My perfect liveaboard is the one you guys have readied for real sailing for 1 year and then changed your minds about going and sold me said boat ! You guys are awesome !
The other thing that I would like to mention is that sailing is not actually that hard to fathom, it's all the other stuff that makes it challenging, understanding the weather, sea state, currents, your boat's capabilities, frustration, meals on the cabin sole. Just remember that Laura Dekker did a solo circumnavigation on an old 42' GinFizz ketch (which she bought with her own hard earned money) aged 14 years, to quote her "fear kills more dreams than failure ever will"
I'm almost penniless and in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, my long-standing dream of owning and living aboard a boat seems further away than ever...That being said, it does remain my dream and this was an excellent, informative and easy to watch video! Many thanks for making and posting it :)
I feel very lucky to come across your channel. I’m presently thinking of looking for a live aboard in about eight months. I’m selling my homestead in Missouri and moving back to California ( I know yuk ! ) to be closer to grandkids an family. I’m 67 and lived in a 29 ft Rv for 7 yrs and was comfortable , but think a 35 ft + boat would be better . Something like a weekend sailboat. I used to be a urchin diver and boat hull cleaner in Ventura,Ca. But have a lot to learn about sail boats and harbor fees , etc . Thank all of you out there for taking the time to make and post your videos for us clueless ones . I’m learning so much from you .
Good to hear that you got your boat in Turkey. Boats generally cost less in Turkey for the same rig, relative to US & Europe, and they're often well outfitted and meticulously maintained. Turks love to negotiate. Most private owners/sellers will eventually agree to a 20% discounted offer if you're nice and likable. And the exchange rate from Turkish Liras might save you another 10% or so on the spot.
Bang on for the mechanics of buying! We bought our 26' pocket cruiser for 17,000 🇨🇦 in 2007. The first summer we poured another 4,000 in upgrades. Best money spent and great weekends and short vacations. Now as we plan our exit to liveabord status we figure 25% will be needed in the first 2 years after buying the boat to upgrade and renew. On the subject of starting offers, I am glad you went out and said it directly! Make sure you offer a lot less than asking. Several friends of ours have confirmed that point and some got lucky and the lowball offer was accepted. As always, Liz and Jamie, you are a great source of inspiration for us working cubicle dwellers 🙂
[Liz] Great to hear your story, thanks for sharing it here. And thanks for taking the time to comment. Peace and fair winds in your new liveaboard life!
This was a great summary of the process. I actually viewed it after buying my boat earlier this year. I wanted to evaluate my decision based on criteria recommended by more experienced sailors. I did pretty well! Had a 5 to 7k budget for older production boat (25 to 30 ft), standing headroom, seaworthy enough for coastal passages, comfortable for 1 to 3 people, capable of single handing without great difficulty. It wasn't even on my short list but I ended up buying a 77 Pearson 26. Not the perfect boat, but just right for what I needed right now I realize. Paid 3k. One point I would make is the time factor. Don't rush to buy. I hemmed and hawed for 4 years. Drove me nuts. But I had bought the wrong boat before impulsively. Cost me a lot and could have ended tragically. This time I was patient and when the boat came up, I knew it was right almost immediately. Lot of time looking! Got a great boat, lots of extras and a nice, inexpensive place to keep it too. Be patient. Good luck to all.
You all are hitting all the good high points and the objective approach , but like the "mate" we meet for the first time , all goes out the window when are heart strings are plucked by a floating beauty that haunts us until we can sign the contract...true love..looking forward to future episodes ...thank you
Very accurate. At least 25% post purchase costs. Transport if needed. Just a scrub down and a single season coat of antifoul can cost 1500. And the biggest one these days is insurance on older boats. Most won't insure over 40 years old.
I can’t express enough gratitude to you both on how you have helped us on our journey to finding our boat. Your extensive refit, as well as your how to videos have taught us so much. When we did indeed find our boat, we knew exactly what we had and we’re doing. Thank you both.
I jumped from a 22ft pocket cruiser(my learning boat) to a bluewater F&C 44ft Ketch. Many advised I should wait, build up and get a 30 footer next. My plan was to get the boat I want for ALL the adventures I am looking to have and not get stuck with an in between boat. You are married to the boat financially, maintenance and it can take one, two or three years to sell a boat. Happy with my decision and others may come across this scenario in their journey to sail the open waters.
We've been sailing a 25ft trailer-sailor in land locked water for the past 10 years, and we're only 1.5 years from actively hunting a more appropriate craft for ocean faring. This is all great advice and we'll definitely heed it in our search. Thank you for the time you've taken to provide such a great channel!
Thank you for sharing these most valuable advices! 8:25, what You are describing is a typical bad insulation problem. It can come from 2 things. 1) The insulation is not thick enough and you get condensation on the internal surface of the boat. 2) There is no vapor barrier or it has been applied on the wrong side. Vapor barriers schould always be put on the warm side of the insulation! That is inside the boat, not against the hull. +1
Really well thought out and presented episode Jamie and Liz, many of the potential pitfalls you cover, I fell into when I bought my boat. There are a number of lessons I learnt 1) Don't fall in love with the boat until after you have bought her, very hard to do I fell in love with mine based on the first viewing and unfortunately most of the objectivity went out of the window. 2) try to get the vendor and broker to leave you alone on the boat for a while so you can look at her without being swept along by the vendor and brokers gushing enthusiasm for the boat. Again a mistake I made and only remembered half the stuff I wanted to look at when I was on the plane back home. 4) Look at some old surveys to see what surveyors are looking for and then make your own check list, that way you can go through the boat with a fine tooth comb. I did make a list, but then didn't look at it as I fell in love with the boat and was swept along by the vendors enthusiasm. 3) Don't use the surveyor the broker recommends, I was silly enough to fall for that one and the survey I got back was pretty much an exercise in cut and paste from the previous surveys, and some very important safety issues were overlooked (I wasn't present for the survey again a stupid mistake on my part). Also remember that all surveyors caveat their reports with - if we can't see it , touch it or test it then we aren't responsible for it. 4) very good advice to anyone to hold 25% of the budget back, that's pretty much what my post purchase repairs cost and that didn't include additional boat yard/marina fees which she was been repaired. Oh and thanks for being a bit nicer about ferro this time ;)
[Liz] Great comment! I agree with all that you say. I would agree that you need time to mooch around the boat on your own, in our experience the brokers encouraged us to do just that. And have several viewings and a test sail. Peace and fair winds! PS. We have friends on great ferro boats! 🙂
Good advice Darren. We once looked at a Vagabond 42 in Miami. The owner allowed us to stay the night. When we arrived the owners son was onboard. I asked about the engine and he said " I can start it if you want"... and of course I said "yes please!" and everything after that was a wasted, because there was no way I was buying that boat. The owner gave the son some grief when he arrived and was told that he started the engine! Boat shook like crazy, blue smoke from the exhaust.. a lot of racket... no thanks! These days, I might have offered 30% less or more and replaced it with a Beta engine but back then I had no interest in that much work. The not falling in love part is sage advice. Hard not to do though. Its like going to a puppy farm and not falling for the puppy you bring home. Imagine that?
