Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance cruiser

Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Concerto said:
On the larger size at 35ft look at a Trapper 700. I know one that sold for about £15000 a couple of years ago. They are centre plate or fin keel and traditional design. Not all came with teak decks or wheel steering.
http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/archives/trapper-700/trapper-700.htm
Click to expand...

Thanks. That is a name that was quite new to me, although I recall the C&C 35 all right.
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Further thoughts:

This is not the time of year to buy a boat! Its when everbody wants one. The time to boy a boat is late January, when the days are short dark and dirty, the storage bill has just hit the doormat along with the insurance bill, etc..

One of the things that I have learned over the past 45 years is that my father was right - the cost of running a boat rises in line with the Thames tonnage. It's awfully difficult not to be tempted by bigger boats which need work, but it's a pitfall!

One thing that I think is important is a good heads compartment. Plastic boats score much better here than wooden ones as you can have a shower without rotting the boat with fresh water splashing around. - I actually think this is more important than the navigation space, as, to be honest, these days we don't spend anything like the time we used to spend on navigation.

The Pardeys are right when they say that one always spends a lot of time in the galley, so that matters. I don't know why boats are always built with a V berth up forward as to be honest its just a sail and gear locker for more than half the time; a single berth and a nice big sail bin would be better.

The ideal boat is a deeply unfashionable one that a loving owner has spent a fortune on and then expired!
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

You are just describing a Vancouver 27/8 suggested by Paella above. Many a 3 berth with toilet in the bow and a good galley. A Twister could also go on your list - with a wood coachroof to make you feel at home.

Boats are built with V berths in the bows for the kids. Very few people buy boats to actually do what you are planning (although many who do imagine they might want to do that, but don't).
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

I didn't realise V berths were deemed so unsuitable for sleeping in. SWMBO and I are blessed with a combined height of about ten feet though so we fit in places where others would not. Have happily used the V berth as our main sleeping cabin in both yachts we have owned. It's great to be able to close the door on it and not have to pack all the bedding.
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Kelpie said:
I didn't realise V berths were deemed so unsuitable for sleeping in. SWMBO and I are blessed with a combined height of about ten feet though so we fit in places where others would not. Have happily used the V berth as our main sleeping cabin in both yachts we have owned. It's great to be able to close the door on it and not have to pack all the bedding.
Click to expand...

The Tradewind 33 was designed on that system iirc and so indeed was my 1937 gaff cutter, which was built for a husband and wife voyage to the West Indies that was put a stop to by WW2.

My pet layout has a quarter berth on one side and a pilot berth on the other, so that when under way you can use the saloon seats without disturbing sleepers.
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Concerto said:
On the larger size at 35ft look at a Trapper 700. I know one that sold for about £15000 a couple of years ago. They are centre plate or fin keel and traditional design. Not all came with teak decks or wheel steering.
http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/archives/trapper-700/trapper-700.htm
Click to expand...
The one in those archive photos is about to go back on the market - http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/ - not online yet though - awaiting some paperwork. She is ashore in Cornwall.
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Tranona said:
You are just describing a Vancouver 27/8 suggested by Paella above. Many a 3 berth with toilet in the bow and a good galley. A Twister could also go on your list - with a wood coachroof to make you feel at home.

Boats are built with V berths in the bows for the kids. Very few people buy boats to actually do what you are planning (although many who do imagine they might want to do that, but don't).
Click to expand...

Vancouver 27 is not on the list due to many having "teak decks" and I think a bit slow. The Twister is slightly too small, but her bigger sister the Rustler 31 is on the list.
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Minn said:
Vancouver 27 is not on the list due to many having "teak decks" and I think a bit slow. The Twister is slightly too small, but her bigger sister the Rustler 31 is on the list.
Click to expand...

Pity your budget does not run to a Vancouver 32 - same principles but bigger.

If you don't mind staying with wood there is a lovely Gartside 30' with Wooden Ships and a North Sea 24. Both in budget range.
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Budget is being set cautiously as essentially this is my retirement plan (see "The £200 Millionaire!")

