"Wayne.B" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 8 Jun 2010 10:45:46 -0700, "nom=de=plume"
wrote:

I'd be interested to hear what those who've made major purchases, such as
for a boat, have done (or not done) along these lines. Did you pretty much
go all in or did you do something similar?

The strategy of buying less than you can afford works well because
everyone always under estimates the cost of essential upgrades and
maintenance. It is important to try and estimate the upgrades and
maintenance as closely as possible and then double that number.

It is also important to try and nail down your ongoing expenses for
storage, both in and out of the water, and insurance. Insurance costs
vary by location, length of season, cruising range, and quality of
policy. There are big differences in policies, not always readily
apparent until you scrutinize the fine print.

The most expensive thing of all is buying the wrong boat, or buying it
with the wrong people. That may sound obvious but it happens all the
time. Have all of you spent a lot of time together on a boat before?
If not, I'd highly recommend chartering a boat similar to what you
want for two weeks and sail it somewhere. You'll learn a lot about
the boat, the people, and whether or not you really like the life
style.

Yes, good point about insurance. We haven't really talked about that much,
nor investigated, other than saying, yes, we need some.

We're going to charter... definitely the smart thing to do. Might have an
opportunity to do that for about a six-week stretch this summer. We've spent
some time on a boat, but not more than a few weeks. I think it's a viable
plan. Perhaps we could just live in a van in parking lot behind a 7/11 for a
few weeks. Seems like that would be pretty close.

"Tim" wrote in message
...
On Jun 8, 12:45 pm, "nom=de=plume" wrote:
After much discussion by the four of us, we've concluded that we're
pretty
much there, as far as being able to afford something in the $300K range.
The
basic philosophy we're using (and have used individually and collectively
for most big purchases) has been to save for twice the expected cost.
This
has the effect of allowing us some wiggle room with purchase prices in
general, not feeling like we're cash broke after a major purchase (e.g.,
with our two mortgages, we can afford twice the current monthly payment),
it
gives us the ability to incur after-sale expenses (oh, yeah, I guess a
sailboat does need a mast), and extends the time before one or more of us
needs to seriously get back to work. (Two of us will be standing down
from
active work for the better part of 1-2 years, the other two will head
back
into the grinder in less than a year.)

I'd be interested to hear what those who've made major purchases, such as
for a boat, have done (or not done) along these lines. Did you pretty
much
go all in or did you do something similar?

--
Nom=de=Plume


Wow! That's way more of an udertaking than what I could persue. But
good luck anyhow.

We've been talking about it for several years on one level or another. It
started with us talking about a place in Carib. possibly with some
beachfront property and a small catamaran, then it sort of "evolved" into a
boat purchase. I keep vacillating between types of boats... one hull vs.
two, although the others are more interested in the single hull variety.
Never really thought much about three hulls, although we did see a couple of
them last time we were sailing.

nom=de=plume wrote:
After much discussion by the four of us, we've concluded that we're
pretty much there, as far as being able to afford something in the $300K
range. The basic philosophy we're using (and have used individually and
collectively for most big purchases) has been to save for twice the
expected cost. This has the effect of allowing us some wiggle room with
purchase prices in general, not feeling like we're cash broke after a
major purchase (e.g., with our two mortgages, we can afford twice the
current monthly payment), it gives us the ability to incur after-sale
expenses (oh, yeah, I guess a sailboat does need a mast), and extends
the time before one or more of us needs to seriously get back to work.
(Two of us will be standing down from active work for the better part of
1-2 years, the other two will head back into the grinder in less than a
year.)

I'd be interested to hear what those who've made major purchases, such
as for a boat, have done (or not done) along these lines. Did you pretty
much go all in or did you do something similar?


You're nuts if you think you can get any good advice on high-priced
sailboats from the assholes here.
Except for Wayne, none know squat about that, and he's a stinkpotter now
and out of the loop.
Try internet sailboat forums.
Just come here to talk powerboats or to take a dump.

Jim - Holding my nose while here.

On Tue, 8 Jun 2010 13:09:52 -0700, "nom=de=plume"
wrote:


"Wayne.B" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 8 Jun 2010 10:45:46 -0700, "nom=de=plume"
wrote:

I'd be interested to hear what those who've made major purchases, such as
for a boat, have done (or not done) along these lines. Did you pretty much
go all in or did you do something similar?

The strategy of buying less than you can afford works well because
everyone always under estimates the cost of essential upgrades and
maintenance. It is important to try and estimate the upgrades and
maintenance as closely as possible and then double that number.

It is also important to try and nail down your ongoing expenses for
storage, both in and out of the water, and insurance. Insurance costs
vary by location, length of season, cruising range, and quality of
policy. There are big differences in policies, not always readily
apparent until you scrutinize the fine print.

The most expensive thing of all is buying the wrong boat, or buying it
with the wrong people. That may sound obvious but it happens all the
time. Have all of you spent a lot of time together on a boat before?
If not, I'd highly recommend chartering a boat similar to what you
want for two weeks and sail it somewhere. You'll learn a lot about
the boat, the people, and whether or not you really like the life
style.

