What is the best way to go about buying a used sailboat?

Question

Do I need a license? Insurance? How long would it take the average person to learn to sail? I live in San Francisco. Where could I keep the boat docked? Would I be able to live on the boat? I'm willing to make an investment of around $15,000 but would be happy to spend less. I think I want a cruiser. Something I can live on and sail to Mexico. What's a good length? And brands I should look into? Any and all tips are appreciated.

Answer 1

If your budget is $15,000 then I would look at some of the late 60s or early 70s Pearsons - Triton, Wanderer, Flyer, or you may even find a mid 80s Pearson 30 that will be amply strong for trips to mexico (if a little dated, very strong). Tartans from that era are also good boats in that price range. A Morgan 28 might be a little small to live aboard but it's a hella good boat.

From what I understand of liveaboard in San Fran, it's very difficult, although that varies from area to area.

You may not *need* insurance, but you *want* insurance. Best way to get insured is to first take a safe boating course (the safest boating course, IMO, is a captain's class, which is pricey but very useful. Take it all the way through Master's, even if you never use it commercially. you'll learn a ton). Take some smallboat sailing lessons, too. they're cheap, they won't do a d**n thing for your insurance, but you'll quickly build confidence for handling a 30, 35, or 40 foot boat.

Good luck :) (Oh, and stretch your budget a bit. $25,000 buys you a lot more boat than $15K)

Answer 2

I followed several circumnavigators in sailboats for many years.  We had a Tartan 30 and I tried it in the ocean outside of the Golden Gate bridge.  It was great out in 8 to 10 foot ocean swells but anything higher and it would have been really too small.  Tartan was a really well built boat.  You really can't imagine how small you are until you try it.  I would ask someone to take you out for a nice windy day on the S.F. bay to see how you like it.  The swells and currents on the bay can be really challenging.   I would buy a Tartan or a Pearson.  I would not buy a Hunter even though they might look like a lot of boat for the money.

I have sailed up to 41 footers on the bay.  As far as live aboard you would have to ask the marina harbormaster if the marina lets you live aboard.   You have to get trained on a boat and sail for many years before you venture into the ocean.  There are so many unknowns out there in the bay or on the ocean that experience is vital.

I really think you have a really great idea!  I wanted to do this in the worst way when I was young and started working and never got to the dream I had.

Answer 3

License, no.  Well, maybe on the left coast.  Not here in the east.  Insurance?  Yes.  Basic sailing is easy, handling a boat in a variety of weather conditions is the tricky part.  Buy a copy of Chapmans Piloting..the bible for boaters, and start reading.  Attend a USCG Auxiliary Boating Class.

A cruiser?  Do you mean a powerboat?  15K buys you a 10-15 year old 24 footer and if you fail to perform due diligence (marine surveyor, engine survey, oil analysis of engine and transmission, etc. and Sea Trial) before purchase you can get taken for a ride.  15K probably buys a 25' sailboat, 10-15 years old.  Mexico or Hawaii?  15K does not get you there safely unless you take United, Delta, or Carnival.  You "dock" a boat at a Marina.  Slips are rented by the foot.  Here in DC we pay around $140 per foot per year for our berths.  Boating costs are usually calculated by the foot.

Good luck with it.

regards

Skip

Answer 4

LEARN TO SAIL FIRST !  It's best to do so on small boats first to fine tune basic skills...in that process you will learn much about sailboats. Then do some crewing on racing boats...to fine tune advanced skills on larger boats & learn about larger boats. Going to Mexico for an in-experienced sailor can be very dangerous for youself & yours.

Answer 5

Man, there's a lot of doomsayers in this section.  I say good for you that you're curious enough to ask the questions.

While $15,000 probably isn't enough to buy a proper boat, you have a healthy enough downpayment toward the right boat that you can pay off before you go.  You may find that 30 feet is a bit small for what you have in mind so look for something 35 feet or larger.  Yes, the docking and maintenance is more but when you finally "kick her of the boards" and get caught in your first squall, you'll appreciate the bigger boat.  Not knowing the San Francisco area, you'll have to find out about docking facilities yourself.

Living on board is an option and can be a way of offsetting the additional cost of a larger boat and can be a very enjoyable lifestyle.  It keeps you close to the activities of boating and helps you to learn more quickly.

Don't just read about it, get the boat and get out there sailing.  You'll never get experience in a book.  It's a great source of new ideas but you need to have a boat under you to try them out.  Test your limits a bit at a time.  Start sailing with people in the know on a sunny afternoon, work your way up to heavy weather and single-handed sailing.

