Today I share some of the best tips. Again, thanks to everyone who contributed.

I’ve always had very modest boats and the trick there is to be patient. I knew I couldn’t take on a project but could fix the cosmetics so I found boats that needed some “updating” but not full restoring.

Edward

I like to inspect a boat out of the water and then put it back in and take her through her paces with a couple of test sails.
If you get a larger boat you might want to hire a surveyor.
Here is a link to a survey check list that I have used in the past.

Joe Rouse

As a yacht broker, the best advice I can give to you is get a very good surveyor! Don’t hire the cheapest one, get the one with good references and credentials. Be there at the survey and do not be afraid to ask questions. The surveyor works for you and you should take full advantage of this. This is also the best time to learn about the systems in your soon to be new boat before they break on you, and they will.

Chris Dowling

DO buy the boat you can afford now, and sail now.

Don’t believe everything you hear or read is true … or at least, will be true for you and your needs and comfort level.

Pat

1.buying a boat will be one of the most enjoyable things to do - if and only if you use it
2.Buy a boat with the ability to be able to sell it in 5 years time - always look at the next owner
3.Make sure the lady/bride is onboard with your crazy adventure
4.then here is the risky (or less risky) approach.

Enjoy the water and be kind to those closest to you.

Corinthian

My comment is to NOT buy a wood boat. Buy a boat that is in great condition so all you have to do is maintain it, which is enough work all by itself. Projects on a boat have a way of distracting one from actually sailing. Just say NO to a Project Boat.

IF your wife has horses, just plan on sailing solo.

Count Enrico Ferrari

I say buy a dinghy that fits in your backyard.  One with roller furling jib, spinnaker, easy trailer or hoist launching.

The relatively unknown Buccaneer 18 (Buccaneer18.org) provides sailing experience with much of the same equipment you’ll find on most any large boat….and then CHARTER the large boat when you need a “big water” fix.

Emory Heisler

… my comment to first time boat owners is to buy an older, well maintained Catalina 30. They are commodious down below–very nicely done indeed. They sail well, and they are very competitive if you are willing to buy some quality sails, keep the bottom clean and the other things one does. There are lot of used boats around that have been owned for years by original owners who maintain them very well. They are easy to sell with a large market so if you chose to bail after a year or two your loss will be minimal. There is no way to go wring if you buy a well maintained boat.

Doug Mills

Rent

There are a number of issues when buying a new boat or your first boat. I will assume that you have sailed before.

First question you need to answer for yourself is “What do I want to do with this boat”
1 Either Yacht racing or Cruising or a combination of both. Answering this question will put in the right direction if the type and design of boat you would like to buy.
2 Next identify 1-2 designs you like then try to sail on that design before buying this give you an idea of the boat appointments and capabilities.
3 make you final choice to the design then look for a suitable boat via boat yards and yachting mags.

Decide on a number of boat you might purchase then look them over personally

Ask the prospective seller the following question.
1. How often have you sailed this boat. If they sailed the boat once in 5 year whack 30% off the asking price, a boat that has not been sailed regularly will require more maintenance before you can go sailing

2 Ask to see the different appointments on the boat then ask to see them operating thus ensure that what ever you buy is in working order appointment that are not working whack off money as this is what you will have to pay to get them working.

Once you’ve found the prospective boat and the prospective seller that has shown and given the answers that satisfy you settle on a price now ask for all the paper work manuals service record of all the equipment on the boat. this save you a lot of heartache and pain when you have to work and service them.Buy the boat.

Once you’ve got the boat in you home port go through it once again from stem to stern mailing a list of things that need you attention

Stat with those that will get you boat sailing if you’re lucky it will be ready to sail. Start fixing but most of all start sailing and enjoying your boat.

WE bought a VD Stadt 34 in 2006 and are sailing regularly and still working on our to-do list.

Please understand work and maintenance to keep your pride and joy sailing never stops!!!

Enjoy which ever boat you buy but most of all sail her regularly

Have you considered taking up quilting?

