Halmatic 30 for sale. Too good to be true?

Refueler

Well-known member
Joined
13 Sep 2008
Messages
17,344
Location
Far away from hooray henrys
Visit site
I can think of a number of 70's 'old boats' that can sail better and run rings round many of todays so-called 'fast boats' .....

Even my 1980 Saaremaa won the 2003 Baltic Regatta at Pirita against old and modern ... not only on handicap - but actually physically crossed the line first ...
 

steve yates

Well-known member
Joined
16 Oct 2014
Messages
3,761
Location
Benfleet, Essex/Keswick, Cumbria
Visit site
Ouch. Still he now has a lovely boat. As you say he could of mitigated some of that.

I bought my Twister for 3,000. She had a new engine when I bought her fitted. I was told that I had paid too much. Repeatedly.

still spent a fair bit replacing everything. Just how it is. No no such thing as a cheap boat.
Steveeasy
I think you got a good buy. Unless she is wooden :)
 

fredrussell

Well-known member
Joined
24 Mar 2015
Messages
3,186
Visit site
I can think of a number of 70's 'old boats' that can sail better and run rings round many of todays so-called 'fast boats' .....
Indeed. There’s a 30ft wooden race boat moored near me (a Dragon I think) which trounces my 31ft GRP boat every time I see him out. He must be 6ft shorter at the water line too, it’s most exasperating! I try and console myself by telling myself I’m a) approx 2 tonnes heavier than him, and b) I have the ability to make a really good cup of tea, but it still pains me every time he slides by.
 

Obi

Active member
Joined
23 Jun 2009
Messages
618
Location
Landlocked temporarily.
Visit site
Haven't read all the posts, so apologies if this has already been mentioned/addressed. What's under all the covers? Poor condition upholstery? It costs quite a lot to get replaced. I did the fore peak cushions and saloon cushions on a 39', after much shopping around I finally paid about £2000 (or £3000) for the recovering and maybe some foam.

Also, there looks a lot of "minor" areas of wear and tear that could all do with a spit and polish, repair or replace. I guess it depends on your priorities once she is operationally sea worthy.

Nice looking yacht though.

I opted for a project yacht, it took a year out of my schedule, and I was working on it full time, living on board and had the help of three friends and a marine services company and a lot of ££. The days were long and many days started at 8am and did not finish until after 6pm, but I enjoyed it all (I think).

One big plus about doing a refit is that you will learn a lot about the yacht and its systems during the process, that knowledge is valuable.
 
Last edited:

robmcg

Well-known member
Joined
17 Sep 2006
Messages
1,826
Location
In exile in Scotland
Visit site
Poor condition upholstery? It costs quite a lot to get replaced. I did the fore peak cushions and saloon cushions on a 39', after much shopping around I finally paid about £2000 (or £3000) for the recovering and maybe some foam.
It depends. We did the whole boat, saloon, forepeak and aft cabin for around £600. Good quality upholstery fabric but reusing most of the existing foam. No experience of sewing but YouTube helped.
 

Obi

Active member
Joined
23 Jun 2009
Messages
618
Location
Landlocked temporarily.
Visit site
It depends. We did the whole boat, saloon, forepeak and aft cabin for around £600. Good quality upholstery fabric but reusing most of the existing foam. No experience of sewing but YouTube helped.
Well yes, I had to pay labour charges so that might explain a lot of it. So if one wants to do it themselves, I imagine that would save a lot of ££. Could I trust myself to do a good job, did I have the tools? No.

I found marine upholsterers to be charging a premium over non-marine.
 

Tranona

Well-known member
Joined
10 Nov 2007
Messages
40,728
Visit site
Worth talking to Caravan guys INLAND !!

Inland - to avoid those who do marine as well !!
You don't have to go "inland". The modestly priced guy I used is in Botley - right in the heart of Hamble yachting country. Did the leather seats in my Morgan as well. However his biggest source of business is re-upholstering buses that are being converted for all sorts of different uses including the original one of transporting people.
 

V1701

Well-known member
Joined
1 Oct 2009
Messages
4,561
Location
South Coast UK
Visit site
I think the thing with a "project boat" (the fact that they're all projects of one degree or another aside) is you need all of the following:

The time
The money to complete the project
The skills (& tools) to do the work
To want the satisfaction/enjoyment/challenge of doing it (AKA the motivation)

Absence of any one of the above I think means you'll likely not complete it. So if you've got the money but are missing one of the other three you're better off buying one that's good to go. If you need to work to get the money to complete it you won't have the time, etc., etc...

FWIW I bought a nice Bowman 26 from Aberdovey at probably half the price it would have been on the south coast, it's definitely possible to get more for your money buying from out of the way places but you of course have to factor in getting it to where you want it...
 

