Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: capt. apathy on November 05, 2003, 05:12:41 AM
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so a friend of mine is seriously thinking about buying a catamaran. something he could live in for bit take it to the islands and the like.
he's been asking my opinion on boats he's looking at and I know virtually nothing about sailboats, we always had boats as a kid and I have a bit of experiance on the ocean, but we always had motors, no sails. ( I really need to learn how to sail one day)
the thing is he's looking at a boat now for about 40k, and like I said he's asking for advice. from the picks the boat looks sound (although I'm sure the seller wouldn't go out of their way to take picks of problems). the problem is that not only do I not have answers but I'm fairly sure there are a bunch of issues that I don't even have the questions to.
so do any of you know of a good bbs I can point him to where he could talk to guys who are more experienced. somewhere where he could let people know what he expects to use the boat for and they could point him in the right direction or at the very lest warn him if he's about to spend money on a boat that isn't suited for what he wants to do with it.
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Sorry Capt. Can't help on this one...sailing wasn't my "thing" at all.
You need Hangtime. He's like a cop though...never around when you need one.;)
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My Uncle Paul could tell ya Capt. Apathy. He built 27 star class racing boats for the Grand Hotel back in the 40s.
Les
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Get a Marine survey company to inspect the boat first.
http://marinesurvey.com/
http://www.atyp.com/powellmarine/
Then only spend 75 percent of your cash on the boat's price, keep a nice cash reserve for the stuff that will need to be done right away. Most sellers will defer items when they know they are selling. Nothing is worst then being out of cash and needing to fix water pumps and such.
"Boats don't have to cost an arm and a leg, but they may require a rib or two". ( you may quote me on that)
Good luck and do your homework, and advice for a liveaboard 30 ft seems big only for the first 2 or 3 weeks, then it shrinks fast.
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I highly recommend this link to start :The Practical Sailor (http://www.practical-sailor.com/)
There are definate advantages/disadvanteges to the cat rig vs sloop or ketch rig. He has a lot of studying ahead of him.
I'm in the market for a 26 foot sloop myself ...
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A boat is a hole in the water you pour money into.
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Originally posted by midnight Target
A boat is a hole in the water you pour money into.
Boat actually is an acronym for Break Out Another Thousand.
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have him check out www.goboating.com (http://www.goboating.com) lots of helpful people with the exact experience you need. Go to link and clcik on the forums/BB link. Hope it helps!
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Originally posted by Curval
Boat actually is an acronym for Break Out Another Thousand.
Pretty dang accurate.. 500 bucks for a new water pump.. seems a rock or something got sucked in and left a world of mess for the pump on my Merc. Had the float sensor go out in the oil injection tank.. that was another 120. So far it's been expsensive for boating this year. Can't say the same about fishing.. which just plain sucks..
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Originally posted by midnight Target
A boat is a hole in the water you pour money into.
An airplane is a hole in the ground at the airport you toss mone into......... ;)
I recomend the boat survey as well. Make sure you use a company independant of interest from the seller. In other words not the same yard or dock facilities the seller uses. Be critical but realistic, not all flaws are monumental and he should use them as bargaining points.
He should also invest in some sailing classes sanctioned by the Coast Guard. The sea is only slightly less forgiving than the air.
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Getting the boat surveyed is a for sure. I'd also take a class or three if he isn't a sailor. It's not hard, but not something you walk on and start doing when you are talking about a boat large enough to live on, and a Cat.
I participate in a few sailing forums. iboats has a lot of information on their whole website, but their sailing forum is here (http://www.iboats.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=4)
I'd recommend finding someone local, though, and picking his brain. Head down to the marina, sign up for a class, and ask the harbor master.
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I haven't heard from Hang in ages, I have chart CDs for him
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thanks for the help guys. that should get him headed in the right direction