Botnia Targa 31 anyone ?

R

raysargood

New Member
Joined
14 Dec 2005
Messages
15
Visit site
Hello everyone,

I am fishing for information.
I am putting a story together for the March issue of MBY on buying a used (Botnia) Targa 31. I would love to hear from anybody with hands-on knowledge of buying, running or owning one of these.
If you or anyone you know can help please post your details here or pm with your contact details and I'll send you a list of the type of things we'd like to know about. Many thanks.

Merry Christmas
Ray Sargood - MBY
 
You find me a used one for sale privately and you can write the story of me buying it! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

prefer a 27.1 or 30 but might just run to a 31.............

wording from a currently advertised boat -

"represents a substantial saving on the new price with immediate delivery" - ex demo? last years model? nope - boats 7 years old!

they seem to hold their prices well going by those advertised
 
Consultants

Hmmm, so let me get this right then.

You want us to help us out researching your article so that you can publish it in the magazine and sell it back to us (who probably represent a core proportion of MBY's readership).

Nice work if you can get it I suppose.

Alternatively I could get the same information by asking the question on the forum and it would cost me nothing!

Only a short while ago the editor came on here asking for help to complete his "Med Boating" special for next months issue. Is it only me that feels a bit aggrieved about the forum increasingly becoming a prime source for editorial in MBY?
 
Re: Consultants

I guess if I had to source the information and knowledge that I have gained from this forum, not only would some of it have been impossible to find in a magazine, but I would have spent 10's of thousands of pounds.

This forum has to be one of the best in world, all made possible by the kindhearted, knowledgable and fine folk that frequent here, so well done and a genuine thank you to all my fellow forum members /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
You are right -they do appear to hold their value.
And the 31 is great fun to drive - especially this time of the year!

Agreed - Botnia's 31 is unlikely to win many beauty contests - it certainly isn't "flash", but MBY isn't all flash these days is it ?

As for asking the forum for a little help - yes I am totally guilty of wanting to find out as much as I possibly can. What better place to start than YBW - and as GC1 says "it's one of the best in world, all made possible by the kindhearted, knowledgable and fine folk that frequent here".
Besides I am not putting anyone's arm up their back - Yet!

/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Re: Consultants

[ QUOTE ]


This forum has to be one of the best in world, all made possible by the kindhearted, knowledgable and fine folk that frequent here, so well done and a genuine thank you to all my fellow forum members

Agree entirely GC1 , couldn't of put it better myself!!!
As for MBY asking for input for future mags, I think all you regular forumites should be proud of yourselves that your opinions and experiences are valued by them....don't you?
 
Glad you value the opinions but it does seem that we are starting to become the first (and therefore) possibly last port of call for such research.

Perhaps you can reassure me by telling me who else you have so far contacted to research this article (other than the dealer - whose opinions are hardly likely to be objective are they)
 
what could anyone who doesn't partake of these forum possibly have to offer about boating issues.........?

/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

and I certaily don't think it's a cheek for IPC mag writers to explicitly gather info here - as IPC run them. Might be interesting if another hack turned up though (TI excluded of course)
 
I don't have a problem with IPC journalists on here either - if they are posting as forumites, TI always posted on a number of topics and I can't, off the top of my head, recollect him ever canvassing in this way.

If you look at Rays profile he has two postings to his name both on this thread! Hardly a regular, so I just feel that its a bit cynical to come on here to gather information that will be sold back to us. What did mobo journalists do before the forum existed? probably got out of the chair and went and did some proper research. I'm not even saying that we are not collectively a legitimate source of information but I just get the feeling that we may be the prime source of a lot of what is considered editorial in the mags.

Just look at the news pages and see how many of the boaters comments are actually forumites obviously contacted by PM to get a quote that supports the tone or argument of the piece. Thats hardly balanced reporting is it.

Harumph......ba humbug...................
 
You ar eof course correct - Tom was/is a real journo and did all his canvassing in the bar........(s'ry Tom!).......were opinions are know to be delivered accurately and without exageration.

Ray posts under the banner of YBW; can't do any more than that.

Anyway back to BTs - most are either imaculately kept, lovingly looked after, (some) lightly used and loaded with extras - or ex commercials/forces of some sort. Unusually you will often find all the extras and creature comforts before you find the engine upgrades etc! Lovely 27 on the market but it's only got the 43, if it had the 44 I would be interested (don't need the twins or 300 ie I am not power/performance mad).
 
I think the payback comes from the advertisers.

