Boat choice

[Guest]

I am looking for a small cruiser for shorthanded sailing. The boat will be based on the Souh coast and cruising area from Germany to Scotland to France and Channel Islands. In about three years we intend to have a year away so we want to become totally familiar with the boat and fit it out well during the next two years. We had more or less decided on a Vancouver 28 although just at the moment there does not seem to be many available. On a recent trip we saw a Halmatic 30 which looks very attractive and fit for this role and has a little more accommodation. Has anyone got any views on the relative merits of these two boats? I have not sailed the Halmatic yet but have been assured it is both faster and better to windward than the Vancouver but otherwise fairly similar.

They also seem to sell for about two thirds of the price of the Vancouver. Is this due to age or quality? Any comments on areas to pay attention to on either while searching would be appreciated.

I believe the cost of my ownership over a minimum period of five years will be purchase price plus extras for fitting out minus the sale price. On this basis, as the fit out costs for both boats will be very similar and largely written off during this period any comments on which is likely to represent the better buy.

 

[AndrewB]

Never sailed a Halmatic 30, so not the ideal person to respond. But it's always seemed to me that good though the small Vancouvers undoubtedly are, they are seriously over-valued on the S/H market. The spec of the Halmatic 30 is really very similar: heavy, high displacement ratio, long keel. If you plan living aboard you will value every inch of the extra stowage space.

Others will praise similar yachts e.g. the Twister 28. For my money, I'd aim at something a little bigger for the year away with two aboard, though these yachts would be fine for extended passagemaking around the UK.

 

[vyv_cox]

Agree

Vancouvers are very expensive, for no obvious reason. Also, they are very small below. Even the 34 has little more useable space than a good 29, and lots less than the more "marina based" designs.

 

[jamesjermain]

The Halmatic 30 is a good, solid boat, very much in the Nich 31 tradition. She is steady on the helm, a good seaboat with a soft, easy motion and pretty stiff. The accommodation is reasonable but, of course, not as spacious as modern designs. It works well at sea. Build quality was good in all departments.
Provided you are happy with her somewhat pedestrian performance, particularly to windward, she will make an excellent, go anywhere cruiser capable of long, offshore passages.

JJ

 

[Guest]

Thank you for this information. It is interesting that you say pedestrian to windward as I managed to find a road test that said it performed well to windward.Probably depends what you compare with?

The other worry is that the standard Halmatic engine is a Volvo MD7 which have attracted a lot of stick in this forum. Do they really have very poor reliability and very expensive parts or are they in line with other engines of a similar age?

Is the Vancouver cutter rig an advantage. I think that on a small boat like this any advantage is marginal and an inner forestay can be rigged for storm or running sails. Any comments on thisplease?

 

[Guest]

Yes, I considered the Twister which sails better than either but I thought the space limited. Also the Halmatic has a good double for port use and two good sea berths and the separate heads seem to be more lady friendly than most of that era.

Of course it would be nice to have something a little larger such as a Vancouver 32 but that is out of budget.

 

[Guest]

Re: Agree

I agree with your comments but the marina based designs have their space in the form of extra berths with little stowage whereas the Vancouver seems to have masses of stowage.

 

[Celena]

We actually like the cutter rig on ours. We think the well-protected rudder and prop an excellent design as well. She is excellent for a couple if you want a boat that's safe and seaworthy (RCD Cat. A) for extended cruising and quite quick (providing you extend the sail wardrobe with some big sails for light winds). She is small inside but then as Sterling Hayden said you only need "six feet to lie down in" the whole of the great outdoors is your playground. A lot of the inside is storage, chart table, 50 gall water and 28 gall fuel tanks.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Another rufty tufty feature of Vancouvers is the rigging. Vancouvers have the most belt-and-braces stayed masts around.

There's a story about one being rolled by a freak wave whilst at anchor somewhere in the Med, and coming up again with the rig undamaged.

 

[tome]

My previous boat has a Volvo MD7A. It was fitted in 1978 and gave me no problems in 3 years of ownership. Sold the boat in August, new owner is happy with it also.

 

[qsiv]

Given that Halmatic moulded the Nich, similarities are not too suprising ...

The H30 was, I believe, an attempt to extract value from the investment and knowledge they had gained on th Nicholson, without having a premium price.

I know the man who sweated blood over the layouts and specs of the H30 - we both read Naval Architecture at the same time.

 

[Guest]

Was he happy with the result or what would should have been done differently in retrospect?

Were corners cut to meet a particular price?

I hope it was not blood sweat and tears!

 

[Guest]

Have you any suggestions on problem areas I should be aware of. I have noticed that two out of the three I have seen so far have had water in one of the lockers under the saloon seats!