Opinions on Trintella 29 (1980)

[caasi]

Hi all, new member here. Grew up sailing but it's been years since I have. Very seriously looking to buy a <30ft boat capable of ocean crossings (planned for next year).

Had my eye on an Albin Vega 27 down in England, when I found this Trintella 29 very close to home in Scotland:

1980 Trintella 29 Sloop for sale - YachtWorld

There's far more information available online about the Vegas due to their huge number and popularity, but I'm having more trouble finding info on the Trintellas. From the little I can find, they seem to be well-regarded.

I'm going to go take a look at this boat next week. What common issues should I be looking out for with this boat, given its age at this point? I understand that most the Trintellas in the UK were built by Tyler – is there any way to verify the origins of this specific boat?

 

[Minerva]

A new 15 hp Beta diesel engine has been fitted, new Lewmar winches fitted in cockpit, a new Furlex furling genoa system, new fuse panel, new cooker, sails are in good order, main saloon cushions recovered, new speed and depth instruments, etc.

I'd suggest that looks to be potentially a great deal if you're looking for a cosy but capable voyaging boat. You're not going to be hosting many parties in the saloon or taking many crew with you, but I bet that could take you somewhere where the sea is warm with a nice beach to have a good bbq!

 

[Tranona]

Boat will be fine as a design so much will depend on its condition and gear. Although Tylers moulded the hulls, many were home completed or completed by other yards. In a way, not really important who did the final fitout as you assess the boat for what it is. From what can be seen from the photos and description it seems very tidy and has a lot of newish gear - engine would have cost well over half of the asking price! It's a very simple boat by today's standards and a survey will show up any nasties.

 

[Motor_Sailor]

They are very small boats, even for 29 footers. I sailed one a lot, but at 6 feet tall it was miserable boat to be on. You couldn't sit in the cockpit with your legs braced across to the other cockpit bench and below, there wasn't a bunk you could lay out on, especially if you slept on your front. However the owner was 5ft 6, and it all fitted him like a glove.

But assuming you fit, they're a rugged little boat and sail okay.

However for comparison, I would seriously also look at something like a Moody 29 for example. They will cost you a few thousand more, but they're full size, less niche and the re-sale will always be easier. If the Trintella works for you, then make sure any prospective boat is in perfect nick for £9000. That's their top money, so there's no headroom for any more capital expenditure. My friend's sold for about that with a new Aries, new mast/rigging, recent Yanmar engine, new water tanks, etc.

 

[Tranona]

For the OPs intended use, resale value is probably not an issue. Almost certainly have to spend at least £5k getting it prepared so the key criteria (apart from whether you can live with the drawbacks identified) is whether the boat is a good basis at that price for "budget" ocean cruising. Inevitably when it gets back it will be a very different boat. At this sort of budget level for this use you almost have to think of the boat as a consumable and anything you get back at the end is a bonus.

 

[doug748]

Hi all, new member here. Grew up sailing but it's been years since I have. Very seriously looking to buy a <30ft boat capable of ocean crossings (planned for next year).

Had my eye on an Albin Vega 27 down in England, when I found this Trintella 29 very close to home in Scotland:

1980 Trintella 29 Sloop for sale - YachtWorld

There's far more information available online about the Vegas due to their huge number and popularity, but I'm having more trouble finding info on the Trintellas. From the little I can find, they seem to be well-regarded.

I'm going to go take a look at this boat next week. What common issues should I be looking out for with this boat, given its age at this point? I understand that most the Trintellas in the UK were built by Tyler – is there any way to verify the origins of this specific boat?

A pal of mine had one and liked it a lot, always said it was a sailor's boat, unlike his previous 30 footer (a similar sort of age) which he hated and called "the bathtub". He used to gently race it, not much success but always loved the day out. Personally I would take one over a Vega.

That boat looks very good, the rig may have been replaced at some stage, I would ask about the rigging. Newish sails would be nice. Check for any leaks from the modified windows. Leaks are always more trouble than they seem at first.

The draught is modest and would suit legs very well; if I were taking one long distance the thought of some independence from boatyards and expensive moorings would be attractive.

.

 

[Frogmogman]

Hi all, new member here. Grew up sailing but it's been years since I have. Very seriously looking to buy a <30ft boat capable of ocean crossings (planned for next year).

