Best 24-27 ft cruising boat for under £5k?

[SteveSarabande]

£5k Sabres are likely to be a gamble. Mine was 8k a few years ago. They have plenty of room but I think six berth is pushing it a bit, mine is setup for four, but I sail it singlehanded mostly

£10k would make your search easier

 

[Ceirwan]

As has been said, you'll get a boat for that price, with a seaworthy design and meeting a lot of your criteria, but...
The fact you want to be looked after in high winds and a seaworthy boat means you also need something that's been well maintained and looked after, and I doubt you'll get anything under 5k matching that category.
The last thing you need is to be worrying about the rigging giving up when you're caught in a blow, or being forced onto a lee shore by the baggy 30 year old sails as the engine refuses to start as 40 years of sediment get shaken up in the tank and clog the filters!

Someone mentioned a Sadler 25, I've got one and it doesn't meet your headroom criteria, (or your price ) but even with a seaworthy design like that, from what I've seen a lot of examples on the market need a good amount spending just to make them seaworthy.

I think someone mentioned 10k, I think it's probable you could meet your criteria for less than that, but I think 5K is unlikely.

 

[Topcat47]

You might find a Nic 26 for that money, but it won't have a double berth. I'd have suggested a Vancouver 27 but they don't sail as well as the Nic and you'd not get one for £5k unless there was something seriously wrong with it. The Victoria and Francis 26's don't have the headroom you require, neither does the Contessa 26. The Hurley and the Centaur might be found at that price but I don't rate the forepeak doubles highly.

 

[oldharry]

You will get a decent Trident 24 for that sort of money 'ready to go', and you can expect good sails, rig and engine at that price. Same stable and designer as the Sabre (Alan Hill). Fin keel sails best, closely followed by drop keel version, but the BK (triple) is not far behind, the only real drawback is if you are tall - there's only 5'9 headroom in the saloon. Cracking little boat that looks good, and sails well. Active owners Assocn too.

 

[Judders]

I've seen nice Trapper 300s go at that price but the bunks are quite small.

Google Eye from Lymington races successfully at club level and higher and I've bumped into her on the far side of the Channel.



I suspect this isn't the advice you want, but when I was in a similar position ten years ago I ended up deciding I was better off getting an eighteen footer in cracking nick than a manky auld boat I didn't have the skills or money to bring up to scratch. It meant I covered less distance but did it with more confidence. I even made a small profit on her. My only regret is that I didn't keep her longer as she could have taught me a great deal more if I had.

 

[steve yates]

Nice looking Hurley here for 4.5k asking price. https://m.apolloduck.com/feature.phtml?id=461291
Judders, I have an 18 ft boat just now, ( bit of a manky state but she sails) she will do me fine for the next year or so to learn and make mistakes in.
Having a boat is why when the time comes I could afford to wait for a great deal, and if it came up, move immediately.
Cos I wouldn't be stuck on land desperate to get something and get out.
I won't wait for 10k, it's too much to spend in the relatively near future. I reckon all these boats will only get cheaper. What you get for 9 or 10k now might be going for around 7 by the time I am ready to buy.
I'm sure most stuff in my price bracket will be pants or falling apart, but there will also be some gems, and I only need one

 

[Tam Lin]

At that price it will be an old boat. At the very least make sure it has a replacement engine otherwise you will be spending lots of money on her very shortly. How do I know?

 

[James W]

I might well have a nice 24/70 for sale in your price range very soon. New main, new standing rigging, Beta 10 with low hours, fin keel version, nice interior, East coast. Drop me a PM if you're interested.

 

[Kelpie]

Lots of good advice already. Go in with open eyes, almost always better to let someone else bring a boat up to scratch and then sell it to you. Don't get fixated on specific makes and models.

Just to add a data point, a couple of years ago I sold my Vega (fantastic go-anywhere boat) for under £8k; engine, sterngear, instruments, through hulls, rigging, sails were all under 5yrs old and in excellent order. New owner didn't have to spend a thing on her.

 

[steveeasy]

Hi
Im sure there are plenty of bargains to be had, but im not sure I agree that all older boat values will continue to drop. Try buying any classic car from 60s,70s or 80s, some boats are that, and they will decline in value. however some are perceived already to be classics, and accordingly achieve higher sale prices.

Steveeasy

 

[Ceirwan]

Hi
Im sure there are plenty of bargains to be had, but im not sure I agree that all older boat values will continue to drop. Try buying any classic car from 60s,70s or 80s, some boats are that, and they will decline in value. however some are perceived already to be classics, and accordingly achieve higher sale prices.

Steveeasy

Not sure I agree on that Steveeasy, and I own what many would consider a classic boat.

Apart from the wider ranging appeal of cars in general than boats, classic cars are generally quite rare, most of them having being written off, rusted away and scrapped etc, even if only a few people want to own them their scarcity adds value.

GRP boats though are essentially indestructible, apart from sinkings, fire and collision which are fairly uncommon. So the market is flooded with them, there's an Arpege going on ebay for something like 3.5K at the moment, it needs work to do anything, but that's a 30ft boat for 3.5k!
And in all likelihood you'd be able to buy it for half that as the owner is likely to get rid.

The only way I can see prices recovering is if they start scrapping the old boats, creating a scarcity.

 

[SiteSurfer]

All this talk of 3-6K boats, I was under the impression (given the recent thread on boat prices) that everyone wanted a 32ft Bavaria as a starter boat with a completely reasonable budget of 60K.... Is this the real world poking its head up now?

