Shipman 28? Hello, New member to forum, information required at speed :) and unsure where to post query! (apologies)

[WasdaleWanderer]

Hi,
My son (21) is on his way to look at a Shipman 28 as his first boat, moving up from some limited Dinghy Sailing (RYA Level 2) and very keen to start learning the ropes... he's not a risk taker and has a huge amount of experience and qualifications in White Water Kayaking i.e. he has a deep respect for water and understands the safety issues - just so you don't all take cover and head for the hills!

He's going to take it very steady and as a family we are all going to take some professional training.... in the meantime;

Question is (survey and work required on the boat aside) please can you send over some words of wisdom on this boat, those in the know.

Is it suitable as a first boat to learn on?
Is it easy (enough) to sail single handed?
Is it a boat that, if well maintained, will hold its value?
Is there anything we need to know about this boat good and bad?

Thank you in advance for any advice.

WasdaleWanderer

 

[johnalison]

Hello. I don't know a lot about the Shipman, though I once went on one at a boat show and there is one in our marina. They are good-looking boats that I believe had a good performance for the time. I don't know about their structure, which I think is probably basically sound. A boat of this size should be easy enough for single-handling, though the large genoa and small main of boats of this time may be less handy than modern fractional rigs. I see no reason why one shouldn't learn on such a boat, though I myself would have a preference for something around 23ft. The only thing I remember that put me off was that the step into the companionway was adjacent to the sink and that this represented the risk of injury if a foot slipped but this is a memory from a long time ago.

 

[Dino]

The Shipman is a fairly popular boat in Ireland. They race them as a One Design class in Dún Laoghaire and there are lots of them around. They are a very sturdy and seaworthy boat. They are an old boat now so it really comes down to how well the boat was maintained over its life. I know some were home built so the fit out and finish may vary.
The sail plan is as John mentioned, big Genoa and small main. The sail upwind really well but have a tendency to roll while sailing dead downwind with the spinnaker up.
Ability to single hand will be down to how well the boat was set up and if the lines were lead back to the cockpit.
Might be worth getting a rigger to check the mast and rigging as that could be expensive to replace.
Condition is everything at that age..

 

[jwilson]

Potentially a good seaworthy and quite fast boat, but also potentially a money pit. All depends on condition and inventory. Remember it may be around 50 years old. If it has an original 1960s/70s engine, probably of very low value. Same if anything seriously wrong with mast/spars or sail condition.

If you want to sail, pay what you need to buy a boat that is all together and in really good order. Don't get fixated about a specific model. If you want a very expensive shore-based hobby, buy a boat in "project" condition.

 

[WasdaleWanderer]

Thank you, really appreciate that.
He's just about to go and see it, I think they're asking way too much even in a good condition at nearly £9k. There seem to be many other options out there and more coming available each day.
Also not the easiest to sail single handedly either.... again probably much better and maybe newer options available at the same or lower price.
Seems like a bit of a marmite boat, some love them, some hate them. A lot of money to spend on the latter. Thanks very much for taking time to respond.

 

[V1701]

Very good advice from those who have already posted. Below is a post that I made on another thread but which is very relevant here also:

Assuming the hull itself is sound and things like the mast, boom, winches, internal woodwork, etc. don't need replacement or repair the trick in buying an older boat is to have as many of the big ticket, long term consumables already in place as possible, so engine, sails, standing rigging, bunk cushions and canvas work roughly in that order according to expense to replace. A lot of people would probably add electronics (chart plotters, wind instruments, AIS, etc.) to that list and it depends what you want but I think they can be a bit of a red herring in that a complex and expensive suite of modern electronic gadgetry whilst nice to have is not really necessary. As long as you've got a working depth sounder, VHF and a compass you can (and plenty of people do) go round the world mostly using Navionics on a tablet for navigation. A means of self steering if you're sailing alone or longer distances but that can be added later.

The rest is less about money (although all the bits and pieces do of course add up) and mostly down to having the time and inclination to sand and revarnish woodwork where necessary, repaint non-slip areas, polish the hull, go through the electrics and replace/renew wiring, etc. as required, properly and I mean properly scrub and clean everywhere - and on a 40 year old boat there will likely be areas that have not been cleaned for almost that long if you look hard enough. If you do your own maintenance, fixing & upgrading you'll save a lot of money and learn some new skills & none of it is rocket science so that's a biggie as well.

All depends on you and how much pride you take in your boat, how much you enjoy and will be able to use her, etc. but owning one makes llittle financial sense when all said and done. With boats as old as the ones you're looking at worrying about resale values isn't really relevant - if you keep it well, update a few things and declutter and clean it properly when you do come to sell then you'll likely not lose much, maybe even sell it for a bit more than you paid...

 

[WasdaleWanderer]

Very good advice from those who have already posted. Below is a post that I made on another thread but which is very relevant here also:

Assuming the hull itself is sound and things like the mast, boom, winches, internal woodwork, etc. don't need replacement or repair the trick in buying an older boat is to have as many of the big ticket, long term consumables already in place as possible, so engine, sails, standing rigging, bunk cushions and canvas work roughly in that order according to expense to replace. A lot of people would probably add electronics (chart plotters, wind instruments, AIS, etc.) to that list and it depends what you want but I think they can be a bit of a red herring in that a complex and expensive suite of modern electronic gadgetry whilst nice to have is not really necessary. As long as you've got a working depth sounder, VHF and a compass you can (and plenty of people do) go round the world mostly using Navionics on a tablet for navigation. A means of self steering if you're sailing alone or longer distances but that can be added later.

The rest is less about money (although all the bits and pieces do of course add up) and mostly down to having the time and inclination to sand and revarnish woodwork where necessary, repaint non-slip areas, polish the hull, go through the electrics and replace/renew wiring, etc. as required, properly and I mean properly scrub and clean everywhere - and on a 40 year old boat there will likely be areas that have not been cleaned for almost that long if you look hard enough. If you do your own maintenance, fixing & upgrading you'll save a lot of money and learn some new skills & none of it is rocket science so that's a biggie as well.

All depends on you and how much pride you take in your boat, how much you enjoy and will be able to use her, etc. but owning one makes llittle financial sense when all said and done. With boats as old as the ones you're looking at worrying about resale values isn't really relevant - if you keep it well, update a few things and declutter and clean it properly when you do come to sell then you'll likely not lose much, maybe even sell it for a bit more than you paid...

My son says "brilliant advice" - thank you. He's currently digesting everything he's read and seen to come to some sort of conclusion. Thank you.

 

[Mait]

I became an owner of a Shipman 28 in 2016. She's a fine boat. Maybe a bit tender upwind and rolly downwind but still very seaworthy. No racer (nor cruiser) by today's standards of course. It doesn't plane, has limited space etc.
I singlehand mine a lot and have no problems doing it.
She is also fine to cruise for a week or two 2-3 persons aboard. I'm not aware of any special issues of Shipman, just ordinary old boat problems - wet rudder, worn standing/running rigging, sails etc. Like said before - it all depends on the condition of the boat.

I was going to buy a Vega but I'm happy it had been already sold and I "had" to buy Shipman instead. Much more boat for the money in my opinion.
Good luck with purchase to your son!