Mirage 28 as a first boat?

[calvong]

Hi all!

Am in Singapore and found for sale a rare (in these parts) 1979 mirage 28 that had been sailed all the way down from Belgium. Thinking of purchasing it as a first boat.

Any thoughts on suitability? From what I've read on this site they seem to be very well constructed - old school thick GRP hand finished hulls which are resistant to osmosis, sail confidently at a decent clip, and good size accommodation for class. Would you agree with the comments I've read which say a well constructed old school GRP boat like the mirage may better stand the test of time if well looked after despite age than newer thinner GRP hulled boats?

Also, on electrics and piping - bilge, water, toilet etc - is the setup robust yet straightforward if I want to undertake an overhaul after purchase?

Tks in advance for any advice. Much appreciated.


best,

ong

 

[akyaka]

Our experience is that they are a sturdy boat with fittings that have lasted over 30 years and has been in the family ownership for 25 years.She has survived one swamping and is in regular use by my sons in the Irish sea throughout the summer including the occasional race, my bones prefer warmer climes sailing these days.The cores that we took out on ours when installing through hull fittings was just over 25 mm. This is the association website link http://www.snapdragonmirage.org.uk/

 

[Elessar]

Hi all!

Am in Singapore and found for sale a rare (in these parts) 1979 mirage 28 that had been sailed all the way down from Belgium. Thinking of purchasing it as a first boat.

Any thoughts on suitability? From what I've read on this site they seem to be very well constructed - old school thick GRP hand finished hulls which are resistant to osmosis, sail confidently at a decent clip, and good size accommodation for class. Would you agree with the comments I've read which say a well constructed old school GRP boat like the mirage may better stand the test of time if well looked after despite age than newer thinner GRP hulled boats?

Also, on electrics and piping - bilge, water, toilet etc - is the setup robust yet straightforward if I want to undertake an overhaul after purchase?

Tks in advance for any advice. Much appreciated.


best,

ong

the bilge keel version doesn't really sail at a "decent clip", largely because of the qualities of solidity that you describe.

Many (all??) were home fitted out or fitted out by local yards, so the quality of the interior set up and fittings varies enormously. It is all about the condition and price of the actual boat you are looking at.

For a boat of the era, assuming you want a cruiser not a racer, a good one would be very good.

 

[NickRobinson]

Nice boats, I looked at some and the 26' too before buying a M2700.

Though bilge keel, mine sails beautifully (bearing in mind my previous boat was a Macwester!)

Are they solid GRP? IIRC the top is cored. Make sure you walk up and down it to check for movement and groaning noises.

No sure they really were all self finished. The ones I viewed looked 'stock'.

One I saw also had had water ingress around the bulkhead, check for stains inside.

My 2700 is beamier and has a conventional saloon table, not the nifty zig-zag lifting one in the 28.

Check around the keel bolts for staining or fresh paint, not a known issue but the keels are not encapsulated.

Domestics seem conventional, get yourself an 8 year old for the tricky bits...

Nick (Rivendell)

 

[akyaka]

Are they solid GRP? IIRC the top is cored. Make sure you walk up and down it to check for movement and groaning noises.

Not heard of that as a major problem possibly because the deck stepped mast, hopefully an Isomat with their wonderful opening lid at top, is carried through to the keel on a compression post

Many (all??) were home fitted out or fitted out by local yards, so the quality of the interior set up and fittings varies enormously

A large number, particularly those sent abroad were factory finished. The association may have details of this and the boat being looked at if you know the sail number

 

[calvong]

Thanks folks.

It's a fin keel that I'm considering guess she should sail speedier than the bilge.

Looks like the consensus is if she's in a good condition / price the mirage 28 is a recommended first buy

Perhaps I could get a few pointers on what are the weaknesses to look out for? Tks all.

 

[Sandy]

Any thoughts on suitability? From what I've read on this site they seem to be very well constructed - old school thick GRP hand finished hulls which are resistant to osmosis, sail confidently at a decent clip, and good size accommodation for class. Would you agree with the comments I've read which say a well constructed old school GRP boat like the mirage may better stand the test of time if well looked after despite age than newer thinner GRP hulled boats?