Had my eye on an Albin Vega 27 down in England, when I found this Trintella 29 very close to home in Scotland:

1980 Trintella 29 Sloop for sale - YachtWorld

There's far more information available online about the Vegas due to their huge number and popularity, but I'm having more trouble finding info on the Trintellas. From the little I can find, they seem to be well-regarded.

I'm going to go take a look at this boat next week. What common issues should I be looking out for with this boat, given its age at this point? I understand that most the Trintellas in the UK were built by Tyler – is there any way to verify the origins of this specific boat?

Lovely little boat, perfect for what you want to do. EG Van der Stadt design, looks in nice nick, reasonably equipped, new motor, sensible price.

What’s not to like. If survey/inspection prove satisfactory, I’d go for it.

 

[Praxinoscope]

A Van de Stadt design so from a good background, looks like an extended design based upon the folkboat lines, as several of his designs were.
Looks a good seaworthy boat, with probably few if any bad habits.

 

[Tranona]

Not sure what your overall budget is, but purchase cost of basic boat is just the start. unlikely to find a suitable boat ready to go so, apart from the basic design's suitability the key thing is total cost to get it ready to go. So often worth paying more for the boat that is better equipped as the cost of adding things is out of proportion to the purchase cost (engine example above is a good indicator). New sails £3k, rigging £2k and so on. Good idea to buy locally as the costs of buying a boat down south where arguably might be cheaper will take a big chunk out of the budget.

Casting around locally (sort of) this might be worth considering mcyachts.co.uk/boats-for-sale/seamaster-925/2471139/ Not the classic long keeler but what replaced them in the 70s. A long keeler is not essential for ocean passaging - they were originally used mainly because that was what was available at the time and subsequently because they are cheap and simple. However more modern designs like this one are faster, more comfortable and more spacious. This one seems to be that rare type which has been kept up to date and in use and probably the overall cost of getting it ready for long distance cruising would be similar or less than the Trintella. You could take more beer and share it with others as well!

 

[Buck Turgidson]

You are probably going to need a wind vane steering system which will cost a lot to buy and fit so might be worth looking for something already fitted.

 

[caasi]

Thanks all, for such helpful responses!

We're well aware of the size of the boat and aren't bothered by lack of headroom or being "cosy". We're looking for something sturdy, and something to truly sail, not a cruiser for cocktail evenings.

Have spoken to a surveyor in the area called Tony Ellis – anyone have any experience with him, and/or recommend anyone else in Scotland?

In terms of price, the broker has already lowered asking price several times. Current owner is selling due to age, and has been working on it as a project boat for the past few years. My assumption is that they'd accept any reasonable offer.

Our absolute total budget is around 20k, so after purchasing the boat itself, paying for a survey, and ~3k+ for a year in a marina, we've got 6-8k left for upgrades. I think Tranona is right on the money – we are indeed essentially treating the boat as consumable and are not too concerned with resale value. We're working on a budget and our goal is to maximise our own enjoyment! The boat may never "make it back" either – perhaps we'll sell it in Florida or Australia and manage to break even.

Beaching legs are an interesting idea, will keep it in mind.

As far as other boats go, we're open to anything relatively nearby. Indeed it looks like road transport for the Vega from the Hull area would be ~1k+, basically making it a non-starter. We're not dead set on a full keel boat, but I think we can rule out bolt-on cast iron options. Cheap and simple sounds like what we're after. Willing to sacrifice weight and speed on that front.

It's a good point Buck makes about a wind vane, but I've seen very few boats kitted out with one on the UK market, let alone in our price range and in Scotland.

Thanks again everyone for lively and helpful responses. What a welcoming community!

 

[jamie N]

They're a slightly large Folkboat aren't they?

 

[Buck Turgidson]

There is a twister on the south coast that is ready to go including a wind vane and new nav gear. It’s over your purchase price but won’t need 6grand of updates. The trip north would make a good shake down trip I’m not saying it’s far superior to a trintella but it’s far superior to……..

 

[Tranona]

Thanks all, for such helpful responses!

We're well aware of the size of the boat and aren't bothered by lack of headroom or being "cosy". We're looking for something sturdy, and something to truly sail, not a cruiser for cocktail evenings.

Have spoken to a surveyor in the area called Tony Ellis – anyone have any experience with him, and/or recommend anyone else in Scotland?