This has been the best tutorial I've ever seen on You Tube. I think buying a boat especially used as a novice is a minefield of sorts. You may have spared me thousands!
You guys are awesome! I have watched this video 5 or 6 times over that past several months. Each time I chisel out another detail that I hadn't realized before! I am in the market for a first boat / liveaboard... my paradigm has shifted may times ... I just completed my ASA 101/103 classes and want to get on the water ASAP. I've looked at renting daysailers, as I save up money for my "dream boat"... but there isn't much value in spending money on a boat that I can't put my own 'stuff' aboard! Then I was looking at very affordable 20' boats, but that wouldn't teach me much about liveaboard life either, as they have no standing room, no head, no galley, etc. I am currently looking at the 30' class of older bluewater boats... alberg, bristol, cape dory, etc... boats from an era where people didn't need 1200 sq/ft of living space! They don't really make bluewater boats that size any more. I want my first boat to be capable of being my 'only boat'. At my novice level, I think I would be more comfortable on something around 38 ft, but I want a bluewater capable boat from the start. A boat that I can learn on, refit, and learn all the skills I need for off shore passages, in an affordable package. I digress. [end /self absorbed rant]. I love your channel, this vid in particular, has helped me keep all the compromises in perspective. Thanks for sharing your experience and lifestyle! BTW, your boat is absolutely beautiful.
We are considering purchasing a 2015 Beneteau Sense 55 with about 50 hours on the boat kept in Annapolis on the hard in winter and in the water during season. Well kept.
The man is absolutely right have you ever had a crossbow or a compound bow in you had a carbon fiber shaft and then you had aluminum shaft aluminum shaft if you hit it into something hard it might bend but you might be able to bend it back straighten up shoot again you take that carbon Arrow shaft and you put it past the bow that it can possibly stand and it will shatter like glass and there you go one expensive shaft down the drain but one thing about the carbon though it won't Bend in the slightest hardly, it will always stay straight until you shatter it
Test drive and tighten all rigging really tight and look for cracks in fiberglass, look inside all unfinished areas, check maintenance reports and all rigging. if its not new you gonna wanna replace rigging or sails. Older motors are easier to work on or find hardware for but new generators run like tops.
My wife and I are in New Zealand after our Pacific puddle jump and now planning our Indonesia season. Almost all the boating palls we made since leaving California have sold there boats. Four reasons . 1. They do not have the money to maintain there boat and cruise. 2. They are looking for a heavier boat that can handle the weather more comfortably (Generally not a production boat unless its from the 1970’s). 3 They have found that one ocean is enough. 4 they want more room, in 2 of the 3 families they are buying sailing cats. My Wife and I set out on our journey to buy a boat that was comfortable to live on and able to take us through a good storm. We looked at and walked on more than 75 boats, made offers on 2 that didn’t pan out but the boat we “compromised” on has been a great choice. We traveled to California from Seattle to look at 3 boats and the broker showed us a 4th boat that by the time we bot back to the hotel we had made a decision to buy. We bought someone else’s dream and made it ours. Thank you for the inspiration that Followtheboat has given to us and many others around the world.... and darn you for having a lovable cat. We still are not ready for the challenge of having a pet aboard and the Biosecurity hassles that come with the country’s we want to go to. Cheers, www.svslowflight.com
Sounds to me like you made exactly the right choice...and you went in with your eyes wide open. We tried to be frank with this video - boat ownership is never easy, and changing lifestyle is not for everyone. Thanks for sharing! PS. Millie sends a brrrrp, prrrrrr! (Liz@ftb)
It IS possible to find lightweight boats that are strong enough and designed for live aboard ocean cruising. Look at an Adams 13 or 54, a Kanter 52, Sundeer 56. Lightweight boats are easier driven which means less sail area and load for the same speed. Less work for the crew and less breakages.
We've met many world cruisers on light boats, Nigel, and they're normally a lot faster than us! There is a lot to be said for heavier boats though, both in rough seas and at rolly anchorages.
@@followtheboat How Rolly the boat is can have a lot to do with other stuff than displacement: keel area, natural frequency etc. All fixable with a flopper stopper. A well designed light boat gets alot of dynamic stability from it's speed and can still be comfortable at sea, with one exception: in the "heave" axis which will definitely be more comfortable on a heavier displacement boat. In general I am going to side with Uffa Fox, who stated that weight only had value in a steam roller. Lighter boats are faster and easier to sail. The sailors have to deal with smaller forces. In the end that contributes very meaningfully to safety.
Thank you very much. Great advice. I'm a welder in Texas and setting a ten year goal to buy a sailboat and take my family around the world. I'll be following your advice.
That's a long answer but the short one is one that you can easily handle lines and sails from the cockpit. Some boats are designed for 'short-handed' sailing. Ask your broker to show you those boats specifically designed for short-handed sailing. A small centre cockpit is preferable as it offers more protection and better access to lines and sails.
I scramble to offer on a boat full price. Sold three days before I could get the bid together, for 5/6 of the price. Now I'm looking at another of the same model, different owners version kit. I will offer 4/6th of the asking-post survey. 5/6th if you do this and that,si? Love you guys!
Great video, full of good advice, all of which I agree with. I'm currently in negotiations with the original owner/builder of a Canadian registered double airex hull (Gell coat and laminate with a honeycomb and more laminate) Huntingford designed 36' encapsulated modified full keel semi displacement cutter, launched in '84 she is an older, but very stout seaworthy boat. I'm South African and the boat is in Oregon, fortunately I have a personal friend who is a broker acting as proxy, she will be surveyed next month (on the hard) as a favour and a full survey, rigging and engine inspections and a sea trial next year when I'm in the States, this boat has been to Homer Alaska and Hawaii and back from Vancouver BC, Homer Alaska is around 62°N so she can certainly handle the odd 'bergy bits' as Drake Roberts calls them, a simple old school design. The reason I mention this is that it reiterates what you said about where the boat is in relation to where you are, secondly that you can find very capable and reasonably priced boats all over the world, the other thing is that I've done my due diligence on what is available and I know what I want, I'm a bit of a purist so monohull for me, and they're A LOT cheaper, in every aspect. If course a large part of boat ownership is MAINTENANCE AND FIXING BROKEN STUFF, if that isn't your cup of tea, you'd better have a lot of money in the bank, another thing I would like to point out is that you need to understand and be able to repair EVERY system on your boat, from diesel mechanics to plumbing to electronics to rigging to mechanical to sewing. IT IS NOT A LIFE OF PALM LINED BEACHES AND TURQUOISE BLUE WATER, that's a bullshit, just ask Barry Perrins on 'White Shadow' 71 days at sea single handed from Panama to the Marquesas in French Polynesia, averaged about 2 knots, and just a few days after arriving his engine packed up from all the crudd being agitated in his tanks, he has no fuel polishing system and built in steel tanks, his boat is a steel Van Der Stadt. My point is that a lot of what is shown on TH-cam (no names mentioned) is a wholly glorified and unrealistic perspective of the realities of live aboard cruising. The one theme that nobody can escape is MAINTENANCE. Thanks for a great video. PS if you see a small cutter with a green boot stripe called AMAZING GRACE in the Pacific sometime towards the end of next year, give us a shout😂😂😂 Fair winds and safe sailing
I'd add two pieces of advice. 1). Patience; If you are in a hurry or rush into a purchase you will make a mistake and it will be an expensive mistake. 2). Never let yourself "fall in love" with any boat, especially before you own it. Be extremely "cold hearted" and detached, look at every boat with a detached attitude where you will not care less if you purchase it or not. And perhaps a third bit of advice would be to not get involved in direct negotiations if you have a friend or acquaintance who can do it for you. Set a maximum price and have them negotiate the sale. As a builder I do this for home many buyers and it does work extremely well especially if you are dealing with professional negotiators like estate agents. With many purchases I walk away at least once. The buyers would not do that and it costs them large amounts of money.