Positively no wood, as I intend to spend my declining years in the Tropics! I agree the Paul Gartside boat is lovely - as indeed are all his designs - and I see they are positively heaving with Holmans - Sterlings, a Twister, the North Sea 24 and more! It was of course the Gregsons who found my "ex" her new owner. Nice people.

Short list of boats to go and look at stands at:

Probably in the price range:

Halmatic 30
Nicholson 32 marks X and XI, possibly also Mark 1
Rustler 31
Nicholson 31
Barbican 33
Elizabethan 33

Probably not in the price range but to be considered:

Tradewind 33
Trapper 700
Challenger 35 and sisters
Bigger Nicholsons (pigs might...)
 
Last edited:
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

The old standby. A late Golden Hind 31 with tall rig. GRP hull, epoxy coated coachroof. Many have quarter berths and some are cutters. Good ones are +/- £20k. 3 good ones on the market at the moment.
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Just a few random thoughts.....
In view of how you are planning on sailing to Asia, and I presume not planning on ever sailing back to Europe, I guess you do not absolutely have to buy a VAT paid boat (?)
If so, then it would be well worthwhile looking at North America - that continent is (almost) awash with long keel boats for sale that broadly meet your criteria, and generally they seem to be significantly cheaper than equivalents in Europe.
As Tranona has pointed out in the past, whereas in the 70's and 80's a long keel (or at the very least a long fin) yacht was what most people hankered after, now the market has been flooded with Benjenbav types and these are proving to be more popular generally.
This seems to be happening in North America as well, even though there is a much wider range of long keel boats there than Europe.

Hence I think it would be well worthwhile doing a search on Yachtworld for boats in North America that meet approximately your initial criteria re length, age, price.
Some names to google would include Alberg, Allied Luders, Bristol, Cape Dory, Challenger, Cheoy Lee, Morgan (not like the Morgan cars), Pearson, Seafarer - and perhaps even Westsail (the Westsail 32 is a massively heavy - 9 tonnes - Colin Archer type of doublender, and has (unfairly) been called the Wet Snail re her slow passage times).

Here is one typical example - an 1969 Allied Luders 33 in Rhode Island, with a new Westerbeke diesel, for US$ 27,500.
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1969/Luders-Sloop-2947872/Portsmouth/RI/United-States
This is a sistership to Robin Lee Graham's larger Dove, which he finished his circumnavigation with in the late 60's.

If you buy a yacht on the west coast then it is just a hop across the Pacific to return to Asia; even if it is on the east coast (like the Luders above), then you can take a potter through the Caribbean (and maybe even visit us in Barbados?) before heading for Panama.
 
Last edited:
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Bajansailor said:
Just a few random thoughts.....
In view of how you are planning on sailing to Asia, and I presume not planning on ever sailing back to Europe, I guess you do not absolutely have to buy a VAT paid boat (?)
If so, then it would be well worthwhile looking at North America - that continent is (almost) awash with long keel boats for sale that broadly meet your criteria, and generally they seem to be significantly cheaper than equivalents in Europe.
As Tranona has pointed out in the past, whereas in the 70's and 80's a long keel (or at the very least a long fin) yacht was what most people hankered after, now the market has been flooded with Benjenbav types and these are proving to be more popular generally.
This seems to be happening in North America as well, even though there is a much wider range of long keel boats there than Europe.

Hence I think it would be well worthwhile doing a search on Yachtworld for boats in North America that meet approximately your initial criteria re length, age, price.
Some names to google would include Alberg, Allied Luders, Bristol, Cape Dory, Cheoy Lee, Morgan (not like the Morgan cars), Pearson - and perhaps even Westsail (the Westsail 32 is a massively heavy Colin Archer type of doublender, and has (unfairly) been called the Wet Snail re her slow passage times).

Here is one typical example - an 1969 Allied Luders 33 in Rhode Island, with a new Westerbeke diesel, for US$ 27,500.
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1969/Luders-Sloop-2947872/Portsmouth/RI/United-States
This is a sistership to Robin Lee Graham's larger Dove, which he finished his circumnavigation with in the late 60's.

