There is no such thing as the perfect boat for everybody. After you have been sailing for a few years, and traded up a couple of times, you may believe you have found the perfect boat for you. But it would probably not be the perfect boat for any of your sailing friends.
Some will want more accommodation. Some will want more performance. For some shallow draft if the first thing they look for - if what they enjoy most is exploring uncrowded creeks. Others, who want to cross oceans, may put deep draft (for stability in bad weather) at the top of their priorities. And so on. So, when you are choosing your first boat, where on earth do you start?
Where am I going to keep it?
This is the first question to answer, even before: How much have I got to spend? Finding a mooring is not always easy, especially in crowded cruising areas like the South and East coasts. Even to find a convenient swinging mooring may involve going on a waiting list for years. Many marinas, too, have waiting lists. So ask around and make sure you have somewhere lined up to “park” your new boat before you take delivery.
It might be that the best you can find is a half-tide mooring in a river with a tricky bar that can only be crossed above half tide - in which case minimum draft and the ability to take the ground (bilge keels, perhaps) would have to be at the top of your shopping list.
On the other hand, you might not be able to find a mooring anywhere within easy reach, in which case a trailer-sailer, which you could keep on the drive at home, and launch somewhere different every weekend, might seem an appealing solution.
If you are lucky enough to find a mooring or marina berth with all states access, these particular limitations won't apply - but there are still all sorts of other considerations to bear in mind.
How do I plan to use it?
A fair weather sailor who prefers only gentle local cruising with lots of family picnics will have very different requirements from someone who wants to race, even at local level, or to cross the Channel or the North Sea.
Be realistic about both present abilities and future ambitions. An ideal “picnic” boat may prove frustrating in the longer term, for its performance under sail is likely to be less than sparkling. On the other hand, some of the best sea boats have relatively cramped accommodation, and might prove equally unsuitable for family sailing with boisterous youngsters.
How well will it protect my investment?
Some classic marques will actually hold their resale value better than some flashier, more modern brands. On the other hand, a newer boat may have significantly lower running costs than an older boat which might need a costly engine replacement, say.
Take advice from as many people as you can
It pays to take some practical training before buying a boat, and a sea school tutor will be able to give unbiased guidance about the sort of boat that would suit both your ability and local conditions.
Yacht brokers too should give helpful pointers. Yes, he wants to make a sale, but he also hopes that you will come back to him to trade up in due course, so he will want you to buy a boat you are going to be happy with. Ask which of the craft on his list he would recommend you to look at - and why he thinks they would be right for you.
If you are thinking of buying a boat, the chances are that you already have friends who sail. Pick their brains, too. Some sort of consistent picture will emerge of the sort of boat that is most likely to suit you.
The pitfall to avoid is falling in love with a particular boat and buying it against the advice of more experienced people. We all know would-be skippers who have bought the wrong first boat - either too racy or too “ploddy”, or a money pit, or impossible to sell on - and been put off sailing for life as a result.
The thing to remember is that somewhere out there, there really is a perfect boat - for you.
