Mark -- when the sailing bug bit me, I wanted a boat that could handle my family (wife and two fairly young girls) for weekends and the occasional longer vacation. Being on Lake Superior, I also wanted a boat that was sturdy enough to handle "big water"; and I knew it would have to be used, as that was the only way I could afford it. Diesel for propulsion and propane for cooking, along with hot and cold pressurized water, were also on the list. NOT on the list was racing.
A sailing friend knew about a C&C 30 mkI on his dock that was about to come onto the market due to the death of its owner. After several months of haggling with the daughter who was selling the boat (and asking way too much), I ended up with a nice, solid boat that needed some love. We sailed that boat out of Bayfield, WI for several years, with the kids sleeping up in the V-berth and my wife and I sharing the dinette berth. When the kids got bigger, I wanted to look at larger boats. A friend was interested in his family and mine sharing a larger boat, so we went looking. We found a 1979 Landfall 38 which we ended up purchasing together. That turned out to be a mistake, and my friend has other ideas for how he wanted to use and maintain the boat. He could afford to hire others for maintenance; I couldn't. And he basically just wanted to go up with friends and sail the boat hard for a weekend, not caring about the amenities; I wanted to spend more time cruising, and wanted the comforts not only for me, but to keep the family interested in sailing. We eventually agreed to my buying him out, at which point I was stuck with a much larger boat (and bill) than I had counted on. I've pretty much paid off the loan finally; and I'm really happy with the Landfall 38. Lots of room for family and friends to daysail or overnight, and yet I've set her up so that I can easily single-hand the boat. The first time at the helm after sailing my 30 made me feel like I was helming an aircraft carrier :^) but I quickly became accustomed to the larger boat. She's really seakindly, which I like when out on the big water (the LF38 and the 30mkI were among the stiffest boats C&C built -- see http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/technical/stability.htm). And as she only draws 4'-11", that leaves open the possibility of getting her down to warmer waters and maybe someday doing the Bahamas or…? The only downsides I'm seeing when looking at other boats are the lack of long-range storage and tankage; and the V-berth is really tight for me (I'm 5'-11") -- it's way too crowded at the foot. As others have said, think long and hard about how you really want to use the boat (and where); and be open to lots of boats. But you'd be hard-pressed to do better than a C&C in the used market. Fred Street -- Minneapolis S/V Oceanis (1979 C&C Landfall 38) -- Bayfield, WI
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