If you buy a yacht on the west coast then it is just a hop across the Pacific to return to Asia; even if it is on the east coast (like the Luders above), then you can take a potter through the Caribbean (and maybe even visit us in Barbados?) before heading for Panama.
Click to expand...

Good point. But a deal of planning would be needed.

There are some lovely boats in the States and the price in $ seems to be the same number as £ here, more or less.

Not a Wetsnail, though - a friend had one in Hong Kong and she barely got out of her own way...

Now you have got me looking at Rhodes 41's and Cheoy Lees....
 
Last edited:
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

I forgot Rhodes - a good call.

Here is a Rhodes Bounty on the west coast with a 'newer' Yanmar diesel for US$ 29,500 :
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/195...Olympic-Penninsula---By-Appt/WA/United-States

This Rhodes Reliant is gorgeous, but a wee bit outside your price range :
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1966/Rhodes-Reliant-2817846/Annapolis/MD/United-States#

A Rhodes Chesapeake 32 for US$ 8,000?
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1961/Rhodes-Chesapeake-2327465/RI/United-States
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

The potential problem with those boats (a bit like in the UK now) is their low market value means that many require significant work to make them suitable for long distance sailing. Finding, buying and refitting a boat 3000 miles from home is a bit more of a challenge than one languishing in a S Coast boatyard!
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Tranona said:
The potential problem with those boats (a bit like in the UK now) is their low market value means that many require significant work to make them suitable for long distance sailing. Finding, buying and refitting a boat 3000 miles from home is a bit more of a challenge than one languishing in a S Coast boatyard!
Click to expand...

Absolutely - but there does appear to be a lot of boats in North America (and the Caribbean as well) in pretty decent shape with asking prices in $$'s when their nearest rivals (in need of fettling) in Britain have the same (or more) asking prices in GBP.
And the difference in cost might well more than pay for the cost of initial inspection flights, final acceptance flights, and even a bit of fettling by a yard if need be.
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Tranona said:
The potential problem with those boats (a bit like in the UK now) is their low market value means that many require significant work to make them suitable for long distance sailing. Finding, buying and refitting a boat 3000 miles from home is a bit more of a challenge than one languishing in a S Coast boatyard!
Click to expand...

Yes, indeed. That Rhodes Bounty might - or might not - be a wonderful boat - they were, iirc, just about the very first GRP boats ever made, and are massively over engineered, but they sail wonderfully. Rhodes is my favourite designer.
 
Last edited:
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

A few boats for sale in the Caribbean :

A Southern Cross 28 with an asking price of US$ 8,000
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1978/Southern-Cross--2253052/Chaguaramas/Trinidad-and-Tobago
The ad mentions "Canvas Maker" is a very simple boat with minimal systems and few opportunities for failure"

A Swedish L32 double-ender in St Maarten for US$ 29,000
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1964/L32--2955664/St.-Maarten-St.-Martin

A Cheoy Lee Offshore 33 in St Maarten for US$ 19,000
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1972/Cheoy-Lee-Offshore-33-2759442/St.-Maarten-St.-Martin
She is ketch rigged though. And she has been around the world already.

An Alberg 35 in Puerto Rico for US$ 35,000
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1963/Pearson-Alberg-2860074/Fajardo/Puerto-Rico
They say that she has been totally refurbished with a new mast, sails and engine - even a generator and electric winches (which I don't think you would be too keen on.....)

Re boats in Britain, I dont think that anybody has mentioned a Victoria 30 yet?
Here is one in Falmouth for US$ 32,000
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1987/Victoria-30-2934920/Falmouth/United-Kingdom
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

Frogmogman
My next boat.
2 3
Replies
40
Views
1K
fredrussell
F
EugeneR
Help with getting sold boat data
Replies
8
Views
553
Tranona
T
R
My boat trip hopefully in May Around Scotland
2 3 4
Replies
65
Views
2K
RobBradley
R

Share this page

Top