Ok, A very Strange one but that's me....

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Spud 7

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I'm looking for my first "yacht" of my own. Mostly for coastal stuff and occasional very light hearted round the cans locally and at "fun" regattas.
However in the future I may well be pushing things little further afield and hopefully ocean crossing (perhaps single handed)
I'm not well off by any stretch of the imagination and had been looking at Contessa 26s (lovely but too small) and had finally decided on a Swedish built Shipman 28, if I could find one.
However I've always been "smitten" with a boat in the marina where I sail from with a friend, saying every time we pass it "that's my boat, I love it" and now it turns out it's for sale.
Right at the very top of my budget (In fact a big stretch to be honest) and a lot larger, being a rather nice UFO 34.
Totally diffferent beasts I know, but do I stretch myself and go for it, or take the sensible (read cheaper to run etc) option of the Shipman?

My own experience if it makes any difference:
Approx 20,000 miles in last 5 years, including 2 Atlantic crossings, one as Skipper with just 2 of us on a 38 foot BroadBlue.

Do I keep it small and simple or chase the dream........HELP :(
 
If you take on a boat that you can't afford, the dream will soon turn to a nightmare. The larger the boat, the bigger the maintenance / running costs, and some expenses such as mooring / marina / yard fees are ongoing and soon mount up. Once the boat is yours, those costs will be yours to deal with until you sell it on, which may involve taking a big loss if you need to sell quickly. You need to have a cool head over this, do the sums and then make your decision. On the positive side, older used boats aren't selling well at the moment, so a low offer on the asking price may go in your favour.
 
I'll have to go with greenalien.If money is going to be a problem you'll never enjoy the boat.Another thing is that the smaller the boat the more fun you'll get out of it.
 
I've always followed the philosophy "As small as you need, not as big as you want" Though obviously as long as the boat's capable of doing what you want to do with it !!
I've often heard that you get more fun from a smaller boat too. No one's ever actually explained it though!! :rolleyes:
 
Spud 7 said:
Right at the very top of my budget (In fact a big stretch to be honest) and a lot larger, being a rather nice UFO 34.
Click to expand...

It's not the purchase price that matters, it's the running costs. Can you cope with 20% higher berthing charges, 50% higher underfouling and replacement sail costs (assuming they go up with length^2) and so on and so on?
 
A smaller, seaworthy and sporty design would be the best bet if finances are critical.

I owned a Twister (28', just about standing headroom, smallish sail area, but comfortable for 2, fast for size and genuine go-anywhere sea keeping) for a decade and only moved up in size because of new plans.

In your sailing shoes I'd look for a really good small boat at a price that leaves some money in the bank for inevitable upgrades and replacements.
 
I worked with a man who successfully raced a very nice UFO34. When he retired he spent six months converting it for cruising, then set off to the Med. When I met him a couple of years later he told me he had sold it very early on as being totally unsuited to cruising.

Otherwise for the OP's ambition I would go for the 28 footer. Financial reasons as others have said but also because singlehanding a 34 is by no means impossible but much harder work than a 28, with little real advantage.
 
vyv_cox said:
I worked with a man who successfully raced a very nice UFO34. When he retired he spent six months converting it for cruising, then set off to the Med. When I met him a couple of years later he told me he had sold it very early on as being totally unsuited to cruising.

Otherwise for the OP's ambition I would go for the 28 footer. Financial reasons as others have said but also because singlehanding a 34 is by no means impossible but much harder work than a 28, with little real advantage.
Click to expand...

Sensible advice (as usual !) .

The UFO is a powerful MH racer and would be alot of work to SH & cruise. Good solid boats though.

I have a 31ft and its quite manageable to SH and plenty of room for several people if needed. 28-32 ft probably a realistic SH size for most people and big enough (design permitting) for decent sailing performance in poorer weather.
 
vyv_cox said:
g.