And how long is a piece of string, Ian? Many opinions and views on these two questions, they don't have obvious answers. Budget, size of crew, age, fitness, there's a lot of factors at play here. People cross oceans on 20ft boats, it can be done. Many liveaboards probably average 40-something ft boats, give or take a few feet. Anything from 35ft to 56ft, but there are many more that fall outside these lengths.
nice video!! it was very educating for me. I don't know much about boats. My father-in-law constructed a sailboat for himself along 18 years in his yard. He is an architecht and had low budget, but he finally finished it. He made a wood boat, I wooden skeleton and wood planks, and then covered it with fiber glass. I first thought all boats were like that. Thanks for the video
Very thorough tips on how to buy a liveaboard sailboat, well presented and organised. I especially enjoyed the last few tips on how much you should offer and the kind of money you should keep aside. You never want to offend anyone but don't want to overpay either. We had some experiences with both sellers that did not want to lower their offer, or were really emotionally attached to their sailboat along with untrustworthy brokers. Keep up the great videos, you are absolutely inspiring.
[Liz] Happy you found it useful. Yeah, we've heard some bad stories, which is one of the reasons why we put this together. Forewarned is forearmed! Peace and fair winds.
Big advantage of aluminium is it doesn’t suffer from low temperature embrittlement like steel boats do. This makes aluminium the choice material for cold climate cruising.
Great video, especially the save some funds for repairs. I personally recommend that anyone buying a second hand boat should replace seacocks and valves. Second, replace drive packing. Third, inspection of all electrical systems, especially the the insulation and contacts for corrosion, brittleness, ect. With attention to these 3 major areas your sure to have a boat that won't sink or burn during the first year of ownership.
Great summary on boat buying! The formula for purchasing a boat involves a complex calculus that most of us ignore and causes many to purchase the "wrong" boat. I completely agree on tempering ones emotions and spend a year or more to try different boats. For the cat buyers this is easily done by chartering a cat for a week. So many of my friends damn their decisions and wish they had taken more time for research.
Don't know if you've done it, but an episode on gaining experience via crewing/websites, buying a boat and bringing it home and what qualifications & start up experience do you need to sail international waters. eg getting started 0-12 months.
welding aluminum isnt messy, but it is far more picky than steel. if your aluminum is dirty then it can ruin the weld, and you will have to start over. if you have a guy who knows what hes doing he can weld dirty steel, and get you on your way.
Hello Liz and Jamie, Trust this note finds you well. Thanks so much for the great info, so well done...👍🏻 Going to head over to your wed site as I am seriously consider sailing, and a "live aboard". It keeps coming up in life, though I've zero sailing experience, per se, it is calling, so me learning.😶 Thanks Again, and God Bless🙏🏻⛵🐠 Richard😉
Great video and kudos for mentioning just good manners regards the vendors emotional connection to the boat. Often over looked, but makes the biggest difference, sometimes in the price as well!
[Liz] I hope it was useful, we try not to pull any punches and stress the importance of doing your research and going into the deal with your eyes wide open. Peace and fair winds!
They say there are two happiest days of your life. The day you buy a boat and the day you sell the boat. Can't say we have ever agreed with this, but can imagine the relief some would find. What we have found there is little (read no) financial logic in owning a boat and you need to see the bigger picture. I can remember walking down the jetty struggling with several hundreds of dollars worth of charts for asia in my arms one day. A fellow sailor noted "now that's an armful of adventure" and it certainly was!
Thanks for the nice comment, we're glad you found the video informative. We love Millie's shaky tail too - I'm going to call it a hello tail from now on! Liz
Very informative in a general way, but some things there will always be more questions. eg The point that much time needs to be spent on maintaining a` wooden boat raise the immediate question of 'what ELSE is there to do whilst you're paddling around the Pacific. Presumably TV/internet access isn't available, and ducking down to the pub or going to watch a football match is out of the question. Another query I've never solved is: as a solo sailor, when do you get some sound sleep?
Excellent advice! I bought my boat from the daughter of the builder. She was more interested in some one to appreciate the quality of work and able to take good care of the boat then in money. I was totally flabbergasted by the craftsmanship of her dad and the materials used. Although there were others offering more money, I got the boat for a fraction of the asking price on the promise of selling it back to the family when I will be done with boating. This might be a rare case, but I think a lot of sellers are looking for new owners who will handle their beloved boat whit respect. I think it is also a factor for the zero or 1 dollar boats that are on other channels.
I have had good luck with estate sales. Often they just want to see it go to a good home. I show my portfolio of past work and how those boats are now loved. A boat broker just tells them about the money they will make.
So true! Friends of ours put a low offer on a 34' after the owner passsed away. The widow and her children liked them so much they accepted the offer. As it turns out, the owner wanted to sail extensively but his wife was not interested. So he kept the boat for years, sailed it lightly and took loving care of it. The sellers were just thrilled to sell the boat to a couple that intended to cruise the boat as their father intended. Nice!
Really enjoyed your advice , clearly you have had a lot of experience and it great that you are willing to share it so we can all be a little more wiser on our approach of purchasing in the near future, keep it up, look forward to many more, regards Mark. Cromer , not so warm Norfolk
Cheers, Mark, thanks for the kind words. If by posting our videos we can help prevent others from making the same cock-ups we've made, that can't be bad. 👍👌 Liz PS. Are the crabs in season yet? One of my all-time favourite foods!
Hello Jamie and Liz , greetings from Turkey. I follow your boat :-) regularly. I have a ' plastic fantastic ' boat 2008 Bavaria 38 cruiser .As you found your boat from Turkey you must have sailed Med. Very unpredictable seas sudden squalls around islands long lasting gales and also these light production boats are brutally used in charter bussiness and they had a very hard life. They use lewmar , volvo-penta, selden , jabsco, raymarine, all other known brands. What I want to say is planning to cruise around tropics you should consider the season and in my opinion you dont need so called bluewater boat. These kind of boats are not only expensive but also rare to find and very old.I watched the videos of refitting Esper . Not easy and not for everyone. İn my opinion buying a new light boat is better than buying an old bluewater boat.You dont consume your time and money .You can easily untie your lines. Taliscer Atlantic Challange they row the ocean. Finally if you have money to buy a fancy boat no problem .İf you dont than you can prepare your plastic for cruising. Thanks a lot for sharing your sailing life with us , all videos are full of great lessons. Appriciated
[Liz] Merhaba! We miss Turkey and the friends we made there, such a beautiful place. Any boat can do most things. And we don't say that anyone should choose one particular style, we just try to point out the pros and cons. For sailing in the tropics, lightweight production boats are great! Same for coastal cruising the Med. If we decide to settle in one cruising ground at any time in the future, chances are we'll trade SY Esper in for a 'plastic fantastic'! We just feel a little more comfortable getting across oceans and dealing with gales in our bluewater cruiser. The reason bluewater cruisers are often old is because they have longevity and take a lot of punishment, but can still carry on! Peace and fair winds!
