HOW we bought a sailboat

The answer to the question of WHEN?
“Go small, go simple - go now.” - Lin and Larry Pardey.

[@RevDrMalamaRobinson]

You've come a long way and now have a very cool vessel to cruise around the Atlantic and Carribean for many years... Your teaching and repair and sailing skills are very marketable in outside small countries so I expect you will be chilling soon, fishing and feasting on all the fruits of your labor!!!

[@sailorama]

Thanks! We hope to be soon - that’s always the goal!

[@markbuskens6070]

This is probably the best advice on buying a sailboat I’ve watched.Especially first time buyers.

[@sailorama]

Thanks! Yes, this market and video best suited for first time buyers 👍

[@mngbennett]

Always happy to learn from your experience.

[@sailorama]

Glad to hear it - we’ll do our best to continue then 👍

[@maryjnorwood3962]

Excellent video, my wise friends. 😎❤️🥰

[@sailorama]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@causa507]

Thanks for making the video. I do enjoy your day to day sailing videos more than this video. But that is because I own a sailboat and do not like remembering times I went thru to get her blue water ready. Good to see you are both happy and healthy.

[@sailorama]

😂 Sometimes it’s a little painful remembering the hard times. We get it.

[@DLBard-bv2nd]

I have gone from small, to medium to larger size sailboats and have now down sized to a smaller trailer sailer that can be sailed as a costal cruiser.. This helps bypass the high fees at the marina year round. Especially since I live One hour from the coast. All my work is completed in my yard instead of the boat yard. This works as I live on a small farm and not in a gated community. ⛵🏝️🐬🌅🤗💖S/V Cork~Texas

[@sailorama]

Always glad to know that we're not the only ones who have 'tried out' different size of boats, and kinda miss the smallest length the most 😂 Cheers to you and well wishes for your project!

[@devinharp636]

Not speaking for any one else…. I personally appreciate this video and its content. I have followed you for several years and even through I have not been able to be a patron person… I support you with likes and best wishes for your journey. I appreciate that your statement of “sailing will take everything you have”, I do not believe that this is emphasized and enough! Or rather it’s not mentioned more! I am struggling on figuring out how much 💰💰 will be needed to actually spend 2 years on the water?? Love your show, love your content and your journey. From Oklahoma USA 🇺🇸… another great landlocked state. This is of course once the boat is purchased and all things updated that need to be and items fixed to make sailing safe and comfortable. There are the entry fees, emergency repair fees, replacement of sails and lines fees… food fees…. This is where I am personally perplexed?

[@sailorama]

Emergencies, rising goods, services and food costs - these are all things that are hard to figure out (even our numbers from 1 - 2 years ago seem outdated now), so this video is just a snapshot of what the under 10 000 usd boat market looks like at the moment. Interestingly to us, initial-cost boat prices in that range seem very similar to when we bought our 1970s plastic fantastic sailboat almost a decade ago. So we think the statement holds true - especially in the budget boating range, expect to spend it all. Thanks so much for the comment and for watching!

[@ian-c.01]

I would also add that you shouldn't buy a boat to live on before you are ready to live on it. I've seen people get a cheap boat and mess around on it for a couple of months while the weather is good then have to leave it to go back home and try to get organised, this usually means the boat gets left for an unexpected length of time which often leads to deterioration and will require extra work ! I have even known people return to find their boat sank because the battery died or the bilge pump got blocked and stopped working. As long as you are on board you can deal with little issues that might arise and you can be constantly making small improvements etc, leaving a boat and hoping for the best is trusting to luck, the longer you are away, they more luck you will need.

[@sailorama]

Really good point - we don’t agree the behavior of leaving sailboats at anchor, basically abandoned for long periods of time (more than 1 or 2 months for example). That’s usually a sign that the boat is not going to be properly cared for in the future. Obviously it happens to boats in marinas, on moorings or in the yard as well, however the ones at anchor have impacted us directly 😭

[@Mafiakitty]

One thing we would have done differently is instead of thinking we needed a lot of sailing experience before we bought a sailboat, we would have gotten diesel engine maintenance and docking lessons instead, because those ended up being the most difficult and anxiety-inducing parts of boat ownership. The sailing was the easy (and free) part.

