
OK, I'm off to sailnet now...

Wendy

Offshore cruiser questions
 

Rich, a Tayana 37 or a Valiant 40 might be a tad big for a woman to singlehand.
A Southern Cross 31(same same as Aries 32 or Weatherly 32 or Roughwater 33) or
a Luders 33 or a Westsail 28 or a Southern Cross 28, or a Bristol
27/30(?)/32/35, or a Seawind 33 or a Cape Dory 30 or 33, or a Baba 30, etc.

Consider upgrading and refitting a Robert Perry design: Tayana37,
Valiant 40, etc. These older designs (although heavyweight by todays
standards) have dominated passagemaking and voyaging for the past 30+
years.

Offshore cruiser questions
 

Rich, a Tayana 37 or a Valiant 40 might be a tad big for a woman to singlehand.
A Southern Cross 31(same same as Aries 32 or Weatherly 32 or Roughwater 33) or
a Luders 33 or a Westsail 28 or a Southern Cross 28, or a Bristol
27/30(?)/32/35, or a Seawind 33 or a Cape Dory 30 or 33, or a Baba 30, etc.

Consider upgrading and refitting a Robert Perry design: Tayana37,
Valiant 40, etc. These older designs (although heavyweight by todays
standards) have dominated passagemaking and voyaging for the past 30+
years.

Offshore cruiser questions
 

On Thu, 29 Jan 2004 12:06:32 -0600, "Wendy"
wrote:


"Rich Hampel" wrote in message
...
Consider upgrading and refitting a Robert Perry design: Tayana37,
Valiant 40, etc. These older designs (although heavyweight by todays
standards) have dominated passagemaking and voyaging for the past 30+
years. Depending on where you are located the best prices are in
Florida/Gulf Coast. Prices for older still useable/rebuildable (with
alluminum masts) should be in the neighborhood of $65K-100K These
boats are built like Sherman Tanks and usually are quite sound
structurally (overbuilt ).
If you have to refit, figure a 20% added to your purchase price -- and
that may be true for ANY used boat you buy.

Most of the 'good' older ones are offered principally through eMail
discussion groups or 'owners groups' such as on Sailnet, etc. Goto
the Sailnet.com website, follow the links to email discussion groups.
Also you can look up the 'archives' on various designs, etc.: email
archives, etc. on sailnet, etc.

Tayana, Passport, Valiant, Baba, TaShing, etc.

I'm in Texas (Houston area), so it's good to know that Gulf Coast prices are
best. I thought they might be, compared to a California or Maryland price.
OK, I'm off to sailnet now...

Wendy

One particularly good book that I read a long time ago is
" Sensible Cruising: The Thoreau Approach" by Don Casey.
You can get it anywhere, or from Amazon used for $5. Lots of great
information and very motivating to simplify and not overhwelm yourself
with a big/expensive/state of the art mindset. You might also
consider joining the US Power Squadron. Lots of good courses, very
reasonably priced, and you will meet others who have boats and will
probably be more than happy to share their boats and their experiences
with you.
Just a thought.

Good luck:)

Offshore cruiser questions
 

On Thu, 29 Jan 2004 12:06:32 -0600, "Wendy"
wrote:


"Rich Hampel" wrote in message
...
Consider upgrading and refitting a Robert Perry design: Tayana37,
Valiant 40, etc. These older designs (although heavyweight by todays
standards) have dominated passagemaking and voyaging for the past 30+
years. Depending on where you are located the best prices are in
Florida/Gulf Coast. Prices for older still useable/rebuildable (with
alluminum masts) should be in the neighborhood of $65K-100K These
boats are built like Sherman Tanks and usually are quite sound
structurally (overbuilt ).
If you have to refit, figure a 20% added to your purchase price -- and
that may be true for ANY used boat you buy.

Most of the 'good' older ones are offered principally through eMail
discussion groups or 'owners groups' such as on Sailnet, etc. Goto
the Sailnet.com website, follow the links to email discussion groups.
Also you can look up the 'archives' on various designs, etc.: email
archives, etc. on sailnet, etc.

Tayana, Passport, Valiant, Baba, TaShing, etc.

I'm in Texas (Houston area), so it's good to know that Gulf Coast prices are
best. I thought they might be, compared to a California or Maryland price.
OK, I'm off to sailnet now...

Wendy

One particularly good book that I read a long time ago is
" Sensible Cruising: The Thoreau Approach" by Don Casey.
You can get it anywhere, or from Amazon used for $5. Lots of great
information and very motivating to simplify and not overhwelm yourself
with a big/expensive/state of the art mindset. You might also
consider joining the US Power Squadron. Lots of good courses, very
reasonably priced, and you will meet others who have boats and will
probably be more than happy to share their boats and their experiences
with you.
Just a thought.

