Hi Tim, thanks for the pointers on buying a first sailboat. I am watching after the fact. I already purchased a boat last Fall. I feel like I must have gotten lucky because the boat matched most of your tips. It was a 1985 Catalina 25 that I purchased at an auction for $100. It was out of commission for about 10 years. It came with sails, rigging, anchor, cushions (cabin and cockpit). It had about a foot of old water inside and needed a lot of cleaning. I found a running 1978 Johnson 9.9 with electric start for $650 over the winter. This Spring I have been working on painting the haul. It was partially sandblasted by the previous owner. The marina required plastic covering on the ground and a shop vac connected to the sander. I purchased a sander $85, shop vac $60, generator $465, and sandpaper for about $50. Paint was not cheep either. I have about $700 in barrier and bottom paint. In addition to these expenses, I have another $100 in cleaning supplies. This puts me in at about $2,210. I still need at least one battery (the boat had two; one for the boat and the other for the motor). I also need an electric cord (for electric from the dock), probably a mast light and plug, and some wiring. Say maybe another $500. Oh, I almost forgot about oil and grease for the winches $35 and rigging tape $15. I was given a tiller as the boat was missing one but purchase the connection plates for $60. A boat title and license another $75. Gas just to get to the marina and work on the boat (about 20 time) $200. So, the cost of my $100 boat is now $3,095; just about where you said it should be. I will still need a radio, lifejackets, and other safety gear. The yearly cost: insurance $170, dock $1300, winter storage $230, launching $210, and pull out $210. I expect to pay about $2,120 total each year. There will also be oil, gas and maintenance. For the first year I will be in for over $5,215. The best part is that I am excited about it and cannot wait to get on the water! The best thing that the boat had going for it was that it was already at a local lake and did not need transported. Another lucky plus was that it had a lead keel. If I, did it again, I would look for a boat that was already in service, even if the cost were higher.

The best video I've seen for newbies buying their first sailboat - entertaining, clear, straight to the point and informative. 👍

Sorry to be repetitive, but another great video. You captured 95% of the concerns a first time boater should consider. Your honesty is a testament to your character. I hope this video gets others excited about sailing. I bought my sailboat at the age of 62 and now wish I’d have done it 40 years sooner.

I started sailing years ago, mostly dinghys and for 20 years always wanted to have my own boat, and live in the boat. So at age 56, I skipped the 20 plus foot boat and wasn't for a 35 foot. Big difference obviously and fortunately I am very mechanically inclined with lots of experience working on airplanes, motorcycles, cars, machinery, etc. Your advice is sound and hopefully your audience is much younger than me, but I love the Catalina 22, swing keel, and if I was doing it all over and at a much younger age, that would be my boat. Your channel is awesome.

I've been racing and delivery other peoples' sailboats for years. In fact, I will be racing the Pacific Cup (San Francisco to Oahu) in less than a month. This weekend, we take delivery of our first boat. And she's a legit ocean crosser. A 1988 Swan 59. Far more comfortable than any race-boat I've crossed on ocean on, that's for sure.

Thanks for the advice... I'll go and "crew" in a race. That's something I can do..

No bs; just straight forward, clear and concise information. Thank you!

Tim, great advice. Here is a topic request: A review of the several 6/12/15 or so books that every hands on, thrifty minded, somewhat ambitious sailor should own. A library for the serious, active sailor. Thanks again for these videos!

If one ends up with a gas onboard. Never activate any electrical/spark creating item until you have verified there is no gas fumes present. Then activate a ventilation system for the below decks for five minutes or longer. It take some time but you can be loading supplies etc. The five minutes may have changed. Look for a Power Squadron or Coast Guard Auxiliary course. Use same fumes and ventilation after refueling. Tim thanks for the channel.

