Boat recommendations

[lustyd]

Hi all, I'm once again thinking about changing up the boat this year and need some recommendations. After owning mine for a year now I have a better idea of what I want. Absolute requirements are:

• Around £8000
• At least one double berth
• Proper Heads
• Cooker with oven
• Under 30'
• GRP
• Inboard Diesel

Obviously to get these I'll have to go for a bigger boat but I'm having trouble sifting through the many many boats for sale. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

To help a little, I've looked at these:
Albin Vega - I don't like the galley or chart area much as they are a bit on the small side and look inconvenient to use.
Arpege - looked great but has no double berth. This is still top of the list but I'm still unsure and SWMBO definitely wants a double berth.

Any ideas?

Dave

 

[Poignard]

http://www.twister.org.uk/news/gallery.php

http://www.twister.org.uk/sales/index.php

 

[lustyd]

Sorry forgot to add budget! I've popped it in there now so sorry to parsifal

 

[Laurie]

boat ideas

I imagine you're going to get many responses to this...it's a bit like having free rein in a sweet shop; or more appropriately, a chandelers!

Of course, what you want to do in it, where, how, with whom & so forth all play a part, amongst cost, keels, etc.....but by your mail, you've left the choice door WIDE open!!.
I have just changed ( see Feeling 286 thread) my long term & much loved Jaguar 27 for a Feeling 286, which fills your short criteria, as many others will, such as the Westerly Centaurs/Renowns, Leisure 27/29 (inc Lynx 29) Mirage 26, 28, 2700, Sadler 29, Moody 27, 28, 29, & of course the Jeanneau Sundreams & earlier Fantasias, the Jouets, Gib Seas (?), Beneteaus ,Kelt 850, Feeling 850, & of course the Feeling 286, & a few more from various Polish builders. There's a lot of generalisation & indeed prejudice in boat buying advice, such as twin keelers not peforming particularly well, or that Westerly's are stodgy, or French boats fall apart every week. It all needs contextualising, & then chucking in the bin! There are way too many variables in these generalisations.

Half the fun is looking at as many differing types as you can, & comparing their plus & mius criteria for where, what & how you wish to sail. Happy hunting!

The budget qualifier you've just put in (!!) is going to rule out most of the above....but then Jaguar 23, 25 all have double berths, Varne 27 maybe a little out of budget, Macwesters, Mirage 26..........

 

[dulcibella]

Agree with the Twister. You may have to pay a bit more than this, but they are great go-anywhere boats. Semi-unprejudiced as I have sailed them but never owned one (though I currently have the Twister's big sister).

 

[masterofnone]

budget boat

I had a 26' ecume de mere, nice little boat built as a cruiser racer,nice double up front +2 quarter berths before you use the saloon, and a separate heads.

 

[lustyd]

Of course, what you want to do in it, where, how, with whom & so forth all play a part, amongst cost, keels, etc.....but by your mail, you've left the choice door WIDE open!!.

Good point - usage will be cruising around the solent and down to the scilliies and possibly accross the channel. Never any racing, comfort is definitely more a priority.

 

[Captain Haddock]

Hi!

Sounds like a Hustler 25.5 would fit the bill nicely. If you are lucky you may be able to find a Hustler 30 (although at the 8k price point it'll probably need some work doing to it).

Either way the Hustler is a superb boat for the money.... and yes I'm ever so slightly biased! :-D

 

[lustyd]

Hi!

Sounds like a Hustler 25.5 would fit the bill nicely. If you are lucky you may be able to find a Hustler 30 (although at the 8k price point it'll probably need some work doing to it).

Either way the Hustler is a superb boat for the money.... and yes I'm ever so slightly biased! :-D

Thanks, the hustler 30 definitely looks like a good candidate.

 

[Spyro]

I had a 26' ecume de mere, nice little boat built as a cruiser racer,nice double up front +2 quarter berths before you use the saloon, and a separate heads.

Pete Cooper of this parish has one with a Yanmar 1gm10 in it. Spacious boat and ticks all the boxes. I don't know if he has it for sale but he was open to offers a few years ago.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

Macwester 27

 

[Kelpie]

Albin Vega - I don't like the galley or chart area much as they are a bit on the small side and look inconvenient to use.

