Here are 15 tips for choosing a sailboat. The goal of this guide is to help you purchase a new or used sailboat that will allow you to sail peacefully on a boat that matches your sailing plan, budget, and the enjoyment of the entire crew.
This guide, designed to help you choose the right sailboat, aims to assist you in your decision-making process before purchasing your future sailboat. It will guide you in understanding your needs and finding the ideal boat. Finally, it should also support you in making the final decision with some tips during the sailboat visit.
The Sailing Plan
Everything starts with your sailing plan. Indeed, before rushing to browse boat listings or visiting every possible sailboat at boat shows, you need to ask yourself a few questions. These questions will impact your choice of boat. You won’t buy a 12-meter sailboat for day trips or a pure racing sailboat to sail with your family for just 15 days a year. Your sailboat must align with your sailing plan. Here are the questions to ask yourself:
- Why do I want to buy a sailboat?
- How many times will I sail in a year?
- How long will my sailing trips last?
- Will my sailing plan involve cruising, racing, day trips, or transatlantic crossings?
The Sailboat Purchase Budget
Once your sailing plan is clear, let’s address another important topic: money. Whether we like it or not, the thickness of our wallet will impact the choice of our future sailboat. And the cost of a sailboat includes the purchase price and additional expenses. When I talk about budget, I’m not referring to available money, but to the amount you can allocate to buy your future sailboat without affecting other family budgets. I invite you to ask yourself two questions:
- What is my budget for purchasing my sailboat?
- What is my budget for annual maintenance?
New or Used Sailboat?
Should you buy a new or used sailboat? This question is not, in my opinion, the most important, but it can influence your choice of boat. Keep in mind that the older your boat is, the more it will require, in addition to maintenance, significant replacement costs (mast, sails, engine, fittings, hull osmosis, etc.). However, opting for a used boat also allows you to choose a sailboat that is already well-equipped and optimized. Here, we face a very personal choice.
The Crew
The question of who will sail with you is also very important. For example, you might love racing and sailing on a sailboat that skims the water with its rail. But if your spouse and children don’t enjoy it… you risk sailing alone often, or not at all.
Conversely, perhaps you plan to sail alone. In this case, choosing a sailboat designed for solo sailing will be important. Not all sailboats have the same behavior or character. You will find the answer to this question through trials, reviews, and discussions with sailors. So ask yourself these questions:
- Does my family enjoy sailing?
- Can I sail alone?
- Do my children enjoy sailing?
The Different Types of Sailboats
Logically, all these initial questions should have already helped us clearly identify the sailboat we need. We should already know what we are looking for. You should be aware that there are several types of sailboats. Each type of sailboat is suited to a specific program, type of sailing, and crew. I invite you to check out the complete guide to the different types of sailboats.
The Marina Berth
Now, let’s move on to another topic, which is not the simplest: the marina berth. You will need to find a solution for your sailboat’s home port. You will have a choice between marinas with a berth on a pontoon, ports with mooring buoys, anchoring areas, dry ports, or even a transportable boat. I encourage you to explore all options.
- Marinas
- Small ports without pontoons
- Associative anchoring zones
- Dry ports
- Garage or garden for a transportable sailboat
The availability you find will impact the sailboat you choose, especially its size.
The Size of the Sailboat
The size of the sailboat depends on several factors, in my opinion. Indeed, the length of your boat will depend on:
- Your available marina berth
- Your sailing plan
- Your budget
- Possible road transport
- The versatility of your sea outings
Multihull or Monohull?
Ah, the famous question of choosing between multihull and monohull. What to do? When choosing your sailboat, you will have to decide between:
- A monohull
- A catamaran
- A trimaran
The trimaran has the advantage of speed and stability. However, living space will be limited, and marina berths will be difficult to find (unless it is transportable and has foldable arms). The catamaran will be ideal for long cruises where living space is important. Finally, the monohull is the most versatile sailboat and the easiest to maintain.
The Type of Ballast
Here, we will focus mainly on monohulls. The choice of ballast is crucial. You won’t do the same thing with a deep-draft keelboat or a dinghy.
The dinghy will allow you to sail close to the coast and run aground at low tide. Conversely, the keelboat will perform better at sea.
But you can also choose a sailboat with a lifting keel, which is an excellent compromise between the two. It’s up to you to choose the type of ballast that suits you best.
Winter Storage
Winter storage options and your winter sailing plan are also important. Will you take your boat out every winter? Will you leave it on its pontoon or bring it home every winter?
This question will help you refine your annual budget, as winter storage for a boat also has a cost.
Equipment
Now, I think we have a very clear idea of our future boat. Now, we need to focus on the equipment the boat needs. This equipment will have a cost and must be included in your purchase budget. This equipment can include:
- A GPS-chart plotte