Boat Buying Help Needed

[Guest]

Hi,

Being new to sailing i was looking to buy a small trailer sailor to sleep 3/4 that is easy to handle & safe. The likes of the Corribee, Westerley 22 or snapdragon seem to fit the bill in terms of size & price.

Can anyone give me any buying advice....what to look for/be careful of etc? Or point me in the direction of a web site that has reviews of these sorts of boats, or even offer alternatives?

I look forward to any responses.

Matt

 

[Shanty]

Dunno where you are / how much sailing experience you have, so this may not be relevent:

1. a sailing course or two (Competent Crew / Day Skipper) will give you a better feel for what you want out of sailing - and will give you some important skills

2. If such a thing exists in your area, join a club that sails small cruisers, and look for crewing jobs on as many different boats as possible. This will help you to identify specific models that may suit you. You will also have many ready sources of advice (not all good), and you may well find the boat you are looking for through the club.

 

[DoctorD]

Matt,

Tim below has given some excellent advice. Also you can talk to some brokers. They are not all bad! Some of them are very free with advice and will let you test sail lots of boats with no obligation.

Also recent PBOs have has some excellent comparisons of trailer sailor boats.

 

[Guest]

David Harding wrote a series on trailer sailers that has just finished up (Well, for us - we've just put the June issue to bed). Myra at our back issues service can provide photcopies if you can't get hold of old back issues of PBO.
We may be doing another piece later in the year as well - let me know if you want to be kept posted on that!
Other than that, Tim's advice is very sound. If you don't have much experience, have a bash at a training course, but also ask around. The Trailer Sailer Association (sp?) may well be able to give you some frank advice on which designs to go for and which to avoid, as well as the ins and outs of trailering boats. If you want their contact details, again, let me know and I'll track 'em down for you.
Have a good one,
Ben

Features editor, Practical Boat Owner