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Cheap Sailboat to Live On? 38 Foot Sailboat for $30,000 - Ep 299 - Lady K Sailing
15 October 2024 · 10 min · 55K views
What this video covers
A $30,000 budget for a liveaboard sailboat allows for the purchase of well-maintained, older production cruisers, though buyers should expect to replace standing rigging and sails. A 1982 Catalina 38, located in Wisconsin, offers a heavy-displacement design with a 20-year-old Yanmar 3G engine and high-quality interior woodwork.1:21 An alternative, the 1983 O'Day 39, provides a three-stateroom, two-head layout but likely requires an immediate engine repower due to high hours on its Universal diesel.4:26 For those prioritizing performance, a 32-foot Sabre in Portland features a deep fin keel and Edson pedestal, though potential core damage near the chainplates requires inspection.7:14 Finally, the Alberg 30 remains a proven, full-keel choice for offshore circumnavigations, offering a simple, robust platform compatible with self-steering gear like the Cape Horn windvane.8:28 Freshwater boats from the Great Lakes region often show less structural corrosion than saltwater counterparts.4:15
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