Camelia is my first boat and I've had her about 18 months.

She is a good basic boat, nothing fancy just gets on with the job asked of her. Mine is a bildge keel, ideal for the type of sailing we do, but she has a nice turn of speed.

Not had any major problems, just about everything is original including the Yanmar 8hp engine that happily pushes us along at 5kts.

You might be interested in the Owners website, http://www.snapdragonmirage.org.uk/index.html I am sure they would love to know the hull/sail number.

Price range from £8,000 to £16,000.

 

[calvong]

Been thrown a curveball - the vessel needs to be re-registered as I'm Singaporean and can't own a Luxembourg registered craft. Singapore registration requires that the vessel be 17years of age or less. Been looking at cayman or isle of man as alternatives - any recommendations? Isle of man looks good except for vessel tonnage certification requirements where verifiers are all in Europe. Any tips?

 

[maxi]

Great boat, I have had three from Thames Marine. Strong & with good sailing capabilities (including the bilge keelers) and with excellent heavy weather abilities. Good luck.

 

[AndrewB]

Very nice yacht, an excellent choice as a first-timer. The bilge-keel version I used to sail leaked through the keelbolts. It is fixable but quite expensive so do check before buying.

I've no experience of foreign registration, but far more yachts are registered in UK Channel Islands (Guernsey/Jersey) than IOM. There are several companies who arrange this, easily found by a Google. You might enquire of one of them. Generally its done by larger yachts to avoid taxes - it may not be economic for a small yacht.

 

[tanyasharma]

Sounds good! May be you can get an agency to do a proper check of the boat!

 

[Tranona]

Sounds good! May be you can get an agency to do a proper check of the boat!

Problem with most registers is that they require a survey and an ownership history of the boat which can be difficult and expensive to get. Despite what people say, offshore registration does not confer any tax benefits but does allow owners sometimes to operate their boat in a way that is not possible ifthey were restricted to registration in their own country.

Isle of Man would be a good, but expensive choice, assuming you government would permit you to use the boat.

 

[ChattingLil]

I had a mirage 29 as my first proper boat. Absolutely loved her and cried for a week when sold. I'm friends with the new owner as go aboard often and I'm always jealous!

 

[NickRobinson]

I had a mirage 29 as my first proper boat. Absolutely loved her and cried for a week when sold. I'm friends with the new owner as go aboard often and I'm always jealous!

Absolutely nothing to do with the OP but couldn't resist agreeing with you.....:encouragement:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYnAQ4zRfO0&feature=player_embedded

Looks just like Singapore too....

Nick
Mirage 2700 Rivendell

 

[calvong]

Hi folks!

Here she is. Have agreed to purchase her pending paperwork.

Her outgoing owner is a legend who sailed her from Belgium to Singapore via Biscay-Madeira-Atlantic-Panama-Galapagos-Pacific-French Polynesia-PNG-Philippines-Brunei-Singapore. A true adventurer and amazing chap. It's quite an honour to take her over.

Really excited at the prospect of owning mirage 28 sail #68 - quite sure many evenings / weekends will be spent onboard either sailing or doing her up

Thanks for the advice everyone! It's my first boat so there will be questions aplenty and I think I'll be pretty active on this forum.

 

[Sandy]

Here she is. Have agreed to purchase her pending paperwork.

Great news.

 

[AndrewB]

Very nice! The one I sailed was that colour, "Winnie the Pooh", bilge-keeler, new I think in 1979.

 

[Elessar]

Hi folks!

Here she is. Have agreed to purchase her pending paperwork.

Her outgoing owner is a legend who sailed her from Belgium to Singapore via Biscay-Madeira-Atlantic-Panama-Galapagos-Pacific-French Polynesia-PNG-Philippines-Brunei-Singapore. A true adventurer and amazing chap. It's quite an honour to take her over.

Really excited at the prospect of owning mirage 28 sail #68 - quite sure many evenings / weekends will be spent onboard either sailing or doing her up

Thanks for the advice everyone! It's my first boat so there will be questions aplenty and I think I'll be pretty active on this forum.

Nice. I've lots of good memories on a red, bilge keeled version. Wishing you a happy boat