You'll need to learn about international laws, customs and all kinds of other stuff but that 's all part of the process.  Don't focus on what you can't do today,  look at what you'll be able to do tomorrow.

Answer 6

Wow... is there anything ELSE you should know about boats and don't.?

You do not need a license if all your are risking is your own neck

You do not need insurance if you own the boat outright and are willing to accept the possibility that you can be sued if you damage someone elses boar

If you live in San Francisco, you can forget docking the boat there... you almost have to buy a boat that is in the slip or you need to be born in the slip to get one in San Francisco.

It will depend on WHERE you will have your boat docked as to whether or not you can live aboard... all marinas have their own rules... so this question can not be answered

I wouldn't sail a $15,000 boat out to the Golden Gate bridge... let alone sail it to Mexico.

How do you define "Cruiser"?

32 to 35 feet is a good length... it is long enough to take seas but no so long it takes 2 or 3 people to sail it

For just $15,000... you just take whatever 'brand' you can find that looks big enough and in good enough shape to do what you want.

There is a whole lot more to sailing a boat to Mexico that what I think you know.  You had better get to a book store and buy some books on the subject.

Answer 7

You will not find a liveaboard cruising boat capable of sailing the Pacific to Mexico for 15000.00   There may be stories of sailing on a shoestring but they are rare.  You do not hear the 100s of stories of squashed dreams and destoyed boats.  

Start small,  find a boat to learn on you can afford.  You can learn to sail, maintainence tecniques and how to read the weather.  Maybe find work at a marina or helping on boats to learn.  Take your time, do it right and enjoy a lifetime of sailing rather than jumping in blindly and setting youself up for failure.

Answer 8

It can be done.  It has been done.  

I purchased a 26-foot Westerly Centaur for 10K.   While I didn't  live on it full time, I did frequenlty take cruises on it, (Bahamas), some for over 2 months and had every bit as much fun on it as I do on my new 33 foot boat.    Some of these boats have circumnavigated the globe.   Similarly, Tania Aeibi (Read "Maiden Voyage", it's a great read) and Brian Caldwell circumnavigaged in Contessa 26s which can be purchased in that price range.   I had a friend of mine who lived aboard a 30-foot boat in Puget Sound for over a year he bought for 10K . If you read the books and articles by the the Pardeys, you will see they are big fans of boats under 30 feet and point out that while even well, built small boats can have some disadvantags, the ease of operation also makes them safer in some respects.  They've been living on boats this size for decades, sailing all over the world.  Some older, solid, well-built boats that have proven themselves include:  Westerly, Allmand, Contessa, Westsail, Morgan, Bristol, Pearson and Alberg.  I met a couple while cruising in the Bahamas who had purchased a Pearson Vanguard for under 10K, but spent considerable time bringing it up to shape.  They sailed it all over the Caribbean and across the Atlantic.  Realize that making the upgrades necessary appropriate to ocean cruising can cost 30% or more of the price of the boat.  This will of course, depend on the condition of the boat when you buy it, but well outfitted boats in good shape are generally not bargain buys.

A couple big websites for used boats are yachtworld.com and boattrader.com.  Check with your regional sailing publications as well.   However, the best bargains usually do not come from people who are actively trying to sell their sailboats, but from old boats that have been sitting around, possibly with unpaid storage fees.  Often an owner who no longer sails is willing to get out of a boat just by having their liabilities taken care of.  As another aswerer said, I think you'll find if you are able to expand your budget by 5-10K, you will find many more options available to you.

If you want to learn more about cruising on an affordable boat on a budget, in addition to the boats written by the Pardey's, I recommend:  "Ocean Cruisng On A Budget" by Anne Hammick and "Voyaging On A Small Income" by Annie Hill.  (Both English).

Some other issues about insurance:    If you take a loan, having insurance is likely to be a condition of the loan.  If you own your own boat, you are probalby not required to have it, but more and more marinas will not give you a slip space without it.    When Bahamas coverage went through the roof after all the hurricanes in Florida, I purchased liability only insurance for about 15% of what full insurance would have been.   I'm feel confident with any risk involving my own boat, but not to others.

While, I think it's important to show that people can and have cruised long-term on tight budgets and affordable boats, I'm not recommending you buy one and set off learning to sail by heading off to Baja.    Read the books I mentioned and get some experience through sailing courses or crewing for other people.  Real experince is not only so helpful in helping you decide what your own priorities are, its incredibly important to learning and being safe out there.

Buying  an affordable sailboat and sailing on a budget is something many have done, but it's not easy or simple.  Get some experience from knowledgeable, safe sailors and the next step for you will become clear.

Cruiser, full-time outdoor professional, sailing instructor