New to sailing

[sebastian32]

Hi All!
I am considering buying a sailboat, but have no idea where to start.
My husband and I grew up in Florida and we both have many years of boating experience, and a little sailing experience.
I would like a boat that we could travel to the keys on
( we live in north florida). That would probably be the biggest trip we would take.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
AL

 

[flashback]

Re: New to sailing

AL, I would prefer nothing smaller than 30 to 35ft. with a shallow draft keel. smaller than that and it can get a bit cramped, larger than that and it can be a bit of a problem to handle for 2 people in heavy weather. Lots of different boats to choose from in the size.. good luck..

 

[tommays]

Re: New to sailing

I would get Certified buy one of the charter companies in the area

This will allow you to gain a lot more sailing experience and enable you to rent many different boats before you commit to buying one

Tommays

 

[imported_Jimmy]

Re: New to sailing

I recommend buying the most expensive boat you can, take it as for as you can on the water, and dont look back. Boat Browser is a good place to start. http://www.boatbrowser.com

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: New to sailing

we spend August, at Little Torch Key, every year. for the keys, i would say a shallow draft, w/center board. some of the cool areas are shallow. depth finder a must. last year i ran aground in the runabout. be sure to have a mooring reserved, and stable dingy. the chop can get up rather quickly when a squall blows over.

 

[moomoo485]

Re: New to sailing

I only sail dingies and such, but try one of those new Catalina 30-40 foots they have been making. They are small and only take a few people to sail and can be lived on for a few days. Just make sure to have enough supplies in case you run outta water or fuel.

 

[Eddie Lee]

Re: New to sailing

I think the replies above cover most of the points I would make. Except that your budget is a key factor. If you have $20K to spend you can buy a small new boat or a relatively large used boat. Boats tend to depreciate quickly, like cars, but unlike cars will diminish to some fixed value regardless of age if they are still functional. For the sailing area you are in I would go along with the 30 ft recommendation. However, the other consideration is crew size. If you will be single handing you need something easy to manipulate and not too much freeboard because getting in and out of slips on windy days can be a problem when you are by yourself. I know because I single hand most of the time. There are some 26 to 28 foot boats that are just as safe as some 30 footers but will be light enough and maneuverable enough to single hand. However, I think one should err on the side of caution, i.e., get the largest, heaviest boat you can afford, yet operate with a crew on one.

Anyway, one of the most fun things to do is shop for a boat. Enjoy the process and don't rush into anything. Someone once told me that every boat in the marina is for sale. Any marina. It is definitley a buyers market. Look at the Soundings boat magazine and become knowledgeable about boat brands and quality and prices.

Have fun and be careful.

 

[PW2]

Re: New to sailing

It depends on your ability to sail. If you are a novice sailor, learn to sail a small boat. The theory is exactly the same, no matter what the size.

Then, as Tommays says, get certified and rent a boat for a week or two. Get different sized boats on several different trips, presumably experiencing different weather conditions, and you will get an better idea for what size and type of boat suits your needs and your skill level, before investing all that money in something that may not be right for you.

 

[DGalt]

Re: New to sailing

I know this might sound a bit strange, but I would suggest looking at a multi-hull for that area. I'm personally biased towards trimarans, but a catamaran would probably be just as good. They offer decent space even if they aren't giants in the footage (low-mid 30s could house 2 people very comfortably) and you don't have to deal with a keel meaning the boats have very shallow drafts, which (as stated by others above me) is important in the area that you'll be sailing in. Hell, the trimaran we own draws about 4 feet of water with the rudder and daggerboard pulled up.

 

[ohmybad]

Re: New to sailing

Before you go out and buy a boat I would recomend definantly starting out with something small just to learn the basics, plus these smaller boats can be alot of fun! I would also find a way to take some sailing trips out on a bigger boat with someone who knows what they are doing so you can learn what to do and not do from them. Almost all sailboats are different in their rigging style, find out what style you like. I made the mistake of buying a 21' santana without sailing it first, needless to say I only kept that boat 6 months.

 

[banjoport]

Re: New to sailing

Draft in your chosen sailing ground is an issue. I believe there is some good advice about how to approach sailing in your responses. I might add creature comforts do increase with the size of the boat but if you AND your husband share a love of the sea and sailing there is a great selection of trailerable center boarders in the 20-26ft range. Once you get the sailing it is easier to make creature comfort choices that always involve cost.
Remember, a yacht is the way you can describe your boat to some one that will never see it.