I had a close look at four boats today, all offered through brokers. The
experience was a pleasurable one; the brokers were pleasant enough and quite
helpful. The weather was a bit cool for my taste, though. Anyway, here's
what I looked over in the order in which I saw them, along with my thoughts:

Cheoy Lee Pedrick 36, 1985 Model: This boat is simply a very good looking
boat; it has loads of visual appeal and has been well-kept. The teak deck
is in quite good condition, as are the topside fittings and rigging.
Belowdecks, the engine is easily accessible, the cabin layout is sensible
and not ostentatiously ornate. She has a genset, which is a plus, but no
stove- a definite minus (one could easily be added, however). She's
radar-equipped, no SSB or GPS. She would be a fine live-aboard and coastal
cruiser, and should handle longer range cruising as the tankage is more than
adequate. I'd like to research Cheoy Lee's more; I liked this boat. At an
asking price of less than $60,000 she is well within my budget.

Pacific Seacraft Crealock 34, 1990 Model: Nice boat; she has a spartan
interior and a non-nonsense air about her. This boat is clearly designed
for ocean passages. Living aboard would not be difficult, but again the
boat is designed to go anywhere, not sit on a dock. At just under $100,000
she is out of my price range, so I didn't really seriously evaluate all her
features.

Cabo Rico 38, 1981 Model: She was once a nice boat, but neglect has sadly
hurt her. The below $80,000 price reflects the condition she's in; it would
take a lot of work to bring this boat up to snuff. The teak deck is shot.
I would take a pass on this boat; I don't want a project.

Tayana 37, 1982 Model: Wonderful boat, she has lots of room and is built
like a tank. She has a Perkins, which I like as I have lots of experience
with them. She's air-conditioned as well, a must in Texas. Very beamy and
not at all claustrophobic, the boat is clearly designed for comfort and
safety. She is equipped with a wind generator as well as a wind vane
steering system. She has no navigation station; the large quarterberth is
designed as an aft stateroom. I would prefer a nav station, but a fold down
table sort of thing could be easily added by a carpenter. Electronics
consists of an SSB; a radar and GPS system would have to be added (I am a
Garmin GPS junkie, I'll freely admit that Her asking price of $85,000 is
within my budget, though I would have to scrape for any planned add-ons.

It should be apparent that the first and last boats I looked at were the two
which appealed most to me. I have distinct reservations about a teak deck,
and while the Cheoy Lee is not the dedicated ocean passage boat that the
Tayana is, she would no doubt provide years of performance and satisfaction.
The Tayana represents security, comfort, and hominess. She has many of the
features I would like in a boat, and probably represents the better
investment of the two. It's quite clear to me that I am not exactly sure
what I want at this point in time, although I am sure that as I continue to
research and actively start sailing that this will become self-evident
before I buy. I understand now why searching for a boat can take quite some
time.

Wendy

Well done Wendy. It sounds like you are off to a good start and aren't
'Jumping In Blindly'. As has been the regret of so many, to later suffer
from buyers remorse.

You seem to like the Tayana, even in the absense of somethings, like the nav
station. In this instance, I would say, go look at other Tayana's and see if
you don't find one with the features you want.. A good nav station is not a
minor short coming or something that can be 'knock together' easily..

You can bet, it you get one of these and it is missing some detail or
feature, the next time you step aboard a sister boat, you will see that
someone else has what you missed.

There are plenty of boat to look at and consider.. You don't seem to be in a
big rush, so don't.

The more boats you look at the better you will be at resisting the
temptation to 'settle' and the more expert you will become in the boat
designs you like.. Refine your tastes and shopping skills, while you
frustrate the Brokers..

Remember the brokers are working for the seller.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

"Steve" wrote in message
...
You seem to like the Tayana, even in the absense of somethings, like the
nav
station. In this instance, I would say, go look at other Tayana's and see
if
you don't find one with the features you want.. A good nav station is not
a
minor short coming or something that can be 'knock together' easily..

I did like the Tayana, but I have to say the more I think on it, the Cheoy
Lee looks more and more attractive. Her price leaves me with more than
enough money to fit her to my tastes, and while not as comfy as the Tayana,
she fits my (uninformed) idea of what I would like in a boat. Anyway, as I
am not buying immediately, I have put out feelers for crewing in the area,
as everyone has recommended I do. Doing so will give me not only the
opportunity to experience different boats, but the chance to make new
friends. One can never have too many friends

Wendy

"Steve" wrote in message
...
You seem to like the Tayana, even in the absense of somethings, like the
nav
station. In this instance, I would say, go look at other Tayana's and see
if
you don't find one with the features you want.. A good nav station is not
a
minor short coming or something that can be 'knock together' easily..

