Sat
Mar 22 2008
10:34 am
Hey, buddy, wanna buy a boat?
By: R. Neal

Eying the nice boats motoring up and down the intercoastal waterway always leads a man's thoughts to selling everything, buying one, and living on the water. I went looking on the internets to see how much boat a fellow could buy for about what he could get out of his house. The first hit at this website was a little out of my price range.

Topics:
fletch's picture

But if we all pitched in and

Submitted by fletch on Sat, 2008/03/22 - 2:48pm.

But if we all pitched in and set up a timeshare arrangement perhaps...

I met a retired couple this morning pulling up at a dock in a rowboat dinghy. They had folding bicycles which were unfolded in a jiffy, then they took off to the grocery store. They lived aboard a 29 ft. sailboat and had spent the winter in the Bahamas, now working their way back up the coast to Maine. It's definitely doable by average folks; just requires a sense of adventure and the guts to make the jump. I'm still working on the guts part.

Tennessee Jed's picture

That ain't a boat thats a

Submitted by Tennessee Jed on Sat, 2008/03/22 - 4:10pm.

That ain't a boat thats a small island. I wonder what kind of fuel mileage it gets?

You would most likely have to own your own small oil-rich country to fuel and crew that thing.

_______________________________________
Trying to not make matters worse.

JaHu's picture

Depending on age or length

Submitted by JaHu on Sat, 2008/03/22 - 4:10pm.

Depending on age or length and if you are patient enough you can find a sailboat for almost any price. My brother bought a nice 28' sailboat for about $1500. Of course it is an older boat but very solid. we haven't put it out on the open ocean but we sailed it from Kent Island Maryland, on the Chesapeake, down the eastern shore then across the bay to Norfolk. From there we motored on down the ICW to North Carolina. It was a very enjoyable trip.

You may be looking for a much larger or newer boat but if you are looking for something used, you can still find some great prices no matter what length, but make sure that the boat has been surveyed before buying. A survey will help locate hidden problems a boat may have. I recommend looking on ebay or yachtworld to begin your search.

Carole Borges's picture

Very true. My liveaboard 28 ft Kenner ketch was only $2,000

Submitted by Carole Borges on Sun, 2008/03/23 - 10:57pm.

I lived on it in Lauderdale at a marina for 2 years, then sailed her down to Key West where I spent another two years aboard. The only big expense was my brand new Mariner outboard. Everyone ought to live aboard a boat in the tropics for awhile. I don't like stinkpots (motorboats at all). I find nothing interesting about the boat in the ad. Today is Easter & I remember a glorious Easter on the boat with a family of manatees swimming alongside as a friend and I ate hot cross buns in the cockpit.

JaHu's picture

I lived on it in Lauderdale

Submitted by JaHu on Mon, 2008/03/24 - 12:22am.

I lived on it in Lauderdale at a marina for 2 years, then sailed her down to Key West where I spent another two years aboard.

Marry me!

Do you have a picture... of the boat?

Hayduke's picture

Smaller and simpler is

Submitted by Hayduke on Mon, 2008/03/24 - 3:51pm.

Smaller and simpler is better. I used to want a big trawler yacht, but after living on a boat for a while I realized that the more systems there are, the more time you spend maintaining them. Big and expensive also means more time working to pay for it and less time on the water. I'm down to 20' and 8hp, but I could see going smaller.

Photobucket

JaHu's picture

Nice! Is that a Com-Pac

Submitted by JaHu on Mon, 2008/03/24 - 4:47pm.

Nice! Is that a Com-Pac?

Hayduke's picture

Nimble 20

Submitted by Hayduke on Mon, 2008/03/24 - 6:15pm.

It's a Nimble 20. The guy I bought it from did a 13-month trip with his wife and two daughters, 10 & 12 years old. And he had a bunch of canvas and a big sewing machine on board to make money along the way. They put in the Ohio River in West Virginia, sailed up the Tennessee, down the Tombigbee, down the Gulf coast, played around in the Keys for a while and then up the east coast to the Chesapeake Bay. They weathered one hurricane and spent two nights in a marina the whole trip.

Mighty tight quarters for four people, but it's perfect for one or two. I cruised around down in Florida for a few weeks until I broke a gudgeon in a storm. Posted some pictures on the Blab. About read to go back before it gets hot down there.

bizgrrl's picture

No boats! Been there done

Submitted by bizgrrl on Sat, 2008/03/22 - 10:07pm.

No boats! Been there done that (4 times).

Brawny's picture

But we still....

Submitted by Brawny on Sun, 2008/03/23 - 11:23am.

have time to save up for the Down Payment. It won't be available until 2011.

Happiness is wanting what you have!

JaHu's picture

I forgot that you and the

Submitted by JaHu on Mon, 2008/03/24 - 12:24am.

I forgot that you and the Bubba lived in Florida for a while. 4??? Sail or power?

R. Neal's picture

Sail or power? Fish and

Submitted by R. Neal on Mon, 2008/03/24 - 9:52am.

Sail or power?

Fish and ski.

I would probably go for something like this:

(link...)

JaHu's picture

You should buy it! I bet you

Submitted by JaHu on Mon, 2008/03/24 - 10:01am.

You should buy it! I bet you could really catch some Bass in that.

ATSF616's picture

My ignorance is showing

Submitted by ATSF616 on Mon, 2008/03/24 - 10:02am.

I would probably go for something like this:
Link...

I admit total ignorance of marine architecture on this scale, although I have some interest in Great Lakes freighters and ferries. What amazed me about this mini-yacht was how incredibly small and frail the main prop looks.

