Hi Mark, When I decided to move up from my O'Day 22, I started looking at 27'
boats. Then at the encouragement of my wife we decided to consider even larger
boats. Then at the advice of some seasoned boaters, which was to go as big as
you feel comfortable with, started looking at even larger boats. So, we
started shopping for a boat, on and off, for probably 2 years. We saw a lot of
peoples garbage they wanted us to pay to have the privilege of removing for
them, we saw boats grossly overpriced, we looked at boats out of our price
range to see what you get for your money. We discovered you simply cannot take
anyone at their word on condition. (after all, these people are emotionally
attached to their boats and probably in denial, not so much dishonest) In the
end, we decided to go up to a 34' boat because that was largest boat allowed at
the marina where I kept the O'Day...(No we aren't there anymore, we ended up
keeping Lolita at the same marina where we found her, we love it there!) What
happened for me is, I became more familiar with bigger boats by, reading about
them and visiting them. I discovered things that bother my wife and I and
things that weren't such a big deal. Some things she felt more strongly about
and vice versa. Then, one day, after looking at about 7 or 8 boats including an
O'Day 32, a Rhodes 30, a couple of Pearsons a C&C 32, among others, we were
thinking that there were about 3 boats we could potentially be happy with. The
O'Day seemed roomy and pretty modern, the Pearsons were 2 ends of a spectrum,
one seemed more modern and the other a solid boat in good condition with no
frills. The C&C felt out of our price range, a little over priced but, we
might try negotiating with the guy... Then we went to look at a Viking 33 and
the Rhodes 32 at the same yard. We found the Rhodes, but couldn't get inside,
it looked okay. Then we found the Viking. I had read up on Vikings before we
came and found them to be reputable, well respected and of good construction,
not to mention the C&C design aspect. I was pretty hopeful about this boat so,
I was a little biased. It was pretty cool how it went; We were tired and
ready to give up the search for the day. I said "well I'm going aboard" and
Karen said, "I'm only going up the ladder if it is really worth it." So, I
climb aboard, looked around, went below, come back out and say, "I think you
should come up." She's like, "really, is really worth it?" I say, " I think
you should come up." This went on for about 5 or six rounds. I started
walking on the deck, looking for soft spots and there were none, it had some
old electronics and I was impressed because my last boat had none. It had
wheel steering, full, almost new canvass and she did not feel overwhelmingly
big. She is pretty narrow and I think that is what made her feel more
manageable from a scale perspective. I said again, "I think you should come
up." So, finally, she did, The thing had peeling paint all over the place
below and the head was disgusting. But, somehow the boat was still appealing
to us. Karen knew what kind of restoration work I was capable of after the
O'Day 22 experience and was able to see past the cosmetics and agreed this was
probably the happy medium we'd been looking for, (I should mention, we both
wanted a boat that was considered fast). Well, we made an offer, did the
survey which came back great and we bought the boat. At this point I wish I
could say it was all rainbows, fair winds and beautiful sailing... However,
she was a severely neglected girl, and needed everything we knew about, plus
new sails and a new engine. It took me all spring and pretty much the whole
summer to get her launched, (needless to say, wifey was none too happy about my
having "wasted the whole summer" working on her and she is very gun shy about
it happening this year!). Lolita is a good, solid, and fast boat and I know her
inside and out now. She ended up costing me well over my initial budget but,
in the end I think I have the investment right around market value, maybe
somewhat more than the market would bear but, i do have brand new sails,
rigging, motor, canvass and this year, electronics! So, that would be the
upgrades of a normal used boat, (or so I like to believe!) I guess my point, in
all this, is that searching for and buying a used boat seems to be a process,
an ever changing search for something that seems to fit your needs. You really
start to change your perspective as you look at boats and talk to they're
owners and yacht broker and begin to really define what you're looking for.