Otherwise for the OP's ambition I would go for the 28 footer. Financial reasons as others have said but also because singlehanding a 34 is by no means impossible but much harder work than a 28, with little real advantage.
Click to expand...


Wise words! I was recently in a similar position - went to Pwllheli to look at an Achilles 840 and in the same yard was a UFO 34. The UFO is one hell of a boat, but would probably be a real handful to sail single-handed. My sensible head won and I bought the Achilles.
 
Spud 7 said:
I'm looking for my first "yacht" of my own. Mostly for coastal stuff and occasional very light hearted round the cans locally and at "fun" regattas.
However in the future I may well be pushing things little further afield and hopefully ocean crossing (perhaps single handed)
I'm not well off by any stretch of the imagination and had been looking at Contessa 26s (lovely but too small) and had finally decided on a Swedish built Shipman 28, if I could find one.
However I've always been "smitten" with a boat in the marina where I sail from with a friend, saying every time we pass it "that's my boat, I love it" and now it turns out it's for sale.
Right at the very top of my budget (In fact a big stretch to be honest) and a lot larger, being a rather nice UFO 34.
Totally diffferent beasts I know, but do I stretch myself and go for it, or take the sensible (read cheaper to run etc) option of the Shipman?

My own experience if it makes any difference:
Approx 20,000 miles in last 5 years, including 2 Atlantic crossings, one as Skipper with just 2 of us on a 38 foot BroadBlue.

Do I keep it small and simple or chase the dream........HELP :(
Click to expand...

Boo2 who regularly posts on here has just bought the UFO 34 in Wales to do just what you want to do - well aware of the pros and cons as he has had a lot of advice from folks here. Massive undertaking and we wish him well.

The Shipman 28 is a rare beast here as they were very expensive boats when new. However they were built under licence in Ireland and you may have more luck finding one ther. However in that size/style/age/price range there is a huge choice of suitable boats. Try not to get hooked up on one design - condition and equipment is usually more important when you come to actually buy.
 
I'd echo the wise words above..... "as small as you need".

Read (or maybe re-read) the £200 millionaire for inspiration...as relevant now as when it was written.

Don't get bogged down looking at one class.

Invictas, Halcyon 27, Nic 26, Bowman 26, Great Dane 28, Albin Vega, plus loads of others, would probably be perfect for you.....take your time, find a good example.

Have fun!
 
I'm not sure it would be too difficult to single hand (I used to single hand a Hanse 342, but that was very easy with self tacker etc. Handling the main was probably more of an issue with the size of it!!)
I've looked at all sorts in this size/proce bracket. And looked at lots of Shipmans (including in Ireland)
Without wishing to be politically indelicate, I've definitely been more drawn to the Swedish built ones. They appear nicer built and of better quality somehow.
Have to admit though, I've only managed to find two Swedish ones over here...
 
Not perhaps as race oriented as the UFO 34 or the Albin Ballad, but a yacht I do covet is the Halmatic 30,long- keeled ,perfect for cruising and interior space and furnishing is excellent.
We have one which races with us on our pursuit race and whilst sure and steady she is no slouch. I'm not sure of her rating, but looks to be eminently suitable for a singlehanded trip anywhere. Not a lot of them about (200 or so built I believe).

ianat182
 
It's not the buying it's the running that matters. A boat 34ft long costs a lot more to run than one of 30 ft etc, etc. A lot also depends on how much you want to do to a boat to make it what you want. Something like an old Pioneer picked up for about £6k has all the capabilities you want with a little work to bring up to scratch. Mine is great singlehanded, I've just won a coastal race two handed and they have an excellent reputation as an ocean crosser.

Yoda
 
Boats are like wives, they usually both need lots of time and money spent on them :)

'Whatever boat' you buy things will either need replacing, renewing or updating, and usually sooner rather than later, so I would stick to you first budget.

Good luck
Mike
 
If you were considering a Contessa 26, try to get a look at a Cutlass 27. They're generally a fair bit cheaper and they're a lovely sea boat.
 
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