Good luck:)

Offshore cruiser questions
 

dougies, don't be stupid, again. The lady is a pilot and she has handled that
well. don't be trying to convince her that sailing a boat is more dangerous.
It is not. Not even close. I say again, NOT EVEV CLOSE.

I can't imagine the situation
would be as dire as an aviation-related failure.

You might be surprised. Things can happen quickly on the water, and
consequences can be dire indeed...

Offshore cruiser questions
 

dougies, don't be stupid, again. The lady is a pilot and she has handled that
well. don't be trying to convince her that sailing a boat is more dangerous.
It is not. Not even close. I say again, NOT EVEV CLOSE.

I can't imagine the situation
would be as dire as an aviation-related failure.

You might be surprised. Things can happen quickly on the water, and
consequences can be dire indeed...

Offshore cruiser questions
 

"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...
hey eh dude, she is not qualified for a "Six-Pack" license. Not enough
time.
Besides, a six pack license is as impressive to most sailors as a
Crackjack
ring.

Well, there is three and half more years of floating around in the US Navy.
I'm trying to forget that :) But the time counts; it and my time on the
90-footer are what qualifies me for the 100-ton ticket (unless they changed
the rules; I left the Caribbean in '96).

Wendy, very good luck to you and fair winds.

You gave very good advice; sincere thanks for taking the time to reply!

Wendy

Offshore cruiser questions
 

"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...
hey eh dude, she is not qualified for a "Six-Pack" license. Not enough
time.
Besides, a six pack license is as impressive to most sailors as a
Crackjack
ring.

Well, there is three and half more years of floating around in the US Navy.
I'm trying to forget that :) But the time counts; it and my time on the
90-footer are what qualifies me for the 100-ton ticket (unless they changed
the rules; I left the Caribbean in '96).

Wendy, very good luck to you and fair winds.

You gave very good advice; sincere thanks for taking the time to reply!

Wendy

Offshore cruiser questions
 

You might also
consider joining the US Power Squadron.
yuk!

Lots of good courses,

nope.

very
reasonably priced,

cheap, maybe, but WAY overpriced for what you get.

nd you will meet others who have boats and will
probably be more than happy to share their boats and their experiences
with you.

yeah, maybe, could be an advantage, but wandering around boatyards is quicker,
more informative and you meet more people who actually go out on the water.
Still, you can have coffee in a USPS course as some grey haired old man or
woman in a blue uniform tells you what lights to show at night on a disabled
boat with no anchor in a channel with mist forming. You will also learn how to
hit rocks by blinding following a compass heading in a rocky channel in a fog.
And, of course, how many PFD's you need on board and how to put one on.

Offshore cruiser questions
 

You might also
consider joining the US Power Squadron.
yuk!

Lots of good courses,

nope.

very
reasonably priced,

cheap, maybe, but WAY overpriced for what you get.

nd you will meet others who have boats and will
probably be more than happy to share their boats and their experiences
with you.

yeah, maybe, could be an advantage, but wandering around boatyards is quicker,
more informative and you meet more people who actually go out on the water.
Still, you can have coffee in a USPS course as some grey haired old man or
woman in a blue uniform tells you what lights to show at night on a disabled
boat with no anchor in a channel with mist forming. You will also learn how to
hit rocks by blinding following a compass heading in a rocky channel in a fog.
And, of course, how many PFD's you need on board and how to put one on.

Offshore cruiser questions
 

Wendy, you have more seatime than I thought, but as I recall for a 100 ton
license you need 90 (?), 100 (?) days at sea in last year (?) or two (?) or
three (?). You also have to have it documented (notarized ?) if it is not your
boat. (I checked to see if I qualified for whatever license a bit ago [would
cost me about $500 to take six pack tests/etc, and utterly without value I
found out]. It seems I probably could legimately take the 100 ton tests
without ficitionalizing my experience, but again found that other than driving
a water taxi it didnt seem like I would gain much).

Again, Good Luck.

hey eh dude, she is not qualified for a "Six-Pack" license. Not enough
time.
Besides, a six pack license is as impressive to most sailors as a
Crackjack
ring.

Well, there is three and half more years of floating around in the US Navy.
I'm trying to forget that :) But the time counts; it and my time on the
90-footer are what qualifies me for the 100-ton ticket (unless they changed
the rules; I left the Caribbean in '96).

Wendy, very good luck to you and fair winds.

You gave very good advice; sincere thanks for taking the time to reply!