 

[Topcat47]

All this talk of 3-6K boats, I was under the impression (given the recent thread on boat prices) that everyone wanted a 32ft Bavaria as a starter boat with a completely reasonable budget of 60K.... Is this the real world poking its head up now?

It's clear to me that the industry is geared up for people who can afford to buy expensive boats, keep them in Marinas and pay others to maintain them. When I got into sailing, there were a lot of us doing it on a small budget, and a plethora of small boats were owned and manufactured to support this budget market. I don't know if the market has declined or whether there are enough boats existing to satisfy the needs but sub 30'ers are a declining presence in my club, and I suspect everywhere. The declining prices of smaller second hand boats would support this deduction.

 

[Channel Sailor]

£5K I would say is a rather low budget for a yacht of that size. I would guess a boat that cheap could need a lot of labour time spent on it to make safely useable, so I would advise to be prepared. When you spend labour time on a yacht you are usually spending money on parts at the same time. For example it might need: new sails, new engine, new standing rigging, new running rigging, new windows or resealing, all the deck fittings sealant could need replacing, new anchor and chain, new electronics and VHF, new headlining, varnishing odd bits outside and some inside, re upholstery of a few bunk cushions, new water tank, propeller, shaft, cutlass gland, replacing mouldy water pipes, gas installation and cooker to be made safe by gas installer, new mooring lines, new jackstays, mainsheet track (if fitted) wheels worn out, minor (maybe even major) underwater hull repairs. Then if very unlucky there is painting of faded hulls and topsides, soggy deck balsa repairs. As you can see from the posts on this web site where owners are asking for advise on quite expensive or tedious jobs, All of these things needing doing are I suggest are not unusual for old yacht ownership but if unlucky the previous owner could have saved all of them up as special surprise for the next owner. I am on my 4th boat/yacht ownership so far and recall my 1970s Iroquois catamaran needed I think almost everything I have mentioned above doing, plus replacing drop keel boards, rebuilding rudders and osmosis treatment.

 

[Tam Lin]

£5K I would say is a rather low budget for a yacht of that size. I would guess a boat that cheap could need a lot of labour time spent on it to make safely useable, so I would advise to be prepared. When you spend labour time on a yacht you are usually spending money on parts at the same time. For example it might need: new sails, new engine, new standing rigging, new running rigging, new windows or resealing, all the deck fittings sealant could need replacing, new anchor and chain, new electronics and VHF, new headlining, varnishing odd bits outside and some inside, re upholstery of a few bunk cushions, new water tank, propeller, shaft, cutlass gland, replacing mouldy water pipes, gas installation and cooker to be made safe by gas installer, new mooring lines, new jackstays, mainsheet track (if fitted) wheels worn out, minor (maybe even major) underwater hull repairs. Then if very unlucky there is painting of faded hulls and topsides, soggy deck balsa repairs. As you can see from the posts on this web site where owners are asking for advise on quite expensive or tedious jobs, All of these things needing doing are I suggest are not unusual for old yacht ownership but if unlucky the previous owner could have saved all of them up as special surprise for the next owner. I am on my 4th boat/yacht ownership so far and recall my 1970s Iroquois catamaran needed I think almost everything I have mentioned above doing, plus replacing drop keel boards, rebuilding rudders and osmosis treatment.

Done most of them!

 

[NPMR]

£3k to £6k isn't going to get you a boat "in reasonable condition" at that size bracket unless you're lucky

We had our massively equipped, loved, sorted and cared for Sabre 27 (great boat- seaworthy and kind etc etc) for sale at £10,500.

All we got after a long wait was £5000.

At that price it was easily fantastic value but it was costing us just to park it while we sailed the new boat. Sad to see it go at that price but if that's all we could find in the way of a buyer ........

 

[steveeasy]

Hi Ceirwan,
Your probably right, but what the heck, it seams there either to dear or too cheap, 60s and 70 boats that have a pedigree, do so for a reason, be it for aesthetics or sailing ability, and they grace the Harbours and marinas around the coast. where would we be without them. Then consider the work that has gone in to them and these boats in the main are maintained in outstanding condition.

Steveeasy

 

[steve yates]

We had our massively equipped, loved, sorted and cared for Sabre 27 (great boat- seaworthy and kind etc etc) for sale at £10,500.

All we got after a long wait was £5000.

At that price it was easily fantastic value but it was costing us just to park it while we sailed the new boat. Sad to see it go at that price but if that's all we could find in the
way of a buyer ........

And that I think is the crux of it, and why I'm confident I will find something very good, for me, in my budget.

A boat is a liability, not an asset. As soon as you stop using it, or replace it, or need to shift it....it just keeps costing you more and more until it's finally sold. Doubly so if you have replaced it and are spending on two! It's a fine balancing act for the seller getting what they think their baby is worth, against the constant outflow of cash. Once below the 10k mark, if a boat does not sell quickly, I can see it potentially eating up to half the owners considered value in a year or two.

So, I can hope to find maybe a sabre 27or a trapper 500, probably a jag 25, and definitely a Hurley 24 or trident 24 around my budget when I go looking. As someone advised on here, and when I was looking for my first wee boat, I'll probably end up with something else entirely, that fits the specs and price and stands out as a great buy. Until then, any others I should be casting my eye over at marinas etc when I'm passing?

 

[PhillM]

Think wooden. Much more fun to restore and then proudly sail.

You might have to do keel works, hull work, coach roof work, cockpit work, standing rigging, running rigging, new sails, new engine, new upholstery. New electrics, new electronics and all associated bits and bobs. But what else would you have to do in the winter?

 

[steve yates]

Go skiing?
No wood. No wood. No wood. No way. I want to sail, not work