Looking for a serious cruiser? New or used--a discussion... (From Tom and Amanda Neal's web site.)

New Production Boat: Because of a real shortage of quality ocean-cruising boats in the 3-10 year old range, and the high cost and amount of time involved in upgrading a solid 10+ year old boat, purchasing a new production boat is more attractive now than it has been for many years.
Example: if you purchase a 15 year old boat for $80,000 and spend $50,000 replacing engine, sails, wiring, tanks, rigging, electronics and epoxy bottom job using 1-2 years of potential cruising time in the process, you end up with a 17 year old boat, probably worth around $90,000.
A better choice might be a new boat that costs more initially but returns closer to 100% of your investment. You will be out cruising 1-3 years earlier with fewer mechanical breakdowns. For a confirmation of this, read Tom Neale's articles in Cruising World of the unending breakdowns and repairs of his old Gulfstars and Dan Spurr's articles in Practical Sailor of all the years and money he has spent upgrading his old Tartan 44, Viva.
Some people use the justification that since they have rebuilt every system on their boat, they now can fix them in some distant port. I personally would rather spend that time cruising than with my head down in the bilge fixing something that I overhauled a year earlier!
If you buy the right boat, keep it in top condition while you're cruising, you'll find a line-up of folks wanting to purchase it when you've completed your cruise.

In Annapolis since 1972, still owned and operated by the founder, Eric Smith. We're located on the harbor, in the U.S. Sailing capital, Annapolis. We have helped 1,000's of owners customize their boat to meet their specific requirements. We offer full yard and commissioning services, Sailing courses and charters, financing, insurance and complete services in every category.

 

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