Wendy

Offshore cruiser questions
 

Wendy, you have more seatime than I thought, but as I recall for a 100 ton
license you need 90 (?), 100 (?) days at sea in last year (?) or two (?) or
three (?). You also have to have it documented (notarized ?) if it is not your
boat. (I checked to see if I qualified for whatever license a bit ago [would
cost me about $500 to take six pack tests/etc, and utterly without value I
found out]. It seems I probably could legimately take the 100 ton tests
without ficitionalizing my experience, but again found that other than driving
a water taxi it didnt seem like I would gain much).

Again, Good Luck.

hey eh dude, she is not qualified for a "Six-Pack" license. Not enough
time.
Besides, a six pack license is as impressive to most sailors as a
Crackjack
ring.

Well, there is three and half more years of floating around in the US Navy.
I'm trying to forget that :) But the time counts; it and my time on the
90-footer are what qualifies me for the 100-ton ticket (unless they changed
the rules; I left the Caribbean in '96).

Wendy, very good luck to you and fair winds.

You gave very good advice; sincere thanks for taking the time to reply!

Wendy

Offshore cruiser questions
 

Or, I suppose Wendy could just go straight to the oracle of all
knowledge, Jax, who believes that all one need do to answer any
question is to call the physics department of the local community
college. Did I say oracle? I meant orifice.

On 29 Jan 2004 18:36:36 GMT, (JAXAshby) wrote:

You might also
consider joining the US Power Squadron.
yuk!

Lots of good courses,

nope.

very
reasonably priced,

cheap, maybe, but WAY overpriced for what you get.

nd you will meet others who have boats and will
probably be more than happy to share their boats and their experiences
with you.

yeah, maybe, could be an advantage, but wandering around boatyards is quicker,
more informative and you meet more people who actually go out on the water.
Still, you can have coffee in a USPS course as some grey haired old man or
woman in a blue uniform tells you what lights to show at night on a disabled
boat with no anchor in a channel with mist forming. You will also learn how to
hit rocks by blinding following a compass heading in a rocky channel in a fog.
And, of course, how many PFD's you need on board and how to put one on.

Offshore cruiser questions
 

Or, I suppose Wendy could just go straight to the oracle of all
knowledge, Jax, who believes that all one need do to answer any
question is to call the physics department of the local community
college. Did I say oracle? I meant orifice.

On 29 Jan 2004 18:36:36 GMT, (JAXAshby) wrote:

You might also
consider joining the US Power Squadron.
yuk!

Lots of good courses,

nope.

very
reasonably priced,

cheap, maybe, but WAY overpriced for what you get.

nd you will meet others who have boats and will
probably be more than happy to share their boats and their experiences
with you.

yeah, maybe, could be an advantage, but wandering around boatyards is quicker,
more informative and you meet more people who actually go out on the water.
Still, you can have coffee in a USPS course as some grey haired old man or
woman in a blue uniform tells you what lights to show at night on a disabled
boat with no anchor in a channel with mist forming. You will also learn how to
hit rocks by blinding following a compass heading in a rocky channel in a fog.
And, of course, how many PFD's you need on board and how to put one on.

Offshore cruiser questions
 

felton, I gather you have grey hair and a USPS **Blue** uniform, and teach
newbies how to put on PFDs and hit rocks in foggy channels with a compass.

fleton, go sailing.

Or, I suppose Wendy could just go straight to the oracle of all
knowledge, Jax, who believes that all one need do to answer any
question is to call the physics department of the local community
college. Did I say oracle? I meant orifice.

On 29 Jan 2004 18:36:36 GMT, (JAXAshby) wrote:

You might also
consider joining the US Power Squadron.
yuk!

Lots of good courses,

nope.

very
reasonably priced,

cheap, maybe, but WAY overpriced for what you get.

nd you will meet others who have boats and will
probably be more than happy to share their boats and their experiences
with you.

yeah, maybe, could be an advantage, but wandering around boatyards is
quicker,
more informative and you meet more people who actually go out on the water.
Still, you can have coffee in a USPS course as some grey haired old man or
woman in a blue uniform tells you what lights to show at night on a disabled
boat with no anchor in a channel with mist forming. You will also learn how
to
hit rocks by blinding following a compass heading in a rocky channel in a
fog.
And, of course, how many PFD's you need on board and how to put one on.

Offshore cruiser questions
 

felton, I gather you have grey hair and a USPS **Blue** uniform, and teach
newbies how to put on PFDs and hit rocks in foggy channels with a compass.

fleton, go sailing.

Or, I suppose Wendy could just go straight to the oracle of all
knowledge, Jax, who believes that all one need do to answer any
question is to call the physics department of the local community
college. Did I say oracle? I meant orifice.

On 29 Jan 2004 18:36:36 GMT, (JAXAshby) wrote:

You might also
consider joining the US Power Squadron.
yuk!