I did like the Tayana, but I have to say the more I think on it, the Cheoy
Lee looks more and more attractive. Her price leaves me with more than
enough money to fit her to my tastes, and while not as comfy as the Tayana,
she fits my (uninformed) idea of what I would like in a boat. Anyway, as I
am not buying immediately, I have put out feelers for crewing in the area,
as everyone has recommended I do. Doing so will give me not only the
opportunity to experience different boats, but the chance to make new
friends. One can never have too many friends

Wendy

Well done Wendy. It sounds like you are off to a good start and aren't
'Jumping In Blindly'. As has been the regret of so many, to later suffer
from buyers remorse.

You seem to like the Tayana, even in the absense of somethings, like the nav
station. In this instance, I would say, go look at other Tayana's and see if
you don't find one with the features you want.. A good nav station is not a
minor short coming or something that can be 'knock together' easily..

You can bet, it you get one of these and it is missing some detail or
feature, the next time you step aboard a sister boat, you will see that
someone else has what you missed.

There are plenty of boat to look at and consider.. You don't seem to be in a
big rush, so don't.

The more boats you look at the better you will be at resisting the
temptation to 'settle' and the more expert you will become in the boat
designs you like.. Refine your tastes and shopping skills, while you
frustrate the Brokers..

Remember the brokers are working for the seller.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

x-no-archive:yes


"Wendy" wrote:

snip

She's
radar-equipped, no SSB or GPS.
snip

She has no navigation station; the large quarterberth is
designed as an aft stateroom. I would prefer a nav station, but a fold down
table sort of thing could be easily added by a carpenter. Electronics
consists of an SSB; a radar and GPS system would have to be added (I am a
Garmin GPS junkie, I'll freely admit that

I look on the GPS as a portable item. In general, I would prefer to
buy my own electronics because those things age, and I think it would
be better to get new up-to-date ones rather than have to deal with
older stuff which may not have been properly maintained or have the
most modern features. We got this boat with nothing in the way of
electronics except an AM/FM radio/CD player with speakers in the
cockpit and an old VHF radio. We actually bought the GPS before we
bought the boat.

As for the nav station - Lots of people take them out of boats and put
in other kinds of things like hanging storage. We don't use ours for
navigation as we have all that on computers or in chart books.



grandma Rosalie

x-no-archive:yes


"Wendy" wrote:

snip

She's
radar-equipped, no SSB or GPS.
snip

She has no navigation station; the large quarterberth is
designed as an aft stateroom. I would prefer a nav station, but a fold down
table sort of thing could be easily added by a carpenter. Electronics
consists of an SSB; a radar and GPS system would have to be added (I am a
Garmin GPS junkie, I'll freely admit that

I look on the GPS as a portable item. In general, I would prefer to
buy my own electronics because those things age, and I think it would
be better to get new up-to-date ones rather than have to deal with
older stuff which may not have been properly maintained or have the
most modern features. We got this boat with nothing in the way of
electronics except an AM/FM radio/CD player with speakers in the
cockpit and an old VHF radio. We actually bought the GPS before we
bought the boat.

As for the nav station - Lots of people take them out of boats and put
in other kinds of things like hanging storage. We don't use ours for
navigation as we have all that on computers or in chart books.



grandma Rosalie

On Sun, 01 Feb 2004 03:48:05 GMT, "Wendy" wrote:

I had a close look at four boats today, all offered through brokers. The
experience was a pleasurable one; the brokers were pleasant enough and quite
helpful. The weather was a bit cool for my taste, though. Anyway, here's
what I looked over in the order in which I saw them, along with my thoughts:

snip
Cheoy Lee Pedrick 36, 1985 Model:
Pacific Seacraft Crealock 34, 1990 Model:
Cabo Rico 38, 1981 Model:
Tayana 37, 1982 Model:
snip

Wendy


Oddly enough Wendy, we're in the same boat, as it were. The way I approached it was to first buy
the two-volume Practical Sailor "Practical Boat Buying". It was/is a quick way to make a list of
boats that might fit your needs. In my case, engine access is a biggie. I also read all the boat
reviews I come across.

The other suggestion I offer is to make a list of "needs" and "wants". (Works well when buying
a house too!)

My example:
1. Fin keel (coastal cruising in sometimes tight waters)
2. Good engine access
3. 30 - 32 feet (I'll be single-handing most of the time)
4. Sloop or cutter rigged (no experience with ketch)
5. Don't care about the electronics...I'll retrofit w/ new
6. Tiny galley OK.

