EP-189: Buying a Sailboat from Afar & Gulf Coast Cruising with Barry Hays

Welcome back to the Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of USA Podcast! In this episode, hosts Bela Musits and Mike Wasserman sit down with longtime listener and sailor Barry Hays to discuss the adventures, unexpected surprises, and valuable lessons learned while buying a cruising sailboat from afar. Barry has spent decades sailing on Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana aboard his Watkins 27, but when he and his family decided to expand their cruising horizons to the Mississippi Sound and open Gulf waters, the hunt began for a larger, more capable vessel. After navigating the used boat market across several states, walking away from a keel issue uncovered during a survey, and learning the critical importance of a dedicated buyer’s broker, Barry finally found his next boat: a 2005 Hunter 38 located in Florida. However, finalizing the purchase was only the beginning. Barry walks us through the realities of remote boat buying, yard work delays, and preparing a new-to-him boat for a 350-nautical-mile delivery passage across the Gulf of Mexico back home to Ocean Springs, Mississippi. In this episode, Bela, Mike, and Barry explore: Navigating the Boat Buying Process: The immense value of having a trusted buyer’s broker in your corner, knowing when to walk away from a deal, and balancing “must-haves” like air conditioning and an inverter versus “nice-to-haves.” The Survey & Yard Realities: What really happens when a boat hits the slings, identifying strut and alignment issues, replacing motor mounts and damper plates, and handling remote boatyard repairs from hundreds of miles away. Passage Preparation & Gear: Essential preparations for offshore and coastal deliveries, including fuel polishing, Starlink marine setups, AIS installation, and calculating offshore diesel capacity. Transitioning from Lake to Gulf Cruising: Shifting from lake sailing to open coastal passages, route planning with paper charts and navigation software, and the importance of ongoing maritime education through America's Boating Club / Power Squadron courses. Whether you are actively shopping for your first liveaboard sailboat, stepping up in size, or planning long-distance coastal passages, Barry’s practical experience offers an honest look at what it truly takes to bring a boat home. If you enjoyed this conversation, please hit the like button, subscribe to the channel, and share your own boat-buying lessons or Gulf Coast cruising experiences in the comments below! Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of USA Barry Hays sailing Buying a sailboat from afar Sailboat survey tips Used sailboat buying guide Hunter 38 sailboat review Gulf Coast sailboat cruising Lake Pontchartrain sailing Sailboat pre-purchase inspection Sailboat delivery passage planning Bela Musits sailing podcast Mike Wasserman sailing podcast SEO Search Terms & Keywords