What about the situation where you have hired a professional skipper? You have to admit that the situation where your employee (the skipper) commands you to do something you may not like, is something which does not occur in other forms of business or social life !! But please bear in mind that you are paying this guy to do precisely this. If he doesn’t, then he is not doing his job properly and you must remember that in extreme situations your life may depend on his decisions and commands, and the way you react to them. There are three aspects regarding the skipper and I will analyse them for you:

a. You are the Skipper You must discuss your position with your family and friends IN ADVANCE, preferably before you even book the holiday. Having chosen you as skipper, they have to understand that your word is LAW on board. If they can not accept this then do not accept the position. If you are the only one with sailing experience you can always accept the position of navigator, and let someone else be skipper, however if the crew can not all accept your original conditions you would be well advised not to make the trip, as the chances of failure are very high. It has to be understood that the skipper’s authority is not only confined to emergency situations where you are about to hit rocks (they will certainly accept commands then) but have to cover all the mundane daily tasks involved in living on board.

For example, there are 6 men in the crew, it has been a long and exhausting day and you have just enjoyed a magnificent dinner of fried fish, which you have bought at the local market, washed down with a sufficiency of good local white wine and are now sitting together to enjoy a coffee and brandy. BUT there is a huge pile of dirty plates, pans - approaching deck-high. Who is going to do the washing-up, when everyone is tired and a volunteer does not appear? To leave them will smell the cabin out - having eaten fish. But it has to be done and you have to ask, or eventually command, someone to spend the next hour doing the unpleasant job. If you don’t, then what started out as a very pleasant evening will end up with arguments as to who will do what, and when - and it will all be your fault !

This example may be extreme but you would be surprised how many holidays are spoiled because these seemingly trivial issues are not handled properly. If the crew chose you as skipper they must accept your word as law. Good leadership skills by you, making sure that the crew all share the dirty jobs, as well as the rewarding ones, including yourself in the various domestic tasks, will ensure a happy ship and a subsequently enjoyable holiday.

b. You are the crew - and you have to choose the Skipper Again, an early decision is by far the best. If more than one crew member has sailing experience choose the one with the additional leadership skills rather, than the purely technical sailor. You should choose someone you respect and whose orders you will follow without question. Respect on someone’s skills has nothing to do with age. How many children these days know more about computers than their fathers ?? During the trip you must follow the skipper’s orders without question. If the skipper appears to be picking on you and you seem to be getting more than your share of a particular job - don’t argue in front of the rest of the crew, just do it - and then have a quiet word with the skipper about your feelings quietly and in private later.

c. You hired a professional skipper for your holiday

Well, this is an article by itself and will be published separately in the short future.

MYTH: Boating is expensive. It’s not. In fact, it probably costs less to buy and operate a boat than you think. Following are a few examples: $10,000 to $18,000 is the average price for a 17- to 19-foot outboard-powered family runabout. $6,000 to $9,500 for the average aluminium fishing boat with outboard motor or cottage sailboat. Most boats with a selling price above $5,000 can be financed. Many banks, financial institutions and credit unions provide financing for boats. Local boat retailers also provide customized boat loan programs through arrangements with boat manufacturers or local banks. Finally, check boating magazines for financiers’ advertisements. Interest rates have continued to be affordable. MYTH: Boating takes up time I can’t afford. It’s true. Like never before, everyone is so . . . busy. But boating is totally flexible - your family can use a boat as much or as little as you wish. Your boat is ready to go whenever you are. That means you can mesh your boating fun with your busy schedule. Try that with a ball game, soccer league or tee-off time at a golf club. Spending time with your family on a boat really is quality time. Activities on the water can include fishing, water-skiing, tubing and much more. Sharing the fun with friends makes it even better!

MYTH: There’s too much involved in maintaining a boat. With today’s technology, there is very little maintenance required. All it takes is filling it up with gas - just as you do with a car - and some preventative maintenance your dealer will do at a minimal cost. Before a boat is stored for the winter it requires an oil change and cleaning - that’s it!

