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

I am in danger of jumping on a plane for this one... the Pearson 41 is pretty much the same as the Bounty II

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/196...38164/Northeast/MD/United-States#.VzX3kjUrLIU

http://bluewaterboats.org/pearson-41-rhodes/

She appears to be simply gorgeous - go for it! She is in Maryland, not too far from Washington DC, so should be easy enough to get a flight to go and have a look at her.

In the photos, that is a very interesting wheel on the reel halyard winch on the mast for the mainsail.
 
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Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Nobody has mentioend the old standby's Westerly and Moody but many of their boats are more than up to the trip, albeit the price may be a bit higher I suppose. May be worth checking the owners sites for sales without agents fees.
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Look at a Vancouver 27 if you can find on a 274 4 berth which is within your budget and an excellent boat. A 32 would be nice but outside your budget either is in my opinion better than the oft recommended Rivals etc. The Tradewinds and Barbicans are both nice 33 / 35 foot boats but outside your budget and I would personally choose the V32 over either.
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Nobody has mentioend the old standby's Westerly and Moody but many of their boats are more than up to the trip, albeit the price may be a bit higher I suppose. May be worth checking the owners sites for sales without agents fees.

Prob cos The OP, specifically, wants a long keeler. I am not sure why because surely he would have self steering if crossing an ocean I know that the theme of the boat that he wants is KISS,but wind steering is not that hi-tech.

To the OP - instead of getting a long keeler so you can bounce off rocks, why not buy an old cat (Iroquois or Prout) and just sail over them? :-)
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Prob cos The OP, specifically, wants a long keeler. I am not sure why because surely he would have self steering if crossing an ocean I know that the theme of the boat that he wants is KISS,but wind steering is not that hi-tech.

To the OP - instead of getting a long keeler so you can bounce off rocks, why not buy an old cat (Iroquois or Prout) and just sail over them? :-)

Wind steering for sure, and there are some really nice Westerlys ("Westerlies"?) but after a lifetime you acquire some skills and not others. I know, without conscious thought, what a well designed long keeled boat will do in just about all circumstances, from very heavy weather to grounding to parking in a marina. I find that fin keepers will still surprise me, and I find cats very surprising (but not tris; I can predict what a tri will do quite well).
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

..........
Do you think I am right to prefer external ballast?

Maybe so if you intend to dry out regularly, perhaps on rock or large stones. For all else an encapsulate keel is ideal for the type you are looking for.

I have a soft spot for the Marieholm 32 which may be worth considering. The early models had a 7/8th rig which may not be to your taste but later ones (32E) were masthead. In both cases the foresails were manageable. The layout is pretty conventional but sadly no pilot berth. Heads a bit small but headroom is good. Here is one:

http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/1979/Marieholm-32E-2777702/United-Kingdom#.VzsgqzL2ZpM

It has been kicking around for some time so may not represent the best value for money.......or the owner could be ready for a deal.

PS
Just remembered the early version had the prop sticking out above the rudder if I recall correctly, well worth avoiding. They also added extra ballast to the 32E.
 
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Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Perhaps consider the Sovereign 32 off Ian Anderson's drawing board and mostly built by small, quality yards. Something of a cheaper version of a Vancouver 32.
I almost ordered a new one 30 years ago as they really impressed me. There's one in our boatyard now and I still think that they look 'just right'.

e.g. http://yachts.apolloduck.co.uk/boats.phtml?id=528&mi=3668

That one is wheel-steered but tiller steering was available.
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Having read what everyone has written, I keep coming back to the Nic 32 - probably due to hull form.

This one seems interesting and, at the price, you could probably get away with a little bit of fettling over a couple of summers to prepare for the big trip.

Nice donk and hydrovane too.

http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/1974/Nicholson-32-2828280/United-Kingdom#.VztR7LxLOrU

.......and the name is apt!
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Interesting that it has a bow thruster!
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Oh no! Three more things to rip out (or fill in, for the pedants).
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Oh no! Three more things to rip out (or fill in, for the pedants).

Get into the 21st century. Wonderful innovations, although a drop down transom is arguably better than a sugar scoop.