You get the idea.

Keep us posted with your progress...good luck.
Norm

engsol wrote:
The other suggestion I offer is to make a list of "needs" and "wants". (Works well when buying
a house too!)

My example:
1. Fin keel (coastal cruising in sometimes tight waters)
2. Good engine access
3. 30 - 32 feet (I'll be single-handing most of the time)
4. Sloop or cutter rigged (no experience with ketch)
5. Don't care about the electronics...I'll retrofit w/ new
6. Tiny galley OK.

You get the idea.

Keep us posted with your progress...good luck.
Norm

Norm makes good sense. Just for comparison, my list includes:

1. Draft amenable to ICW and Bahamas -- 5ish feet is fine, although I
could live with 6 with some additional stress.
2. Rigged for single-handing (although I'm thinking 35-42 feet)
3. Cutter or ketch
4. Galley you can really cook in
5. Island berth in owner's cabin, preferably aft
6. Ability to shower without soaking the head, particularly the toilet
7. Accessibility to machinery
8. Storage
9. Nav station or other accommodation that can be a real desk for
working, including seating (that is likely to be customized) that
provides decent back support

I'm looking at the IP 370 and HR 40, probably new. If this all works
out, I'll sell my house and roll the bulk of the proceeds into the boat.

dv

--
-----
news_bucket e-mail address goes to a blackhole. Sorry. Send e-mail to
"respond" at the same domain.

"Dave Skolnick" wrote in message
news:7EfTb.14505$u_6.2617@lakeread04...
engsol wrote:
The other suggestion I offer is to make a list of "needs" and "wants".
My example:
1. Fin keel (coastal cruising in sometimes tight waters)

The Cheoy Lee offers this, the Tayana does not

2. Good engine access

Both boats have this, though I have to give the nod to the Tayana, which has
a Perkins as opposed to the CL's Universal.

3. 30 - 32 feet (I'll be single-handing most of the time)

I'll live on her, so I'd prefer 36-37.

4. Sloop or cutter rigged (no experience with ketch)

I'm with you here, I don't want to deal with two masts. The Tayana is a
cutter, which is probably easier to handle than the Cheoy Lee sloop.

5. Don't care about the electronics...I'll retrofit w/ new
6. Tiny galley OK.

Same here. I'll give the edge to the Cheoy Lee in these departments.

Norm makes good sense. Just for comparison, my list includes:

1. Draft amenable to ICW and Bahamas -- 5ish feet is fine, although I
could live with 6 with some additional stress.

At 5'8" the Cheoy Lee is comfy; one would have to take care in sounds and
protected anchorages in the Western Caribbean.

2. Rigged for single-handing (although I'm thinking 35-42 feet)
3. Cutter or ketch

Easily done with the Cheoy Lee, although she is a sloop.

4. Galley you can really cook in

I'd give the edge to the Tayana here, but either boat would do. The Cheoy
Lee would require the purchase and installation of a stove- another $1500?

5. Island berth in owner's cabin, preferably aft

Want comfy quarterberth at sea, both boats fit this requirement.

6. Ability to shower without soaking the head, particularly the toilet

The Tayana; no contest here.

7. Accessibility to machinery

Both the same, though again the Perkins appeals.

8. Storage

Comparable, probably more on the Tayana.

9. Nav station or other accommodation that can be a real desk for
working, including seating (that is likely to be customized) that
provides decent back support

No nav station in the Tayana. No back support in the Cheoy Lee, but how
much time will I spend at the nav station? Probably not much.

I'm looking at the IP 370 and HR 40, probably new. If this all works
out, I'll sell my house and roll the bulk of the proceeds into the boat.

My funds will probably come from an inheritance, though one never knows
about these things. I'm putting the house on the market this spring.

I didn't really mean this mail to be a rebuttal of the points the two of you
brought up, but more of a personal consideration of these points. I do like
the approach you take as concerns needs and wants. In that vein, not
necessarily in order of importance:

1. Visual appeal, from a personal standpoint. I want to fall in love again
everytime I see my boat.
2. Sailability- she should be forgiving, but a good performer easily taken
out for an afternoon or a month.
3. Nav station upgradeable with my personal electronic choices. As a pilot
this is important to me.
4. 35' minimum as I will live aboard; cutter or sloop rigged.
5. Capable of transatlantic/circumnavigation.

Seems like I just described the new Island Packet 37 I noticed this weekend
for sale. For $250,000 bare. sigh.

Wendy