I'm looking to get my first boat, I don't have sailing experience so something that is easy to sail particularly single-handed, capable coastal cruising though not an extended liveaboard and small enough to be trailered but large enough to be comfortable for 1 or 2 people. My search has brought me to either a Cape Dory 25D or a Cape Dory 28, would gladly accept any suggestions on other models I should look into.
Thanks I am at the beginning of my journey and everywhere you read or watch you get your nay and jay sayers so who do you believe it is totally bewildering for a new guy, Thanks again
Excellent! Very good information and advice. I've been hoping you two would do this video. I knew you would get round to it. Bravo! Thank you Liz n Jamie. Big fan here!
God that was good; hugely informative from top to bottom, it should be required viewing for any lunatic such as myself who is buying a boat. Extremely well organised and delivered, by the way, thanks very much and good luck to the both of you.
I'll give you my experience. At first, I wanted a Catamaran. Seeing how stable they were under sail and at anchor made me feel that it would be the best boat to live on for extended (years worth) of time on the hook. But as I thought about the actual 'living on it day to day' part, I started to realize that most of the Cats I liked (in almost every way) I did not like in one of the most important ways.....the saloon on them was roomy, but the seating was terrible. (Like on a Fountaine Pajot Athena 38 for example) it looks like a molded plastic body, something you would find in a child's electric car. And I did not see it as comfortable (try to imagine laying on it and vegging out) and it just didn't have a 'this is home' feel to it. The Prout 37 Snowgoose on the other hand felt totally different. (Galley down is better! lol). The Prout was much older, and nowhere near as 'sexy' of a boat, but it had a 'this is a comfortable home' feel to it on the inside. So really think about the quality of life on a boat you are thinking about, because your views may change on how important 'sexy' is when practical day to day life is considered.
If I can buy a boat whereever I want... 1. How am I sure it is mine. Is there any paperstuff or inscriptions somewhere? 2. How do I know it was not stolen? 3. In case I buy a used boat in Turkey, do i have to pay import taxes at home? 4. Do I have to inscript the boat into a list in my homecountry or can I sail under foreign ("Liberia") flag? 5. Can it be that the boat has no allowance in my country? I never had a boat, but I imported some cars and bikes - sometimes it was nerve killing.
You are awesome! I have watched this video several times. Just starting to think about it and you have very useful information. How does buying internationally work? VAT, Sales TAX, and so on...???
Liz and Jamie, Very timely as always. I'm leaving the US for Australia tomorrow to look at a few boats that I've identified. You've been very influential in my decision making as I plan to cruise Thailand-Malaysia-Indonesia. If I buy a boat in Australia, I plan to join one of sail rallies to Singapore to learn from the other cruisers. Thanks again for the wonderful info. Brian
Thanks, Brian, and glad we could be of some assistance. Hopefully you've seen my other reply with the correct link. If you have any feedback then please do let us know by email (jamie at followtheboat dot com). We'd like to make this a working project and have the ability to update the guide as and when.
Great vid! So sorry brits get reticule for not knowing something. Proper sellers won’t have a problem helping their customers learn something the buyer never learned.
only just seen this.ı bought my boat no suvey nothing all in 1 day. My ıntension was to keep it for 6 months and live in bay in the Med for 6 months then give it away. Oops 6 years later still on her. she is a Carter 33 cost me 300 pounds sterling never kept any reciepts would not like to thinkç but still a happy bunny.
Great information ... however ...... one issue I would have liked some input on is the question of boats that will be primarily 'solo sailed'. What are the preferences in this case ?
great advice you talked about light weight v blue water and mentioned different brands. I'm looking for lightweight don't know much about these brands I'm really interested in Jeanaeu. so what would be the Mercedes of these brands the absolute best reliable good engineering ect?
Incredible useful. Some of the best advice out there. Can’t wait to be out there on the water with you both.
My perfect liveaboard is the one you guys have readied for real sailing for 1 year and then changed your minds about going and sold me said boat ! You guys are awesome !
Haha! We'll let you know... Liz
The other thing that I would like to mention is that sailing is not actually that hard to fathom, it's all the other stuff that makes it challenging, understanding the weather, sea state, currents, your boat's capabilities, frustration, meals on the cabin sole. Just remember that Laura Dekker did a solo circumnavigation on an old 42' GinFizz ketch (which she bought with her own hard earned money) aged 14 years, to quote her "fear kills more dreams than failure ever will"
I'm almost penniless and in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, my long-standing dream of owning and living aboard a boat seems further away than ever...That being said, it does remain my dream and this was an excellent, informative and easy to watch video! Many thanks for making and posting it :)
Some one the best boat purchasing advice I’ve seen in any single video. Quality content.
I feel very lucky to come across your channel. I’m presently thinking of looking for a live aboard in about eight months. I’m selling my homestead in Missouri and moving back to California ( I know yuk ! ) to be closer to grandkids an family. I’m 67 and lived in a 29 ft Rv for 7 yrs and was comfortable , but think a 35 ft + boat would be better . Something like a weekend sailboat. I used to be a urchin diver and boat hull cleaner in Ventura,Ca. But have a lot to learn about sail boats and harbor fees , etc . Thank all of you out there for taking the time to make and post your videos for us clueless ones . I’m learning so much from you .
Good to hear that you got your boat in Turkey. Boats generally cost less in Turkey for the same rig, relative to US & Europe, and they're often well outfitted and meticulously maintained. Turks love to negotiate. Most private owners/sellers will eventually agree to a 20% discounted offer if you're nice and likable. And the exchange rate from Turkish Liras might save you another 10% or so on the spot.
Bang on for the mechanics of buying! We bought our 26' pocket cruiser for 17,000 🇨🇦 in 2007. The first summer we poured another 4,000 in upgrades. Best money spent and great weekends and short vacations. Now as we plan our exit to liveabord status we figure 25% will be needed in the first 2 years after buying the boat to upgrade and renew. On the subject of starting offers, I am glad you went out and said it directly! Make sure you offer a lot less than asking. Several friends of ours have confirmed that point and some got lucky and the lowball offer was accepted.
As always, Liz and Jamie, you are a great source of inspiration for us working cubicle dwellers 🙂
[Liz] Great to hear your story, thanks for sharing it here. And thanks for taking the time to comment. Peace and fair winds in your new liveaboard life!