First boat was a sailing canoe. Second was a Morgan OI 36. Wife and i lived n it for 5 years with our daughter (13 months when we moved aboard). Next was a Bayliner power boat because we wanted to fish & dive and didn't have time to sail over to the islands (So Cal). We are now looking for our last boat, a world cruiser. Hope to retire in 2 years and go cruising for a few years while we can still do it.

Expansive subject to cover but you did an excellent job. Cheers from down under.

I’m not in the market, but you gave some sage advice. Not going to big or too complex or too expensive or buying and then sinking huge amounts into it. All very good advice.

Go to video for beginners ... Great advice here.

nice, just the video I was looking for. Thank you.

Spot on in every way. Maybe another video, more emphasis on safety....radio use (certificate) navigation (operator card)... how to get experience (meaning the scary rough stuff) ...don't want to scare anyone away but..... it's real.

And here we go.. I will be purchasing my first sail boat early next year of 2023

Excellent video 👍

Looking for a new boat now! Want only a outboard. Going to make sure there is not one threw hull fitting on it any place. I will plug and patch any that are below the water line. Never ever want to worry about it taking on water.

I should have watched this video before i bought my boat but then again i might have just not then:p Long story short i had to move from the apartment i was renting in Oslo Norway and was not liking the rental prices so i got this crazy idea about buying a sailboat and live on it as an experiment for a year. This is in Oslo Norway so it gets pretty cold here btw. With a limited budget and little knowledge about sailboats but some experience on boats and engines i went exploring and ended on buying an 1979 model Maxi 84. A 28 foot sloop with a roller genoa (thankfully) that was generally in okay shape but engine had a oil leak and overheating issue. Made an offer for about 3k usd and bought the boat. Got the engine fixed myself just needing a new impeller and fully clean out the cooling channels and new gaskets on the exhaust manifold so i went sailing and have loved every minute of it! Sure there have been lots of small things needing to be fixed, mostly electrical but overall not too bad. LOADS of naysayers telling me how stupid this adventure is and how i will regret it in the winter but a 2kw chinese diesel heater and some insulation mats makes it quite comfy. Am planning to buy a bigger boat and living in Norway is a huge plus as the used sailboat market is massive here and good boats can be had rather cheap. Long rant over but agree with just about every point you made. Go cheap go small go now!

Tim, such sage advice! I'm a 69 year old solo sailor. If you're a newbie, start small and enjoy the learning curve. A few points. Bigger isn't always better, but it is always more expensive. Secondly, you can pay to much for junk. You can't pay to much for a quality boat. Tall rig Catalina 25, no worries. A standard rig vs tall rig. There both a pain in the Butt to raise or drop. Boats I've owned. 13 ft AMF Sunbird, 21 ft W D Shook, Santana, 23 O'Day , 25 Catalina and for the last 32 years A 30 Catalina Tall rig. Its been a great life. Come on April 2nd. Ken V Windsong, Sailing the north Coast of Ohio. Lake Erie

Straight shooter with no nonsense advice. Thanks!

Tim, congratulation on your recent chief editor and spokes person position. Truly like the new Practical Sailor youtube channel. At 62 and have two years ago completed the 5 day asa of 3 courses, read 44 sailing books so far in the last three years, watch 1,000s of youtube video like lazy and others and 100's of podcast. I have or 2,000's of miles of canoeing under my belt with half white water and the the other half river camping including trips up 11 days. some include bad inland storms. I am selling my small business and heading out to sea to live freely and travel the world for 8 -12 years. I am looking at the Norseman or passport 40 to 44. Can you compare these two plus other 38 to 48' for white water ocean voyaging sailboat designs. Thanks so much for all you do:) All the Very Best! Jim Rodgers

Best first buy advice video online, many thanks!!

Great advice, I am a seasoned saltwater boat owner but want to get into sailing. I have had a 22' Center console the past 20 years so don't want to start with something that size so I decided to get a 28 footer to start out. Pretty close to your advice but my wife and I are comfortable enough spending a little more money because we already know we love being on the water for countless hours straight. So this is really like a small boat camper that is focused on sailing and not all the amenities that comes with boats. I was drowning in that with my search until I found this little boat. It is a sellers market right now so finding the right boat can be very challenging. Happy searching for everyone!