Yes, good point about insurance. We haven't really talked about that much,
nor investigated, other than saying, yes, we need some.

We're going to charter... definitely the smart thing to do. Might have an
opportunity to do that for about a six-week stretch this summer. We've spent
some time on a boat, but not more than a few weeks. I think it's a viable
plan. Perhaps we could just live in a van in parking lot behind a 7/11 for a
few weeks. Seems like that would be pretty close.

You'd have to have someone rocking it at all times while simulating
system breakdowns, while dousing it with salt laden water that you
have to attend to as it dries.

Try to find a fiberglass van with lots of chrome on it so you get an
opportunity to keep up the appearance.

"jps" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:12:28 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Tue, 8 Jun 2010 10:45:46 -0700, "nom=de=plume"
wrote:

I'd be interested to hear what those who've made major purchases, such as
for a boat, have done (or not done) along these lines. Did you pretty
much
go all in or did you do something similar?

The strategy of buying less than you can afford works well because
everyone always under estimates the cost of essential upgrades and
maintenance. It is important to try and estimate the upgrades and
maintenance as closely as possible and then double that number.

It is also important to try and nail down your ongoing expenses for
storage, both in and out of the water, and insurance. Insurance costs
vary by location, length of season, cruising range, and quality of
policy. There are big differences in policies, not always readily
apparent until you scrutinize the fine print.

The most expensive thing of all is buying the wrong boat, or buying it
with the wrong people. That may sound obvious but it happens all the
time. Have all of you spent a lot of time together on a boat before?
If not, I'd highly recommend chartering a boat similar to what you
want for two weeks and sail it somewhere. You'll learn a lot about
the boat, the people, and whether or not you really like the life
style.

Good advice. I'd think about exactly how you're going to use the boat
and how many are likely to on board rather than deciding on a boat
based on the collective budget and affordability.

If you end up spending as much as you can afford but the boat only
sees two to four passengers on most trips, it's a big waste of $ to
purchase a 45+ ft boat. Although it may offer space, it's more to
keep up and more work to sail.

Actually, it would be a 40+ foot boat. I think the one big issue that's a
continuing concern is our ability to sail a boat that size, esp. if one or
more of us is incapacitated (ill or injured). Seems like unless a major
course change is required it wouldn't be too much of a deal, but what about
a storm or whatever, and what about docking, esp. I've banged my old boat
into docks and such and that was a pretty small boat!

"jps" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 8 Jun 2010 13:09:52 -0700, "nom=de=plume"
wrote:


"Wayne.B" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 8 Jun 2010 10:45:46 -0700, "nom=de=plume"
wrote:

I'd be interested to hear what those who've made major purchases, such
as
for a boat, have done (or not done) along these lines. Did you pretty
much
go all in or did you do something similar?

The strategy of buying less than you can afford works well because
everyone always under estimates the cost of essential upgrades and
maintenance. It is important to try and estimate the upgrades and
maintenance as closely as possible and then double that number.

It is also important to try and nail down your ongoing expenses for
storage, both in and out of the water, and insurance. Insurance costs
vary by location, length of season, cruising range, and quality of
policy. There are big differences in policies, not always readily
apparent until you scrutinize the fine print.

The most expensive thing of all is buying the wrong boat, or buying it
with the wrong people. That may sound obvious but it happens all the
time. Have all of you spent a lot of time together on a boat before?
If not, I'd highly recommend chartering a boat similar to what you
want for two weeks and sail it somewhere. You'll learn a lot about
the boat, the people, and whether or not you really like the life
style.

Yes, good point about insurance. We haven't really talked about that much,
nor investigated, other than saying, yes, we need some.

We're going to charter... definitely the smart thing to do. Might have an
opportunity to do that for about a six-week stretch this summer. We've
spent
some time on a boat, but not more than a few weeks. I think it's a viable
plan. Perhaps we could just live in a van in parking lot behind a 7/11 for
a
few weeks. Seems like that would be pretty close.

You'd have to have someone rocking it at all times while simulating
system breakdowns, while dousing it with salt laden water that you
have to attend to as it dries.

Try to find a fiberglass van with lots of chrome on it so you get an
opportunity to keep up the appearance.

Yeah, and pooping in the van... don't forget that. lol

"Jim" wrote in message
...
nom=de=plume wrote:
After much discussion by the four of us, we've concluded that we're
pretty much there, as far as being able to afford something in the $300K
range. The basic philosophy we're using (and have used individually and
collectively for most big purchases) has been to save for twice the
expected cost. This has the effect of allowing us some wiggle room with
purchase prices in general, not feeling like we're cash broke after a
major purchase (e.g., with our two mortgages, we can afford twice the
current monthly payment), it gives us the ability to incur after-sale
expenses (oh, yeah, I guess a sailboat does need a mast), and extends the
time before one or more of us needs to seriously get back to work. (Two
of us will be standing down from active work for the better part of 1-2
years, the other two will head back into the grinder in less than a
year.)

I'd be interested to hear what those who've made major purchases, such as
for a boat, have done (or not done) along these lines. Did you pretty
much go all in or did you do something similar?