This was a great summary of the process. I actually viewed it after buying my boat earlier this year. I wanted to evaluate my decision based on criteria recommended by more experienced sailors. I did pretty well! Had a 5 to 7k budget for older production boat (25 to 30 ft), standing headroom, seaworthy enough for coastal passages, comfortable for 1 to 3 people, capable of single handing without great difficulty. It wasn't even on my short list but I ended up buying a 77 Pearson 26. Not the perfect boat, but just right for what I needed right now I realize. Paid 3k. One point I would make is the time factor. Don't rush to buy. I hemmed and hawed for 4 years. Drove me nuts. But I had bought the wrong boat before impulsively. Cost me a lot and could have ended tragically. This time I was patient and when the boat came up, I knew it was right almost immediately. Lot of time looking! Got a great boat, lots of extras and a nice, inexpensive place to keep it too. Be patient. Good luck to all.
You all are hitting all the good high points and the objective approach , but like the "mate" we meet for the first time , all goes out the window when are heart strings are plucked by a floating beauty that haunts us until we can sign the contract...true love..looking forward to future episodes ...thank you
briliant video, very relaxing voices and great information ...thank you
Very accurate. At least 25% post purchase costs. Transport if needed. Just a scrub down and a single season coat of antifoul can cost 1500. And the biggest one these days is insurance on older boats. Most won't insure over 40 years old.
I can’t express enough gratitude to you both on how you have helped us on our journey to finding our boat. Your extensive refit, as well as your how to videos have taught us so much.
When we did indeed find our boat, we knew exactly what we had and we’re doing.
Thank you both.
[Liz] We're so proud to know that our videos have helped you, that means a lot. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Peace and fair winds!
I jumped from a 22ft pocket cruiser(my learning boat) to a bluewater F&C 44ft Ketch. Many advised I should wait, build up and get a 30 footer next. My plan was to get the boat I want for ALL the adventures I am looking to have and not get stuck with an in between boat. You are married to the boat financially, maintenance and it can take one, two or three years to sell a boat. Happy with my decision and others may come across this scenario in their journey to sail the open waters.
We touched on this in the previous episode and we agree with you. Points well made, thank you.
I need another binge watch session to take in the rest of your vids. Enjoy tremendously.
We've been sailing a 25ft trailer-sailor in land locked water for the past 10 years, and we're only 1.5 years from actively hunting a more appropriate craft for ocean faring. This is all great advice and we'll definitely heed it in our search. Thank you for the time you've taken to provide such a great channel!
[Liz] Woohoo! Sounds like you have some excitement ahead. Thanks for commenting!
Thank you for sharing these most valuable advices! 8:25, what You are describing is a typical bad insulation problem. It can come from 2 things. 1) The insulation is not thick enough and you get condensation on the internal surface of the boat. 2) There is no vapor barrier or it has been applied on the wrong side. Vapor barriers schould always be put on the warm side of the insulation! That is inside the boat, not against the hull. +1
You two are an absolute wealth of knowledge. Easy to watch & listen too. I also love how you guys work together
Really well thought out and presented episode Jamie and Liz, many of the potential pitfalls you cover, I fell into when I bought my boat. There are a number of lessons I learnt
1) Don't fall in love with the boat until after you have bought her, very hard to do I fell in love with mine based on the first viewing and unfortunately most of the objectivity went out of the window.
2) try to get the vendor and broker to leave you alone on the boat for a while so you can look at her without being swept along by the vendor and brokers gushing enthusiasm for the boat. Again a mistake I made and only remembered half the stuff I wanted to look at when I was on the plane back home.
4) Look at some old surveys to see what surveyors are looking for and then make your own check list, that way you can go through the boat with a fine tooth comb. I did make a list, but then didn't look at it as I fell in love with the boat and was swept along by the vendors enthusiasm.
3) Don't use the surveyor the broker recommends, I was silly enough to fall for that one and the survey I got back was pretty much an exercise in cut and paste from the previous surveys, and some very important safety issues were overlooked (I wasn't present for the survey again a stupid mistake on my part). Also remember that all surveyors caveat their reports with - if we can't see it , touch it or test it then we aren't responsible for it.
4) very good advice to anyone to hold 25% of the budget back, that's pretty much what my post purchase repairs cost and that didn't include additional boat yard/marina fees which she was been repaired.
Oh and thanks for being a bit nicer about ferro this time ;)
[Liz] Great comment! I agree with all that you say. I would agree that you need time to mooch around the boat on your own, in our experience the brokers encouraged us to do just that. And have several viewings and a test sail. Peace and fair winds! PS. We have friends on great ferro boats! 🙂
Good advice Darren. We once looked at a Vagabond 42 in Miami. The owner allowed us to stay the night. When we arrived the owners son was onboard. I asked about the engine and he said " I can start it if you want"... and of course I said "yes please!" and everything after that was a wasted, because there was no way I was buying that boat. The owner gave the son some grief when he arrived and was told that he started the engine! Boat shook like crazy, blue smoke from the exhaust.. a lot of racket... no thanks! These days, I might have offered 30% less or more and replaced it with a Beta engine but back then I had no interest in that much work.
The not falling in love part is sage advice. Hard not to do though. Its like going to a puppy farm and not falling for the puppy you bring home. Imagine that?
This has been the best tutorial I've ever seen on You Tube. I think buying a boat especially used as a novice is a minefield of sorts. You may have spared me thousands!
[Liz] Oh brilliant, I'm so pleased you found it useful. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Peace and fair winds!
I will buy your book
You guys are awesome! I have watched this video 5 or 6 times over that past several months. Each time I chisel out another detail that I hadn't realized before! I am in the market for a first boat / liveaboard... my paradigm has shifted may times ... I just completed my ASA 101/103 classes and want to get on the water ASAP. I've looked at renting daysailers, as I save up money for my "dream boat"... but there isn't much value in spending money on a boat that I can't put my own 'stuff' aboard! Then I was looking at very affordable 20' boats, but that wouldn't teach me much about liveaboard life either, as they have no standing room, no head, no galley, etc. I am currently looking at the 30' class of older bluewater boats... alberg, bristol, cape dory, etc... boats from an era where people didn't need 1200 sq/ft of living space! They don't really make bluewater boats that size any more. I want my first boat to be capable of being my 'only boat'. At my novice level, I think I would be more comfortable on something around 38 ft, but I want a bluewater capable boat from the start. A boat that I can learn on, refit, and learn all the skills I need for off shore passages, in an affordable package. I digress. [end /self absorbed rant].
I love your channel, this vid in particular, has helped me keep all the compromises in perspective. Thanks for sharing your experience and lifestyle! BTW, your boat is absolutely beautiful.
We are considering purchasing a 2015 Beneteau Sense 55 with about 50 hours on the boat kept in Annapolis on the hard in winter and in the water during season. Well kept.
The man is absolutely right have you ever had a crossbow or a compound bow in you had a carbon fiber shaft and then you had aluminum shaft aluminum shaft if you hit it into something hard it might bend but you might be able to bend it back straighten up shoot again you take that carbon Arrow shaft and you put it past the bow that it can possibly stand and it will shatter like glass and there you go one expensive shaft down the drain but one thing about the carbon though it won't Bend in the slightest hardly, it will always stay straight until you shatter it
Good stuff. Thanks to the two of you!