Boating is a great activity, particularly for the family!

The engine has always been my greatest problem and I have this constant nightmare of breaking down whilst away from shore. The last thing that I want to do is to call for help and admit to everybody that I was not ready. Spanners, screwdrivers, engine tool kit and a few essential spares are of course a necessity but the Chain Block and the torque wrench, the hydraulic spanner and the ten-pound hammer? I am not so sure that I will ever really need them at sea.

What are you going to do with them? Lift the engine off the block and do a complete strip down whilst bobbing on the water? Let us look into this before we dive in and fill the boat up full to the brim with unessential items. Before we fill up the cabin drawers with tools of all shapes and sizes and electrical equipment that would stretch your power supply to its limits. It must be remembered that if the problem is a serious one then nine times out of ten you will not have the correct spare part anyway! So what do you really need before you make a storeroom out of every available space onboard?

Tools are essential and maybe the saving grace to any that lose their power at sea. Tools are required to unblock a fuel filter or cure a leaking pipe, but you are not going to be doing a complete overhaul so leave the 18” monkey wrench behind along with the engine lifting frame and the welding machine. Leave them safely at home in the garage and set sail with the minimum of required tools for essential repairs. Have in your boat enough tools to do the job and leave plenty of space for all the food and goodies that will make the trip into what you dreamt it would be like. Don’t turn your boat into a nightmare with unnecessary tools falling out of cupboards and leaving oily stains everywhere, just have what you need and set sail happily. Don’t have your friends and guests complaining of stubbed toes and bruises on the head as they work there way through the cupboards whilst searching for some food to eat!

The crucial point to remember about engine maintenance and repair is that it should all have been done before you left port. The engine and auxiliary equipment should be in a good condition and able to do the job it is meant to do before you take the last rope off the jetty. So any repairs and work should have been carried out before you even thought of stocking up for the trip. When you set sail you should have underneath you a boat ready and prepared for all occasions, one that you can trust in to do the job that it is required to do.

In many situations the amount of equipment that you carry does depend on the skills that you yourself possess. First of all, if you are not very good at engine overhauls then it is pointless to have the larger pieces of equipment anyway. If you are good at doing engine overhauls and have knowledge about what you are doing then you should not have set sail with a faulty engine in the first place. It is possible that you breakdown through no fault of your own but it is far better to have a good communication system to call for help and swallow your pride than to try and fix the engine yourself.

Essential items therefore consist of a set of spanners, a couple of hammers, a set of screwdrivers, and an adjustable wrench. One monkey wrench of a small size, filter removal strap for the Fuel filters and LO filters, hand crank handle if the engine is small, a spare set of batteries, some spare Lubricating Oil and some odds and ends of screws and nuts and bolts. Along with these items should be the engines tool kit, essential spares for the engine including a couple of injectors, fuel filter and LO filter inserts and anything else that the manufacturer recommends for that engine.

Leave behind the Chain Block, the large Monkey Wrench and the Hydraulic Spanners. Leave behind the spare heads and the spare crankshaft and all the spares that require the use of a chain block. Make sure before you leave that the engine is in top working condition and that you can trust in its ability to take you where you want to go without breaking down on the way. And finally make sure that your communication system is suitable and in a good working condition, so that if a problem does arise help is not far away.

There is no pride to think of when you breakdown. Safety is of a higher priority.

The cruising season runs from March to early November. Spring weather can be cool, or delightfully warm during the day, but cool at night. The water is not warm enough for swimming until early to mid-May but spring offers a fantasy of colours in the ubiquitous wildflowers that cover the islands.

Tip: All seasons in the Mediterranean are great but a great secret to travelling there is taking advantage of the off-season lower rates and weather conditions. There are advantages to every month but we believe our clients would like going when there are fewer people and they can really experience the country. Best of all, there are relatively few tourists around. You can see Greece the way it “should” be seen.