R. Neal's picture

I don't know anything about

Submitted by R. Neal on Mon, 2008/03/24 - 10:27am.

I don't know anything about boats like this either. But I would probably never leave the ICW, and if I did I would never be out of sight of land so propulsion and range and such wouldn't be my top priority. I'd be looking more at stuff like satellite HDTV, king size bed in the master, his and her vanities, a fully stocked bar, etc.

fletch's picture

In that price range, a

Submitted by fletch on Mon, 2008/03/24 - 11:16am.

In that price range, a catamaran would be my choice. You can have the luxuries and run up and down the intracoastal and coast, but still pull up the sails to save on gas. If you tire of the coastal thing, you can sail over to the Bahamas and spend a few years over there.

This one is my dream.

Carole Borges's picture

Check this one out Neal. I can already see you on the foredeck

Submitted by Carole Borges on Tue, 2008/03/25 - 7:33am.

Photobucket

My best friend's son owns this boat & it is HUGE! I've stayed aboard her in Hyannis and had cocktails on the afterdeck in other ports of call. The thing is though, it is not really a boat in my mind. Though this one is fairly safe to go outside with and often ventures to the islands, it feels like I'm in a resort, not sailing. The boat moves up and down the coast via a private captain in order to catch up with her owner. They have staff aboard of course. When they aren't cavorting on their yacht they charter it out.

Here's the main cabin salon
Photobucket

The rest of the tour is here.
(link...)

Part of me enjoys being aboard this yacht. It's weird seeing the peasants skim by far below you. Everyone treats you like you're a big shot. The other part of me is always sneaking off though to hang out with the real sailors and ragbaggers on the docks. The first morning aboard this boat, I couldn't even do that. It was so electronic I couldn't figure out any way to open a door and go on deck and everyone else was asleep. It was a real moment of panic. I felt like a butterfly in a glass case!

The people that own this boat are the nicest people in the world. I stay in their house in Key West often, and they always call from whereever they are to be sure I'm having a good time with their mother. Aaah, the good life! The only problem for me is you actually have to (gulp) work like a dog to get this stuff. I'll take my little ketch anytime.

JaHu's picture

Did you look through the

Submitted by JaHu on Mon, 2008/03/24 - 10:07am.

Did you look through the pics? The Galley doesn't seem to go with the rest of the decor of the boat.

R. Neal's picture

Yes, it looks a little

Submitted by R. Neal on Mon, 2008/03/24 - 10:13am.

Yes, it looks a little stark, but functional. I saw some others with nice wood cabinets and granite counter tops and stainless appliances. Some of the interiors overall are pretty nice, nicer than my house. The most amusing ones look like 70s si-fi/vegas decorating that has never been updated.

JaHu's picture

Here's the interior of my

Submitted by JaHu on Mon, 2008/03/24 - 12:49pm.

Here's the interior of my toy. It's old, no headroom and not even certain if it floats or sails. If the interior doesn't look professionally built, it wasn't! I didn't like the original design so I totally ripped it out and built what you see in the pic. It does have an aft cabin which does sleep two, along with a decent V-berth. I hope to put it in the water in a couple of months but I've been saying that for the past four years.

Carole Borges's picture

Oh, she's lovely. Anytime you need a crew let me know.

Submitted by Carole Borges on Mon, 2008/03/24 - 1:32pm.

Here's a couple of pics of my boat. The small one was taken the day I bought her. As a bit of a joke, I renamed her the Ms. Bligh. She looked much nicer after a couple of coats of All-grip paint. The image is a little cloudy because as you must know everything on boats in the tropics gets damp. The boat was built by Kenner--you know--"It's Kenner! It's fun!" the toy company? I fell in love with her clipper bow, eagle bedecked transom, and raised taffrails. She looked like a really cute little pirate ship. There aren't too many of these boats left. They were built extra strong though, and many have been restored.

The other shot is of the Easter manatees in the water. It was taken off the stern at a dock on the North Fork of the New River where I lived in Lauderdale.

For some reason you have to scroll down pretty far to see these.
Ms. Bigh stern end

manatees

JaHu's picture

Anytime you need a crew let

Submitted by JaHu on Mon, 2008/03/24 - 2:52pm.

Anytime you need a crew let me know.

I certainly will!

I Googled the make of your boat and found a few photos. They did have a nice clipper design. I couldn't quite tell from the photo, was she a ketch?

Carole Borges's picture

It was a ketch

Submitted by Carole Borges on Tue, 2008/03/25 - 6:49am.

It had a avery manageable rig too. I should have mentioned it was a Privateer. It was a sweet little boat that I really thought could take me anywhere I wanted to go. I was totaly in love with that boat.

gonzone's picture

Heh.

Submitted by gonzone on Mon, 2008/03/24 - 3:21pm.

The boss has spoken.

No boats! Been there done that (4 times).

No boat for you Bubba!

Sorry.

Take it up with the complaints manager, Helen Waite.
If you've got a complaint go to Helen Waite. :-)

"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
Hunter S. Thompson

bizgrrl's picture

The only big expense was my

Submitted by bizgrrl on Mon, 2008/03/24 - 9:02am.

The only big expense was my brand new Mariner outboard.

And a big expense the motors will be.

bizgrrl's picture

it feels like I'm in a

Submitted by bizgrrl on Tue, 2008/03/25 - 7:41am.

it feels like I'm in a resort, not sailing

Ha! There's something wrong with that? I need a vacation.

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