Wansworth

Well-known member
Joined
8 May 2003
Messages
29,955
Location
SPAIN,Galicia
Visit site
My late Father sold his Halcyon 27 after two years from new and bought a hull and deck with engine of a Freeward 30 back in 1971.I think for him and other boat fitters it’s a creative in the artistic sense and an opportunity to be in charge of a project away from the treadmill of a normal job,he had great fun solving problems and designing the interior etc.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Obi

Jameschristopher

New member
Joined
9 Aug 2022
Messages
5
Visit site
Hi,
I noticed your post 're the halmatic 30, I have put an offer in for that one and it's been accepted, if all goes to plan I will complete by next week and be the new owner. I'm fortunate to live quite local so shouldn't be much trouble getting her up and running. The sails are very poor the engine has not been run for 5 years and at the minute is an unknown quantity however it does turn over by hand. As the op said "to good to be true" is a phrase that comes to mind. The boat has loads of potential and being local shouldn't present to much hassle, it will certainly be different to my Albin Vega. Your offer of a usable sail to op was very generous and I was wondering if you could extend it to me? I will of course keep you posted on progress.
Kind Regards Jim.
 

Tranona

Well-known member
Joined
10 Nov 2007
Messages
40,728
Visit site
Welcome to the forum

I noticed the asking price had dropped substantially compared with when the thread first started. This reflects the concern by many here that the original price was too high for a tired boat that has been sitting for 5 years.

You have joined the clan of old boat fixer uppers - I am one as well. My one piece of advice is to have a survey and brief the surveyor to help you draw up a plan of work. You will need the survey in order to get all risks insurance. It is likely insurers will insure for the price you paid on condition that it stays ashore. When you have done sufficient work to make it seaworthy you can ask for in commission insurance using as evidence the work done against the survey recommendations. At some point you might want to increase the value insured to reflect your expenditure and market values by getting a valuation and submitting a further report on the new equipment and other works. This is what I did with my project and it is now insured for 3 times what I paid for it. Still less than my total expenditure because I paid for a lot of labour.

Good luck with the boat - but remember everything will take at least twice a long and cost twice as much as you imagine. However you have a sound design to work with and the end result should be very satisfying.
 

doug748

Well-known member
Joined
1 Oct 2002
Messages
12,757
Location
UK. South West.
Visit site
Hi,
I noticed your post 're the halmatic 30, I have put an offer in for that one and it's been accepted, if all goes to plan I will complete by next week and be the new owner. I'm fortunate to live quite local so shouldn't be much trouble getting her up and running. The sails are very poor the engine has not been run for 5 years and at the minute is an unknown quantity however it does turn over by hand. As the op said "to good to be true" is a phrase that comes to mind. The boat has loads of potential and being local shouldn't present to much hassle, it will certainly be different to my Albin Vega. Your offer of a usable sail to op was very generous and I was wondering if you could extend it to me? I will of course keep you posted on progress.
Kind Regards Jim.

Well done Jim , roomy boats well finished below decks. Keep us in the picture.


.
 

Jameschristopher

New member
Joined
9 Aug 2022
Messages
5
Visit site
Well, the engine runs after some rust removal and gentle persuasion.There are some minor top side leaks (cockpit sole and sb chainplate.) My thoughts are to re-sight them to an outboard position. The modification to reireinforce them has been done but too late judging by the bulge in the deck. Do any of you have any experience of the construction around them? ie; is there a strengthening component built in to the deck and if so what's it made of? Big job ahead I guess.
On a more positive note the rest of the work seems mainly cosmetic. Thanks in anticipation of your knowledgeable replies.
 

donm

Active member
Joined
17 Jul 2005
Messages
688
Location
Bristol Channel
Visit site
Well, the engine runs after some rust removal and gentle persuasion.There are some minor top side leaks (cockpit sole and sb chainplate.) My thoughts are to re-sight them to an outboard position. The modification to reireinforce them has been done but too late judging by the bulge in the deck. Do any of you have any experience of the construction around them? ie; is there a strengthening component built in to the deck and if so what's it made of? Big job ahead I guess.
On a more positive note the rest of the work seems mainly cosmetic. Thanks in anticipation of your knowledgeable replies.
Many of the chain plates were reinforced after the decks had been stressed so most have bulged without any consequence. Mine has and has satisfied three surveys since so as long as the reinforcing bracket has been properly fixed I would (have) leave it where it is.
Great boats that do everything you would expect but in a very understated way … but don’t expect to steer astern, instead use the prop wash to turn around!!!!
 

Jameschristopher

New member
Joined
9 Aug 2022
Messages
5
Visit site
Thanks for the quick response, the previous survey mentioned the decks had deformed but the chainplate attachment was secure. I thought I could live with it however, on closer inspection the stainless top plate is bent and the likely cause of a leak if I am going to remove it to sort the leak then I might as well re-do it. Consequently I'm looking for options, external chainplate or cut out and repair deck bulge. Think perhaps investigating the underside is the first step. The boat deserves to have symmetrically flat decks.
 
Top