Best advise ive seen after looking at 100 videos,, Thank you

Very helpful video!

Great Vid! One thing I’ll add is the SAFETY factor of diesel v petrol on an inboard of ANY sized vessel. Diesel is much safer to deal with!

OMG from Australia. Bloody awesome advice ol mate and for that...thank you ever so much

very interesting content. Thanks!

Thank you for this. I've been thinking about this for 16 years and some day I will do it. Your videos inspire me, and inform me.

Very helpful, thanks!

great advises .. thank you!

Really good video and timely as I'm considering my first purchase. I might add--get involved with the local yacht/sailing club. These communities are an invaluable resource for sourcing good "first timer" boats and sage advice from those who have done it.

Great vid! Thanks for taking the time to put all that together.

IMHO I would avoid any inboard gas engine like the Atomic 4 (aka the “Atomic Bomb”). I would also examine the sails for wear especially if they’re over 5-7 years old and the boat’s been regularly sailed.

Good advice, most of which I learned the hard way back in the pre internet days and where I lived, joining a yacht/sailing club was a status thing to which you had to be invited. The thing about trailerable boats is the trailer itself. If you actually want to take the boat places, the trailer has to be in top condition and it alone can be a deal breaker unless you have a decent workshop/tools/ability to rebuild it. Some trailers also are terrible for launching and recovering from. Another thing about trailerable boats is getting the mast up and down. My last boat was 17' long with what looks like a nice light mast but it was a nightmare to get up/down without it destroying the tabernacle and left me with bruises on the shoulder on one occasion. In fact if you are buying an older tralier sailer I would break the whole rig into three sections Hull/deck, Sail/spars Rig and Trailer and if any one of them is no good then its probably not worth buying as either one of them will cost half the boat again to fix or renew.

I bought and learned on a Catalina 16.5. Good experience, but too light and subject to capsizing, and not easy to right. I was tired of trailering it. Sold it and rented Rhodes 19’s in Wellfleet harbor on Cape Cod for years. No trailering and a very stable boat. Good times. Now I’m buying an Alerion 28. Pretty boat. Should be a good day sailer. I was considering a proper 35-40 ft yacht, but I was intimidated by the size and number of systems to maintain and pay for. Maybe I’ll want to make that leap next time.

Great video - very logical and well thought out. I would like to add one thought that was not brought up. If you have a partner or family consider their wishes and enthusiasm for sailing. If you are buying a boat to share with your partner and they aren't at all interested don't assume that they will come to share your interest . Several years ago I wanted to get into sailing, but my wife didn't share my enthusiasm. So I took her on a sailing vacation to the BVI. We had a captain and we could do as much of the sailing as we wished. We had a great time, and upon returning home I bought a 27' sloop with roller furling, an an outboard motor. My wife never enjoyed it and after 4 years of ownership and steadily declining use, sold it for half of what I paid. YMMV.

My wife and I started with a 1979 26 ft lugger swinging keel perfect trailerable sailboat for the Columbia River the Snake River and all of the lakes and now we've upgraded to a 40-ft Irwin citation she's on the Columbia River and this time of year we really enjoy the Newport wood and Cole fireplace cheers and Fair winds sailor friends

Having been watching your content for awhile along with hundreds of other people's videos and l have to say this is one of thee Best videos on what to look for when buying a sailboat

My first was Tanzer 28. Fantastic boat.

Excellent video, packed full of sensible consistency advice.thank you

This was a brilliant video! I'll probably come back and watch it again before I decide on my first sailboat.

