Goodbye Paean - help me choose another boat

[penfold]

I'm of the opinion that the Albacore would be about right for you. A canvas frame arrangement could be fitted over the boom and they are fairly spacious too; a decent turn of speed,towable, no spinnaker but reasonably beamy. Downnwind they do roll a bit but have room for your other half too. Pricewise they go for around a thousand and are saleable when you need to sell. I shared one for some time, even raced it in handicap ,if that would interest you.

ianat182

An Albacore is nice but it hardly meets the requirement of avoiding risk of taking a bath.

 

[FairweatherDave]

I'm the opposite to the OP, I have a fear of wood maintenance.......but if he has none but is serious about budget then there must be an abundance of wooden dinghies awaiting his attention. One of the DCA guys sails a beautifully maintained Enterprise all over the Solent staying overnight in Keyhaven, Newton Creek, Ashlet, Bembridge, and in Chichester. Choose your weather. In my Wayfarer I have never felt worried about the risk of capsize, well I have been worried but not come close. Reef early..... Recovery is all about choosing your slipway and using a car where necessary, or block and tackle and chocks. But if you buy a decent grp dinghy you will get your money back at the time to sell, the only depreciation might be the trailer. But I reckon PhilM is going for the XOD already!

 

[Neeves]

There is no way that my partner will sail in anything less than 30 foot and it must have a separate heads, shower, cooker and fridge too. She would like it to be somewhere warm too!

I'm relieved to hear your partner is going to introduce some sanity, all this talk of dinghies and camping had me shivering. I hope your partner is a quick learner - she needs to know that a 30' yacht, even with all the listed mod-cons is not the yacht in which she aspires to cross the Atlantic.



Jonathan

 

[zoidberg]

I'm relieved to hear your partner is going to introduce some sanity, all this talk of dinghies and camping had me shivering. I hope your partner is a quick learner - she needs to know that a 30' yacht, even with all the listed mod-cons is not the yacht in which she aspires to cross the Atlantic.



Jonathan

..... and perhaps she can be persuaded to go out and buy the boat of her/your dreams. Equality of opportunity, innit?

 

[PhillM]

..... and perhaps she can be persuaded to go out and buy the boat of her/your dreams. Equality of opportunity, innit?

What a splendid idea. I shall propose it tonight

I am leaning towards the XOD. Son and I went and saw her today and when you blow the dust off she is gorgeous. She will need a couple of minor repairs and a lick of paint. I expect we (with a little help from the yard) could get her on the water in about a month (time elapsed not days labour) and then I would deal with the cosmetic stuff progressively. She has an old rig, so will need standing rigging done fairly quickly. I also need to find some second hand sails but I am sure that people in the various racing fleets will have some old ones knocking around and may part for a reasonable sum. After all everyone wants to see another one join re-join the fleet.

I know that a GRP boat would be the sensible choice, but then when has owning a boat at all been sensible anyway.

Oh and I really do see no reason why I could not put some bed boards in and camp in her. Add some nav lights and I see no reason not the cruise either side of the channel. But before I get carried away, I need to learn to sail on and off a mooring that I do not yet have!

 

[Sticky Fingers]

...

I am leaning towards the XOD. Son and I went and saw her today and when you blow the dust off she is gorgeous. She will need a couple of minor repairs and a lick of paint. I expect we (with a little help from the yard) could get her on the water in about a month (time elapsed not days labour) and then I would deal with the cosmetic stuff progressively. She has an old rig, so will need standing rigging done fairly quickly. I also need to find some second hand sails but I am sure that people in the various racing fleets will have some old ones knocking around and may part for a reasonable sum. After all everyone wants to see another one join re-join the fleet.

I know that a GRP boat would be the sensible choice, but then when has owning a boat at all been sensible anyway.

Oh and I really do see no reason why I could not put some bed boards in and camp in her. Add some nav lights and I see no reason not the cruise either side of the channel. But before I get carried away, I need to learn to sail on and off a mooring that I do not yet have!

You know you want to. Why not. Gorgeous little boats.

Which one is 'yours'?

 

[ridgy]

Nice, we'll look forward to the pictures.

 

[PhillM]

I don't want to say which one I am trying to buy just yet as I dot want to jinx the sale/purchase. Suffice to say if al works out it will be my pleasure to return one from long-term storage back into the racing fleet. Like my previous project the 'rules' will be to not start any job that cannot finish in for April launch. This first year it may take until June to get her ready, but then I shall sail her and then improve as I go. Pictures will be forthcoming.

Now my next dilemma is what to do with my Seafeather Windvane. I only bought it 2 years ago and took it off Paean before I sold her (as most new owners would not need or want one). So its here on the floor of my office. Part of me says keep it for the next boat. Another part of me says recover some cash and buy a new one when the time comes. Decisions, decisions.

 

[Greenheart]

I could pop [the XOD] on the drive then use her as a cruising dinghy...

Dinghy in the sense of 'no weather protection'? That's about all they have in common. No danger of capsize (although I've definitely heard of XODs being sunk when raced hard); but not much option to creek-crawl to scenic places and dry out, with that keel.