In terms of price, the broker has already lowered asking price several times. Current owner is selling due to age, and has been working on it as a project boat for the past few years. My assumption is that they'd accept any reasonable offer.

Our absolute total budget is around 20k, so after purchasing the boat itself, paying for a survey, and ~3k+ for a year in a marina, we've got 6-8k left for upgrades. I think Tranona is right on the money – we are indeed essentially treating the boat as consumable and are not too concerned with resale value. We're working on a budget and our goal is to maximise our own enjoyment! The boat may never "make it back" either – perhaps we'll sell it in Florida or Australia and manage to break even.

Beaching legs are an interesting idea, will keep it in mind.

As far as other boats go, we're open to anything relatively nearby. Indeed it looks like road transport for the Vega from the Hull area would be ~1k+, basically making it a non-starter. We're not dead set on a full keel boat, but I think we can rule out bolt-on cast iron options. Cheap and simple sounds like what we're after. Willing to sacrifice weight and speed on that front.

It's a good point Buck makes about a wind vane, but I've seen very few boats kitted out with one on the UK market, let alone in our price range and in Scotland.

Thanks again everyone for lively and helpful responses. What a welcoming community!

Not sure why you want to rule out bolt on cast iron - seriously limits your choice. There are tens of thousands of bolt on iron keel boats sailing the world's oceans without any problems! Encapsulated keels came about because it was easier to build boats shaped like old wood boats in GRP rather than for any structural or safety reasons. However it seriously limits the shapes and efficiency of keels and as soon as designers worked out how to attach keels properly it was dropped. This is not to say that there are not advantages (I have a boat with an encapsulated keel!) but more modern designs are faster on passage times and more comfortable. It is not only old style boats with encapsulated keels that can "truly sail" - indeed many of them on ocean passage are slow because of poor downwind and light weather performance plus limitations of short waterline length. While they might be good for a windward thrash in northern waters where they were born that is not what ocean passaging is about.

Surprised you can transport a boat from Hull to where you are for as little as £1k. I bought my boat in S Wales and transport to Poole 18 months ago cost over £2.5k including lifts and mast handling at either end. Bit bigger than a Vega but unless you have a cradle so that it could be lifted say by a HIAB onto a flat bed you are stuck with an expensive low loader and yard crane.

Good luck with your project. You are unlikely to find the perfect boat and at some point you just have to go for it and accept compromises. The success depends more on your capabilities and planning rather than the boat which is just a platform rather than an end in itself.

Rather like Buck's suggestion of a Twister if you can find one in ready to go condition with a windvane already fitted. The idea of a shakedown cruise from the S Coast is also good as that will give you a lot of experience of the boat to inform your preparations.

 

[Kelpie]

A couple of points re: budget
£2k for a re-rig on a 29ft boat sounds quite high. I did my Vega back in 2010 for £450 inc new bottlescrews. I know prices have got up for surely not four fold?
I sold my Navik windvane for £750, and you can build a Hebridean from a kit for even less.

I would suggest the OP gets aboard a few different boats before becoming attached to any particular style or type. Some smaller boats try to cram too much in, resulting in less usable berths and spaces.

 

[Tranona]

Different world from 2010. At least double for just material cost. I had 2 caps, 4 lowers, split backstay, forestay in 6mm and another forestay in 7mm for the Furlex. Including bottlescrews for an 11m deck stepped mast £1600. If you can fit yourself and lower and step the mast, then fine, but mast handling professionally is typically £100-120 each way and dressing the mast plus setting up 4-5 hours chargeable work. Running rigging approx £500 for halyards and reefing lines. So easy to see £2k even if high proportion of DIY.

 

[Kelpie]

Different world from 2010. At least double for just material cost. I had 2 caps, 4 lowers, split backstay, forestay in 6mm and another forestay in 7mm for the Furlex. Including bottlescrews for an 11m deck stepped mast £1600. If you can fit yourself and lower and step the mast, then fine, but mast handling professionally is typically £100-120 each way and dressing the mast plus setting up 4-5 hours chargeable work. Running rigging approx £500 for halyards and reefing lines. So easy to see £2k even if high proportion of DIY.