May, June, September and October offer good winds, although variable, and summertime temperatures during the day with pleasant nights. One can swim through the middle to end of October comfortably. July and August are subject to stronger winds in the main group of islands, the Cyclades, but not everyday. Our assistance in itinerary planning can help to avoid the main force of the winds. Since most charterers come to Greece in the spring and fall, we actually offer a discount on certain boats during July and August. (Call us for details.) Late fall in Greece is positively delightful. The crowds are relatively non-existent, the temperatures can be warm and Greece returns to a regular routine. Weather can vary but the serenity is most appealing.

What Kind of Charter Do You Need?

By reading through our site, you can determine the best time to go, whether or not to take a skipper and how long your trip should be. Choosing the right boat should follow these other questions you must consider:

How many people in your group, therefore how many berths….singles? doubles? Do you need a sailing yacht, motor yacht or motorsailer ?

Will you be taking a skipper? Skippers can sleep in a skipper cabin, a guest cabin or sometimes in the main saloon (but not always).

If bareboat, up to what size are you comfortable handling? Please note that the laws in Europe require at least two qualified people on board.

If with a skipper, consider the level of comfort you wish within the limits of your budget? ..but remember, we can help you sort this out.

An alternative is a flotilla. This is a group of boats travelling together with groups, singles or couples, sometimes with an educational aspect to them. It is accompanied by one or more skippers to provide local knowledge. Some flotillas are primarily bareboat and some are crewed. If you like this option, you can still choose any boat you prefer. If your boat choice fits within our regularly offered options for the flotilla, then there will be no change. If your boat choice is different, the price can easily be adjusted. Our flotilla packages usually include air and land arrangements for an all-inclusive package.

How Long Should the Trip Be ?

We believe that 7 days should be the minimum for most Greek charters but we feel that 10 days allows you the best itinerary. We believe you will agree when you begin to plan. (A&A Yachting Destinations is one of the few companies allowing you the flexibility of chartering for 10 or more days rather than in increments of a week.) For longer charters, 21 days or more, there are discounts available. Regardless of the length of trip, we will give you expert advice, having lived and sailed there extensively, we know the best routes to take given the length of your trip.

For the other countries we service, charters must be in increments of 7 days and should begin, for the most part on Saturdays. Therefore, we recommend flying to the country you choose by midweek and spending a day or two at the major city. We can help you determine the best way to use your time. Then, you pick up your boat at 5 pm on a Saturday and disembark at 9 am on a Saturday. You may wish to add a few days at the end for inland touring and then return home. In all countries, 7 days gives you a taste of the area but we highly recommend 14 to have a more in-depth experience

With or Without Skipper ?

Chartering “bareboat” refers to chartering the yacht without professional crew aboard. If you have experience skippering similarly sized yachts, you can charter bareboat. The wind conditions vary (see “When to Go”) but the waters are relatively deep and there are no tides, no noticeable currents, few banks, reefs or shoals. Sailing on its own is relatively easy but there are other reasons to consider hiring one of our captains, particularly if this is the first time in the area. First, one anchors in a method called “Mediterranean Mooring” which involves backing the boat to the pier after having set the anchor off the bow.

This is unfamiliar to most people. Second, there are so many wonderful details about these countries which a skipper can show you…the best restaurants and food delights, the tiny coves around the corner, interesting people, good shopping, etc. And while language is not a barrier for the most part, a skipper of the local speaker can truly enhance your experience.

Using your skipper as a guide will enable you to get the most out of the vacation….and he will allow you or teach you to do as much sailing as you wish! We will ask you lots of questions regarding what sort of person you would like as your skipper and help you choose from the very best skippers available.

Navigation, weather, sail trim, currents and their set and drift, are all elements that make sailing what it is, a great great historical and traditional pastime. But, it takes training, education and practice.
At least, that’s what we’ve been led to believe for years. To be a Sailor, you need to be a better sailor, than a Power Boater. Everyone knows this, so it must be the case. But is it really the case?

