Moving from mobo to pilothouse yacht

[PaulGooch]

This one any good for you.

Looks a tidy boat and good value, but i'm not keen on steel, thanks.

 

[PaulGooch]

Paul, how much time do you have? I ask this in an entirely serious sense and not because I'm anti-rag n' stick. I'm an ex-yachtie but I sold my last sailboat largely because I didn't have the chance to use her properly.

In a nutshell, I currently work in an office all week and get weekends and odd days on the boat. (My holidays tend to be spent in the south of France, not on a boat, but that's another story).

I found that, when I took my sailboat out, I was spending most of my time under power and not sailing and the limitations of a sailing boat translated that into going endlessly up and down the same bit of water.

If I could spend a week at a time onboard on a regular basis then I'd have a sailing boat again. (Perhaps I should say that, when I can spend a week at a time onboard, I will have a sailing boat again.)

Mind you I do like those nauticats.

We'll be pretty much the same as you, weekends and odd days mostly. A few long weekends and possibly a couple of week long breaks. Understand what you're saying though, our last boat was a Princess 32 with twin Peugeot diesels that was flat out at 8 knots on a good day. The current plan (might change in the next hour lol) is to base it in The Wash for a season or two, learn how to sail and cover the local area. When we get bored of that, a season or two in Suffolk, then move to the South Coast (Ramsgate or Dover).

 

[Philiz]

Looks a tidy boat and good value, but i'm not keen on steel, thanks.

Mmmm, looks like it might need a bit of work too!

 

[Whitelighter]

How about this one then Paul?

http://www.pinnacleyachtsales.com/voyager/trident-voyager.html

Ok, so its in greece but you cant argue with the price or condition. Reckon it ticks a fair few boxes.

 

[David of Essex]

Paul to travel up the Thames to London from your port you are looking at 2 days there 2 days back if you are lucky, that's if don't run out of wind.
David

 

[PaulGooch]

How about this one then Paul?

http://www.pinnacleyachtsales.com/voyager/trident-voyager.html

Ok, so its in greece but you cant argue with the price or condition. Reckon it ticks a fair few boxes.

At the moment i'm looking for options rather than specific boats, as we won't be in a position to buy for a while. But the make/model is certainly worth looking into, as is the 40 foot one.

 

[PaulGooch]

Paul to travel up the Thames to London from your port you are looking at 2 days there 2 days back if you are lucky, that's if don't run out of wind.
David

I assume you're basing that on us still being in Shotley David ?

We're in Wisbech at the moment, which is 200 miles from London, be OK to do that in two days by sail lol.

We did Shotley to London in 2010, took a day as we didn't rush down the Thames, we used around 400 litres of fuel. I agree the same journey would take 2 days by sail, or one very long day. The same journey in a 35 foot mobo would cost around £1k in diesel.

 

[vas]

But have a look at this: http://www.nordhavn.com/models/56/ I know, I know its a bit over budget, but that is proper MS.

ok, I'm a bit late, just saw the thread and I have to say that I like this small boat!
Since I need another 20yrs for pension (if I ever get one down here...) anyone recons that a 20yo 56MS will be around the (nowadays value) 100K?
Need to start saving you know

cheers

 

[Kipper]

The full advert is here: http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/core/lis...url=&imc=pg-fs

That is a very nice boat, I could be lead astray!

 

[asteven221]

Interesting debate. I know you say its free 1/3 of the time - under sail - but surely there are additional maintenance costs for the winches, rigging and sails? How do these stack up against the saving in fuel?

They don't. Other than the racing enthusiasts, the vast majority of yachts sail about with the same sails, rigging and winches for year upon year - maybe 30 in some cases.
Having jumped from sail to mobo back to sail to mobo over the past 25 years I can assure you that mobo's are (by a big margin) a lot more expensive to buy and run and getting more so. That's assuming that you are making the comparisons between a used yacht against a used mobo of a similar LOA and similar purchase price.

That's obviously a sweeping generalisation, but I am confident that if you pick a price point and pick a LOA, and stick with the mainstream manufacturers we all know, you will find that the mobo will be a lot older. Assuming that you want it to look nice, run well and have good gear on board then you will require to hose lots of cash at it! Fundementally yachts are very simple devices compared the multitude of systems expected in a mobo. Virtually everything on a mobo is bigger and there tends to more of them and they seem go wrong regularly! Or maybe I have just been unlucky.

 

[Searush]

Absolutely, FWIW, I have just bought replacement winches for SR (she is aged 39) not because they are worn out (far from it!), but simply because design has moved on. With a bit of weight in the sail it takes 2 people to winch in the sheet, one on the handle (which only moves 90deg at a time) and one to pull on the tail to keep the grip on the barrel.

The new winches (which were almost 1/2 price & still cost me a month's pension) are 2 speed self tailing using a top handle that rotates 360deg. I am hoping that they will make it possible to singlehand more easily. Currently, if I don't time it right & get the sheet in before the sail is pulling it takes so long to get it in that the steering needs attention. I expect the new ones to last at least another 30 years, by which time I won't give a damn anyway.

 

[Whitty]

Hi your not listening, told you on scuttlebut, Salar 40 with open wheelhouse, sails well not a motorsailer, 2 for sale on yacht world.

 

[Tranona]

I've followed this thread and the Scuttlebutt one with interest. As I suggested earlier the shortage of choice on the SH market reflects the dilemma faced by new boat buyers over the years where the premium to add the sort of features that makes a boat good as both a mobo and sailer is excessive - not just in price, but in the compromises you have to accept (some of which can be reduced by spending more money).

The basic problem is that a hull designed for sailing efficiently is not good under power once it gets near displacement speed and no matter how much power you put in will never be comfortable. So modifying the hull to be better under power (such as the Fisher type hulls) usually has a negative effect on sailing ability. There are some designs which achieve a good compromise such as the Nauticat 42, but you pay (literally) a huge premium.

In terms of arriving at a compromise that gives good sailing performance, reasonable motoring and good accommodation, the centre cockpit cruisers of the 80's take a lot of beating. The only thing most lack is a wheelhouse, but a good windshield and sprayhood can give good shelter while the autopilot does the work in poor conditions. Moody 34s and 37/376 plus the various mid 30's Westerlys are all now in the budget, and well worth a look.

 

[PaulGooch]

Hi your not listening, told you on scuttlebut, Salar 40 with open wheelhouse, sails well not a motorsailer, 2 for sale on yacht world.

Just because i've not rushed out and bought something you've suggested, does not mean i'm not lisening. One of the boats you refer to is a 1965 wooden hull at £53k and the other is a 1971 in Spain at £49k.

I appreciate your taking the time to make the suggestion, but on the subject of "not listening", the brief did state :

Our requirements are :

Able to helm from inside or out.
Pilothouse/wheelhouse design to avoid the "cave" as much as possible.