Buying my first Yacht

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32tone

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Hi everyone I’ve been thinking of buying a small yacht and after loosing my Dad last month I want to spend the money he left me on something which will always remind me how proud he was when I got my day skipper
im looking at a Eygthene24 and a Hunter 25.5 was wondering if anyone could advise me which would be best
my budget is only £5000 and I’m still quite a novice sailer I will manly be honing my skills with my friend who has been doing the training with me look forward to some advice
stay safe
 
Thank you there’s a lot of yachts out there to choose from most seem two small I don’t want a trail sailer any advice on 25-30ft would be amassing
 
32tone said:
Thank you there’s a lot of yachts out there to choose from most seem two small I don’t want a trail sailer any advice on 25-30ft would be amassing
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I had a Jaguar 27 for 10 years several decades ago, took me all over the Channel. Good boat with plenty of headroom but getting a bit long in the tooth now I suppose.
 
Hi there, welcome along. If you use Facebook you might want to join this selling site: Lots of boats and gear come up on there, good stuff sells very quickly if it's well priced. So if you see something you like, jump on it.

Yachts & Yachty bits for sale (Europe)

As for advice: well, my advice is forget about looking for specific makes and models of boat. Look at anything in your price bracket. You want to find one that has had a recent-ish new engine, rig, sails (all the expensive bits) and is in decent cosmetic condition unless you want a project.
 
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You should be able to find a good Westerly Centaur for that sort of money. A boat that can go anywhere and will look after you when conditions are bad. I do agree with Scala above though.
 
You'll probably be looking at boats that are located reasonably close to where you live (or where you plan to sail) so look at anything in your price range, plan for items that need replacing, have a mooring or berth sorted before you buy. Try to take someone who knows a lot about boats with you if you can. Whilst there are plenty to choose from at that price point the good ones are few and far between so be in no rush and if your budget is £5k I'd be looking at anything with an asking price of double that. It's a buyer's market, especially for older, smaller boats. As others have said don't fixate on any particular make or model as that will unnecessarily limit your choice. Good luck, it's a lovely way to remember your Dad by...:)
 
Good luck. Don't forget to allow for (1) refurb costs, to fix anything that's not working on an elderly boat, some of which you can't do without (2) running costs. Berthing, insurance, wear and tear on sails, annual servicing etc. Both time (yours or someone else's) and money.

Enjoy!
 
Catalina36 said:
I had a Jaguar 27 for 10 years several decades ago, took me all over the Channel. Good boat with plenty of headroom but getting a bit long in the tooth now I suppose.
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I saw a a Jaguar 27 a few weeks ago but it sold I’ll add that to my list thanks
 
Scala said:
Hi there, welcome along. If you use Facebook you might want to join this selling site: Lots of boats and gear come up on there, good stuff sells very quickly if it's well priced. So if you see something you like, jump on it.

Yachts & Yachty bits for sale (Europe)

As for advice: well, my advice is forget about looking for specific makes and models of boat. Look at anything in your price bracket. You want to find one that has had a recent-ish new engine, rig, sails (all the expensive bits) and is in decent cosmetic condition unless you want a project.
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Thanks that’s great advice the Hunter was refitted in clouding through holes and painted in 2015 standing rigging replaced 2016 and coppercoated in 2017
 
32tone said:
Thanks for the link I’ll definitely look in to this one
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I’ve seen many which appear much better equipped than that one for similar money. Don’t rush into anything just because you think it might be a bargain, and definitely look at a few before you commit to buy.
 
Boats I would have on your list include:-

Jaguar 27
Westerly Centaur
Trapper 500/501
Beneteau First 29
Westerly GK29
Moody 27 & 29
MG Spring 25

There are loads actually, and it's a buyers market.

Condition is everything when buying at your budget, as replacement of sails/electronics/engine etc can easily cost the same as the boat did.
 
I would be inclined to ask if you know what you want from a boat. Do you plan lots of racing or seat of your pants sailing? Do you want something highly manourverable, do you want to explore shallow creeks. How many people may be on the boat. Do you want to sail longer distances etc. What sort of keel would suit ?
I ask as there are so many different models of boats and each one can excell in certain situations but suffer in others.
Couple requirements with the wealth of knowledge held by forum members and you could end up with the best possible boat to full fill your needs.
 
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