Test drive and tighten all rigging really tight and look for cracks in fiberglass, look inside all unfinished areas, check maintenance reports and all rigging. if its not new you gonna wanna replace rigging or sails. Older motors are easier to work on or find hardware for but new generators run like tops.
My wife and I are in New Zealand after our Pacific puddle jump and now planning our Indonesia season. Almost all the boating palls we made since leaving California have sold there boats. Four reasons . 1. They do not have the money to maintain there boat and cruise. 2. They are looking for a heavier boat that can handle the weather more comfortably (Generally not a production boat unless its from the 1970’s). 3 They have found that one ocean is enough. 4 they want more room, in 2 of the 3 families they are buying sailing cats. My Wife and I set out on our journey to buy a boat that was comfortable to live on and able to take us through a good storm. We looked at and walked on more than 75 boats, made offers on 2 that didn’t pan out but the boat we “compromised” on has been a great choice. We traveled to California from Seattle to look at 3 boats and the broker showed us a 4th boat that by the time we bot back to the hotel we had made a decision to buy. We bought someone else’s dream and made it ours. Thank you for the inspiration that Followtheboat has given to us and many others around the world.... and darn you for having a lovable cat. We still are not ready for the challenge of having a pet aboard and the Biosecurity hassles that come with the country’s we want to go to. Cheers, www.svslowflight.com
Sounds to me like you made exactly the right choice...and you went in with your eyes wide open. We tried to be frank with this video - boat ownership is never easy, and changing lifestyle is not for everyone. Thanks for sharing! PS. Millie sends a brrrrp, prrrrrr! (Liz@ftb)
It IS possible to find lightweight boats that are strong enough and designed for live aboard ocean cruising. Look at an Adams 13 or 54, a Kanter 52, Sundeer 56. Lightweight boats are easier driven which means less sail area and load for the same speed. Less work for the crew and less breakages.
We've met many world cruisers on light boats, Nigel, and they're normally a lot faster than us! There is a lot to be said for heavier boats though, both in rough seas and at rolly anchorages.
@@followtheboat How Rolly the boat is can have a lot to do with other stuff than displacement: keel area, natural frequency etc. All fixable with a flopper stopper.
A well designed light boat gets alot of dynamic stability from it's speed and can still be comfortable at sea, with one exception: in the "heave" axis which will definitely be more comfortable on a heavier displacement boat. In general I am going to side with Uffa Fox, who stated that weight only had value in a steam roller. Lighter boats are faster and easier to sail. The sailors have to deal with smaller forces. In the end that contributes very meaningfully to safety.
Holy cow that was useful. I live in Japan so to hear you went all the way to Turkey gives me hope. Thx so much
this helps us get closer to leap...
Thank you very much. Great advice. I'm a welder in Texas and setting a ten year goal to buy a sailboat and take my family around the world. I'll be following your advice.
We are at the research stage. We think we found the boat we want. But love the advice to just look at tons. We absolutely will buy second hand
learnt a lot, tnx. what specifications are recommended for a second hand sailing boat to cross alone the atlantic ocean?
That's a long answer but the short one is one that you can easily handle lines and sails from the cockpit. Some boats are designed for 'short-handed' sailing. Ask your broker to show you those boats specifically designed for short-handed sailing. A small centre cockpit is preferable as it offers more protection and better access to lines and sails.
I scramble to offer on a boat full price. Sold three days before I could get the bid together, for 5/6 of the price. Now I'm looking at another of the same model, different owners version kit. I will offer 4/6th of the asking-post survey. 5/6th if you do this and that,si? Love you guys!
[Liz] Good luck with the next try. We lost our first boat, but are glad that we ended up with fabulous SY Esper. Peace and fair winds!
Great video, full of good advice, all of which I agree with. I'm currently in negotiations with the original owner/builder of a Canadian registered double airex hull (Gell coat and laminate with a honeycomb and more laminate) Huntingford designed 36' encapsulated modified full keel semi displacement cutter, launched in '84 she is an older, but very stout seaworthy boat. I'm South African and the boat is in Oregon, fortunately I have a personal friend who is a broker acting as proxy, she will be surveyed next month (on the hard) as a favour and a full survey, rigging and engine inspections and a sea trial next year when I'm in the States, this boat has been to Homer Alaska and Hawaii and back from Vancouver BC, Homer Alaska is around 62°N so she can certainly handle the odd 'bergy bits' as Drake Roberts calls them, a simple old school design. The reason I mention this is that it reiterates what you said about where the boat is in relation to where you are, secondly that you can find very capable and reasonably priced boats all over the world, the other thing is that I've done my due diligence on what is available and I know what I want, I'm a bit of a purist so monohull for me, and they're A LOT cheaper, in every aspect. If course a large part of boat ownership is MAINTENANCE AND FIXING BROKEN STUFF, if that isn't your cup of tea, you'd better have a lot of money in the bank, another thing I would like to point out is that you need to understand and be able to repair EVERY system on your boat, from diesel mechanics to plumbing to electronics to rigging to mechanical to sewing. IT IS NOT A LIFE OF PALM LINED BEACHES AND TURQUOISE BLUE WATER, that's a bullshit, just ask Barry Perrins on 'White Shadow' 71 days at sea single handed from Panama to the Marquesas in French Polynesia, averaged about 2 knots, and just a few days after arriving his engine packed up from all the crudd being agitated in his tanks, he has no fuel polishing system and built in steel tanks, his boat is a steel Van Der Stadt.
My point is that a lot of what is shown on TH-cam (no names mentioned) is a wholly glorified and unrealistic perspective of the realities of live aboard cruising. The one theme that nobody can escape is MAINTENANCE. Thanks for a great video.
PS if you see a small cutter with a green boot stripe called AMAZING GRACE in the Pacific sometime towards the end of next year, give us a shout😂😂😂
Fair winds and safe sailing
I'd add two pieces of advice. 1). Patience; If you are in a hurry or rush into a purchase you will make a mistake and it will be an expensive mistake. 2). Never let yourself "fall in love" with any boat, especially before you own it. Be extremely "cold hearted" and detached, look at every boat with a detached attitude where you will not care less if you purchase it or not.
And perhaps a third bit of advice would be to not get involved in direct negotiations if you have a friend or acquaintance who can do it for you. Set a maximum price and have them negotiate the sale. As a builder I do this for home many buyers and it does work extremely well especially if you are dealing with professional negotiators like estate agents. With many purchases I walk away at least once. The buyers would not do that and it costs them large amounts of money.
what size is best for blue water? and what is the smallest that can do a crossing?
And how long is a piece of string, Ian? Many opinions and views on these two questions, they don't have obvious answers. Budget, size of crew, age, fitness, there's a lot of factors at play here. People cross oceans on 20ft boats, it can be done. Many liveaboards probably average 40-something ft boats, give or take a few feet. Anything from 35ft to 56ft, but there are many more that fall outside these lengths.
nice video!! it was very educating for me. I don't know much about boats. My father-in-law constructed a sailboat for himself along 18 years in his yard. He is an architecht and had low budget, but he finally finished it. He made a wood boat, I wooden skeleton and wood planks, and then covered it with fiber glass.