Granted, there are more tangibles involved with sailing. Again, you have wind, current, sail, trim, and tacking. But a power boat also has wind, current, sail to some degree, and trim. Navigation for a sailor is more complex, only because a sailboat tacks.

What’s tacking and why do it? Sailboats can’t sail directly into the wind, so they need to take routes that are at least 45º off the direction of the wind. This causes the sailboat to take one or more legs to reach a waypoint, should that waypoint be to windward. As we all know, the closest route between two points is a straight line (except when the distances are large, then great circles are shorter, but that’s another story).

Since a sailboat many times needs to tack, they are actually travelling farther than a power boater who just has to deal with set and drift. Set and drift refer to the direction and speed of a current. Typically it used to refer only to the water current, but wind plays an important part in determining set and drift. In fact this is a major factor when the Coast Guard is performing a Search and Rescue mission and trying to locate a lost vessel based on sketchy or old information, as to the last known position.

If you’re a new boater or sailor and you realize that you didn’t really understand many of the terms that have been used (and or defined), maybe you should consider under-taking some boating education. Boating is fun, sailing is fun, but they do require more information than just jumping behind the wheel or tiller and starting an engine.

Boating and sailing can also be dangerous, since they are a sport which relies on Mother Nature. The seas can be affected by weather patterns hundred’s of miles away. The weather can change dramatically in just a few minutes. Coast lines, shoals, rocks, submerge objects can take a leisurely afternoon and turn it into either a 6 to 12 hour wait or even worse, if you happen to hit bottom (called grounding).

In the final analysis, all boaters, regardless of whether you pilot a personal watercraft (PWC), a skiff, a row boat, a cabin cruiser or a sail boat, need to understand and appreciate what boating/sailing is all about.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary has been providing public boating and navigation courses for sixty-three (63) years. We provide basic boating safety courses, basic and advanced navigation courses, as well as a on-the-water program where you can put into practice some of the information you’ve learned with trained members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

2. How to Croatia ?
Traveling by car you have to keep in mind that the traffic is increased in summer season. National ferry line is http://www.jadrolinija.hr and the national airline company is http://www.croatiaairlines.hr

3. Where in Croatia ?
Although the inland of Croatia is beautiful as well, lot of tourists decide for one of the places along the Croatian coast. Most of the beautiful places in Croatia are located on the Adriatic sea coast ( National Park Brijuni islands, Roman arena in Pula, National Park Kornati islands, old towns Dubrovnik, Zadar, Trogir, Sibenik, Split, National Park island Mljet …). Having one day trip in inland you can visit more Croatian beauties like National Park Plitvice lakes, National Park on river Krka, National Park Paklenica, …)

4. Stay (sail) in Croatia ?
Usually tourists rent a hotel room or an apartment and spend a week laying on a beach not aware that there are plenty other places around worth to be visited. Instead of changing hotels and moving your stuff
from one place to another trying to see as much as possible , you can rent a boat ( skipper if necessary ),
visit all the places along the Croatian coast and islands and have an extraordinary holidays.

Croatian coast has 1000 of islands so there are no big waves and high sea. The conditions are perfect for nice and easy sailing. There are no long distance routes across the open sea. You can anchor anytime you want and take a swim. The price for sailing holidays in Croatia is equal to price for a hotel accommodation.

More about yacht charter in Croatia find on web site www.sailingeurope.com .There you can find a complete yacht charter offer in Croatia: more than 1500 charter yachts belonging to all relevant charter companies in Croatia ( having at least 10 to 100 boats in their fleet). You can compare the prices for different boat models and select the most appropriate one.

To answer the question how to enjoy in Croatia - sail in Croatia!

Add to that the fact that you have chosen an idyllic setting for your holiday - “away from it all” - for example the Ionian Islands in Greece (the Caribbean, Turkey, or any other exotic location would be similar), where you can not expect the natives to be as trained and proficient as those in the Hamble.  A recent TV commercial for a Jamaican rum shows the very situation.

Let us look at an example - how you should react - how you should carry out the necessary damage limitation steps - and tips as to how you can smooth out the resulting aggravation.

