Rick,
You have a good plan, but there is an important bit of training that you should include. Before you put down big bucks on a boat, be sure that you and your wife, if she plans to go, do a long offshore passage. I say this as I spent several years training prospective offshore sailors prior to purchasing the boat of their dreams. The passages were a minimum of at least a thousand miles in the North Atlantic. Sometimes easy, sometimes rough and often a mix of both. Bottom line is at the end, most were enthusiastic, but maybe a third decided that it was fun, but they would stick to coastal sailing with their current boat. A very few hated it. There are stories of inexperienced sailors who after reaching their first port, put their boat up for sale, or hired someone like me to bring their boat home. They had not had a happy voyage. One easy way to gain offshore experience is to contact Hank Schmitt Offshore Passage Opportunities. He runs a service putting owners and crew together.
With respect to Amels, I have close to 50K ocean miles delivering various ones. I have tremendous respect for these boats and would take them anywhere in the world without question. All that I have sailed have been in good to excellent condition with the single exception of a very neglected boat. You should stick with Plan 1, so you don't waste valuable time and money in a refit. DO NOT buy an Amel with the dreaded owner modifications. In my experience, modifications are not an improvement over the original and decrease the value of the boat.
Lastly, do not use just any broker when you are looking for an Amel. When the time comes to purchase an Amel, contact Joel Potter in Florida. He knows Amels inside out and the history of each of the boats he sells.
Good luck with your plan.
Bob Fritz
Arrowsic Island, Maine.