You're nuts if you think you can get any good advice on high-priced
sailboats from the assholes here.
Except for Wayne, none know squat about that, and he's a stinkpotter now
and out of the loop.
Try internet sailboat forums.
Just come here to talk powerboats or to take a dump.

Jim - Holding my nose while here.


Heh... well, I tend to discount opinions that are wrong.

On Tue, 8 Jun 2010 13:56:05 -0700, "nom=de=plume"
wrote:


"jps" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:12:28 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Tue, 8 Jun 2010 10:45:46 -0700, "nom=de=plume"
wrote:

I'd be interested to hear what those who've made major purchases, such as
for a boat, have done (or not done) along these lines. Did you pretty
much
go all in or did you do something similar?

The strategy of buying less than you can afford works well because
everyone always under estimates the cost of essential upgrades and
maintenance. It is important to try and estimate the upgrades and
maintenance as closely as possible and then double that number.

It is also important to try and nail down your ongoing expenses for
storage, both in and out of the water, and insurance. Insurance costs
vary by location, length of season, cruising range, and quality of
policy. There are big differences in policies, not always readily
apparent until you scrutinize the fine print.

The most expensive thing of all is buying the wrong boat, or buying it
with the wrong people. That may sound obvious but it happens all the
time. Have all of you spent a lot of time together on a boat before?
If not, I'd highly recommend chartering a boat similar to what you
want for two weeks and sail it somewhere. You'll learn a lot about
the boat, the people, and whether or not you really like the life
style.

Good advice. I'd think about exactly how you're going to use the boat
and how many are likely to on board rather than deciding on a boat
based on the collective budget and affordability.

If you end up spending as much as you can afford but the boat only
sees two to four passengers on most trips, it's a big waste of $ to
purchase a 45+ ft boat. Although it may offer space, it's more to
keep up and more work to sail.

Actually, it would be a 40+ foot boat. I think the one big issue that's a
continuing concern is our ability to sail a boat that size, esp. if one or
more of us is incapacitated (ill or injured). Seems like unless a major
course change is required it wouldn't be too much of a deal, but what about
a storm or whatever, and what about docking, esp. I've banged my old boat
into docks and such and that was a pretty small boat!

There are plenty of larger sailboats easily handled by two or even
singlehanded. But, as you point out, there are risks in doing so.

Add to your list that a longer hull (of the right design) with more
weight is likely to be more seaworthy, comfortable and efficient
under sail.

On Jun 8, 5:11*pm, jps wrote:
On Tue, 8 Jun 2010 13:56:05 -0700, "nom=de=plume"
wrote:





"jps" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:12:28 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Tue, 8 Jun 2010 10:45:46 -0700, "nom=de=plume"
wrote:

I'd be interested to hear what those who've made major purchases, such as
for a boat, have done (or not done) along these lines. Did you pretty
much
go all in or did you do something similar?

The strategy of buying less than you can afford works well because
everyone always under estimates the cost of essential upgrades and
maintenance. *It is important to try and estimate the upgrades and
maintenance as closely as possible and then double that number.

It is also important to try and nail down your ongoing expenses for
storage, both in and out of the water, and insurance. *Insurance costs
vary by location, length of season, cruising range, and quality of
policy. *There are big differences in policies, not always readily
apparent until you scrutinize the fine print.

The most expensive thing of all is buying the wrong boat, or buying it
with the wrong people. * That may sound obvious but it happens all the
time. * Have all of you spent a lot of time together on a boat before?
If not, I'd highly recommend chartering a boat similar to what you
want for two weeks and sail it somewhere. *You'll learn a lot about
the boat, the people, and whether or not you really like the life
style.

Good advice. *I'd think about exactly how you're going to use the boat
and how many are likely to on board rather than deciding on a boat
based on the collective budget and affordability.

If you end up spending as much as you can afford but the boat only
sees two to four passengers on most trips, it's a big waste of $ to
purchase a 45+ ft boat. *Although it may offer space, it's more to
keep up and more work to sail.

Actually, it would be a 40+ foot boat. I think the one big issue that's a
continuing concern is our ability to sail a boat that size, esp. if one or
more of us is incapacitated (ill or injured). Seems like unless a major
course change is required it wouldn't be too much of a deal, but what about
a storm or whatever, and what about docking, esp. I've banged my old boat
into docks and such and that was a pretty small boat!

There are plenty of larger sailboats easily handled by two or even
singlehanded. But, as you point out, there are risks in doing so.

Add to your list that a longer hull (of the right design) with more
weight *is likely to be more seaworthy, comfortable and efficient
under sail.

My objection to catamarans has been that I thought it would cost twice
as much as a mono to keep em in a slip but I have been told by several
catamaran owners that I am incorrect on that. 3 Catamaran owners in
FL have told me that they have had no diff between prices for a mono
and cat. If I had the money to buy a big boat, I'd buy a catamaran,
particularly for the bahamas and the caribbean.

On 6/8/2010 3:55 PM, jps wrote:

You sound like an asshole.

I am, brother.