So let's say you are working through a long term plan to liveaboard cruise - get training, go crew, buy boat, sail ocean regionally then circumnavigate. You know you like comfort, space & toys so are ultimately aiming for a large catamaran, however want to be able to be independant & single-hand for as long as needed. Dilemma - do you sink money into a probably too small mono to get experience or do you simply go for the cat in the first place & spend the mono money customizing & upgrading etc? Either way it's going to be ab old boat due to finances & not wanting huge depreciation.

My first boat was a Chrysler 22. Upgraded to a 30 footer last year. I spend more than the value of my first boat every season just for dockage. I agree to start small and get something you can use as locally as possible. If it’s a hassle to go you won’t use as as much as you want to.

Brilliant stuff, as usual. I echo request from Trent...suggestions on useful/essential reading material would be much appreciated. Keep up the great work.

I'm looking at getting a sailboat next year. Thanks for posting this. Very helpful.

Albin Vega 27 or - for the beauty of it a Vindö 30, 32 or 40 (the numbers here are sail area, not feet. They are just pure gorgeous! :) and yes I am based in Sweden. Cheers

Thanks again for another great video going from my 26’ Columbia to a 42 your videos are my go to for information

You are so right when it comes to nay sayers, I have lived on a 26 foot narrowboat in the uk with my partner for nearly 7, years, and though whilst not sailing we still have what we call ‘ shiny boaters ‘ who have a house and a £180,000 narrowboat who will look down their nose and try to give you advice whilst never cruising their boats and just sit in a marina apart from the 2 weeks they cruise per year.

my 1st sail boat was a Vancouver 32 i went for something a bit bigger as been around boats for years just made the move over from power to sail and needed a full keel as live on the coast of the north sea

Very helpful, thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience.

If you do not have a furling jib, put a DOWN HAUL line on it so you can get the sail down without having to go forward.

Ha! There are two Chrysler 22’s on my local Craigslist right now!

I love my 19’ Flying Scot, officially a dingy, I’ve been racing for the past 9 years and it has taught me a lot. I will soon be looking for a larger boat thou, mi lady wants to sleep over 😄

Bought our first sailboat last month!!! 1986 Gulfstar Hirsh 45

Into spice? (Movie Dune) those eyes of yours are an intense blue. Looks cool.

Very much like your comment about keel type. As a broker for 30 some years on the lakes I regularly discourage people from buying outboards as having watched tons of outboards out of the water as people trying to enter the harbor. Generally love your comments. Biggest question is how are you really using the boat. Being honest with yourself is the hardest part.

Thank you for all your informative videos. It's helped us plenty. Our first exposure was getting involved in a regatta, not as sailors but as youtubers. Now we're on a Hunter 27 assisting the owner in a refit and hope to learn sailing soon as the boat is ready. Location : Port Klang Malaysia. ❤

If the furling line had broken it might not have changed everything about that day for you. Our furling line broke two weeks ago. In calm weather, fortunately. Turns out it was installed incorrectly by the professional who was payed to install the furler.

Thank you. Your videos are So informative. I just bought a sweet old 76 South Coast 22' for 2K. I am excited to know it is an Alberg. I only know that because of your videos. It will be my floating tent for the summer while I get confident in my sailing.

An excellent overview of first boat purchase and ownership. Well done Tim.

This is a great video. One thing about an outboard, in heavy weather it comes out of the water when cresting a wave. So, it is continually over-revving then going underwater. Not much use. So, watch the weather.

What a great episode! Thank you for this list of great considerations. Stay safe out there!

A year and a half ago, I bought my first sailboat. I'd never even been on a sailboat before much less sailed one. Originally, I wanted something comfortable and decent sized, like an RV on the water. Instead, I ended up with an aquarius 23 trailer sailer. It's perfect. I have a yard to park it so do slip fees! I can work on it at home. Here's the best part: I can sail ANYWHERE that's near a boat ramp rather than always departing from the same place. It's got a swing keel so it only draws about 1.5 feet of water with it up. I really don't have to worry about water depths as much. If I do run aground, I just jump out and muscle it around. The deck is as low as my waist. I can BEACH it! How cool is that?! It's terribly spartan inside but it works. I think of it as a tent on the water and like weekend trips. I'm glad I didn't get what I originally wanted. Maybe some day I will get something much bigger but I doubt I'll want to give up the freedom of this one.

