A fine old expression. Brought up to date.

[Peppermint]

Pocket cruiser. A term redolent of pluckey seakeeping, a place of jammed finger, bruised head and tweaked back. Bucket & chuck it, boat stew and the smell of paraffin. Little Hillyards, Hurley 22's, Corribee's and Mirror Offshores, thats the sort of thing.

Now I know we're, that's us humans, getting bigger, but wow! Not like boats are we're not. In YM on page 103, JJ tells us that the Bav men have a pocket cruiser. It's a 30ft thing that weighs 4 tonnes plus.

At a start price of around 40K it's more of a pocket basher than a pocket cruiser. Don't you think?

 

[jimi]

where I come from a pocket cruiser is somefink like the Bismark .. of significantly heavier build than the modern German pocket bruiser !

 

[GeorgeP]

Wasn't it the Graf Spey? There was a maximum of 10000(?) tons after the Great War.

 

[jamesjermain]

RClassics under £20,000

I suppose we who live in the hot house atmosphere of new boats get a bit carried away some times. When anything under 35ft is launched we tend to get a bit over excited about a new small boat when, of course, 30ft was once considered quite big.

YM, and therefore I am trying to pay more attention to the smaller and cheaper section of the market but it's not easy when the average length of new cruising yachts seems to be somewhat over 40ft

This month's feature on three classics under £20,000 is an attempt to redress the balance.

 

[Mirelle]

You could try a d... sight harder!

30ft "pocket cruisers" and "starter boats" for £20,000 are a bad joke to most people who want to get afloat and cruise round our coastlines. How many readers might you be missing?

"Classics under £2,000" would be more like it.

That should be more in line with inflation, to judge by my first boats:

First boat - 18ft half decker - £100, 1969
Second - 1936 Dragon (v. tired) 1972 £300
Third - 18ft "2 1/2 tonner" 1947 (nice) 1973 £500

 

[Bergman]

Re: You could try a d... sight harder!

No I don't think so

Sounds pretty close to me if you use how long it takes to earn the cost.

Suspect equivalent of 18ft 2 1/2 tonner would be less than 20K

 

[Mudplugger]

Re: You could try a d... sight harder!

Mirelle, you are demonstrating the sanity of the E.C way of going sailing before they built, Bradwell, levington, et al...wasn't it fun, exciting and educational as well! . I Remember when 2+2 and the dog (Labrador) had two weeks cruising? in a Bradwell 18' from Wivenhoe @ Southwold and back along with another couple and 3 children in a Leisure 17.('75?) How times and expectations have changed.

 

[Peppermint]

Re: It\'s problem

New little boats are expensive. Old little boats are PBO's area I suppose.

I treasure a 1974 YM that has JDS testing a Ridgeway Pirate. He thought it to be a sparkling little cruiser. As a Pirate was my first boat with a lid I'd agree with him.

Quite apart from the scabs, bruises and lumbago I can't help think that the Gortex clad, certificate waving, blackbox fixated, new owner of his 38ft dream boat might have missed something. Of course he might disagree.

 

[PerL]

Jimi,
a "Pocket battleship" I though was a small (limited by some treaty - Versailles?) German battleship. I always associate this expression with the Bismarck and the Tirpitz because of their ability to fight alone but in fact these two were both fully fledged battleships.

Deutchland, Admiral Scheer and Admiral Graf Spee I believe were the three pocket battleships produced.

My old high school history teacher claimed to have catalogued every german warship produced and I can see his red correction marks in the above text...

 

[PapaLazarus]

Re: RClassics under £20,000

[ QUOTE ]
I suppose we who live in the hot house atmosphere of new boats get a bit carried away some times. When anything under 35ft is launched we tend to get a bit over excited about a new small boat when, of course, 30ft was once considered quite big.

YM, and therefore I am trying to pay more attention to the smaller and cheaper section of the market but it's not easy when the average length of new cruising yachts seems to be somewhat over 40ft

This month's feature on three classics under £20,000 is an attempt to redress the balance.

[/ QUOTE ]

As a relative newby to this yachting lark, I read the article with some interest, as it hit my budget exactly. But I would have to admit I'd be a wee bit nervous and reluctant to spend that much money on a boat designed and maybe built in the 60's. I know these three designs are seen as classics, but wouldn't they involve a much greater amount of time and effort in routine maintenance compared to something say 15-20 years younger? Any advice welcome... Thanks.

 

[Mirelle]

Re: You could try a d... sight harder!

Well, I have seen such boats for sale for under £5K in nice condition, recently.

Under £2k if "needing work".

 

[aitchw]

Re: You could try a d... sight harder!

It's all a bit depressing. I know there are plenty folk who say you shouldn't own a boat if you can't afford it but there are plenty of us that do. Given the choice of 30'ft 'pocket cruisers' and no sailing or my 16', £500, 30yr old 2 berth cruiser and sailing there's no competition. I know it's no interest to typical YM readers but there's a lot of us out there.