I first thought all boats were like that.
Thanks for the video
Another solid video. Very informative, thank you.
Very thorough tips on how to buy a liveaboard sailboat, well presented and organised. I especially enjoyed the last few tips on how much you should offer and the kind of money you should keep aside. You never want to offend anyone but don't want to overpay either. We had some experiences with both sellers that did not want to lower their offer, or were really emotionally attached to their sailboat along with untrustworthy brokers. Keep up the great videos, you are absolutely inspiring.
[Liz] Happy you found it useful. Yeah, we've heard some bad stories, which is one of the reasons why we put this together. Forewarned is forearmed! Peace and fair winds.
Big advantage of aluminium is it doesn’t suffer from low temperature embrittlement like steel boats do. This makes aluminium the choice material for cold climate cruising.
Great video, especially the save some funds for repairs. I personally recommend that anyone buying a second hand boat should replace seacocks and valves. Second, replace drive packing. Third, inspection of all electrical systems, especially the the insulation and contacts for corrosion, brittleness, ect.
With attention to these 3 major areas your sure to have a boat that won't sink or burn during the first year of ownership.
+Mr. Ski [Liz] All excellent advice, thank you for sharing here!
What would you consider the toyota of open ocean sailing boats (suitable for cold climates too)? Boat maker
Great summary on boat buying! The formula for purchasing a boat involves a complex calculus that most of us ignore and causes many to purchase the "wrong" boat. I completely agree on tempering ones emotions and spend a year or more to try different boats. For the cat buyers this is easily done by chartering a cat for a week. So many of my friends damn their decisions and wish they had taken more time for research.
Well said.
What a terrific video jammed with great advice and information! Thanks so much for posting.
Don't know if you've done it, but an episode on gaining experience via crewing/websites, buying a boat and bringing it home and what qualifications & start up experience do you need to sail international waters. eg getting started 0-12 months.
To clarify, explaining in more detail how to get started and how to get to do crewing, boat deliveries and all that these require.
welding aluminum isnt messy, but it is far more picky than steel. if your aluminum is dirty then it can ruin the weld, and you will have to start over. if you have a guy who knows what hes doing he can weld dirty steel, and get you on your way.
Thanks. Great advice. Bosts are expendive, the seller might just take your first offer.
Hello Liz and Jamie,
Trust this note finds you well. Thanks so much for the great info, so well done...👍🏻
Going to head over to your wed site as I am seriously consider sailing, and a "live aboard". It keeps coming up in life, though I've zero sailing experience, per se, it is calling, so me learning.😶
Thanks Again, and God Bless🙏🏻⛵🐠
Richard😉
Glad you enjoyed it! Cheers, Liz 🙏
Very informative! Me and my partner are looking at buying our first boat as soon as possible, will be using this information carefully. Thanks
Did you get the boat?
Great video and kudos for mentioning just good manners regards the vendors emotional connection to the boat. Often over looked, but makes the biggest difference, sometimes in the price as well!
This video is so detailed and so well through out! Wow! So amazing that you did this! Thank you so much!!!
Excellent advice from one of the highest quality (and possibly the most useful) channels. Well done guys!
[Liz] Such a nice comment, thank you! Peace and fair winds.
Thank you! New subbie here and I'm loving yall love...yall.love for sailing and long distance and time sailors!
I’m about to buy my first boat here in Jomtien , Thailand and needed this advice,thank you 🤘🏼
Glad we could help!
Great vid guys, thanx.
Pleasure, Philip 👍
Love that your videos are primarily about helping out your fellow man. Well done y'all
Cheers, Clayton. We try our best!
You are very generous! We are very thankfull for this tutorial. Best regards, Chris and Nancy
[Liz] I hope it was useful, we try not to pull any punches and stress the importance of doing your research and going into the deal with your eyes wide open. Peace and fair winds!
I appreciate your presentation and content. Very useful. Very helpful. Thank you. And as you say, "Peace"!
They say there are two happiest days of your life. The day you buy a boat and the day you sell the boat. Can't say we have ever agreed with this, but can imagine the relief some would find. What we have found there is little (read no) financial logic in owning a boat and you need to see the bigger picture. I can remember walking down the jetty struggling with several hundreds of dollars worth of charts for asia in my arms one day. A fellow sailor noted "now that's an armful of adventure" and it certainly was!
[Liz] Lovely thought! Thanks for commenting.
I was told by several boat owners that the nautical term for "selling a boat" is "to get rid of" said boat.
Understanding Loss Aversion Bias is how you could gain footing when buying a used boat. 2c
Great information. Thanks.
the best info i have found online so far thanks..and love the cat .. little hello tail.thanks for sharing..
Thanks for the nice comment, we're glad you found the video informative. We love Millie's shaky tail too - I'm going to call it a hello tail from now on! Liz
Very informative in a general way, but some things there will always be more questions. eg The point that much time needs to be spent on maintaining a` wooden boat raise the immediate question of 'what ELSE is there to do whilst you're paddling around the Pacific. Presumably TV/internet access isn't available, and ducking down to the pub or going to watch a football match is out of the question. Another query I've never solved is: as a solo sailor, when do you get some sound sleep?
Also, we are considering getting a loan on a boat or paying all cash. But love the info about keeping at least 25% for after cost
Thanks Guys 👍. A really informative video. Plan to watch this again later just so it all sinks in.
Excellent video. Great advice. Well presented. Straightforward and clear. Good job.
Great video. Good back and forth for steady flow of information. Thanks y'all
Thanks for the nice words, glad you found it interesting. Peace and fair winds! Liz
The Beneteau First make decent cruiser boats. First 345 is great for a couple.
Could you do a video on how much it costs to get on the water on your own boat if there's any tests
Very Good advise gave some knowledge. I'm looking 2nd hand boat for low expanses but a bit difficult to find in Malaysia.
Great video guys. Thank you very much. I'm still a few years away from buying a boat but this was a great help. Thank you. 👍🏻
Excellent advice! I bought my boat from the daughter of the builder. She was more interested in some one to appreciate the quality of work and able to take good care of the boat then in money. I was totally flabbergasted by the craftsmanship of her dad and the materials used. Although there were others offering more money, I got the boat for a fraction of the asking price on the promise of selling it back to the family when I will be done with boating. This might be a rare case, but I think a lot of sellers are looking for new owners who will handle their beloved boat whit respect. I think it is also a factor for the zero or 1 dollar boats that are on other channels.
[Liz] Brilliant! Thanks so much for sharing this and giving people hope. Peace and fair winds!
I have had good luck with estate sales. Often they just want to see it go to a good home. I show my portfolio of past work and how those boats are now loved. A boat broker just tells them about the money they will make.
So true! Friends of ours put a low offer on a 34' after the owner passsed away. The widow and her children liked them so much they accepted the offer. As it turns out, the owner wanted to sail extensively but his wife was not interested. So he kept the boat for years, sailed it lightly and took loving care of it. The sellers were just thrilled to sell the boat to a couple that intended to cruise the boat as their father intended. Nice!