Stainless steel wire rope of slightly larger diameter is adequate for small trailer boats in salt water that are not being raced or ocean crossed, it might still cost $1000, to completely re rig... But you never have to re rig all at the same time.... My 22 trailer sailer that lived in the water full time in the Florida keys had two stays per side ... We sailed it hard and often (3x week) for several years.... When it freyed we never tore a sail, never lost the mast overboard, and while we occasionally replaced a shrouds, and tuned them as they stretched, replacing ss centerboard wire rope every 6 months when it snapped (galvanized died in 2 weeks). And the boat lived in the water 24/7 365... No galvanic problems even with ss to aluminum deck stepped mast we could and did drop mast at sea to go under certain bridges.... But that was too sketchy for every day... It wasn't a dinghy after all ... Actually met several world cruisers on big boats who did the same thing, just with much larger diameters, oversizing and replacement more often.... Was still more cost efficient than professional sailboat rigging and swaging.... The big boats started doing it out of necessity in far flung remote destinations saw that it worked & stuck with it .... We never felt compelled to invest in our own crimping tool, but did keep a couple of emergency bolt swages, which we never needed

Good stuff, brother! Thanks!

Excellent overview of things to consider with your first boat purchase!

I bought a Snipe very cheap intending to just use the trailer and some of the rigging, the rudder, and maybe the jib or even the mainsail if I had it cut down by my boat top people. After I got it home and looked it over more I thought I might try to sail it first. I have property on a lake and we have a lot of fun there in the summer fishing, swimming, paddle boarding, etc. After watching many youtube videos on the snipe I wondered if I might be to learn how to sail it. I can get help from my son who lives on a 36 foot sailboat, so maybe I would just try to be the crew at first. It looks like it wouldn’t be that hard to capsize a Snipe but we could do some practice capsizing and recovery. The wind is seldom heavy and the waves are never really an obstacle on this lake. Can a beginner learn to sail on a Snipe or is that too far a reach?

Tim this is a great video for the first time Sailboat owner! I grew up on the water in the Lower Chesapeake Bay on power boats, when I was 28 I bought my first sail boat a Catalina 22, two years latter I bought a Irwin 45 Ketch having sailed that same boat before buying it for 6 months with help. It was a big jump and I was lucky the previous owner and I where very good friends. I have many many happy days of sailing on both boats.

Thank you so much. I've been waiting for a video like this. You pretty much answered all the questions I had about what to look for, for a first sailboat ⛵

I had extraordinary luck with my boat (yes, first "big" boat), a 1971 Grampian 30, in the years 1993-2003. I looked at perhaps 50 boats beforehand, in the 24-36 foot range and chose the boat for its livability, toughness and price. I had some embarrassments and scary moments, but none ever had serious consequences, which I have to attribute to the strength of this particular boat and the soundness the first owner built into her. I did read a lot and talk with people, so by the time I bought her I knew what needed to be done, but still, when I look back, I really got away with a lot of things which could easily have turned out differently. For eight of those years, I lived on her full time, sailing Georgian Bay and Lake Ontario. So many things learned, so many memories.

Hi Tim. Love your videos. So much great information. I learn something every time I watch. I´m almost 63 now, but learned to sail on a lake in the UK when I was a boy. In my 40s, living in Canada, my best friend bought a 26 Columbia and I helped teach him how to sail it on the waters off Powell River, B.C.. Two years later he moved up to a 27 C&C which I even got to take out by myself. On one of several trips to N.Z. I got to crew on a Maxi race boat one night in the Bay of Islands and steer another boat on a different trip. I hope, in the near future, to be able to buy my own sailboat and explore BC´s islands and waterways. Hopefully something like the 27 C&C, but you make a good argument for a smaller craft. Thanks so much: Harry.

