What is a good boat or sailboat for the bay/for me?

I live near the ocean where there are alot of barrier islands and shallow water, but there is also deeper wide open areas too/ the ocean. I have been looking at carolina skiff style boats and even inflatables, but they are a little out of my price range for something that isnt from the 1970s. Also, fuel is not looking too cheap right now.

I have started looking at small sailboats. For example, catalina 22 style...

What I do not like about sailboats is it doesnt look very comfortable leaning sideways and no seats, but any ocean boat is like that so..

I have no experience sailing but I think it would be fun... before I buy one I'd rent one/take some lessons

I'd like the boat to fit 3-4 people at least

I'm just looking to be on the water, but at the same time, I'd like to be able to put the boat in and cruise for a couple hours and take the boat out without wasting an entire day. Could I just slap a engine on the back of a small sailboat for those short trip days?



What kind of boat would you recommend for me?What is a good boat or sailboat for the bay/for me?
there are many trailable sailboats that would make a good first sailboat for you. if you plan to keep your sailboat on a trailer and launch each time you go sailing then a two hour sail is not very rewarding. while not really very complicated once you have rigged and launched/retrieved a sailboat like a catalina 22 (swing keel) you will still need to plan on 30 to 45 minutes launching and retrieval time it makes no sense to launch your boat if you only have two hours.



depending on where you sail, you may be able to rent a slip or mooring buoy so you can have the boat in the water and ready to sail.



other sailboats in the 19' to 25' range include o'day mariner, san juan 21, 23, catalina 22, oday 20, 22, 25, merit 22, spindrift 22, etc



my suggestion is to find a sailing club in your area and take basic sailing lessons prior to the purchase of a sailboat. you can also contact local yacht clubs and sign up to crew on other peoples sailboats.



sailboats in this size range usually have a small outboard attached to the transom that will propel the boat through the water when the sails are down, or when the wind is too light to sail.What is a good boat or sailboat for the bay/for me?
if you can get it on the market you should!

the Maxi 77

it is a small and cheap boat that still is comfortable, nice and safe.

the new sailboats are offen built with less glassfiber to make it light and fast. (this make the boat weaker too)

older boats are offen stronger than the new boats (but also slower)What is a good boat or sailboat for the bay/for me?
I have a 6 m aluminium pontoon hull boat with a115 Yamaha outboard. I have a master 5, skipper 3 and marine engine driver 2 marine tickets. For stability you cannot go past the pontoon hull style. We can stand 5 people on 1 side of vessel with no problem. It has a self draining deck and the pontoons have 5 sections in them. This makes it almost unsinkable. You can fill it with water and its around 30 mm deeper in the water.