Lots of good courses,

nope.

very
reasonably priced,

cheap, maybe, but WAY overpriced for what you get.

nd you will meet others who have boats and will
probably be more than happy to share their boats and their experiences
with you.

yeah, maybe, could be an advantage, but wandering around boatyards is
quicker,
more informative and you meet more people who actually go out on the water.
Still, you can have coffee in a USPS course as some grey haired old man or
woman in a blue uniform tells you what lights to show at night on a disabled
boat with no anchor in a channel with mist forming. You will also learn how
to
hit rocks by blinding following a compass heading in a rocky channel in a
fog.
And, of course, how many PFD's you need on board and how to put one on.

Offshore cruiser questions
 

"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...
You might also
consider joining the US Power Squadron.
yuk!

Yah, I'm not much of a joiner. Got involved with the local EAA chapter a
while back- went to one meeting; it was a bunch of retired airline pilots
with loads of cash to blow on airplane projects. I didn't fit in too well
:) While I am certainly no expert on sailboats, I'm kinda figuring I'll
just buy one and spend a year or so learning how to sail it. I think a lot
of these canned classes are simply designed as an introduction to a boat and
little more (other than money-makers); designed for people who want to do
something different over a weekend. That may be an over-generalization,
though. I feel that the "well here she is, she's yours, now what the hell
are you going to do?" approach, while drastic, will probably yield the best
results. Should be a lot of fun as well.

Yanno, when I got off the motor yacht (MV Little Cayman Diver II, there are
websites out there with pics), I swore I would never live on another boat.
Maybe waiting on guests hand and foot soured me on boats; I once did sixteen
weeks straight without a day off and simply got sick of it. That said, I
can't help but think that my own boat would be a different situation...

Wendy (at work and bored)

Offshore cruiser questions
 

"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...
You might also
consider joining the US Power Squadron.
yuk!

Yah, I'm not much of a joiner. Got involved with the local EAA chapter a
while back- went to one meeting; it was a bunch of retired airline pilots
with loads of cash to blow on airplane projects. I didn't fit in too well
:) While I am certainly no expert on sailboats, I'm kinda figuring I'll
just buy one and spend a year or so learning how to sail it. I think a lot
of these canned classes are simply designed as an introduction to a boat and
little more (other than money-makers); designed for people who want to do
something different over a weekend. That may be an over-generalization,
though. I feel that the "well here she is, she's yours, now what the hell
are you going to do?" approach, while drastic, will probably yield the best
results. Should be a lot of fun as well.

Yanno, when I got off the motor yacht (MV Little Cayman Diver II, there are
websites out there with pics), I swore I would never live on another boat.
Maybe waiting on guests hand and foot soured me on boats; I once did sixteen
weeks straight without a day off and simply got sick of it. That said, I
can't help but think that my own boat would be a different situation...

Wendy (at work and bored)

Offshore cruiser questions
 

just personal experience, but I find a smaller boat *much* better for going
somewhere, much easier to handle and underway all I needed was a place to
sleep, a way to fix food, and when anchored a place to take a shower and read a
book.

Staying tied to the dock, however, I found one hell of a lot less interesting
than staying in my apartment. Even large boats are tiny compared to even nyc
apartments, though large boats seem better suited to living tied to wood or
concrete than small boats.

It didn't escape me that every crewing op but two I got were for boats 40+ feet
(and of those two one was a guy planning on solo for 900+ who would rather have
crew and his boat was in my boatyard, and the other was a brand new owner of a
boat with no experience of sal****er outside a bay )

btw, I have been away from the EAA a long time, but my baby bro is and has been
actively involved. He has mentioned as well that those there now are more
interested in building masterpieces of flying beauty than of building flying
machines to go bore holes in the sky.

If the thought of purposely spinning an airplane is exciting to you, you will
do more than fine sailing.

You might also
consider joining the US Power Squadron.
yuk!

Yah, I'm not much of a joiner. Got involved with the local EAA chapter a
while back- went to one meeting; it was a bunch of retired airline pilots
with loads of cash to blow on airplane projects. I didn't fit in too well
:) While I am certainly no expert on sailboats, I'm kinda figuring I'll
just buy one and spend a year or so learning how to sail it. I think a lot
of these canned classes are simply designed as an introduction to a boat and
little more (other than money-makers); designed for people who want to do
something different over a weekend. That may be an over-generalization,
though. I feel that the "well here she is, she's yours, now what the hell
are you going to do?" approach, while drastic, will probably yield the best
results. Should be a lot of fun as well.

Yanno, when I got off the motor yacht (MV Little Cayman Diver II, there are
websites out there with pics), I swore I would never live on another boat.
Maybe waiting on guests hand and foot soured me on boats; I once did sixteen
weeks straight without a day off and simply got sick of it. That said, I
can't help but think that my own boat would be a different situation...

Wendy (at work and bored)