Thanks for this episode you answered a lot of my questions. Good stuff Lady K!

This is great advice. Thank you 😊👍

This was a very informative and well presented video with some very valuable info, thank you for making it. As someone who's owned ski, fish/ski or sport boats as they are called and bass boats as well as being raised on a lake I know I love the water and may at some point take up sailing. One thing I learned early on is the old saying of, "A boat is a hole in the water into which one throws money". I think it's as true or truer today than the day I first heard it in my teens. The cost vs the enjoyment for me is worth it and the price some of my bass boats could have easily set me up with a very nice cruiser. So who knows maybe before my times up I'll give it a go for a year or two. I do know I want to see the islands before I die. I have a dream of being in a nice protected anchorage that I am able to watch both the sundown and sunrise over the island...

We wanted to have enough room for the 4 of us to sleep on. I then did some research about different boats (your recent videos would be VERY helpful for those now looking!). After that we determined our budget and went looking. Made sure to get a survey and boom! C&C 33-II and love it. No real experience, took 3 CPSS courses. Had to bring it home from Iroquois on the St. Lawrence to Whitby. Took us two full weekends and motored most of the way. An adventure we’ll not forget.

First big boat took the wife to Bermuda for a week, did a couple days sailing in perfect weather then back to the boat show in Philadelphia and boat an islander 28. great boat had for 6 years and sold it because of lack of time to use it. Now at 75 I think I might be to old...

Excellent topic. Wish I had this info before I purchased my first.

I am no expert having only owned two sail boats but do agree that your first boat should fall into the desposible class. We purchased a Chrysler 22 swing keel on a trailer as our first vessal and it served us well and was very affordable. This boat was the foundation for our self taught sailing experience. We have since upgraded to a 1989 IP35 on the Great Lakes a move which would have been impossible (at least for us) without that first ownership experience.

Thank you!

Good info on buying a sailboat, considering buying one in the future. I have a 16 hobbie cat for years, truly love it. Also sailed on a 30 Catalina. Would really like to get one. Thanks again.

Thanks for the great advices. 👍👌 Our first sailboat is Hunter Legend 37 and we will be our new full-time home! ⛵🌴🍻

My first boat... What I would look for in a first boat in coastal waters/ cruising Bilge Keel (can anchor on a nearby sandbank) Under 10meters (cheaper mooring when in marinas) Well maintained inboard motor AND THE MAIN REQUIREMENT.....Know the boats' history, if possible sit down and have a chat with the previous owner.

Most folks are married or have a partner. Many people , maybe a quarter of the women I've known... are uncomfortable and anxious on the water (some men as well I guess). For that reason, if filial companionship is important to you, make sure she isn't frightened of the water. For this reason, I would jump right to the 25 or 26 foot range, especially if you have kids. The cockpits are deeper, the freeboard is higher, and there is a cabin to duck into, with a little camping potti (don't discount the importance of that last). Another good thing to do is rent a boat at a vacation destination. Even one afternoon can tell you a lot about how they will react. Personally, I already had a sailboat when I got married, and I later realized she didn't like being on the water (even though I had only drowned 3 or 4 guests by then lol). Folks used to ask why my ex rarely went sailing, I replied: "If she suddenly liked sailing, I would have to take up golf!" Half kidding.

Good video. I' like you' think small for the first boat. If you can sail a Wayfare or a CL16 well you can sail a 30-35ft well. All to often we see people buy a 35ft for the first boat and hurt themselves/others or the boat from lack of knowledge. Stay safe and well. Cheers

Great advice would love to hear more on keels. I’m presently sailing a Leisure 17 but want to upgrade in the next year or so to something I can take further afield. However I live in East England which is the home of the twin or bilge keel (a lot cheaper to moor up) which isn’t the best for sailing upwind so considering biting the bullet and paying 3 x as much in mooring fees.

