Hallberg Rassy 29 windlass, teak deck and liveaboardability

[pvb]

That is my thinking as well, but I keep wondering if an additional 10k just because of resell value is worth it? You'd get a Ballad for 10k.

But would you want to live in a Ballad? I wouldn't.

 

[GabrielS]

But would you want to live in a Ballad? I wouldn't.

Of the four of them, I’d rate the Scanmar as the most comfortable as a liveaboard, but that is besides the point. If all else being equal, is it worth it to pay an additional 10k for a potential resale value? I am not trying to be funny, it is a genuine question, that will most likely be answered once I have had a chance to view all the boats on my list.

 

[pvb]

Of the four of them, I’d rate the Scanmar as the most comfortable as a liveaboard, but that is besides the point. If all else being equal, is it worth it to pay an additional 10k for a potential resale value? I am not trying to be funny, it is a genuine question, that will most likely be answered once I have had a chance to view all the boats on my list.

But all else isn't equal. You wouldn't pay £10K more in order to get a better resale value, you'd pay £10K more to get a nicer boat. Unless you're some kind of hermit, why wouldn't you want to live in a nice environment? And nicer boats do sell more easily when the time comes to change.

My previous boat was a Hallberg-Rassy 352; it was possibly the cosiest boat I've owned. My wife still misses it, although she agrees that the space and convenience of our Bavaria are appealing. If you're going to live on a boat, you'll have lots of time to get to know the nooks and crannies, to appreciate the little subtleties of design. Here are two broker pics of a typical HR29 and a typical Ballad. I know which one I'd rather relax in.

 

[TernVI]

HR's and Ballads seem like two quite dissimilar things to be considering.
For the price of the HR, can you get something a big less 'premium brand' that is a bit bigger?
Of course some people 'live aboard' and their boat is their only home and has to house all their possessions, others have a place or storage ashore.

 

[Blueboatman]

Agree with TernVI
A couple of HR 31 Monsun for sale in the Netherlands. For example.
They sail well.
One has heat/electric windlass /newish enough engine/one owner history etc
Proven HR quality without the depreciation of the 29, and no teak decks to fettle!

 

[Kelpie]

When talking about cost-effective liveaboards in the 30ft range, it's worth mentioning the Westerlies and Moodys that can be very hard to beat in terms of volume/£, and there are loads and loads of them out there. Might not be the OP's kind of thing, of course, but they are a known quantity with great owners associations to guide you through every technical query you'll ever have.

 

[Concerto]

Another boat you could consider for a liveabord is the Moody 29. It has a spacious interior. The table folds against the main bulkhead to create a large open cabin. The toilet compartment is the full width of the boat. These archive photos give a clear idea of the layout. No teak decks.
Moody 29 archive details - Yachtsnet Ltd. online UK yacht brokers - yacht brokerage and boat sales
There is one for sale substantially below your budget in the UK.
Moody 29 Used Boat for Sale 1982 | TheYachtMarket

Another slightly larger and newer yacht you could consider is the Westerly Storm Cruiser, rather than the Storm 33, as they had more creature comforts fitted as standard and a larger engine. Decks were always painted, so no teak decks. This one seems quite good and has heating fitted. They can be found for less than this one.
Westerly Storm Used Boat for Sale 1987 | TheYachtMarket

 

[KompetentKrew]

I have already emailed the broker and was going to respond to him tonight and organise a viewing. It is not to far from my folks house in DK. He didn't know the age, or content, of the sail inventory and believed the standing rigging to be original. Apparently 35 year old rigging is not uncommon in Scandinavia.

Similar in the Netherlands - both boats I signed a contract on (one purchase fell through, the other I write from now) had standing rigging over 20 years old.

One of the surveyors remarked to me that the "10 year rule" for standing rigging is strictly a British thing, and that Dutch insurers do not demand it. I have the impression that study seagoing boats are much admired there, but few sail outside of the Frisian Islands.

 

[johnalison]

Similar in the Netherlands - both boats I signed a contract on (one purchase fell through, the other I write from now) had standing rigging over 20 years old.

One of the surveyors remarked to me that the "10 year rule" for standing rigging is strictly a British thing, and that Dutch insurers do not demand it. I have the impression that study seagoing boats are much admired there, but few sail outside of the Frisian Islands.

