Sailboat Shopping, 50 to 75 k budget part 3

Welcome back to my special 20-part series where I walk you through indepth in real time how to sailboat shop exactly what I look for when I’m looking at vessels how I’m determining prices features I’m looking for comparisons all in real time with the used boat market currently and the boats that are available right now on the market so in case you’re currently shopping for a sailboat you can see exactly what I would be doing in time and hopefully that helps you save the big bucks and get yourself a new to you fancy Dancy used sailboat.

50-75k Budget Sailboat Shopping – Best Models & Tips

This is part three we’re picking up right where we left off and today we’re doing 50 to 75k budget have I gone mad afraid so you’re entirely Bonkers but I’ll tell you a secret all the best people are so here we are ladies and gents we’re back over on the wonderful world of Yachts time to uh pick on some Brokers for being idiots now we’re picking up right where we left off we’re 50k and a budge.

What to Look For in Sailboats Over 2000

Now at this price range I’ve adjusted the year 2,000 and newer if you’re going to be spending $50,000 or more you should not in my humble opinion be purchasing a vessel prior to 2000 at 2,000 it’s already too old in my opinion it’s 2024 that’s a 24 year old boat if you do buy a boat close to the year 2000 that vessel should have had a major refit by now I.E Sals engine overhaul things like that just based off the normal wear and tear on a vessel and the lifespan on the vessel.

Bavaria 37 Cruiser Analysis

So here we are we’re rocking we’re cruising we’re bruising price low to high now the Bavaria 37 Cruiser I’ve covered these in the last video I’m not a huge fan of Bavaria in general so the reason for this is this sits fairly High the hole shape I call these a penguin hole shape it’s very very narrow at the bow and it narrows at the stern what this causes the vessel to do is to rear up in following seas and then slide sideways down the wave.

So not only does the vessel roll tends to hobby horse slide and rear up based on the whole design of the vessel does that mean it’s a horrible boat no but I don’t like it sits too high if I’m out here and you know even calm seas little three-footer in the bay or something and I’m on my dinghy trying to get up this thing is blobbing six seven feet up and down and it just makes it a pain in the butt then we’ve also got our single Helm.

Single Helm Sailboats

Now I know that dual Helms are generally Out Of Reach in the 50k Mar in the 50k range of uh budget so we have to be very careful on which single Helm vessel we choose we want one that we can at least least get around the helm now I know you can get folding Helms different things like that however I’m trying to go for ease of access for your sailing future not making this difficult now the swim or the uh the sugar scoop here the walkthrough transom that is a nice feature compared to your canoe Stern but on this particular make and model I’m just not a huge fan of how it is.

Interior Considerations

The interior is very pretty a lot of natural wood in here I don’t like natural wood what natural wood means to me is more upkeep and more maintenance as it fades I’m going to have to sand it and stain it and do all of this stuff now I’m being pretty nitpicky here these are also problematic in my humble opinion I call these the toe Breakers because I’ve broken my toe on these stupid little lips on the bottom of a floor then right when you go through this door you see this little angle here what that means it’s an absolute nightmare to get in this stupid cabin.

Questions To Ask The Broker

So when I step in here I’ve now broken my toe I’ve twisted my ankle on this little angle here and I can’t shut the darn door because if I stand there there’s no room for me to shut the door so I actually have to crawl into the bed in order to shut the door and then finagle my way back to stand up it’s just a bad design overall in my again humble opinion there’s really nothing humble about my opinion it’s my opinion and it is what it is and it’s based off of Decades of sailing so we’re cruising along now.

Best Models & Tips for Sailboats in This Price Range

If you were for some reason interested in this boat remember we’re not looking for a boat uh for your neighbor or your parents or your friends we’re looking for a boat for you what’s going to meet your needs now if you’ve determined you like this maybe you’ve seen one fantastic we scroll on down we start looking this is all just stock information once again the broker’s given us no information and Yeehaw so initially you have to call right away now over on my members area I have a long list of questions to ask exactly why to ask those questions.

