There are basically 4 categories of sailing boats according to their lengh although you can cross the Atlantic with a 7 meter and stay put in the harbour with a 15 meter. From 10 meter up, depending on the crew, you can go anywhere but with notable differences in safety and comfort of sailing.
6 - 8 meter: daysailing
8 - 10 " : coastal cruising
10 - 12 " : sea crossing
12 + " : ocean crossing
The 'Bible' internet site for cruising sailors: NOONSITE.COM
Used sailboats are well overpriced especially in France, England, Germany ... The best places where to find a right priced preowned sailing vessel are Italy, Spain and the USA, but still, you have to be patient and after performing a thoroughtful 'inside job' to find out your affordable dream boat, a good check must be done all over considering both reliability and equipment.
Fiberglass hulls are pretty strongs in years between 1975 - 1990 and osmosis is not to be feared in most cases.
Here are some opportunities I found of late, end 2013, in the 10/13m range (VAT incl.):
- Aloa 34 / 30hp newest /1976 / €14900 / Pisa, Italy / good boat, pretty basic inside.
- Jeanneau Voyage 12.50 / 40 hp / 1988-1991 / €40000 / Italy, Spain / great interior, slow in light winds.
- Jeanneau Sunshine 36 / 30hp / 1982 / €25000 / USA, Italy, Greece / joyful.
- Jeanneau Sunshine 38 / 30hp new / 1987 / €23000 / Venezia, Italy / great marine qualities, a little tough.
- Jeanneau Sun Fizz 38 / 40hp / 1981 / €27000 / Greece / interior outdated, somehow tough to sail.
- Jeanneau Sun Odissey 39 / 40hp / 1989-1991 / €40000 / Roma, Barcelona / hull N°1, great ship.
- Jeanneau Sun Fast - Sun Charm 39 / 40hp / 1989-1991 / €45000 / Germany, Italy / top notch, like new.
- Artmare Valicelli Cat 38 / 40hp / 1979 / €15000 / Italy / best shape, sails great.
- Barberis Show 42 / 40hp / 1985 / €40000 / France / stylish, competent.
- Comar Comet 11 / 30hp / 1981 / €28000 / Italy / original, sails great.
- Orca 43 / 56hp new / 1979 / €25000 Italy / original, strong.
- Stag 38 / 30hp new / 1984 / €18000 / Venezia, Italy / like new, can race.
- Beneteau Idylle 11.5 / 50hp / 1986 / €24000 / Georgia, USA / shallow draft.
- Beneteau First 38 / 40hp / 1983 / €29000 / Annapolis, USA / fast, strong.
- Beneteau First 385 / 50hp / 1983 / €22000 / Florida, USA / some work.
- Beneteau First 38.5s / 40hp new / 1991 / €36000 / Panama / high mast.
- Beneteau First 42 / 50hp / 1982 / €23000 / Palermo, Italy / some work, strong & fast.
- Bavaria 340 / 18hp / 1988 / €23000 / Greece / cosy, well built, slow.
- Tecnocantieri Perversion 37 / 30hp / 1978 / € 18000 / Italy / original, fast.
- Atlantic 40 CC / 46hp / 1985 / €33000 / Spain.
- Northwind 38 / 42hp / 1982 / €29000 / Spain.
- Bavaria 36 / 30hp / 2002 / €38500 / Croatia
- Bavaria 38 / 40hp / 2003 / €45000 / Greece
Best websites to search for a second-hand sailing boat:
usa
YACHTWORLD.COM
BOATS.COM
SAILBOATLISTINGS.COM
europe
BOAT24.COM
INAUTIA.COM
italia
SUBITO.IT
VIVASTREET.IT
spain
MILANUNCIOS.COM
Of interest:
NADA 'Blue Book' of Used Sailboats Value
VAT/State in USA
Importing a Vessel into EU
- Regulations
- VAT
Coastal Aerial Photography and Areas Specifications
Marinas Specifications Worldwide (Also Anchorages, Inlets ...)
A good place to begin with in the USA may not be Florida, where ships suffer from a warm water and where prices are not that cheap but between New York and Boston. Connecticut, Rhode Island (NO Taxes like Delaware) and Massachusets are really overcrowded with sailboats, most of them at anchor, 'Alla boa' in Italian, rather see those Google map extracts !!
from Craiglist
99% of all boats spend 99% of their time at the mooring. Why ? Because the boat, for 99% of the owners buy a boat to accomodate their holiday home, or their main in a few cases. The boat is a furniture that comes after many things. They are also considered as an investment so that the market is high because the offer is low. Owners prefer usually to see their boat rust than selling it an affordable price should they want to depart with that sign of wealth, because it is also because of that common guys buy boats.
So, this is why it is difficult to get a decent boat at reasonable cost !!
I have bought one, last february the first, 2015, a 32 footer, french made even, mediterannean made, designed by André Mauric in 1974 as a race prototype for a wealthy Swiss sailing womwn as 'Tadorne' and then, it became the Delph 32 which I bought that was built by Artecna in Toulon. I payed it €.5500 with the engine to replace and I have found one at €.2500 so that the boat will cost me around €.10,000. Considering the shape it is in, the age and the market, it is quite reasonable.
See more of it in the post named 'Boats à moâ'
