Hallberg Rassy vs. Good ol' British built boats?

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Hallberg Rassy vs. Good ol\' British built boats?

I'll be looking for a bigger boat next year, and to me the more affordable (ie. smaller) HRs seem spot-on. Looks, cockpit, comfort at sea, quality, etc, but are they really worth a premium over the Westerlys, Moodys, Sadlers, etc of the late 80s / early 90s?? Up to 35ft, but the HR31 or HR34 are the most likely candidates (HR29 looks nice but might be a bit tight). I think the other Scandinavian makes generally start bigger than this? Would HR owners please convince me that I should splash out lots of dosh and buy one, when I could probably get an equivalent size British built yacht for a lot less? This is a serious question!
 
Re: Hallberg Rassy vs. Good ol\' British built boats?

From we what we saw when we were looking for our boat, they aren't necessarily built any better (in terms of lay-up), but the finish is better. Thats not to say you don't get a great finish on a Moody etc, however its a bit like comparing the finish in an Audi to a Merc - there's just something a bit extra there.

I think what you'll pay the premium for is therefore the higher standard of finish, and also the prestige badge - which accounts lower depreciation and higher residual values, but in turn higher second prices to start with!

I doubt you would find many people who, money no object, wouldn't choose a HR/Najad/Malo over a Westerly/Moody etc, however when the chequebook comes out its down to a personal choice as to whether your prepared to pay a lot more for a simalar boat that may be slightly better in certain areas, or save your cash and get whats acceptable.

Coming back to the car analogy - I supposes its like asking "Why should I buy a C-Class Merc over a Ford Mondeo?" (both are well built, drive well, and perform the same basic function)

Jonny
 
Re: Hallberg Rassy vs. Good ol\' British built boats?

I have never once regretted spending my money on a small Hallberg, you only have to spend a little time on one to appreciate the very real differences.

The best thing to do is to pick a few examples of each marque and go and have a good look. Sailing them will tell a similar story.

IMHO the 29 is the prettiest HR, it looks good and sails exceptional well having a superbly comfortable motion when the going gets rough. The 31 looses some of the good looks being rather fuller aft, the saloon in the 29 is also more spacious than the 31 although the older 312 is similar to the 29. The 34 is similar in proportion to the 29 and is better looking than the 31. The new 342 I found disappointing.
 
Re: Hallberg Rassy vs. Good ol\' British built boats?

I'm sure loads of people will pile in and argue the opposite but IMHO "no" (especially the smaller HR's) I tried to look objectively at the HR31 before I bought my British built Hunter Channel 31 and whilst the HR31 has much nicer finish on the surface ie better quality interior the points that I didn't like were the glued and bolted hull join on the HR 31 (the bigger ones are laminated like my Hunter), the sandwich construction (just a personal thing but I prefer solid laminate (see previous thread on the subject) and don't kid yourself that the premium includes things like tinned copper cable etc As far as I could determine they had std copper and I may be wrong but cast iron keels rather than lead. So all the things that I would pay a premium for weren't there on the 31. In fairness I think from the 34 onwards you will probably see more of a difference.
 
Re: Hallberg Rassy vs. Good ol\' British built boats?

This is totally a personal choice that should depend on what your priorities are. For example, if you want fast sailing performance then HR would be a dubious choice, if you want resale value then HR is a good choice, if you want high interior volume for your money, then HR would come low on a list, etc. I suggest you list your priorities in order of importance and find the boat the that fits them best, choosing a yacht is a very individual thing.
 
Re: Hallberg Rassy vs. Good ol\' British built boats?

[ QUOTE ]
This is totally a personal choice that should depend on what your priorities are. For example, if you want fast sailing performance then HR would be a dubious choice, if you want resale value then HR is a good choice, if you want high interior volume for your money, then HR would come low on a list, etc. I suggest you list your priorities in order of importance and find the boat the that fits them best, choosing a yacht is a very individual thing.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good questions: Comfort, safety and easy handling at sea rather than speed is important. Cockpit size / depth and interior volume needs to be consistent with this (not too big) whilst providing good summer season live-aboard room for two.
 
Re: Hallberg Rassy vs. Good ol\' British built boats?

HR (and I've no doubt other premium craft) give me the kind of pleasure I can't imagine from owning a less substantial boat. In eight years on our 34 there hasn't been a single passage I haven't enjoyed, and knowing I've got 40% lead ballast helps a bit too. The boat is so well developed for sailing that handling is a doddle and I believe all the other small HRs are similar.
This is not to say there is anything wrong with cheaper boats, it's just that you get what you pay for, and the exchange rate has been favourable for Swedish boats in the last decade.
 
Re: Hallberg Rassy vs. Good ol\' British built boats?

Good questions: Comfort, safety and easy handling at sea rather than speed is important. Cockpit size / depth and interior volume needs to be consistent with this (not too big) whilst providing good summer season live-aboard room for two.

[/ QUOTE ]

In my not so humble opinion that adequatly describes an HR 29 except, the 29 is the one Rassy that in terms of speed often out performs much larger AWB's /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
Re: Hallberg Rassy vs. Good ol\' British built boats?

To add a penn'orth to foregoing remarks - The British Kiel Yacht club which runs a training fleet of 12 yachts for adventurous sail training for Sevice personnel in the Baltic, has repeatedly gone back to HRs for their strength of build, seaworthy nature and general value for money when selling on ( which they do every 3/5 years) If you were to contact them on their website www.bkyc.de I am sure you would get some knowledgeable advice. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Re: Hallberg Rassy vs. Good ol\' British built boats?