Good thing most of us don't want to spend weeks at sea living in a tiny space at the mercy of the elements, so have no need for boats of the type the OP is looking for.
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Get into the 21st century. Wonderful innovations, although a drop down transom is arguably better than a sugar scoop.

Good thing most of us don't want to spend weeks at sea living in a tiny space at the mercy of the elements, so have no need for boats of the type the OP is looking for.

If you want to go long-distance at low cost, a simple older design boat is really the only option, and the simpler the boat the less there is to fix. I now sail a modern 35 ft AWB which is a near-perfect daysailer or local cruiser. I would not want to be in a North Atlantic storm in it: in fact it would probably kill me, whilst a smaller older cheaper Rival/Nic/Liz etc design would probably survive.

Re the suggestions fora Vancouver 27/28 for the OP: size matters, for seaworthiness as well as space aboard and stowage for food, water and kit. Very solid little boats, but they are little.
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

If you want to go long-distance at low cost, a simple older design boat is really the only option, and the simpler the boat the less there is to fix. I now sail a modern 35 ft AWB which is a near-perfect daysailer or local cruiser. I would not want to be in a North Atlantic storm in it: in fact it would probably kill me, whilst a smaller older cheaper Rival/Nic/Liz etc design would probably survive.

Re the suggestions fora Vancouver 27/28 for the OP: size matters, for seaworthiness as well as space aboard and stowage for food, water and kit. Very solid little boats, but they are little.

Agree. With £20k to spend the OP is looking at the right sort of boats, although as I suggested earlier my choice would be a Golden Hind, mainly because I have owned a similar boat for 30+ years, but accept it is not to everybody's taste.

My comment there was tongue in cheek, and not intended to disparage the type of boat he wants, but just to point out that if (like most people) you don't want to do long distance sailing on small budget, boats with all those "modern" features are much more attractive. However, if you did want to use a Nic 32 in today's crowded waters and marina berths then a bow thruster would be a big help.
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

If you want to go long-distance at low cost, a simple older design boat is really the only option, and the simpler the boat the less there is to fix. I now sail a modern 35 ft AWB which is a near-perfect daysailer or local cruiser. I would not want to be in a North Atlantic storm in it: in fact it would probably kill me, whilst a smaller older cheaper Rival/Nic/Liz etc design would probably survive.

Re the suggestions fora Vancouver 27/28 for the OP: size matters, for seaworthiness as well as space aboard and stowage for food, water and kit. Very solid little boats, but they are little.

I agree. Much earlier in this thread I suggested the V32 for this very reason, but the OP chose to ignore both my post and my PM

Having said that, this couple have taken their 27 to most extremities of the planet: http://www.bosunbird.com/
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

Agree. With £20k to spend the OP is looking at the right sort of boats, although as I suggested earlier my choice would be a Golden Hind, mainly because I have owned a similar boat for 30+ years, but accept it is not to everybody's taste.

My comment there was tongue in cheek, and not intended to disparage the type of boat he wants, but just to point out that if (like most people) you don't want to do long distance sailing on small budget, boats with all those "modern" features are much more attractive. However, if you did want to use a Nic 32 in today's crowded waters and marina berths then a bow thruster would be a big help.


Can't blame you for not arguing with jwilson.
 
Re: Looking slowly for the "Last Boat" - budget 15- 20K plus refit long distance crui

If you want to go long-distance at low cost, a simple older design boat is really the only option, and the simpler the boat the less there is to fix. I now sail a modern 35 ft AWB which is a near-perfect daysailer or local cruiser. I would not want to be in a North Atlantic storm in it: in fact it would probably kill me, whilst a smaller older cheaper Rival/Nic/Liz etc design would probably survive.

Re the suggestions fora Vancouver 27/28 for the OP: size matters, for seaworthiness as well as space aboard and stowage for food, water and kit. Very solid little boats, but they are little.


And they have been all over and crossed all of the earths oceans. The only downside to the 27 is speed, they are heavy and whilst in a reasonable wind of 20Knts they will tramp along all day at 5knts plus, also they are not exactly close winded but the cutter rig makes them bullet proof.

Beaten to it by Babylon:D
 
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