Ideas for boats which fit my ideal spec!

Thanks 'TSB240', your post has hit the nail on the head including your suggestion of the Hawke 20, funnily enough I was thinking about one last night.

I had a chat with an owner of one this summer, quite quick boat I think. His cabin is completely stripped out yet he sails with his wife and grandchildren from Haslar Marina into the Solent regularly. Great wife to have being in her 60's and not minding the use of a bucket!!

I'll have another look at them now...
 
TSB240 said:
I would also recommend that whatever the op eventually settles for that its trailer is brand new or has never been immersed in salt water otherwise he will spend more time on trailer maintenance than sailing..
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Not necessarily the case. I was a prolific trailer sailer, and I didn't spend much time on that at all. I just made sure my hubs had a flushing kit, and used it every time. An annual service at Indespension did the rest, and they never sail there was a problem with the hubs.
 
I've been fortunate enough with my Drascombe Longboat and Drifter not to have to get the hubs wet to launch. The same applies with the Coaster with it's 6" draft and lightness which is why I prefer it over a Cape Cutter or Shrimper. The main thing is to get a well designed decent trailer to make the whole operation simple and embarrassment free as you always seem to have an audience. I would always buy a new trailer or one that is not very old and always replace the bearings once a year. Simple, quick job and bearings are only £20. The latest swinging cradle trailers are excellent and can pull a Coaster up straight, even with a sideways current.

The jury is out on flushing kits, salt water cannot be rinsed out or rinsed off metal alone unless you have a decent pressure washer. Try running a hose over your wheels or trailer, you can still see the salt remains. An annual service is a wise idea.

Having looked at other options I am pretty sure I am going to get a Drascombe Cruiser or Coaster. For my budget I can get a very nice example with a near new or new engine/trailer/sails etc. It's the kind of boat you can also play around with to suit your needs e,g, from sail sizes, adding booms or not to the mainsail and mizzen, making cockpit tents, interior fit outs, etc. It's not the fastest boat in the world but maybe OK once I have given it this spec :encouragement:

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Ru88ell said:
Not necessarily the case. I was a prolific trailer sailer, and I didn't spend much time on that at all. I just made sure my hubs had a flushing kit, and used it every time. An annual service at Indespension did the rest, and they never sail there was a problem with the hubs.
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Russell I am totally in agreement with flushing kit if you intend to dunk your trailer.

But my advice to Op is choose a TS light enough to be winched on and off a break back but without dropping the hubs in the water.

If dunking them,our experience is the worst problems are not with the bearings but with Bowden cables seizing unless removed and maintained . Ditto for auto reverse mechanism and pads sticking. We never leave our trailer with the handbrake on for any length of time either.
Our trailer had all these problems about six months after one single immersion and despite careful hosing down with fresh water. The trailer was brand new and had been "prepared" by a marine trailer specialist!
 
Chris...I think you'r chasing the end of a rainbow..!
I have followed this thread with the many interesting and varied responses with interest.
Having also read your thread on the liveaboard forum, why don't you ask your wife and kids what they would like to sail..? As you already own a Drascombe Drifter 'Smuggler' and you have documented the refurbishment on the Drascombe Association website along with lots of other posts about changing boats...as well as on this forum.
Why don't you just enjoy what you have..? Concentrate on getting the family on board..
I think all this is a distraction from enjoying sailing with your family. The ideal boat could be a Drascombe Dabber....get back to basics.. 'Swallows and Amazon's' style get your children involved...trail & sail...the answer may already be sitting on your driveway with the boat you already have..?
 
Cornish Bluenose said:
...the answer may already be sitting on your driveway with the boat you already have..?
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Not now Paul I sold her yesterday!

Agree with what you say especially about getting back to basics which is why The Drascombe Coaster fits the bill closer for me than anything else...

I have decided to work on the house this year and play with the cars as they are both new to me. I will probably get a Drascombe Coaster next year but you never know I may unearth a nice bargain somewhere ;).
 
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onesea said:
Always keep your eye open you might find a better boat you did not expect... No I am making no suggestions but the best boats are normally found that way....
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Thats exactly how I found the boat I have. Silly thing was I wasnt even looking to get another boat!! Luckily I found a reasonable mooring/boatyard as well. It bought boat ownership back into the realms of affordable, almost cheap
 
Yes I always keep an eye out for cars, boats and other toys. I do buy and sell quite a bit, nothing better than driving home your new car or doing up your new boat. I love the haggle of buying and even better selling something you know somebody really wants and will pay the full asking! Best I have done is a 10K profit on a Nostalgia Jag bought for £17,500 and sold 2 years later for £27,500. The Crabber 24 I recently sold made a nice profit also, the asking price was £32,750, I got it for £23,500 and sold it for less than I could of got but made a good profit. I had to sell quickly to buy the very rare and mint 1972 SAAB Sonett only 36K miles and only a handful in the country - yours for 15K ;)

Cars are easier than boats to turn around because you don't have the hassle of the survey/extra complication of gear etc but I bet people are making good money out them. As with anything you just need to choose the right desirable model and make sure it's in good nick... You can see when people fall in love with something and you have hooked them. I even put the price up on one guy with a car once - squeezed another 1K out of him - he was happy. Quickest turn around was years ago, SAAB 96 bought for £2000 and sold for £4000 within 2 weeks. The seller was happy and my buyer also which is the main thing. You don't always win however. I made a loss on the Drascombe Drifter - hey ho!
 
Well I kind of got the value of the car wrong, it was my first project car to buy and sell years ago. I paid £2300 for it, put on new front wings and had them resprayed and put it up for £3500. A SAAB specialist advised it was worth more so after the buyer had viewed and returned home to discuss it with his wife he offered a price over the phone and I apologised and said I had to increase the price as it was worth more. He was happy to pay the right amount.

A very direct abrupt chap, arrived at my home, asked if he could look at the car on his own (no problem) put on a white boiler suit and got out various screwdrivers and extendible flexible instruments with magnets and torches whilst he stripped the interior out and poked all around the thing for over an hour! When done he threw his boiler suit in the back of his car, said he would call me and drove the 3 hours back home!

It was a mint example SAAB 96 but didn't last that way for too long as his wife used it as a daily drive. The car is still around and on the road but I'm not sure what condition it is in... :( It had the sweetest V4 engine I have ever owned, and I've had a few of them :eek: !!

These will be my last two as they just don't come up anymore - one owner 70,000miles, original, mint.
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Rare SAAB Sonett 36,000 miles, original, mint etc
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Thanks, they are quirky but it's nice to have something different. The Sonett's were never imported into the UK. I've only recently bought both cars. They both had twenty year old tyres on them, the 96 had done 150 miles in the last 10 years largely just for annual MOT's. The Sonnet had done 4000 miles in the last 18 years. Luckily both were carefully stored and looked after - two very cherished motors. I may sell the Sonnet eventually but will never part with the 96. My 7 year old son has his eyes on it already. "When you die Dad, can I have the 96?" Charming :rolleyes:


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Well just to conclude this thread I looked at a Coaster for sale yesterday and although that particular one isn't for me I will be looking out for one. It's the boat I should have bought 6 years and 4 boats ago :rolleyes: It's been an eventful journey though and I've learn't so much from the experience.

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The club rallies here and abroad have a lot to do with buying one of these. To be able to sail in company on organised rallies on coastal and inland waters is a real attraction and being able to use the boat as a caravan on route is an added bonus... Can't wait to get one and go exploring...
 
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