Sailing or a powerboat??

Question

I've always loved the ocean, I dive and live right off the coast (Long Beach) and now it's time I get a first small boat that is trailable.

I'm a little torn between getting something like a Whaler or RIB inflatable or getting a small sailboat...

I'm looking to cruise around the harbor, looking for something inexpensive and something that can fit in my one car garage.
POSSIBLY taking a trip to Catalina on a nice day or even sleeping over night.. (the last two aren't as important)

Opinions? Recommendations? Boats??

Answer 1

I've owned and operated both. For just a pure dive boat, I'd recomend a small power boat. easy to trailer, easy to operate, fairly good fuel consumption and not dependent on the wind. to live aboard, I chose a 32 ft catalina motor sailor. It had a small 4 cylinder diesal motor for windless days. I could run the diesal all day back in the late 70's and fill it for $10.00 wind is free. I first moored it at Kings Harbor in Redondo beach. but they cracked down on live aboards and I moved it up to ventura harbor. I dove all the channel islands from that boat and lived aboard it for over 18 months, It was so much fun, I plan to retire and live on another motor sailor.
As for going out to catalina, a small power or sail boat is not my first choice. Although at times, the sea is like glass, it can get nasty quick. my father took my family out to catalina in his 21ft Glastron deep v. In the morning the sea was smooth and it was a nice crossing. By that afternoon, the seas were so rough that we could not leave the island. We finally decided to slip in behind the ferry boat on it's last run back to longbeach. This placed us in the wake, sort of down in the "trough" created by the bigger boat. it was smoother there, but we almost got hit by another boat crossing behind the ferry, that did not see us there. My brother bought an inflatable with an outboard as his dive boat in the montery area. I did not like it at all. It rides really rough, you have no place to lock up or secure equipment, it is easily punctured, easy to steal and just plain no fun for the amount it cost. All have good and bad points. you have to look at your budget, your needs, and go from there.
good luck.

Answer 2

Have sailed the Caribbean 40' know have a 48 ' sport-fish> Sailing fine if your not in a hurry and the wind & tide is in your favor which never is > Rigging and de rigging a trailerable sail boat takes a couple of hours & friends> You will have to have a engine to get you in if the weather & tide get bad>So best to get a small boat whaler are fine but your butt & back will be destroyed> Fined 1 that has a semi vee hull> Deflatable or comdom dingy are only good for sail boats as they rub soft against the hull> But always have issues>Fishing , hooks, Anything sharp>and leaks>A small 16' open fisherman is the best bang for your buck>40+hp electric With trim>Key west,Key largo,stile are great>Take a Coast Guard ,power squadern, or a course on rules of the road < boating handling> It will answer a lot of your guestions>

Answer 3

AHOY----Well there are lots of considerations, Sailing takes a lot of experience. ....and you have to have wind. Going out and then having the wind die down means you sit and bake for a while. but sailing is an exacting science--you will need to have all of your abilities everytime you go out---not just pushing and pulling on a throttle and steering back and forth. motorized craft are fun--when they are new--as time goes on, they can get really expensive to maintain--the salt water is very unforgiving. So you go out in any boat for 4 hours and you are cleaning for 8 hours--unless you want a crummy stinky sticky ugly boat. You will need a good instuctional class on navigating--fog can lead you out towards Japan in an instant. You need a radio for those lonely breakdowns---cells hardly work on the water. So how about a sailboat--with a motor to back you up if the wind dies down. the little outboards are not in the way--a 10 gallon tank isn't too big. The biggest boat after a year of lessons and actually sailing??___26 foot Catalina--they are a sweet sailor craft--easily sailed by one person---and a little cabin space for your goods and a nap. It is a little bigger than a Chevy Suburban--so that is a guide for size. You could sail that--no problem !!

Answer 4

I would want a Sailboat myself. Wind is free and many have auxiliary engines to move you along when no wind.
Here a little 22 foot Tanzer in Redondo Beach for $975. Not mention a trailer or engine.
http://www.sailboatlistings.com/cgi-bin/saildata/db.cgi?db=default&uid=default&view_records=1&ID=6129&mh=1
You may have to scroll around as it a big picture.
This a list of all the boats on this site in California.
http://www.sailboatlistings.com/location/California
There really some good deals out your way.
Just be sure you not buy a Stolen Boat. Go here;
http://www.yachtsurvey.com/stolenboat.htm
Also more articles left/right of oval picture. This site mainly focus on powerboats, but, much will pertain to sailboats.

Answer 5

It all comes down to time and personal preference.

Sailing is awesome if the conditions are right and you are not in a hurry to get anywhere.

Powerboating is awesome with the thrill of the speed and ability to make a day trip and know that you can get back home.

I personally have spent hours upon hours "sailing" back from a dinner rendezvous that was 25 minutes away by powerboat. A powerboat is also more convenient for fishing, skiing, tubing, etc., if that is a part of your activity schedule.

Given the choice with my current working life, The powerboat option gives me more versatility with my limited free time.

Either way, HAVE FUN with it!

Answer 6

A nice little trailer sailer like a hartely ts 14 or 16 or a cherry 14-16 would be ideal with say an 8 hp outboard and get lessons on how to use it. Join a local boat association would be a good thing.

Answer 7

Go down to the piers where the boats refuel.

See how much money it costs to fill up one of the big boats. You need to take out a bank loan.

I had a 30ft sail boat in San Diego and when I filled up the Diesel tank it cost me $30.00

Answer 8

Maybe not a lot of people are buying new or old boats at the moment through the recession pending. Most people I know are struggling who are self employed.

Answer 9

i got a 92ft boat with 2 500hp engines and the thing is a gas hog.

Answer 10

SAIL. Then you have far less gasoline expense and less effect on the environment.