[@sailorama]

We’ve had to sail engineless A LOT more in and out of harbors than we would have chosen to, so we will never scoff at the idea of good sailing lessons - however, those lessons should definitely include some docking/anchoring/tight maneuvering. Looking back on my own experience, I don’t remember much emphasis on those - yeah, kind of frustrating. Engine maintenance (which is not usually included in sailing courses) is definitely a great idea if you can find that kind training in your area 👍 Thanks for the comment!

[@jimmorris8158]

Age and Health of buyer is important. Also, the cheaper the boat the more knowledge about systems becomes more important. Great show!

[@sailorama]

Yes! We could put more emphasis on how this life puts wear on the body - specialized equipment is needed for disabilities or injuries - it’s possible for anyone to get out sailing, however it costs more - that’s just the reality.

[@lenwhatever4187]

The internet vanished just as I hit the comment button.... "take everything you have" comes close to my observation: However much one buys a boat for they will spend the same amount "upgrading". Someone who buys a 5k boat will feel comfortable (ish) spending another 5k and someone who spends 50k will end up spending another 50k. (all this aside from regular maintenance like engine, bottom cleaning painting, etc. Free boats are a little different but perhaps suggesting in that case the new owner will spend about double what they think it is "worth". There are a lot of 5k to 20k boats out there and there does not seem to be any difference at all between the same boat ready to go or an empty hull that needs a full interior, asking price wise. Never be in a hurry to buy because there will be another one tomorrow. Check sailboatdata before phoning so you have an idea what you are talking about. It is always better to know more about the model of boat than the current owner does, or at least know what it should have come with stock. Buying a boat that is merely messy inside is generally a good deal. Buying someone elses project is almost never a good deal as they want to get their costs and labour out of it.... unless it is free :)

[@sailorama]

Great observations - completely agree, that’s another good way to say it - if you’re ‘comfortable’ spending 100k, you’re likely to spend another 100k if you have it…and boat prices are all over the place, they are definitely not always logical numbers, so yes, patience and a little bit of research will serve you well.

[@garygoodwin5961]

Thank you so much for sharing this video, my wife and I found it very informative and helpful.

[@sailorama]

Glad it was helpful! Lots of people have different boat-buying experiences, we did our best to illustrate ours.

[@AM-ni3sz]

Love your channel.

[@sailorama]

Thank you!

[@stanleyfreihofer3576]

Very helpful information. Please do a boat inspection video!

[@sailorama]

Thanks for watching and letting us know!

[@c.a.mcneil7599]

Enjoy you sharing your experience and knowledge. Nice editing also

[@sailorama]

So nice of you! It’s always fun to go back, look at old footage and edit it in.

[@shurppa64]

I liked the video. Do more please

[@sailorama]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@johnbolongo9978]

Lots of great advice learned from the school of hard knocks......great stuff.

[@sailorama]

Hope it helps! Thanks!

[@bobhamilton298]

Love my Catalina 30. Have had various sailboats, but the Catalina 30 has many great attributes. Its at that size where you get the best deals at marinas (>= 30 feet). Beyond that length and the rate per foot goes up. Performs well. Handles weather well. Lots of room for a 30 footer. Lots of resources for parts. One of the most popular boats of all time. Lots of people own them and can offer advice. I love it.

[@sailorama]

Thanks for sharing! This is definitely what it seems like for Catalina owners - the ultimate starter, plastic fantastic vessel.

[@fredicart6984]

Thanks for the awesome episode. Very informative and would love to hear more about your experiences. ❤

[@sailorama]

Thank you! Looking forward to sharing more then 👍

[@tamatadesignexeter]

A good vessel for a cheap price in uk? Nicholson 32 or contessa. And these have got the option to become blue water boats. As Robin says, most of the time is the captain that needs to show to have a seacock bigger than his boat ones to be able to do a long passage 😅

[@sailorama]

We tried to go see a Contessa 26 before we saw Maiweh - lovely, sea-worthy vessels that are on the list of plastic blue water small boats. Yes, there are probably more of them out on the UK side of the pond 👍

[@sail-o9j]

Florida is a great place to get a boat, but if you want to work on it you need to take it somewhere else. Great video! You guys are real.

