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IPC Application. Instructor Login. Affiliate Login. Were you really being honest with yourself? Or are you still dreaming? Setting a budget for buying a sailboat can also help create a timeline. Our plan started over 10 years ago. At that point, we were fresh out of college with minimal sailing experience, and still tens of thousands of dollars in debt from school.
We had ZERO budget. This was our reality check, we knew we were still dreaming. There was no way we could afford both a sailboat that could take us where we wanted to go AND a place to live that allowed us to keep our jobs on land so we could pay off our debts. So, we chose option 2 — continue saving and sail other peoples boats. This happened today.
This is especially true if you do not have much sailing experience. Once we decided how we were going to use the boat we looked to others who were doing what we wanted to do.
We paid attention to the types of sailboats they had, to the names of the manufacturers, and the designers. Then we started looking at the details — what was the boat made out of, what type of keel did it have, how was it rigged, etc. Starting there helped us narrow in quite quickly.
But this was only after…. We began our search the wrong way. We desperately wanted a catamaran and tried to adjust everything else to fit that desire.
Once we got honest about our budget and how we intended to use the boat, we realized quickly our budget , intention , and desired type of boat were not compatible. Once we were realistic with ourselves and our goals, things started to come together much more quickly.
Many of the boats from this era are significantly overbuilt because there was simply a lack of knowledge of just how durable fiberglass really was. We looked at hundreds of boats online. Boat hunting. Condition: Sail Away? This is a touchy topic. Everyone wants a deal. There are thousands of boats sitting around in boatyards that you can buy for next to nothing. Surely these must be a steal right?! We knew that any boat we bought would need some work. It was up to us to decide what type of work we wanted to learn how to do and how much of it we were willing to do.
Do not underestimate this. Ep 5 is now live on YouTube! Location, Location, Location All else being equal, location can play a major role in which boat to choose.
Given two similar boats, one in your neck of the woods and one on the other side of the country, the choice is obvious. But, unlike real estate, boats are not immovable objects, nor is their pricing the same around the world, or even around the country.
Or, given your sailing plans, you really need to focus your search into one geographic area. In the beginning, our search literally spanned the globe.
As we got more and more serious, we narrowed our scope drastically. We spent time looking at sailboats on the west coast of the U. We looked at a catamaran in Mexico , then went to see another catamaran in Seattle , and eventually we saw a few sailboats in our backyard, San Diego. We became hyper-focused, looking only for sailboats located on or near the Great Lakes, and more specifically Lake Michigan.
A few shots from our sailboat recon mission to Mexico, when we were suckers for catamarans. We still are. No matter where you plan to use your boat, no matter where you currently are, go find the nearest marina or boatyard and start looking.
Everyone loves talking about their boat. Ask them if they know of any boats for sale. Find the perfect catamaran anywhere in the world, quit our jobs, sell everything and go! This was our plan until we came to terms with our budget. With a monohull now in our sights, we started thinking more about where we really wanted to start our sailing journey.
After about 4 months, we found our Tartan Learning how to live on a boat is a big change. Living on a boat while constantly on the move takes it to a whole new level. Doing all these at the same time and cutting off your income source is downright scary! We decided it would be far easier for us if we made these big jumps one at a time.
So, while we did move across the country to buy our boat, we stayed with family while we searched, and then we kept the boat at the dock for the first few months. This also made it much easier to continue working our remote jobs to sustain some financial stability. This meant all we needed to focus on was learning about the boat and how to live aboard.
We bought a boat!!! Boat ownership is a TON of work. Some kidding aside, boat ownership is a fantastic adventure. Owning a boat requires a commitment to take care of the vessel that will be taking care of you.
If this commitment is making you a little anxious about owning, chartering can be a cheaper and much simpler option to get yourself aboard, allowing you to indulge in all the fun and almost zero of the work, for a week to a few weeks or whatever you can afford per year. From the beginning our goal was to live aboard, travel slowly, and immerse ourselves in different cultures.
You will likely find that your first boat will not be your last as your needs grow and change. How large is the water tank? Fuel tank? Holding tank? You will be able to fill your water and fuel regularly and have pump outs as needed.
A 30ft boat will naturally have small tanks as there is simply less room for the tanks to take up. My 30ft sailboat has a 40 gallon water tank, 30 gallon fuel tank, and 19 gallon holding tank. We can go about a week before we need to fill our water tank and get a pump out. This is one reason why my sailboat would not be a boat in which to cross an ocean.
While I could install a watermaker, there is also limited storage on a 30ft sailboat and a watermaker requires a dedicated space. A larger sailboat naturally has more storage space. This leads to larger tank size and more amenities. If your needs require that you are away from civilization for extended periods of time, I would recommend a vessel in the ft range. The tanks will be sufficient for long term cruising and there will be room to add additional tanks if needed.
There are obvious disadvantages like cost. A larger boat is going to cost more money to purchase. Maintenance is also going to be more expensive as there is simply more boat to maintain. Also, a larger boat has larger tanks. It will cost more to fill a gallon fuel tank than a 30 gallon fuel tank.
A larger boat will likely have a larger engine. This means greater fuel consumption and increased cost. Dock space will cost more, as well.
Storage fees are higher for larger boats, too. The costs of cruising permits for foreign countries also charge by size.
Navigating a ft boat is more challenging than a ft boat as the turning radius is wider on a larger vessel. They are also slower to react to speed changes due to their increased weight. If you are hoping to navigate in tight marinas or anchorages, having a larger sailboat is a disadvantage. Larger Sailboats also have deeper drafts how deep the hull goes down into the water.
Most of the Florida Keys are very shallow and deep draft boats are prohibited from cruising the majority of that area. Some vessels have adjustable drafts so that they can enjoy the stability of a deep keel and lift the keel to enjoy the calm of a shallow anchorage. Despite the fact that small boats generally cost less and are easier to maneuver, they do have their downsides.
There is less storage, less living space, and less amenities. A 30 ft boat is limited in when it can travel on the open ocean. A 50 ft boat would likely be able to handle ft seas without much difficulty. However, a 30ft boat could become swamped easily in seas that size. Even in ft seas, a 30ft boat can become a pretty uncomfortable place depending on the spacing of the waves.
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