Actually it more accurately reflects the '34, which is the more sporty of the bunch and is regularly used by couples who live on the boat for a few months in the summer. If you're just using it for weekend sailing (which admittedly some folks do), then you're just being flash and its probably a waste of money.

Yes, alright, I've got a HR, but I had a Contessa before. I wanted a boat that had longer legs, I could live on for a few months and would look after me. OK, they aren't racing boats (although the Germans race 'em), but the newer, smaller ones are surprisingly nippy, and very docile in a blow.

The older ones are slower, and darker inside, but the guts will be holding up as they are designed to last. (The '29 is an earlier generation '31, but isnt a German Frers boat). There's some cobblers been talked on here about the construction compared with British boats, so help me. Just go and look at one and compare! (Yes, compare the layup too. I've seen them being built). Also, I like the detail features, like a proper porcelain washbasin rather than a plastic one.

Not all Swedish boats are the same. Najad are now slowly moving down towards the cruiser racer market, and Sweden Yachts have always been there. Even HR are making a few compromises, but they aren't (yet) terribly obvious. Only Malo seem to holding up at the 'brick outhouse' end.

Ivan
www.kissen.co.uk
 
Re: Hallberg Rassy vs. Good ol\' British built boats?

Ok, I've got a 1990, HR 29 and she's for sale. Up front about that. Why am I looking to sell? Simply because I've decided to buy a larger Malo, a 38 or a 36. In essense I want a bigger version of what I have a present. HR don't make such a boat, i.e. in that size range, with aft cockpit, with with a substantial long fin and with an interior that is solid mahogany rather than veneer.

If I could 'grow' my HR by 8' or so to enable a crew of 3 plus 2 dogs then I would, sadly I can't, but please don't be put off an HR by some saying they are slow. That certainly hasn't been my experience, even before the sails were replaced.

Why did I buy the HR rather than a good British boat? (I've chartered a Moody S31 and owned an British Hunter 27 ood a while ago.) Well I guess just fell for the wonderful lines for the HR (the 29 is arguably one of the best looking boats HR has built, better than a Malo too) and also for the sheer quality of finish interally.

I looked at the new HRs' on display at Southampton in September and no they wouldn't get my money. Would I buy an HR 31, no - the internal layout is pushed to far to accomodate the galley and chart table and reduces the comfort of the saloon, the older 312 doesn't suffer from this, neither does the 34. As to which one, well depends what you can handle, rig and berthing wise and how much money you wish to part with. Suggest you look at all models to answer that, but I bet if your budget allows for an HR, you won't end up buying an equivalent sized Moody or Westerly!
 
Re: Hallberg Rassy vs. Good ol\' British built boats?

After buying 3 brand new good ol' British built Westerly yachts, I bought a 6-year old HR. Now, 11 years later, I don't regret the decision for a moment. There's a world of difference in construction - not simply in quality, but also in the thought and planning which goes in to HRs. They're comfortable, sea-kindly and can be quite nippy. They inspire huge confidence, and they confer enormous pride in ownership. Go for it, you won't ever regret it.
 
Re: Hallberg Rassy vs. Good ol\' British built boats?

From my one experience on a bigger HR (49)
In 50 knots apparent on the nose yes you can make a HR flex and bang around and the drawers fall out,the floors and doors squeek and groan,the (Lewmar) deck hatches leak,and bust bits of rigging-.....but you will make progress to windward under sail and feel safe and confident ,sheltered superbly by the doghouse enclosure..
What really surprised me was the tendency for the boat to sail around on its anchor-so much so that an anchor sail and massive packing on the stemhead roller were needed to get any sleep off anchor watch.
I would definitely want to know that that design flaw has been eradicated throughout the range.
 
Re: Hallberg Rassy vs. Good ol\' British built boats?

We had exactly the same dilemma - ultimately choosing between a Westerly Ocean 33 and an HR 31. Both were good boats, both had pretty much what we wanted but the Rassy won; Hallberg Rassy's have that undefinable 'something' that just feels right.

The other big plus is that, even though ours is now 10 years old, HR in Sweden offer a great advice / parts service.

Go Rassy!

Mark
 
Re: Hallberg Rassy vs. Good ol\' British built boats?

And not only that. When we were looking for a boat in 1999, the Westerly Ocean 33 cost more than the HR 34!
 
Re: Hallberg Rassy vs. Good ol\' British built boats?

We also went through the same decision making process, we ended up buying a Malo 36. I looked long and hard at a Westerly Oceanquest, very nice boat, However I would not swap the Malo. The standard of finish (IMHO) is second to none, when sailing everything is in the right place hand holds etc. When bringing her back from Sweden we encountered some heavy weather, 21Meters/Second (havnt converted to knots yet), she coped far better than her crew! And not a single drop of water came in (most of the night wind on the nose!) Consider the row away factor, thats what somebody said to me. It really worked for me
 
Re: Hallberg Rassy vs. Good ol\' British built boats?

Makes a change from the Dan boats I used to sail out of there! Good 30 footers but no comfort and no engine!
 
Re: Hallberg Rassy vs. Good ol\' British built boats?

Ashanta - you might be glad to know that BKYC training policy is still heavy on sailing on and off berths wherever harbourmasters permit. Old habits die hard!! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
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