Selecting a sail boat

[t4ffywilliams]

I am looking to buy my first boat and I am looking for suggestions:
I want a boat about 32ft, something I can handle on my own, second hand max 20K.

I want to sail through the canals in France then sail around the Med with my wife for 3/4 months of the year. Therefore I was wondering if I should look for a drop keel boat, which brings me to another question:

Are then any issues with drop keel boats or should I get a boat with a shallower draft or maybe a twin keel how does that effect the boats handling ability.

Just one more question, I would need to take down the mast, is this a big task, are there any boats that would make this task easier.

Maybe the recommendation is to have a larger fixed keel and sail the long way round.

If anybody has any advice I would appreciate it.

 

[nashynet]

Bilge keel boats are generally slower than fin keel boats, lifting keels are generally of the fin type. There are also boats that use water as ballast. As for raising and lowering a mast, there are mast raising kits available to make the task easy. I made mine If you send me an email I will send you a diagram of how it works. nashynet@btinternet.com

 

[macd]

Max draft for main French canal route (Le-Havre-Paris-Rhone) is 5'9", and there are very few 32-footers drawing more than that, particularly of the age implicit in your £20K ceiling. Check out www.michaelbriant.com/sn3.htm for more French canal info. The site also has some advice about dropping masts. A search will throw up plenty more experiences on the same subject.

Please forgive me if I'm underestimating your abilities, but your question suggests that your knowledge of yachts is fairly rudimentary. The Med might be enclosed and usually looks benign on postcards, but it's bloody big and can cut up very rough. Not to be underestimated.

 

[William_H]

Most lifting keel boats have a stub keel remaining so that they will not sit on the bottom at low tide without the use of support posts each side. They do however have a shallower draftt with keel up. They generally don't have such good windward performance or righting power.

As for your selection. My theory is that it is not son much a matter of selecting the right boat. The right sailor can make the most of any boat. The problem is in deciding your own wishes use pattern/ preferences. The only way you can know that is to try it. But be warned most of us have a partener and possibly family who have to find the sailing thing their own passion before it really works.

So best way is to start smaller get yopur boat handling experience as well as your life style experience at the same time.
So many people buy the boat but find they just don't use it enough cos they really don't love it like they thought they would.
I started with aspirations to sail around the world and ended very happy with a little boat limiting myself to day estuary sailing. But I do know it is what suits me after 25 years same boat. olewill

 

[simonfraser]

8m catalac, shallow draft, easy to handle, loads of space, will fit through canals, can motor round the med as the wind can be variable there, loads outside space, easy to set up an awning, comes with a tabanacle to lower the mast, etc. etc.

 

[oldsaltoz]

G'day t4ffywilliams and welcome to the YBW forums.

Selecting a sail boat is a bit more involved than stating what you think might be a nice length then working out what other arrangements will be required to meet your needs and budget.

Indeed selecting a sailboat is a bit selecting your next car or home. The easy method is to use the next vehicle method, make a list of all the things you want, you need, you must have and would like.

Start with any restrictions, like you have listed, draft and air draft, easy mast lowering and lifting. Performance under sail and under motor; accommodation and layout, number of cabins, galley requirements, cook top and oven, storage. Capacity for longer times at sea, seaworthiness. Type of rig and number of people required to sail it in all conditions. Type of hull and type of keel will be major decisions based on the need for stability, space, draft, it could mono or multihull, keeping in mind that a 9 metre cat has the space of a 12 metre monohull but requires a lot less water and is a lot faster and stable, however finding one with your budget might be tough.

When you have worked out your must have-need-want-and like for the above items you will be a lot closer to getting the right craft for the job, a mini moke is not a small 4wd.

I doubt you will find the boat you want or need, but will come close, remember all boats are nothing but a collection of compromises. Finding a suitable collection is a very difficult task.

Avagoodweekend......

 

[photodog]

When I first decided I wanted a yacht, I too had a lot of ideas about what would make a ideal boat and what would be most important to me, as well as a price range!

We then spent a lot of time sailing a lot of different boats all over the place. On charter, mostly.

At the end of the day I ended up purchasing something which was completly different from what I had originally thought I would buy.

The previous posts give excellent advice, and I would append that with two things....

1) sail in as many different boats as possible in as many different locations as possible before you buy...

2) take your wifes preferences into account.... DONT buy something which she obects to, Unless you want to spend your 4 months in the med every year on your own!

Have Fun!
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Ta