When deciding to buy a sailboat the first thing you should think about is how you will use the boat. What do you have in mind when you are thinking about sailing? Is it mainly cruising, racing or day sailing? The answer to this question will dictate other things such as the amount of storage space you will need, recommended safety equipment to carry, type of rig, the overall size of the boat and power management system.

After deciding how you will use your sailboat, there are some other things you should consider in determining what sailboat is best for your needs. The following is a guideline of questions you should ask yourself before you buy a sailboat

Cruising

1. How long will most of your cruises be? (weekend, week, month or longer)

2. What waters do you expect to sail, river, bay, ocean or lake?

3. How many people will be on board with you?

4. How far will you be from help if needed?

Racing

1. What kind of racing will you be doing?

2. Is it going to be around the buoys?

3. What type and level of competition will you face?

4. How experienced will your crew be?

After you have answered these questions and you know exactly how, when and where you will use your sailboat, the next step is to find a boat that will suit your needs. Here is a brief overview of the characteristics you should consider.

Rig type and Sail Plan- For example a cat rigged boat with one large mainsail and no headsail is very easily handled by one person since there is only one sail.

Keels- Decide how deep and what kind of keels are best for you. Deep keels allow for more stability and greater angles to weather but limit the places you can safely sail without running aground.

Interior- This is where you may have the most flexibility. Your accommodations may range from just the bare necessities or it can resemble a miniature luxury suite complete with flat panel television, DVD player, microwave etc. Your budget will most likely determine how elaborate your interior is.

Hull Type- There are basically two types of hull configurations of small sailboats. Most small sailboats are monohulls which means they have a single hull that floats the boat. Multihull boats with two or more hulls are very popular as beach boats. Small sailboat hulls vary in size and shape. The main variables here are weight, length, width and hull cross section.