IPC run this site because they can make money out of it, not just to keep a large number of bored boaters off the street /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
To answer your question the forum is neither the first nor last port of call – but it is a very valuable extra source of independent advice and a good way to involve our readers & their views.
The Feb issue features Fairline’s Squadron 55, it is out the day before the Boat Show. It tells you pretty much all you need to know - the good, the bad and the ugly and it’s thanks to the members of this forum that we tracked down a couple of really valuable bits of advice. I’d like to do the same for this and future used boat reports so any help, contacts or advice would be very welcome.
 
selling our answers back to us

MedD, I think you're over reacting a bit? I think it's perfectly ok for MBY/MBM journos to come on here and ask questions, and use the answers in their articles. This is a good quick place to get some data and that at least ought to contribute to better articles.

Yeah sure they might, technically, then sell those articles back to us, but we're talking tiny amounts of value here, not worth the argument. Anyone who objects can vote with keyboard and wallet and choose not to buy the mag and/or not to provide any info on here.

But live and let live, eh?
 
Re: selling our answers back to us

Suitably chastised. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Can I come out of the naughty corner if I promise to be good?
 
Re: selling our answers back to us

I agree.

There is constant moaning on the Forum about how boat reports are one long advertisement for the product being reviewed and TI has given us the inside track on why that is.

I stopped subscribing to MBM because of it (and I don't want a Sealine/Fairline etc. anyway). I just pick up MBY and PBO when I find them on the shelf (which is increasingly less than it was).

Many MBY readers will be looking at used boats and this Forum is the place where there is experience in abundence to help them make their choices. Surely much better that someone who actually has an interest because he/she contributes to this Forum has some input?

However as me boat is a one off, I'm no use to anyone... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
"Are they really as good etc etc"?
I can't really answer that properly because I've not gone out on anything else that is the same size and in comparable conditions. I have taken the owner of a Jeanneau 805 out for a play in a messy sea with 1.5-2m waves. He took the helm and we crashed about into the sea a bit (uncomfortably)and the spray was flying everywhere but then I realised we were doing 15-16kts /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif. Backed off to 12 or so and things got a lot more comfortable albeit the wipers still had to be on permanently.
He was amazed, and said he wouldn't have gone out in these conditions in his. Actually I wouldn't want to go far in those conditions either - is too tiring. Downwind - a totally different matter.
I've been out in bigger 3-4m stuff, that was steep & about to break but which was more regular. I felt totally confidence in the boat - not sure about myself - heading into this, though I could only safely do about 7-8kts without crashing down into the following deep troughs. So hull build quality and handling seems very good though the 25 can ride a bit firmly because it is only a medium V as against something like a Windy.
Downwind , even in this sort of sea, was great fun and you could go as fast as you liked until you took off .

Was talking to a 27 owner in Plymouth a month or so ago. He used it as a dive boat and thought it handled the rough stuff superbly.

Accommodation wise the 25-27 are a bit of a curates egg. Clever use of space but the berth layout is compromised - 2 long unbroken singles on either side of the lower "cabin". The heads is also outside, in front of the wheelhouse. It is quite large for the size of boat and does mean that any smells are kept out of the cabin & wheelhouse. However, this format does not appear to be too popular with "the ladies". I think the bigger models revert to an indoor loo. There is also not very much built in storage.

The wheelhouse itself is great as is the steering position. It is especially handy that you have sliding doors on both sides - wonderful when boathandling on your own.

There are IMHO two downers:- 1) is that on boats built before the last year (approx) the plotter is positioned above the natural eyeline, at just below ceiling height. Other instruments are as normal, on the dashboard. This can lead to a slight attack of Nodding Dog Syndrome. I imagine that this layout could be altered prior to building, on new boats.
2) At night time there are reflections on the windscreen and windows , which can be offputting, though you do get used to it.

The Upper Helm is slightly cramped on the 25 - not sure about the 27 - but notwithstanding this, it is a very enjoyable place to helm from on sunny days. It is good to have the option of being either inside or out, without having to negotiate a steep flight of stairs.

Our 25 has the KAD 44 option which gives us a top speed in the region of 30-32kts and cruises nicely at 23-24kts. She weighs in at just over 3 tons and fuel consumption wise we are averaging around 3.5 mpg

The other thing worth comment is that Botnia name their boats conservatively. The 25 is about 26ft 8ins o'all, the 27 is around 28ft 8ins, if my memory is correct.

Ours is great fun and we love it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top