Boat Buying Help¿

What you really need to consider is your style of cruising and the amount of stuff you need to carry. Most mainstream production sailboats are sorely lacking in storage and tankage. You need somewhere to put your water and fuel, extra ground tackle, fenders, additional sails, dodgers and sunshades, dinghy and outboard motor, barbecue, foul weather gear, extra clothing, tools, spares, etc. Since most sailboats have nowhere to put all this stuff, it gets piled into the extra berths, and lashed to the deck and stern pulpit. This may be fine for puttering up and down the Intracoastal Waterway, but not for crossing the Gulf Stream. Plus it looks tacky!

I agree with the others about size. However, 30' is pretty tight, and bigger is usually faster. A 30' boat with adequate storage and tankage is probably going to be heavy and slow, with a lot of wetted area and a short waterline. Then again, bigger than 40' can be a handful.

Also, after spending the last 6 summers on a boat with a stern platform, I'd rather not be without one.

Finally, don't spend all your money on the boat itself -- leave plenty for outfitting.