NARROWING THE SEARCH

■ Decide where you will keep the boat. Will it be on a swinging mooring, a marina berth or in a shallow or drying harbour? Choose a boat that suits the places you will sail to, and for which you can afford the mooring fees.

■ How will you sail the boat, and how many crew will you have on board?

■ What kind of sailing will you realistically do? Be honest about the reality, rather than what you dream about doing.

■ Discuss what you want from your boat with any co-owners. If your spouse wants a boat to feel comfortable and safe in, a high performance racer might put them off sailing completely.

■ If the hull and the structure seems sound, look at the engine, rig and sails, as these are the major costs.

■ Set your budget. Include 10%-20% of the boat’s value for work that may need doing following the purchase

Knowing that he would want to sail into drying harbours, Alun opted for a bilge-keeler With just 25 engine hours, the fundamentals were in good condition