Let’s say you have chartered a yacht in the Ionian Sea, in Greece, for a week.  Everything starts off well - until the morning of Day 3, when you are in Ithaca and THE ENGINE WILL NOT START.  After a few vain attempts at sourcing the cause of the malfunction you call the contact number given to you for such eventualities, and a polite individual listens to your problem and says; “Don’t worry, Mr Jones, somebody will come very soon and look at your engine”.  What they will, or should, do is to contact their man on the spot.  Soon Vangelis arrives, spends a couple of hours with his head buried in the engine compartment, covers all your saloon cushions with oil and grease, and emerges triumphantly holding the fuel pump which he says is the cause of the problem.  He states that he will take the pump back to his workshop and repair it.”

How long this repair will take, Vangelis?”  You ask.

Hmm, about a  couple of hours”  is his reply.

Away he goes, with your pump, and as it is already noon on Day 3 of your holiday, you decide to go and have lunch and then wait for the return of Vangelis.  But, there is no sign of Vangelis, or your pump, and much later, as the sun is going down Vangelis’s assistant arrives with the wonderful news that your pump can not be repaired on Ithaca and that it has to go, by ferry, to Patras, where there is a pump specialist, and that it will be returned the next day on the ferry.  Whilst this part of the saga is unfolding your blood pressure has gone sky-high.  You have also made three more phone calls to the local contact and two back to the UK to your yacht charter agency, with whom you booked the charter in the first place.

WHAT YOU DID NOT KNOW was that Vangelis failed to tell you that - since it was noon, he would first have to go for his lunch, then his siesta, then his cup of coffee and THEN he would have a look at the pump.  For him, this is normal behaviour as, working in siesta time is “out of the question” in a place like Ithaca.  After all, you asked him how long it would take to repair the pump - NOT when he would come back.  He didn’t lie - it took him the forecast two hours to find out that he couldn’t fix your pump.

So, here you are, on the morning of Day4 of your holiday, with a vessel broken down, waiting for Vangelis to arrive.  Imagine the state of your blood pressure when noon arrives and no sign of Vangelis.  It is not until late that afternoon that a smiling local arrives and invites you to come and join the local Saint’s Day celebrations.  To work during siesta time is against local customs, BUT to work on the local Saint’s Day is a crime against humanity.  Not only does Vangelis not work on a Saint’s Day but he does not think it appropriate to inform “infidels” of the simple facts of life.  For him it is a day to celebrate and anyone who doesn’t realise that should be dead.

You have, by now, made another ten phone calls to your yacht charter agent and to the local contact, as has the charter agency BUT Vangelis doesn’t answer the phone on a Saint’s Day.  The only thing you can do is to grin and bear it and join in the festivities.  Taking more blood pressure pills or blowing up the village square will not enamour you to the locals, or get your boat fixed - it won’t help you a lot, either.

Now it is the morning of Day 5.  Still the yacht is not functioning and nobody has turned up.  Now is the time to start believing in “God’s Will”.  At around 11 o’clock a smiling Vangelis arrives with your pump - fully functional.  He sets to work probably realising that the look in your eye is not indicative of your good temper and feelings towards him.  Thus, after an unusually reasonable period of time, with the saloon cushions sporting another layer of grease and oil, with engine testing and cleaning carried out, your boat is READY.  However, it is now 5 p.m and too late to set sail for your next port of call, so your departure has to be put off until tomorrow morning.

The morning of Day 6 dawns - and you are ready to sail, BUT a minor detail now crosses your mind - the only destination open to you is back to your original departure Port or Marina as you only had a week’s holiday, your flight home departs tomorrow morning early, and you need to be back in that port that evening !!

What we learn from this story?  However reputable the yacht owner/agency, however new the yacht and its equipment, however well maintained, however careful you may be - this sort of thing can happen to anyone, anywhere.  Just change the names and places and a similar problem can arise.  Don’t forget also that you can be gale-bound in harbour for days on end.