Old boats are an investment of time, money and emotions. Some would say I must
be nuts to put in the efforts to such an old boat, but, then we have this pack
of wing nuts who advise, encourage, compliment and give smack up side the head
once in while that help keep us all feeling sane, and helped. I could never
have accomplished all the work I did alone and you won't have to either. There
are all kinds of sources to explain processes in fixing boats. there are all
kinds of brand specific groups (none to equal this group of course!) I think if
you are prepared to do the work in fixing all that is wrong to begin with and
the proper maintenance, you'll be a better sailor and happier person. But,
thats just me! LMAO ...and I'm not all that stable!! Then, you could always
buy the boat that has been all updated and well maintained, pay the market
value and have the yard do all the work. Oh to dream... Anyway, I hope this
helped a little! It was kind of therapeutic for me!!! LOL DannyLolita1973
Viking 33Westport Point, MA
---------- Original Message ----------
From: Russ & Melody <russ...@telus.net>
To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com
Subject: Re: Stus-List Bigger Boat Question
Date: Tue, 28 May 2013 21:29:21 -0700
Hi Mark,
As you already know there is no simple answer.
But here are the dimension for the perfect boat:
Cocktails for 6Dinner for 4Sleeps 2Seriously, 30' is ideal for light sailing
with a weekend & a bit away. Bigger gets more toys tolerated and comfort
underway (especially if you actually go sailing if it's windy). For 20 grand
your best bet is the one that has been maintained (vs say, size weighted
consideration) so to get the best value. Good sails can be the difference in
the bargain... only 3 new cruising sails are a minimum 6 grand from the orient.
Personally I went from a 60' cruising cutter to a 35 mk-1 and love her.
However I have a 40' motor-sailor sitting in the back yard awaiting my
semi-retirement where I can spend 4 5 months aboard, cruising the west coast.
Your mileage may vary. Enjoy the hunt.
Cheers, Russ
Sweet 35 mk-1
At 09:01 PM 28/05/2013, you wrote:
I'm still looking at boats, reading emails from this list and learning lots.
Right now I'm sitting back, watching the market, looking to new boats that come
up, and trying to figure out where I want to end up.
Maybe some more experienced listers can offer some thoughts (on or off list).
I know that everyone has there own criteria - but I'm trying to figure out the
right boat for me. My Mirage 24 is quite small - 5ft of headroom (only my 8 yr
old can stand up), not enough space to sleep 5 (me and 4 kids), lacks an
enclosed head, no functional galley, noisy and smelly outboard.
I envision wanting to do some more sailing - little further out of the
harbour, some overnights (effectively boat camping with the kids), maybe a long
weekend away with the girlfriend.
But we've all heard the cracks "2 best days in a boater life - the day he/she
buys their boat, and the day they sell it", or "A boat is a hole in the water
you pour money into" - not really encouraging. So, why, if they are so terrible
does everyone get 2 foot itis?
Feel free to espouse on why did you end up with the boat you have? Do you wish
you stayed smaller/cheaper/simpler?
What would you say to yourself if you could go back and offer advice? Was this
the best decision ever? If you could make a change what do you want? A bigger
galley? Bigger cockpit?
My temptation was to find a 29-30 foot boat that would work, thinking that
would last me for years with the kids and still be a manageable size when they
are off. Keeping costs reasonable, maintenance manageable and enough boat to
venture further afield.
Right now I could buy a local C&C 33 (with and Atomic4), or a local C&C 30
(diesel), or there are 29's, 30's and 34's within reach - the prices are
similar. I plan on climbing aboard a few different boats to get a feel for
size and space, but I'm trying to figure out what I'm getting into without
having to learn the painfully hard way! I'm leaning towards a diesel (only
because that seems to be common opinion and gas on my current boat has it's
downsides), wheel steering and something fairly stable (so kids and girlfriend
aren't barfing over the side -- which I gather eliminates the 29's from the
list). Price wise I'd like to stay below $20000.
I have the cash set aside to buy the boat, but clearly bigger is not always
better, the maintenance and insidious upkeep costs can add up quickly. I was
able to do a quick sand and bottom paint on my M24 in 2.5 hrs. Assuming the
cost and workload multiply with the displacement I'm guessing a 30ft (being
twice the displacement) would be double the effort, a 34ft 3 times the work.
At what point is it more work and you wish for a smaller/cheaper boat?
Thanks in advance for the advice,
Mark
--
---------------------
Dr. Mark Bodnar
B.Sc., D.C., FCCOPR(C)
Bedford Chiropractic
www.bedfordchiro.ca
---------------------
There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval.
- George Santayana
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