The Vega sails very well and will stand up to rough stuff, and has a huge amount of cockpit stowage space. Good long berths too.
But you might not consider the heads 'proper', and the 'chart table' is not much cop, as you have noticed. Would be pretty hard to fit an oven in without blocking off most of the galley stowage.

 

[lustyd]

Macwester 27

Thanks, added to the list.

 

[Colvic Watson]

Macwester is a nice boat and a good one for under £8000 is easy - though they will be offered for a lot more. Masses of space and not too ad a sailer, make sure it's the tall rig version, there were a handful of short rig and shallow draft 27's made. Also the 28 has a taller rig but the same interior. 27 with a new Beta 15 sold for £5.5k, not the smartest inside, but a sound boat. The 26 is a very poor sailer closer than a reach, appologies to anyone with one, but honestly, not great in that particular department.

 

[Sandgrounder]

A Marcon Tomahawk would fit your criteria

 

[BuzzFan]

compromise?

All that in good nick for £8k is ambitious, but it'll be a buyer's market for the next few years, so with patience you might find a bargain from a desperate seller.

If you compromise on the diesel inboard, you could pick up a lifting keel beneteau first 24 for that budget, cracking little boat, 26' overall (24' waterline). The 18" draft keel up would mean you could consider a low cost tidal drying mooring. I had one for 3 years before moving on to bigger racing & cruising yachts, but often miss that simple little yacht. Mine had a 4 stroke suzuki 8 outboard in a locker well, a setup that worked perfectly.

If you're budget is more flexible, I'd suggest buying the boat to suit for the next 5-10 years, that's usually cheaper than buying & replacing a short term stop-gap.

Hi all, I'm once again thinking about changing up the boat this year and need some recommendations. After owning mine for a year now I have a better idea of what I want. Absolute requirements are:

• Around £8000
• At least one double berth
• Proper Heads
• Cooker with oven
• Under 30'
• GRP
• Inboard Diesel

Obviously to get these I'll have to go for a bigger boat but I'm having trouble sifting through the many many boats for sale. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

To help a little, I've looked at these:
Albin Vega - I don't like the galley or chart area much as they are a bit on the small side and look inconvenient to use.
Arpege - looked great but has no double berth. This is still top of the list but I'm still unsure and SWMBO definitely wants a double berth.

Any ideas?

Dave

 

[BlueSkyNick]

The trusty Westerly Centaur would seem to fit the bill.

 

[lustyd]

All that in good nick for £8k is ambitious, but it'll be a buyer's market for the next few years, so with patience you might find a bargain from a desperate seller.

If you compromise on the diesel inboard, you could pick up a lifting keel beneteau first 24 for that budget, cracking little boat, 26' overall (24' waterline). The 18" draft keel up would mean you could consider a low cost tidal drying mooring. I had one for 3 years before moving on to bigger racing & cruising yachts, but often miss that simple little yacht. Mine had a 4 stroke suzuki 8 outboard in a locker well, a setup that worked perfectly.

If you're budget is more flexible, I'd suggest buying the boat to suit for the next 5-10 years, that's usually cheaper than buying & replacing a short term stop-gap.

I never mentioned good nick! It will definitely live in a marina though so draft is not an issue. It will be a long term boat, hence the requirements like oven and heads. Everything else can be sorted later so not too worried by condition as long as the hull is sound.

 

[Poignard]

I never mentioned good nick! It will definitely live in a marina though so draft is not an issue. It will be a long term boat, hence the requirements like oven and heads. Everything else can be sorted later so not too worried by condition as long as the hull is sound.

Although we are not full-time 'live aboards', we do live on board for up to 2 months at a time. We don't have an oven on our 28-footer and have never felt the necessity for one. If we want to roast anything we use our 'double skillet'.

http://www.doubleskillet.com/index.php/demonstration/

But a proper sea-toilet is something we would not want to be without.

 

[lustyd]

Although we are not full-time 'live aboards', we do live on board for up to 2 months at a time. We don't have an oven on our 28-footer and have never felt the necessity for one. If we want to roast anything we use our 'double skillet'.

http://www.doubleskillet.com/index.php/demonstration/

But a proper sea-toilet is something we would not want to be without.

I know what you're saying but I do use the oven a fair bit on longer passages so this is a definite requirement to at least have the space for one.