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Selecting a cruising boat is one of the most important decisions in preparing for an offshore voyage and often is a pivotal point in the changing of dreams from "Let's take off and go cruising some time", into the reality of "Let's get outfitted and go". Obviously there isn't any single design perfect for everyone; the boat you choose should be safe, comfortable, well built, and ideally capable of fast passages and prove to be a good investment. The process of selecting and purchasing a boat for long distance cruising usually takes a minimum of six to 12 months. First you'll need to research boat types which suit your budget and cruising plans. Be patient, ask questions and learn everything you can and keep an open mind. If your plans are for coastal cruising you'll be able to consider a wider range of boats than those suited for long-distance ocean passages. Secondly you'll need to locate, examine, survey, test sail, complete the purchase transaction and possibly ship or deliver your new boat to a place convenient for outfitting. If you make a poor choice you may be plagued with structural problems, leaks, slow uncomfortable passages, endless repairs and a low resale price. I mention resale price now, because the money used for purchasing a cruising boat often represents a substantial part of many people's life savings. Although sailboats are rarely a "good" investment in strictly monetary terms, you'll want to recoup as much of your original purchase price as possible when it comes time to sell.

Size and Cost
Two of the most important points to remember when selecting a boat are size and cost. The size of boat you select will affect your cruising costs, not only in initial purchase and outfitting, but also in cruising expenses once you're under way. Few people realize that outfitting a stock boat for long distance cruising can easily take 30% to 50% more than the initial purchase price. On a 40' new or used boat, this can mean an additional $20,000 to $50,000 just for essential equipment including additional sails, ground tackle, liferaft, safety gear and tender. This amount excludes optional equipment such as refrigeration, electronics, outboard motors, scuba gear and autopilots. Here is a common scenario: you overspend on the initial purchase of the boat, spend more money on equipment that isn't essential and then run short of funds once you've completed your initial provisioning and have actually started cruising. A better approach, if you're working within a fixed budget, is to spend less on the initial purchase by either purchasing a well-built used boat or a smaller new boat. Purchase the priority equipment first, provision the boat (or set aside $2,000 for it), set aside an average of $700 to $1,800 (for a couple) per month for the period of time you want to cruise. Then see if there is enough money left for the expensive, non-essential but "sure would be nice to have" equipment. From my observations and experience, the majority of boats cruising for a year or longer are sailed by couples, and a boat in the 35' to 45' size range works out best, particularly if they are new to sailing. The cost, time and energy required to maintain a 50' to 60' boat versus a 35' boat once you're "out there" cruising is significantly higher. When I started cruising the South Pacific in 1974 on a Vega 27, there were many cruisers on shoestring budgets, open-ended cruises on boats under 35'. Today we are seeing people cruising faster on larger boats, covering a lot of countries in a shorter time with a planned cruising time frame. It is no longer an open-ended lifestyle choice, but one that most people experience for two to three years before moving on to the next phase of their life. In general, the median length of cruising boats has been increasing steadily. This may correspond with an increase budget of many cruisers due to the strong stock market and economic climate and the development and improvement of sail-handling systems including furling mainsails and electric winches. Read the rest of the article here.