Selecting a Boat

This site covers boats for sale in the U.S. and Canada. You'll have to create a login and password to search what's for sale. The site also includes links to sites of interest to U.S. and Canadian boaters.

As far as I can tell, this simple and very informative site is maintained by Australian, Rob Lynch. He calls his site "how to buy a boat without getting burnt" or "most things you need to know but have no one to ask." He does a very good job of covering the basics, the vocabulary, and little tricks to watch out for. He also covers prices, materials, and includes links to some online "boats for sail" type web pages. There's also a link to the boats that's he's owned over the years.

This comprehensive and well illustrated book is an excellent guide to long-distance cruising and cruising boats. The thirty-three chapters are grouped under general topics such as: preparing to go; maintenance at sea; safety sloft; at anchor; choosing gear; care of self and crew; seamanship. The Pardeys analyze disasters and even discuss finances and how to pay your way as you voyage. Over the years the Pardeys have become a sort of one-couple consumers reporting service, and the most valuable portions of this book discuss boats, systems, and equipment that were given the ultimate test and how they fared. Photographs add immensely to this section. Lin and Larry Parley have voyaged together for over 26 years, covering the equivalent of 5 circumnavigations on board their own self-built cutters, Seraffyn and Taleisin. Their nine books have been published in both the U.S. and England.

This book details the design, construction, and rigging of boats for long-distance cruising. It's a good book with essential information clearly explained. If you're trying to figure out exactly what type of characteristics you want in a boat (performance, safety, etc) then this book will help in finding the right boat. It will definitely make further investigation more productive. Good illustrations and photographs as well.

A good place to start looking for prices on used boats you might want to try and buy someday.

Soundings is a national newspaper devoted to boating with special regional editions. Its classified section carries thousands of listings of used boats for sail.