I reckon buying/owning and parking/berthing a cheap old dinghy or small yacht works out about five times cheaper for the dinghy...

...whether you get five times the use or value from the yacht, is subjective. I'd sail more if I couldn't capsize in a force 4...and I've never actually slept on the Osprey, so arguably I've never really cruised her. But spending some nights in a yacht cabin in the last two years, made me less keen to buy another...

...the appeal of a small yacht is the luxury of draught-proofing and rain-proofing, which no dinghy-tent can provide. Against that, the low headroom in mini-yacht cabins is pretty unpleasant. I'd like another cabin-boat, in future, but right now I'm relishing not paying to berth one, and it feels great, no longer envying people who still do.

Anyway it sounds like you've made your choice, which is good for you, and for a nice old boat, deserving of your skill and care.

 

[PhillM]

Dinghy in the sense of 'no weather protection'? That's about all they have in common. No danger of capsize (although I've definitely heard of XODs being sunk when raced hard); but not much option to creek-crawl to scenic places and dry out, with that keel.

I reckon buying/owning and parking/berthing a cheap old dinghy or small yacht works out about five times cheaper for the dinghy...

...whether you get five times the use or value from the yacht, is subjective. I'd sail more if I couldn't capsize in a force 4...and I've never actually slept on the Osprey, so arguably I've never really cruised her. But spending some nights in a yacht cabin in the last two years, made me less keen to buy another...

...the appeal of a small yacht is the luxury of draught-proofing and rain-proofing, which no dinghy-tent can provide. Against that, the low headroom in mini-yacht cabins is pretty unpleasant. I'd like another cabin-boat, in future, but right now I'm relishing not paying to berth one, and it feels great, no longer envying people who still do.

Anyway it sounds like you've made your choice, which is good for you, and for a nice old boat, deserving of your skill and care.

Dan you talk a lot of sense. I suspect my 'camping' idea might in practice become the sort practiced by Jay and co in Three Men in a Boat. On nice warm evenings, I might well cook on my Cobb and sleep under canvas in the bottom of my boat. On colder or rainy evenings, I suspect the lure of a soft warm bed in a local hostelry, may very well overcome my desire to camp.

As for cost, yes a GRP dinghy would be cheaper. But and here is the but, could I love one? I am on tender hooks today awaiting the yard quote to do the basic stuff needed to get the XOD launched, some minor repairs done, rigged, launched and some old sails located. IF its within 2x my original budget, I shall proceed. She is a boat I could love and spend many happy hours both restoring and sailing. At the end of the process (and probably another 2x or 3x original budget) I would be able to stand proud to have returned an unused and slightly sad boat back into the racing fleet. That to me is a project worth doing.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

I don't want to say which one I am trying to buy just yet as I dot want to jinx the sale/purchase. Suffice to say if al works out it will be my pleasure to return one from long-term storage back into the racing fleet. ...

Brilliant, let us know how you get on.

 

[PhillM]

Deal done. XOD 109 Amber is mine I know I started talking about a 'camping dinghy' but Amber ticks all my boxes.

Haines will be preparing her for launch during May and I hope to be sailing her back to the Hamble in early June. She has been laid up for a long time and her gear is quite dated. I shall do what is needed to sail this season, then refit her over the winter. I am excited because not only will I have a beautiful boat to cruise and race in, but also will have the pleasure of taking a rather sad and unloved boat out of long-term storage and bring her back to life.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Thought she must be that one, well done!

I'm just a tiny bit envious to be honest Please post a few pictures (or better, start a refurb thread), be great to see her come back to life.

 

[PhillM]

Thought she must be that one, well done!

I'm just a tiny bit envious to be honest Please post a few pictures (or better, start a refurb thread), be great to see her come back to life.

If you fancy your own, I happen to know of a pristine one that is about to come onto the market at around £12K. I am sure that I shall end up spending more than that on mime, but that's not the point as I am looking forward to the whole project.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

I'd never get 12k past the committee.... Nice idea though.

Best of luck with yours.

 

[Quandary]

A new boat and Neeves wants him to find a new woman, is that not encouraging him to be a bit too ambitious?

 

[PhillM]

A new boat and Neeves wants him to find a new woman, is that not encouraging him to be a bit too ambitious?

Trust me finding the right boat to love was easy .....

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

Deal done. XOD 109 Amber is mine I know I started talking about a 'camping dinghy' but Amber ticks all my boxes.

Haines will be preparing her for launch during May and I hope to be sailing her back to the Hamble in early June. She has been laid up for a long time and her gear is quite dated. I shall do what is needed to sail this season, then refit her over the winter. I am excited because not only will I have a beautiful boat to cruise and race in, but also will have the pleasure of taking a rather sad and unloved boat out of long-term storage and bring her back to life.

You bought a dugout! Congrats, it's a great class and the Hamble bunch are very good fun.

(My Son will agree with the sinking comment - I borrowed Whimbrel for the windy Classics two years ago and at one point we knew that one more wave and we'd be a submarine so we had to bear off and pump).