Yes I see what you mean when you put it like that- especially adding in running rigging.
I've never paid to have a mast stepped or unstepped. On the Vega I just got a bunch of mates and did it on a low tide at the quayside. And on the current boat I replaced each stay individually with the mast up.
It's surprising how much a mast wobbles with a person on top of it, when it's only held by the lowers .
Btw my new standing rigging from Z Spars on the 39ftr was £1300 in 2021. That's minus bottlescrews but inc stalok fittings which were necessary due to the way I did the job.

Oh and I don't necessarily seek out the hardest way to do things, it's a habit from owning a boat somewhere with no facilities.

 

[doug748]

Thanks all, for such helpful responses!

We're well aware of the size of the boat and aren't bothered by lack of headroom or being "cosy". We're looking for something sturdy, and something to truly sail, not a cruiser for cocktail evenings.

Have spoken to a surveyor in the area called Tony Ellis – anyone have any experience with him, and/or recommend anyone else in Scotland?

In terms of price, the broker has already lowered asking price several times. Current owner is selling due to age, and has been working on it as a project boat for the past few years. My assumption is that they'd accept any reasonable offer.

Our absolute total budget is around 20k, so after purchasing the boat itself, paying for a survey, and ~3k+ for a year in a marina, we've got 6-8k left for upgrades. I think Tranona is right on the money – we are indeed essentially treating the boat as consumable and are not too concerned with resale value. We're working on a budget and our goal is to maximise our own enjoyment! The boat may never "make it back" either – perhaps we'll sell it in Florida or Australia and manage to break even.

Beaching legs are an interesting idea, will keep it in mind.

As far as other boats go, we're open to anything relatively nearby. Indeed it looks like road transport for the Vega from the Hull area would be ~1k+, basically making it a non-starter. We're not dead set on a full keel boat, but I think we can rule out bolt-on cast iron options. Cheap and simple sounds like what we're after. Willing to sacrifice weight and speed on that front.

It's a good point Buck makes about a wind vane, but I've seen very few boats kitted out with one on the UK market, let alone in our price range and in Scotland.

Thanks again everyone for lively and helpful responses. What a welcoming community!

One thing you will want, which can be quite expensive, is a sprayhood. A huge improvement in accommodation for any small yacht.

Don't despair about the rigging, the roller reefing looks new and the forestay may well have been replaced at the same time. This is the only item tricky to replace with the mast up. All the rest are easy to do in pairs, as long as you have an efficient way of going up the mast - which you will want to work out anyway. The turnbuckles look open and may well be chromed bronze, it is common to reuse these. Running rigging seldom needs attention and is easy to sort.

I think you are wise to look for a something near your base, you don't want to be dipping the boat in and out of the water or expensive delivery bills on a relatively inexpensive purchase. Similarly, there are a number of important advantages with an encapsulated keel, if it suits you stick with it, One of the disadvantages is that they are expensive to build but some other mug has picked up the tab for that years ago : -)

Above all do let us know how you get on.

PS
Neptune Windvanes are one of the cheaper off the shelf solutions. They start at £2k.

.

 

[Tranona]

Yes I see what you mean when you put it like that- especially adding in running rigging.
I've never paid to have a mast stepped or unstepped. On the Vega I just got a bunch of mates and did it on a low tide at the quayside. And on the current boat I replaced each stay individually with the mast up.
It's surprising how much a mast wobbles with a person on top of it, when it's only held by the lowers .
Btw my new standing rigging from Z Spars on the 39ftr was £1300 in 2021. That's minus bottlescrews but inc stalok fittings which were necessary due to the way I did the job.

Oh and I don't necessarily seek out the hardest way to do things, it's a habit from owning a boat somewhere with no facilities.

Did much the same in my younger days. Fond (well not so fond!) memories of unstepping and stepping this beautiful 10m long wooden mast in its tabernacle. Scary stuff when it gets to the point of (im)balance.

3/8" Stalock bottle screws are over £70 each!

 

[caasi]

An update: I went and saw the boat... It's much more of a project boat than the ad seems to imply. I've created an imgur album with photos and a couple videos.

https://imgur.com/a/r3vm2BO

Meanwhile, the owner and broker have significantly reduced the asking price to £7500, which is probably much more realistic for what the boat actually is.

It seems the current owner has started a lot of projects, and actually finished very few. The electricals in particular seem worrying.

If anyone has a moment, would you mind checking out the photos, and let me know if any major red flags stick out to you? Wondering if this boat is worth trying to get at a bargain price, or if it should be avoided entirely.