There is a large body of middle-sized cruisers in the Netherlands that go no further than their own waters, many German-owned. There is also quite a large number who do the Channel or Baltic trip each summer. This is appealing to them because they are somewhere in the middle and both cruises are easily achievable, and more importantly, the prevailing winds tend to make return relatively trouble-free. I couldn't say how many dutch boats go foreign but there are times when I think it must be somewhere in the millions.

 

[GabrielS]

But all else isn't equal. You wouldn't pay £10K more in order to get a better resale value, you'd pay £10K more to get a nicer boat. Unless you're some kind of hermit, why wouldn't you want to live in a nice environment? And nicer boats do sell more easily when the time comes to change.

I see what you are saying, and yes, I do think I have been looking at it a bit one-sided. No doubt the HR is a much nicer boat, and it is my preferred choice, but I also need to justify spending an additional 10k to myself. One reason was potential ease and value at resale.

HR's and Ballads seem like two quite dissimilar things to be considering.
For the price of the HR, can you get something a big less 'premium brand' that is a bit bigger?
Of course some people 'live aboard' and their boat is their only home and has to house all their possessions, others have a place or storage ashore.

Because of the price / premium difference? I guess it is a bit like comparing a Volvo and a Vauxhall.

I am looking at other boats as well, the Scanmar 33 for instance, do seem to offer a lot more space for the same price. The plan is to become a liveaboard, and as I have been traveling from contract to contract over the past 6 years I have culled a lot of stuff. I can fit everything I need for a 3-4 month job into a carry-on.

Agree with TernVI
A couple of HR 31 Monsun for sale in the Netherlands. For example.
They sail well.
One has heat/electric windlass /newish enough engine/one owner history etc
Proven HR quality without the depreciation of the 29, and no teak decks to fettle!

I have looked at the Monsun, but it seems the majority of them are listed at similar prices to the HR29 which has made scratch my head a few times. I have never been on one, but there is one listed 10 min from my parents so I will see if I can go and check that one out when I am back home.

When talking about cost-effective liveaboards in the 30ft range, it's worth mentioning the Westerlies and Moodys that can be very hard to beat in terms of volume/£, and there are loads and loads of them out there. Might not be the OP's kind of thing, of course, but they are a known quantity with great owners associations to guide you through every technical query you'll ever have.

The Moodys and Westerlies do keep popping up in my searches, and are on my radar, but there are not a lot of them in Scandinavia, where my current search is focused.

Another boat you could consider for a liveabord is the Moody 29. It has a spacious interior. The table folds against the main bulkhead to create a large open cabin. The toilet compartment is the full width of the boat. These archive photos give a clear idea of the layout. No teak decks.
Moody 29 archive details - Yachtsnet Ltd. online UK yacht brokers - yacht brokerage and boat sales
There is one for sale substantially below your budget in the UK.
Moody 29 Used Boat for Sale 1982 | TheYachtMarket

Another slightly larger and newer yacht you could consider is the Westerly Storm Cruiser, rather than the Storm 33, as they had more creature comforts fitted as standard and a larger engine. Decks were always painted, so no teak decks. This one seems quite good and has heating fitted. They can be found for less than this one.
Westerly Storm Used Boat for Sale 1987 | TheYachtMarket

That is a pretty neat boat and ticks a lot of boxes. I am however limiting my searches to Skeg hung rudders. At least for now.

Similar in the Netherlands - both boats I signed a contract on (one purchase fell through, the other I write from now) had standing rigging over 20 years old.

One of the surveyors remarked to me that the "10 year rule" for standing rigging is strictly a British thing, and that Dutch insurers do not demand it. I have the impression that study seagoing boats are much admired there, but few sail outside of the Frisian Islands.

Most boats in Scandinavia get lifted, de-rigged and a lot of them stored indoors over winter. I would imagine that also extends the life of the rigging compared to being battered by the Scottish winter every year. I think the sailing season is a bit shorter as well but I don't know, only guesses.

 

[ghostlymoron]

I have no reason to doubt the HR 29 is a good boat, but I would not time myself down to a specific make/model at this early stage. If you widen your field, there are a lot of good 30 foot boats out there and it will give you a better choice and idea about what you want/value in a boat

When we bought our Mirage 28 we took the opposite approach. We found the number and variety of boats available too confusing so we settled on a Mirage which reduced the choice to about half a dozen, then chose the best one. We didn't regret our choice