Wich country is the best country to by a boat from as in price ways and boat quilty ?
Great advice! Love how you guys play off each other in making the video. Very slick. Be safe out there!
[Liz] Thanks for the lovely comment. Peace and fair winds!
I found the exact opposite. The alternating comments between the two is momentarily disorienting, thus annoying
Really enjoyed your advice , clearly you have had a lot of experience and it great that you are willing to share it so we can all be a little more wiser on our approach of purchasing in the near future, keep it up, look forward to many more, regards Mark. Cromer , not so warm Norfolk
Cheers, Mark, thanks for the kind words. If by posting our videos we can help prevent others from making the same cock-ups we've made, that can't be bad. 👍👌 Liz
PS. Are the crabs in season yet? One of my all-time favourite foods!
Hello Jamie and Liz , greetings from Turkey. I follow your boat :-) regularly. I have a ' plastic fantastic ' boat 2008 Bavaria 38 cruiser .As you found your boat from Turkey you must have sailed Med. Very unpredictable seas sudden squalls around islands long lasting gales and also these light production boats are brutally used in charter bussiness and they had a very hard life. They use lewmar , volvo-penta, selden , jabsco, raymarine, all other known brands. What I want to say is planning to cruise around tropics you should consider the season and in my opinion you dont need so called bluewater boat. These kind of boats are not only expensive but also rare to find and very old.I watched the videos of refitting Esper . Not easy and not for everyone. İn my opinion buying a new light boat is better than buying an old bluewater boat.You dont consume your time and money .You can easily untie your lines. Taliscer Atlantic Challange they row the ocean. Finally if you have money to buy a fancy boat no problem .İf you dont than you can prepare your plastic for cruising. Thanks a lot for sharing your sailing life with us , all videos are full of great lessons. Appriciated
[Liz] Merhaba! We miss Turkey and the friends we made there, such a beautiful place. Any boat can do most things. And we don't say that anyone should choose one particular style, we just try to point out the pros and cons. For sailing in the tropics, lightweight production boats are great! Same for coastal cruising the Med.
If we decide to settle in one cruising ground at any time in the future, chances are we'll trade SY Esper in for a 'plastic fantastic'! We just feel a little more comfortable getting across oceans and dealing with gales in our bluewater cruiser. The reason bluewater cruisers are often old is because they have longevity and take a lot of punishment, but can still carry on!
Peace and fair winds!
All suggestion are excellent. Thank you!
I'm looking to get my first boat, I don't have sailing experience so something that is easy to sail particularly single-handed, capable coastal cruising though not an extended liveaboard and small enough to be trailered but large enough to be comfortable for 1 or 2 people. My search has brought me to either a Cape Dory 25D or a Cape Dory 28, would gladly accept any suggestions on other models I should look into.
You are so right on dealing with the vendor.....
Thanks I am at the beginning of my journey and everywhere you read or watch you get your nay and jay sayers so who do you believe it is totally bewildering for a new guy, Thanks again
Excellent! Very good information and advice. I've been hoping you two would do this video. I knew you would get round to it. Bravo! Thank you Liz n Jamie. Big fan here!
[Liz] Cheers, Tony!
God that was good; hugely informative from top to bottom, it should be required viewing for any lunatic such as myself who is buying a boat. Extremely well organised and delivered, by the way, thanks very much and good luck to the both of you.
You're welcome, and best of luck boat shopping! Liz
I'm sad I can't give this video more than 1 thumbs up. Great info. You guys are the best.
Your positive feedback is enough, thank you!
thank you mate to you and your mother for this crucial information
Glad you found it useful. Liz
Thanks guy, will remember
I'll give you my experience. At first, I wanted a Catamaran. Seeing how stable they were under sail and at anchor made me feel that it would be the best boat to live on for extended (years worth) of time on the hook. But as I thought about the actual 'living on it day to day' part, I started to realize that most of the Cats I liked (in almost every way) I did not like in one of the most important ways.....the saloon on them was roomy, but the seating was terrible. (Like on a Fountaine Pajot Athena 38 for example) it looks like a molded plastic body, something you would find in a child's electric car. And I did not see it as comfortable (try to imagine laying on it and vegging out) and it just didn't have a 'this is home' feel to it. The Prout 37 Snowgoose on the other hand felt totally different. (Galley down is better! lol). The Prout was much older, and nowhere near as 'sexy' of a boat, but it had a 'this is a comfortable home' feel to it on the inside. So really think about the quality of life on a boat you are thinking about, because your views may change on how important 'sexy' is when practical day to day life is considered.
If I can buy a boat whereever I want...
1. How am I sure it is mine. Is there any paperstuff or inscriptions somewhere?
2. How do I know it was not stolen?
3. In case I buy a used boat in Turkey, do i have to pay import taxes at home?
4. Do I have to inscript the boat into a list in my homecountry or can I sail under foreign ("Liberia") flag?
5. Can it be that the boat has no allowance in my country?
I never had a boat, but I imported some cars and bikes - sometimes it was nerve killing.
You are awesome! I have watched this video several times. Just starting to think about it and you have very useful information. How does buying internationally work? VAT, Sales TAX, and so on...???
Great information it’s gave me a lot to think about regarding purchasing my live-aboard. Thanks
Im learning. second hand is not so bad. where can I crew up with other boat owner?
Awesome video guys, thank you so much! Can't wait to get going!
Liz and Jamie, Very timely as always. I'm leaving the US for Australia tomorrow to look at a few boats that I've identified. You've been very influential in my decision making as I plan to cruise Thailand-Malaysia-Indonesia. If I buy a boat in Australia, I plan to join one of sail rallies to Singapore to learn from the other cruisers. Thanks again for the wonderful info. Brian
Thanks, Brian, and glad we could be of some assistance. Hopefully you've seen my other reply with the correct link. If you have any feedback then please do let us know by email (jamie at followtheboat dot com). We'd like to make this a working project and have the ability to update the guide as and when.
Hi Brian, did you eventually get to Thailand?
Great vid! So sorry brits get reticule for not knowing something. Proper sellers won’t have a problem helping their customers learn something the buyer never learned.
Thank You for the sharing of your wisdom.
Do have mono vs cathulls noticable different sailing/performance properties?
Buying the thing is the easy part. Finding the money is the hard bit.
I just found this channel. What an informative and well presented vid and this couple are down to earth and very likable. Well done!
only just seen this.ı bought my boat no suvey nothing all in 1 day. My ıntension was to keep it for 6 months and live in bay in the Med for 6 months then give it away. Oops 6 years later still on her. she is a Carter 33 cost me 300 pounds sterling never kept any reciepts would not like to thinkç but still a happy bunny.
Great information ... however ...... one issue I would have liked some input on is the question of boats that will be primarily 'solo sailed'. What are the preferences in this case ?
My first view of any of your videos. My first impression was your advice was ACE. And you look like a wonderful couple!
We've been around for ages and it's lovely to meet you. Cheers, Liz
great advice you talked about light weight v blue water and mentioned different brands. I'm looking for lightweight don't know much about these brands I'm really interested in Jeanaeu. so what would be the Mercedes of these brands the absolute best reliable good engineering ect?