A home from a house!

[ShinDisco]

Hi all,

I am a 27 year old landlubber! I have just had the wacky idea (maybe part of an early mid-life crisis!) of buying a boat instead of a house. With my current lifestyle, I will be moving around a lot over the next 10-20 years, and I am not particularly interested in buying a house only to have to rent/sell it in two years time; especially with the state of the market at the moment.

After some initial research, I think I am looking at a 30'-50' monohull or 25'-45' multihull. I am currently undecided on the type of hull build, ie wood, steel, GRP. But ultimately, I would like to sail around the world in about 5-10 years time, so I would like it to fulfil that mission too. Plus in the next few years I will look to get up to my Yachtmaster qualification.

The important part is: how much? I would like to keep purchase cost below £60,000. I am considering buying new, second-hand and rebuild.

So over to you all! First, am I crazy in considering this? Second, if not, what should I look for? Third, what is the annual upkeep of a boat in the UK (mooring, maintenance, etc)?

Any help would be appreciated.
Regards,
Shindisco

 

[snowleopard]

a step at a time...

very unlikely your first foray into boatbuilding will result in something you would want to circumnavigate in. once you gain experience your requirements will change.

suggest you start with a secondhand boat while you work out exactly what you want. i'm on boat 4 (2 of which i built) and am only now ready for the big trip.

 

[Guest]

I am 26, and am just in the process of selling my house in London, quitting my job, buying a boat and setting off on a three year circumnavigation. However, I have been sailing for 10 years and therefore have a vague idea what it entails and which end of the boat the bow is! The best advice I can give is to do your day skipper theory and practical, and then do as much sailing as possible BEFORE you buy a boat. Joining a yacht club, such as the littleship club http://www.little-ship-club.co.uk , is a good way to identify crewing opportunities. By doing this you can at least confirm that sailing is for you!

As far as boat selection goes, read, read ,read. There are loads of books which cover the subject. The boat owners practical and technical manual, the voyagers handbook and sell up and sail, are all good starting places to understand more about yacht design and selection. You need to undersatnd the trade offs which you must make in selecting a yacht. , such as GRP vs Steel, Hull Capacity vs stability in rough weather.

Personally I going to go for a 40'-50' steel monohull. But remeber that the longer the boat the moor expensive it is to moor and maintain. If I was not living on the boat full time, I would be looking at a 30' to keep costs down, and then upgrade when the time comes to go liveaboard.

Hope this helps

Will

 

[ShinDisco]

Re: a step at a time...

There is no way I would try to build my own right now. Buy a hull and get someone else to do the interior is certainly a consideration.

What is your fourth boat? What makes it the one you want to circumnavigate in?

Regards,
Stu

 

[ShinDisco]

Hi Will,

Thanks for the tips. Maybe I should expand on landlubber, I just don't have any qualifications. I sailed a lot as a kid, but uni put a stop to it all. I know I love sailing (not as much as flying, but that's another story!), so I'm not a complete novice.

I've just finished reading 'Sell Up and Sail', and its that book that has put me in this predicament. My own mind is also set on a 50' steel hull, with the interior to my own specifications. I understand your point about buying small to keep down mooring fees, but really, money isn't an issue at the moment.

I would much prefer to buy what I WILL want now, have it all set up as I like it, and when the time comes that mooring will become an issue, I'll be on my way around the world. Personally, I don't think I can go wrong with a 50'.

What is making you want to go? How will you set yourself up financially? Why not a catamaran? What is the average for mooring fees?

Regards,
Stu

 

[Guest]

The main thing making me go is hating office work, and the fact that my house is worth as much now as it will be over the next five years. So I have the money in the form of equity in my house, I'm single and don't reckon I will find a more perfect time to do it. Being an accountant finding work when/if I come back shouldn't be a problem.

To set myself up finacially I am selling the house which should give me £70k to spend on the boat and £30k to spend as I make my way round. I may also work as an accountant in OZ for a while to boost the kitty.

I'm not going for a cat as I don't think they can handle the rough stuff as well as monohulls. My most frightening experience was in a cat I chartered in the Caribbean four months ago. I reckon I nearly turned it over, split the jib in two etc - all my fault for not reefing soon enough - i was racing someone at the time!

As for mooring fees I expect to spend the vast majority of my time at anchor and expect diesel to be my single largest expense. I will leave as soon as I get a boat so don't expect to incur loads of mooring expenses before I leave - maybe two months while I kit it out, but until I know where the boat I buy will be I have no idea what these expenses will be like.

I found the Voyagers Handbook more useful than Sell up and Sail. It is written by two management consultants who present information the way I like it. I am an accountant after all! Visit Setsail.com as well - their Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia may tempt you!

HTH

Will