Hi Kyle, Boat Philosophy 101: The better you can define what you want to "actually" do with the boat vs, day dreams, the better your final decision will be. Crossing oceans is a day dream for the beginner: he doesn't have the experience or the know-how to accomplish this. With sailing experience, you learn what boat you want; why you want it; what you have to have; and what would be nice to have but is really unnecessary for the job at hand. Then you can cross an ocean. Do you want to sail on inland seas - the Great Lakes? ...on more sheltered waters? ......coastal cruising 20 NM out to sea? Have you considered fog? (New England waters in summer): tidal flows? what kind of mechanical wind? .....for many hours of use against wind and tide, or just to get you in and out of the dock in calm conditions? How many people do you intend to sail with? Two adults and two children (which become adults very soon)? A party of 6 or more? Do you want to live aboard? For how long at a time - days or weeks? What is your intended cruising / sailing area? What are the peculiar conditions of that area - (winds, tides, currents, traffic, harbors, anchorages) - that help define what kind of boat, and the equipment you need. Do you want to keep the boat at a marina or on a mooring during the sailing season? .....or are you going to keep the boat on it's trailer and go off in different directions every weekend. Your thoughts on each of these questions will help shape what you really need as a boat to fulfill your requirements. The better the definition of your requirements, the better will be your choice - and the happier you will be with your choice. Connie Benneck M15 #400 ComPac 16 Bolger MICRO Northeast 38 Tripp-Lentsch 29 (26 years)