Small sailboat on a small budget

[AntarcticPilot]

That looks fantastic @john_morris_uk, it's exactly what I am hoping to do. I recently converted a van to a camper so I have confidence in my ability to do the refit and tools for woodworking etc. I'm just so inexperienced in sailing that getting the right shell worries me, I don't want to spend all those hours and all that money just to find out I've been trying to polish a turd the whole time. I also have concerns that I might buy a boat that looks good but is a nightmare to find parts for when I could have spent a couple of hundred more and got one that is abundant and worth companies making after market parts still. Ideally I don't want to have to do the gel coat until I've had a few run outs and learned to handle it properly for obvious reasons but I have been looking into it as I'm sure that on my budget it will need doing sooner rather than later. I got a bit carried away looking at metal flake coats and things but that can definitely wait until next time it needs doing, I'm sure there'll be hundreds of expenses that take priority over a sparkling finish I am looking forward to the restoration almost as much as the sailing at the moment but I want to try and get on the water for a few days this year if possible so it will be done in stages.

I still think people are getting hung up on the canal situation, I have no intention of sailing them all, just a few well planned out routes including rivers and canals. I have an uncle who worked the canals, he has assured me that a lot of the local rivers and canals are 6ft plus. The Thames ring would be worth a look too (thanks @Tranona) but other than a couple of short breaks the majority of the sailing will be on the north wales coast until I'm confident to start venturing south.

After-market parts aren't a thing for boats, in general. Engine parts are, but are usually costly by comparison with car parts. Most fittings are generic, made by companies like Lewmar, Simpson-Lawrence, Harken, Holt, Plastimo and so on. Beyond that, you're into having your friendly local metal fabricator or machine shop make things up. But for the boats you're looking at, the builder stopped trading decades ago, and would never have carried a stock of parts even when they were trading.

 

[Tranona]

I'm just so inexperienced in sailing that getting the right shell worries me, I don't want to spend all those hours and all that money just to find out I've been trying to polish a turd the whole time. I also have concerns that I might buy a boat that looks good but is a nightmare to find parts for when I could have spent a couple of hundred more and got one that is abundant and worth companies making after market parts still.

You are right to be concerned about choosing a boat that is worth putting in the effort. As I suggested earlier the main reason the boats at the bottom end of the market (of all sizes) are for sale is because they are not worth the effort and money. The replacement cost of main components - mast, sails, rigging, motor each exceeds the value of the finished boat and there really is not a reliable secondhand market for such components to reduce cost. Boat building is a cottage industry and volumes of each design were small, so while the proprietary components like electrical bits, pumps, blocks, anchors, chains, outboard motors are largely generic, most design specific items need to be made individually.

One advantage of small boats is that they don't have a lot of complicated systems so renovation of things like trim and woodwork is normally within DIY skills. They can however be enormously time consuming and when you put this time commitment together with unavoidable costs you are probably (no definitely!) better off saving the money spent on renovations and buying a fully functioning boat in the future that will cost less in the long run . The figure John gave of the renovation costing between 2 and 3 times the original purchase price is the norm -and remember he is very experienced and has all the right gear and knowledge of boats already.

 

[Greenheart]

Okay Dave. I reckon you need to buy what you think you like, and make sure it's cheap; then discover what's not ideal about your purchase, then buy again. Many of us start that way. After keeping the boat at home, you may decide that the restrictive cabin-space on boats that small, justifies buying bigger and paying to keep her afloat...

...both ways are a serious pain - one way hurts your wallet, but at least you get what you wanted. The other way, storing a trailable boat at home (with its very limited comfort) means never just stepping aboard and going when you want to, plus the significant bother of trailing, launching and hauling out (and storing car and trailer securely whilst afloat), and rigging the boat from scratch every time, and then enduring that neck-cricking lack of space inside a cabin that is small enough to trail on-road...

...only you can make that choice. I like the idea of keeping a yacht at home, more than I believe I would enjoy the reality. To be fair, plenty of bigger, moored yachts which wouldn't be easily trailed, are also decidedly limited in cabin-space. Don't kid yourself the room on a very small boat will suffice, especially if there'll be more than yourself and one other aboard, unless you are basing that on solid experience.

I think you started the canal-sailing red herring, by the broad mix of ambitions in your original plan. Actually I expect it would be very pleasant, and interesting, to try in particular to sail across as much of England as possible - but that's not at the heart of your question.

 

[DaveBags]

@dancrane buying cheap to learn on and buying again is the basis of my plan. I will definitely keep the first one for a few years though so spending time and money making it comfy will be worth doing. It's good to hear that parts are generic as a whole and as for the canals being pleasant and interesting, that's exactly what I thought and decided that it was worth narrowing the boat search for as I had no intention of starting with a bigger one to learn on anyway.
I can't see me having more than 2 or 3 onboard at a time and may even adapt the cabin so that it's spec'd for 2 and would require a day adjusting it to fit 4 for that rare occasion. I'm not sure that's really worth it for what I have planned but if I really like the boat it would be something I'd consider. Some quick release storage etc on the quarter berth type thing.
I realise that getting my ideal boat is going to be a lot more expensive than my current budget but I can work towards it along the way, an expensive outboard may seem overkill on a cheap boat but if it can be transferred to my upgrade and so on then it makes more sense.
I know I'm reaching a bit but my philosophy is that if the Vikings were doing it over a millennium ago I should have a decent chance of success nowadays even with a low budget

 

[DaveBags]

I'm starting to think that this whole adventure is going to be luck based more than anything, I can find some boats in my budget, locally I can see the boats have potential pitfalls with my own eyes but travelling further afield I am basically buying better sounding boats blind because the cost of travel etc could cost more than a boat if I am too fussy. But then again I could see a boat that has a well hidden rotting bulkhead and would still be none the wiser. At my budget it's not worth paying a professional for an inspection so I might just bite the bullet and hope for the best.

 

[oldharry]

Neither was vodka and red bull but I still spent many nights drinking them I'm older and wiser now but still not too long in the tooth to let a bit of risk hinder my enjoyment. If taking a short narrow canal is the difference between coming back the same way I came or finding a different route back I have to say that as long as the draught gives me a good few inches leeway i would probably take the risk.

@dancrane I considered a lifting keel but I'd have to compromise parking on a beach for low tide and lose some internal space so that's why I came to the bilge keel conclusion, I may hit a few more shopping trolleys but I can repair the damage easier without the need for stands etc.

2 point:. 1. Its not just shopping trollies. many canals are well silted and even Narrow boats run aground. Canal boats are flat bottomed and slide over the mud. Bilge keels dig in and need a lot of work to haul off. In the meantime you will be competing with 10 tons or more of steel narrow boat often not under proper control, and without brakes! 2. How many sailing boats do you see on the canals? There's a very very good reason why not. But if you want to find out the hard way.....