Skipper wrote:

The original spec was for a boat (power OR sail) capable of safe and
comfortable passage between the Gulf of Alaska and San Carlos, Sonora,
Mexico. The stated budget was $180,000. A length of 50' was mentioned
because buyer is 6'3" and standup headroom was a must. I do not think
this boat represents the best choice for the intended usage.

--
Skipper

That's certainly your call to make, however I should probably address a
few of your points:

First, as this is a deep draft, full displacement hull the headroom is
outstanding. It's a long way from the bilge to the main deck. Headroom
certainly exceeds 6' 3" feet in the main cabin, galley, pilothouse, and
master stateroom. Headroom in the engine room is almost exactly 6-feet,
(I can stand up in there, and I'm just a whisker short of 6-feet), and
that was the lowest clearance I found anywhere.

The inconsequential difference in length between this boat and a
"50-footer" is going to be meaningless as far as hull speed goes, and
this boat seems beamier by far than many nominal 50's.

The seller recently reduced the price from somewhere closer to $250k
down to the $210,000 level. If someone were in the market, they would
call Art or Marcie at LYS and arrange to submit a written offer, with a
deposit, for a sales price of $180k subject to physical inspection, sea
trial, and survey. The worst that could happen is they would be told
the boat wasn't available for the sort of money one might like to
spend- but if one submits a written offer with a deposit the broker is
required to present your offer to the seller before suggesting that you
buzz off or come up with a few more bucks.

If the boat didn't appeal to a prospective buyer for some objective or
subjective reason, that would be one thing- but it would be hard to
write it off as unavailable at $180,000 without taking a run at the
seller with an offer. Stranger things have happened. As this is a
one-off, custom vessel who's to say what it's really "worth" in the
marketplace? (It's worth what it will sell for, and no more).

As far as sail goes: Most guys your age are getting rid of sailboats
and going to trawlers as the sailing becomes too physically demanding.
Are you in shape to sail a 50-footer with Mrs. Skipper along for crew?