The Sailing Shipleys

How we chose our 1982 Pacific Seacraft 37.

It was the spring of 2021 when Jimmy and I decided we needed to start searching for a new sailboat. After a few discussions about our long and short term goals – from the next step in our careers to starting a family – we agreed to seriously consider a sailing sabbatical beginning in the spring of 2022. We had dreams of crossing oceans and exploring northern latitudes, but one small issue: we needed a new boat!

With less than 12 months to find a boat, buy it, get it to where we lived, and refit it for ocean cruising, we knew time was not on our side. Over the course of 10 months, we perused YatchWorld and Sailboat Listings for hours on end, looking at any and all boats that met what we thought was our criteria for a “bluewater” capable boat. Although our (then) current sailboat, Reverie a 1998 Beneteau Oceanis 321, would be capable of crossing oceans, after running into bad weather in the Gulf, we wanted something slightly more comfortable in rough seas.

We created a “must haves” list for our sailboat:

1. Length: 40-45 ft: Big enough to cruise oceans, but small enough for 2 people to sail or single-hand
2. Galley: same size or larger than our U-shaped galley aboard Reverie
3. Two staterooms: We wanted to be able to accommodate guests who might visit, or future children
4. Large head with separate shower: Showering in Reverie‘s wet head was doable but EVERYTHING got wet, and we were like sardines trying to brush teeth at the same time (Jimmy was often relegated to the galley)
5. No major projects: We knew we would have to do a fair amount of refit, but wanted to avoid budget busters like updating rigging, new thru-holes, or complete interior redesign which would cost $$$, time, and professional installation. Small DIY projects like a new sink faucet or buying a life-raft we considered acceptable.
6. Budget $50,000-80,000: Our criteria (and savings) dictated what we could afford. We couldn’t afford a “turn-key” boat, but also didn’t want a cheap fixer-upper. We needed a boat in good shape that wouldn’t drain our savings so we had enough left-over for a refit.

Some of the boats we looked at over the 10 month search included a Northstar 80/20, Kings Legend 41, Pearson 424, Cape Dory 36, Allied Princess 36, and Compass 47 – plus endless more online. One thing we learned in the boat-buying process what how important it was to see a boat IN-PERSON. At the tail-end of the COVID-19 pandemic, and living in Florida, we were fortunate to see many boats in person. This allowed us to not only get a “feel” for the boat, but also make connections within the boating community. One of the first brokers we met helped us evaluate boats and sent us recommendations, which is how we ended up not meeting a lot of the above criteria.

In the end, although we loved the Compass 47, it was out of our budget. Although we loved the Allied Princess, it had A LOT of projects, including some major ones like new standing rigging. Although we loved the Pearson 424, it was in Maine and the logistical challenge of seeing the boat, let alone delivering it to Florida, was out of the question.

We stumbled upon the Pacific Seacraft 37 because of a simple YatchWorld search. She is a yawl-rig which we always loved – meaning she has two masts, and the small mast is located behind the rudder post – looked to be in good shape, was in Jacksonville, FL, and had just had a price reduction to be within our budget. We were already headed to that area to look at a different boat, and stopped by on a whim to see the PCS.

Jimmy was in love immediately. I was more fatigued – this was the 12th boat we had looked at after-all, and we were entering Florida’s humid-hot summer – but I didn’t take much convincing. Kismet had beautiful lines, an ocean-worthy cockpit, a sizeable head (although no separate shower), and good cruising equipment that just needed a little refresh. After crawling around her for 40 minutes, we called the broker and decided to make an offer – just like that! After some negotiations, we agreed on a price and the sale was contingent on survey, which is a house-inspection for boats.

We know, we bought a boat that did not meet a lot of our original criteria. Kismet is on the small side at 37 ft. Her galley is slightly smaller than the one on our Beneteau, but has more storage space. She has ONE stateroom, and a small quarter berth. She has a wet-head, and a lot of small projects (composting head, new galley and head faucets, fix fridge/freezer, un-pickle water-maker, update life raft, install radar, the list goes on…). The purchase price was middle of the ground at $64,500.

So why did we buy a boat that seems so far away from what we though we wanted? Well, the answer is, our wants and desires changed, and we were constrained by what was available on the market at the time. We came to the realization that a boat in the 40-44 ft range would either be out of our budget, or require work we didn’t have time to do. We accepted that we could do without two staterooms and did not need a dry head because if family ever came to visit, they would probably just stay at a hotel. We compromised the slightly smaller galley with more storage, not just in the galley, but the rest of the boat. And most importantly, we bought the reputation of Pacific Seacraft.

A good friend told us to buy the boat that was best for us now, not one we thought we would want in the future. That was our original mistake – trying to buy a boat for a family and life we did not have…yet. Our Pacific Seacraft 37, Kismet, is the boat that is best for Jimmy and I to go sailing in now. It would probably be ok for a small family, but we are not at that point in our lives, so why worry about the future when we have the next 3 years to sail without the complexities of children. For now, our pug-dog Moses will be enough