And as long as you’re a patron over on my members area you get that for free best thing to do give the guy a Ringle jingle he’s in Boston Massachusetts he or she who knows um blue nose Yacht Sales in quality brokerage uh you know at least their pictures aren’t terrible so that that kind of makes me happy I’m not going to lie.

Continuing the Search

I’m going to go ahead and keep on pushing let me pull that up on sailboat data just so I can show you a couple more things really really fast and here we are oh my gosh it’s like magic so your 37 footer comes in 38 ft length overall 31 length of the waterline that’s a 7 discrepancy between your length at the water line versus your length overall your running costs are determined by your length overall your length at the water line is your livable space on board most of this large discrepancy is this giant sugar scoop here.

Comparing Sailboat Discrepancies

We’ve lost a ton of room here and then this little overhang in the forward so that’s too big of a discrepancy again just another reason why I’m not a giant fan of the Bavaria 37 Cruiser and we’re moving right along now we got the 2001 Marlo Hunter I mentioned this in my last video it’s not technically a Marlow Hunter Marlo bought hunter in 2012 not a huge deal just picking on the broker no big deal cuz I don’t like Brokers now as I always say Hunters do generally offer a good bang for the buck a nice value.

Features to Look For

This one’s got a very nice enclosed cockpit this is kind of a bonus if you’re somewhere uh maybe it’s a little bit colder uh or maybe it’s all buggy I don’t know anywh who this is a nice addition to the vessel you got yourself kind of a Florida room little sun room back there cruising right along so far the pictures are looking good they’re nice and crisp that makes me happy uh it means somebody’s putting some effort into it lines look in good shape there as far as your running rigging um and we’re moving right along now.

Investigating Specific Models

If it were me and this were my boat the first thing I’d do I’d buy a smaller Helm I want more room to be able to get around my boat uh at all costs so I’m getting myself a smaller Helm so I can perette around on the helm station you got some room here to throw in some more gadgets if you want your RPM gauge it’s a little bit off just twisty twist in you’re in good shape but she’s looking fairly clean um nice little L-shaped Galley that’s good not looking bad here at all cruising we’re bruising we’re shaking we’re baking I like this these are always my favorite anytime a sailboat in the salon.

Conclusion

Anytime you can fold this seat down and make this a large Lounge area that’s my favorite um and this is just going to be a personal preference on what works for everybody so we’re moving right along doesn’t look bad at all looks like she was in good shape she’s been taken care of all of those lovely things I’d Swap this for an electric toilet like yesterday but hey that’s just me nice easy boat to solo sail and here we are we got the Hun 340 sailboat data so kind of a large discrepancy here now we’ve we’re under the 5- foot Mark so that’s okay my goal is generally 5T or less so this is just going to be a personal preference if you like the boat go take a gander at her she’s located in the main uh this be a great boat for the Bahamas the Caribbean solo sale solo sailor maybe a couple you’d be just fine there price isn’t bad 50k um in the current market.

Next Steps

So now that we’ve done our research and compared some of these models what’s next? If you’re serious about finding your dream sailboat in the 50 to 75k budget range, reach out to a trusted broker like Blue Nose Yacht Sales or Quality Brokerage and schedule a viewing. Don’t be afraid to ask questions – use my list of questions from my members area to guide your conversation.

Once you’ve found a boat that meets your needs and budget, make an offer. Be prepared to negotiate – the seller may have multiple offers on the table. If your offer is accepted, have a professional surveyor inspect the vessel before finalizing the purchase. This will ensure that there are no hidden issues with the boat.

Consulting Services

Of course, if all of this feels overwhelming, remember that I offer consulting services to guide you through each step of the sailboat buying process. My team and I have helped countless clients find their perfect sailboat, and we’re here to help you too. Visit my website chasinglatitudes.com for more information about how I can support your sailing journey.