Great advice!

I started on a 420 dingy with my wife and kids, kept that for 6 months then upgraded to a sonata 6.7 trailer sailer. Love it as it teaches you how to handle strong winds in a small size yacht. Like in my KZfaq channel, we love the experience of having to travel different areas relatively quickly.

I think a first time sailboat should be what you think you want and what you can use. Go out sailing with someone to learn. And if it is a Great Lakes sailing or ocean get one that has a head, sleeping and cooking and somewhat live aboard like 24 and up. If you planned on dragging it home 8 or 9 ft wide maximum ( depends on mileage from the water) my first boat was American 24 with a 2 stoke mercury. I had a bottle gas stove, ice locker, Porta Potti standing headroom with the step down Keel. The boat glass was around 4 inches thick on the bottom and it had a trailer my father had it before me and he pulled it with a 1979 Cadillac a newer heavier v8 car can do it but not recommend but a f150 like no problem. And if you add goodys when post it for sale add them in and stand firm if they are up to date. Now outboard motor I would go 4 stoke and they do make diesel outboards too. Look at what places you want to sail to and what supplies are available. And if you planned on sailing to other island country you may want good storage and water tanks.

Good advise. My first boat will be an ocean going catamaran which I will buy within the next 2 years. Sailing have been my main hobby for the past 25 years. I sail with the club sailboat quit a bit and did many Charters. You can sail and learn without owning a sail boat. Ownership has its good points but can be a lonely affair.

Still like my first real sailboat San Juan 21 mk2. Now I'm on my second Newport 30 mk2 ( starting to see a mk2 pattern lol) bought her as a nearly stripped hull so I didn't get many surprises on the structure, but she'll get alot of work to rebuild but should be perfect for a liveaboard for me when she's done.

Have lessons, don't sail on you own. (If you want to live on the boat, it changes the equation completely. You will want a longer boat in decent condition and will need to spend more money for it. However, you will have more money if it's your only home!)

What a brilliant video mate.

Thanks for the video! Im looking to get a sailboat thats bluewater ready but only need the space for myself or one other person. Im kind of frugal in the sense that I dont want all sorts of onboard entertainment and/or luxuries. Just mainly the bare essentials and storage for oceanic passages. But realistically I'll mostly be in the Caribbean as home port will most likely be San Juan or somewhere near the Florida Keys. EDIT: The reasoning behind frugality is I plan to live on the boat indefinitely.

First was a dinghy 14' open cockpit 1969 O'Day Javelin on a trailer ($1K) then a 1979 Catalina 27 (I/B Universal 5411 diesel and roller furling headsail so not a racing C27 with the O/B) (

I’m back with another question (thought!)? If I would ever leave the marina, would be a short (few days) sail to maybe the keys and would never sail beyond the Caribbean! I’m thinking a 30 ft full keel, but I really like the open back boats! Stay safe! Dreamer!!

This video is gold!! My case exactly wanting to sail in the Mediterranean for now starting from Greece where i come from . Do you have more videos about " someone's first sailboat "? I have watched the videos with the different price categories for sail boats and they are also very helpful . Thank you 100 times! :D

good tips here!

Thank you as always Tim! You are definitely a Wealth of knowledge and helpful as I am in the research process still. A big thing that I’ve been toiling over with is the first boat size. I have boating experience. I’ve been behind the tiller. But I’m no sailor. Anyways I think bigger on my first boat is my path. And wonder how you feel(I guess just how crazy is this? I know you think smaller is better as I’ve watched your videos)? I feel it would be determined on the person and what experience of course.But surely it’s not on doable?! Full keel with bow thrusters thirtyish feet so I can get a proper head and Galley and space for me and the dog. Port of origin, off Texas coast, more than likely will be a late 60s Alberg 30. And honestly anybody’s point of you that has read this far would be appreciated.