Opinions on boats we saw today Please.

The boats we saw and liked were:

Westerley Centaur
Maxi 84
Seamaster 925
Hunter Duette
Highlander 28
Gibsea 76
Vancover 34 Classic.
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Before choosing, sit down & list EXACTLY what you want the boat for.

eg

What sailing will you do, are you intending to expand your usual sailing area, or content to stay 'local'?
Are you likely to ever do any 'racing' (even at basic club level)?

What berth will you have?
Are you in a 'deep' water area, or somewhere like the Essex coast?

What is your (& crew) capability/experience?
How many will be aboard on a regular basis?
Will you be daysailing, or spending many nights on board requiring a bias toward accomodation perhaps?

Etc, etc.
 
That's a ridiculous way to do business, no wonder the boat is still for sale over 6 months later! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Just be careful, every boat you look at will be too small, but just remember that (a) it will be your first sailing boat and so you'll be learning the ropes (see what I did there?!) and the bigger the boat, the bigger the costs.

Number one rule, not the biggest boat you can afford, but the smallest you can live with.
 
I would go for a Centaur. But a good one. Remember they are old boats so some require money spent on them (stuff does wear out!) - which only really adds to ease of sale, not value.

Their is a reason why they sold so many, good family boats (accomadation and non-scariness!) and they sail better than they look.....plus a good one can always be sold. I would not go for a single keel Centaur (Pembroke?) simply for ease of later resale, even though for you the keels are not an issue.

But just to add to the confusion /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif.....have you had a look at a Westerly Pageant? 23 foot but roomy with it. A couple of K's cheaper than a Centaur.

I have mentioned resale a few times above - mainly because you have yet to learn exactly what you want / need from a yacht this size.
 
Did you see the lovely wooden boat on the Kip pontoons called Quartet. it looked in very good order on the outside; Little info in the catalogue ,- 31ft I think, 1947 at £22k. An offer at 11 or12 cash would be interesting, Good luck
 
[ QUOTE ]
al,
forget the advice re yachts that will be great in f5 or 6 cos, with callum, you wont be going out in these forces, will you ?
your good lady fancies a moody 31. i would go for that. nice boat, good accomodation, well built etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you not selling one Joe?
 
Seamaster 925 is a very good boat from the board of Holman & Pye all nice boats are designed by them /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif + good resale value from the 925

Highlander 28 would be quicker might not hold the value but due to its age maybe that doent matter but the 925 is better known so would sell more easily
 
the Centaur and (for example) the Duette are really different generations / types of boat. The former is a good solid family cruiser of not ver good preformance, the latter is a much lighter better performing more modern sort of design.

key advice for a first boat is to recognise that you will want to move on so buy something easily re-saleable. of your list the Hunter, the Centaur and the Maxi should all be easy to sell. Gibsea maybe, but Seamaster and Hiighlander (never heard of that last one before) are likely to be more difficult.

alternatively, buy the Vancouver and never need to change.
 
I went to Kip & Largs on Saturday. I think they had staff walking the pontoons to try to make it look busy. Did you look at the Griffon? I believe it was in the show last year so maybe a low offer there may do some good. I keep going back to the Naiad Double Image. Definitely something to drool over.
 
Well another busy day today.

Troon and Ardrossan shows were good, and it was easy to view boats as they were all open like at Largs.

Boats viewed today were:

Jaguar 27
Oyster 35
Westerley Pageant
Jeanneau SunDream 28
Moody 30

The Moody 30 looked great, very big and heavy, a right solid looking boat.

But the surprise was the Jeanneau SunDream 28, SWMBO really liked it, great interior with 3 seperate cabins and a good size head(very important for SWMBO /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif ). I liked it on the outside, nice big boat good cockpit and nice wide side decks to walk round. This boat is a 1989 build and priced to sell at £16k, I don't think we've seen a boat as new as big and as modern as that for that price, what does the panel think?

Also met Spyro at Ardrossan and the Trapper 300 still looks very attractive.

Cheers

Al.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Did you see the lovely wooden boat on the Kip pontoons called Quartet. it looked in very good order on the outside; Little info in the catalogue ,- 31ft I think, 1947 at £22k. An offer at 11 or12 cash would be interesting, Good luck

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, did see that one, but thought a Wooden boat maybe to much work.

Cheers

Al.
 
[ QUOTE ]

But the surprise was the Jeanneau SunDream 28, SWMBO really liked it, great interior with 3 seperate cabins and a good size head(very important for SWMBO /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif ). I liked it on the outside, nice big boat good cockpit and nice wide side decks to walk round. This boat is a 1989 build and priced to sell at £16k, I don't think we've seen a boat as new as big and as modern as that for that price, what does the panel think?



[/ QUOTE ]

Offer him £8k cash for it. Honestly. And subject to survey, (keel still on etc - it's a 20 year old boat). Offer stands for a week only.

Odds on will say no, but yer never know how financially fooked some people can be - even in the best of times.
 
The owner uses her for racing in the Clyde, and apparently has a big yacht in the forth he's going to race instead. Apparently if he doesn't get a descent price, then he'll simply give it too another family member.

Question is though, are they any good???

Cheers

Al.
 
[ QUOTE ]
IDid you look at the Griffon? I believe it was in the show last year so maybe a low offer there may do some good.

[/ QUOTE ]
A Griffon would be a good option (I'm biased of course). It will sail better than a Centaur even in bilge keel format, and better still with a fin. Standing headroom right into the forecabin, and a reasonable heads compartment.

http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/archives/westerly-griffon/westerly-griffon.htm

We looked at the Griffon at Largs ("Stowaway"?). Its a fin keeler, and the asking price is £15K. The good news is that the headlinings have been professionally replaced and really well done. Poor headlinings look squalid and its a messy job to replace them. Some stripping and refinishing of the interior woodwork had been done, but maybe not quite finished. It has red vinyl upholstery. Old looking Volvo MD7A.

I reckon the price is probably too high. Maybe OK if the sails and rigging are all top-notch.
 
Hi Al, sorry I missed you at Troon, we took "In Dreams" out saturday, a great sail in fresh wind to Tignabruach then on through the Kyles to anchor the night at Rothsay. Left there this morning and had a very rolly sail back to Troon...sods law as we arrived the sun came out...that said a great weekend sail with plenty of miles covered.

Paul.
 
Thats ok Paul, We did come looking for you but realised you might be out.
Sounds like you had a great weekend.

Do you know anything of this boat or its owner?
Its Jeanneau SunDream 28 called Blue Ark.
IMG_0664.jpg


Cheers

Al.
 
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