[@sailorama]

For sure, I guess the subtext here is which boat can you buy in Florida that will get you away from here 😂

[@markbuskens6070]

Good information,I would have to say every buyer is different.If you have the knowledge to do the work a project boat can be ok.All boats need repairs you just don’t know it when you buy it.I would stay away from soft decks and major blisters on the bottom and probably if it sank.Hurricane damage can be a good deal as most are already out of the water.You are giving great information speaking from experience and I love your channel one of the best👍👍👍😍

[@sailorama]

Right on. The paradox of ‘if you have the knowledge to do the work’ though, is that there’s no way to know other than to try and to learn. Better to keep away from visibly damaged fiberglass, signs of large crashes or water intrusion for sure.

[@svZia-Switch51]

Tinkerbelle crossed the Atlantic at 12 feet! Lol. Rather than focusing on price i think time is better spent on learning which “classic plastics” by model have been identified for their quality, sail ability and construction durability. There are lots of reading books and articles identifying classic plastics which will help you narrow your focus and search.😊

[@sailorama]

The classic plastics have been rightly identified and in our opinion, the result has been that you will mostly only find them at the higher price range - one example we found in the video being the Flicka found above 20 000 usd. This has been the case for many years. Back when we bought our first boat together, we could not afford anything of the sort, even though we knew that would be the best kind of boat to go for. I guess, this video is all about adaptation and compromise.

[@Marc_de_Car]

Merci

[@dennisfarris4729]

Walk the docks, be curious, the boat will find you.

[@jackchamberlain5993]

Lots of useful information, some of it like the ins and outs of facebook marketplace, like you I figured it out. Just keep doing what you are doing. I have actually gotten to look at a couple of those $3000 Catalina 30's, Islander 28's and 32's. Even if they are floating and everything sorta works. they are still a costly proposition. A thing you did not mention was paperwork, make sure it is in order and there are no liens. The cheap ones look attractive, but you can end up buying a costly headache that may never get you where you want to be.

[@sailorama]

Thanks! Good mention about paperwork - we’ve never experienced something like a lien and not entirely sure how that would work. To register in Canada simply required showing bill of sale and history of paperwork of the vessel. Never had a difficulty or problem doing all that, and luckily registration of vessels under 40 feet in Canada is relatively cheap for citizens (equivalent of ~200 usd). I imagine US coast guard registered vessels, liens, salvage complications, registration in certain States can really drive up the cost for Americans.

[@radams009]

It looks like you are in a new boat

[@sailorama]

She’s been new to us for awhile - 40 foot monohull, Inesperada.

[@phillipobrien7365]

All boats need work, whether it is fitting out a new boat (if you are rich enough to buy new) or refitting an oldie. As you say, refitting a boat can save it from the wreckers, or becoming derelict. It depends on what level of finish you want, sailable but basic and not worry about the cosmetics, or bringing it back to it`s former glory. Just a question of how much time and money you want to put in.

[@sailorama]

We totally agree 👍 Because we definitely fit into the category of ‘sailable but basic’ we tend to concentrate a lot in our videos on what makes a boat sailable - how much time and money does it take, minimally.

[@zbigniewloboda3393]

❤

[@17363]

Almost every boat you’re talking about can cross an ocean. Sam Holmes channel may inspire you

[@sailorama]

Yeah, we were speaking about him when we mentioned small boats crossing oceans 😆

[@SteveA_Roamer]

composting heads are more like $1000 (I have two air heads, bough one used, love them but they are speedy).

[@sylvano44]

To take into consideration, a 30-foot sailboat today costs around $250,000 at least. After 25, 30, 40 years at the end of its useful life, don't expect a miracle.

[@sailorama]

Yes! That’s why we were inspired to make this video. The massive difference between the ‘new’ boat market and the ‘old’ boat market. Many of these old boats still have life in them yet.

[@lonniestutler313]

I live in the great lakes. My boats have become yard ornaments. 😢 I had good intentions, but my health has over ruled. I still think I have a chance to motor sail the loop. At nice, slow pace.

[@sailorama]

@lonniestutler313 Motoring the great loop sounds like a really fun endeavor from all that we hear and read 👍

[@Zeb1432]

It's never ending..!!! **( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡° )**

[@sailorama]

It’s the circle of life!

[@snorungar70]

You are only real if you renovated it.... S/y Skidbladner havsfidra 20

[@sailorama]

Renovation is a rite of passage 💪🏽

[@snorungar70]

Trust must be built not bought don't forget i told