Starlight 30 (not 35 or 39)

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SonicArmin

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I came across a Starlight 30, which is not a Sadler boat, but has been manufactured by an obscure company called "Blue Water Yachts Limited". Other than in sailboatdata.com, where the model exists, I could not find any information about it. The one I found is beautifully restored and seems good value for money, but without anything known about it I could be looking and a lousy boat.

Any inputs?
 
They're a Mike Pocock designed IOR 1/2 tonner from the late 70s.

Mike had a really good reputation and wasn't as 'radical' as the more competitive raceboat designers of that era. So like the Westerly GK29 he also designed, they were more wholesome designs with better seaworthiness than their era might suggest.

Mike continued to refine this sort of powerful cruiser racer and there are lots of books that detail him and his wife's voyages in their own 38 footer called Blackjack. You'll see from those that first and foremost he was a sailor rather then just a designer.
 
When the original design for the Starlight 30 designed by Michael Pocock was published in Yachting World, my father contacted him to see if we could buy a set of plans. My brother's father in law to be, decided to join us. We ended up building a racing version and a cruising version using a male mould from the plans. Whilst we were building them someone from the Channel Isles decided to build a production version.

Michael Pocock told us the builder was working in old chicken sheds. I do not know if they did the layup or used an outside contractor. Not sure how many production versions they made, but I know there is one I see on the River Medway and pass it every time I go out sailing.

As a boat it was a powerful design tp the International Offshore Racing Rule as a half tonner. Too heavy compared to other half tonners of this period. No bad vices whilst sailing. I cannot comment on the production version, but I doubt if it was any different.

I presume this is the one you are looking at. It looks tidy, but with a major refit in 2013, I would want to know when the internal photos were taken. Knowing you want to sail in the Med, it comes with a bimini and cockpit cushions. This should be an added bonus for you.
Starlight 30 for sale UK, Starlight boats for sale, Starlight used boat sales, Starlight Sailing Yachts For Sale 1979 Starlight 30 - Apollo Duck

There are a few photos here. starlight 30 - Google Search

Information on Michael Pocock. Tributes paid to yacht designer Mike Pocock - Practical Boat Owner
 
Motor_Sailor said:
They're a Mike Pocock designed IOR 1/2 tonner from the late 70s.

Mike had a really good reputation and wasn't as 'radical' as the more competitive raceboat designers of that era. So like the Westerly GK29 he also designed, they were more wholesome designs with better seaworthiness than their era might suggest.

Mike continued to refine this sort of powerful cruiser racer and there are lots of books that detail him and his wife's voyages in their own 38 footer called Blackjack. You'll see from those that first and foremost he was a sailor rather then just a designer.
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Thanks, looked him up. Was his first ever design, makes me a bit worried.....
 
Concerto said:
When the original design for the Starlight 30 designed by Michael Pocock was published in Yachting World, my father contacted him to see if we could buy a set of plans. My brother's father in law to be, decided to join us. We ended up building a racing version and a cruising version using a male mould from the plans. Whilst we were building them someone from the Channel Isles decided to build a production version.

Michael Pocock told us the builder was working in old chicken sheds. I do not know if they did the layup or used an outside contractor. Not sure how many production versions they made, but I know there is one I see on the River Medway and pass it every time I go out sailing.

As a boat it was a powerful design tp the International Offshore Racing Rule as a half tonner. Too heavy compared to other half tonners of this period. No bad vices whilst sailing. I cannot comment on the production version, but I doubt if it was any different.

I presume this is the one you are looking at. It looks tidy, but with a major refit in 2013, I would want to know when the internal photos were taken. Knowing you want to sail in the Med, it comes with a bimini and cockpit cushions. This should be an added bonus for you.
Starlight 30 for sale UK, Starlight boats for sale, Starlight used boat sales, Starlight Sailing Yachts For Sale 1979 Starlight 30 - Apollo Duck

There are a few photos here. starlight 30 - Google Search

Information on Michael Pocock. Tributes paid to yacht designer Mike Pocock - Practical Boat Owner
Click to expand...
Thanks. Yes, that is the boat. She is a beauty, I have to say. The internal rebuild is obviously not done from solid wood, could be cheap laminate that disintegrates at the first contact with water. The broker said the pics are recent, so perhaps there is hope.
I do wonder however how I can find out if the hull and deck are done well, especially since the deck was raised above the companion way to create more headroom. That could create weak points, on top of the initial build quality. Chicken shed does not sound encouraging... . I do want to sail offshore, so a strong hull and deck are important to me.
 
Was his first ever design, makes me a bit worried.....
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I shouldn't worry about that - I think he had been with Laurent Giles for a while by then and there's nothing radical or 'off the wall' about the design. There are quite a few Starlight 30s around in East Anglia (as well as the odd one all the way out to Australia) and people like them.

Mike was a bit like David Thomas in that his designs were first and foremost good sailing boats. He didn't rely on exploiting some wrinkle in the rules and as a result, they didn't win as much silverware as the Holland / Farr / Castro / Dubois boats, but things like the Starlight 30, Sigmas, Sonata have enjoyed really long lives as they're still pretty good boats even today. In last year's Scottish Islands Race, there must have been some very nervous skippers onboard quite prestigious modern cruiser/racers who took a long while to shake off the Mike Pocock designed 'Brown Bear' crewed by school kids. And when not racing, Brown Bear has been cruising to far flung places including Alaska and the Pitcairn Islands.
 
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SonicArmin said:
Thanks. Yes, that is the boat. She is a beauty, I have to say. The internal rebuild is obviously not done from solid wood, could be cheap laminate that disintegrates at the first contact with water. The broker said the pics are recent, so perhaps there is hope.
I do wonder however how I can find out if the hull and deck are done well, especially since the deck was raised above the companion way to create more headroom. That could create weak points, on top of the initial build quality. Chicken shed does not sound encouraging... . I do want to sail offshore, so a strong hull and deck are important to me.
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Personally I think the construction would be over engineered as they were heavier displacement than similar half ton yachts of the period. Do not be worried about the chicken shed comment as land is very scarce in the Channel Islands and there was probably a farming connection in the company's owners (not uncommon on the mainland either) meaning they had cheap premises to work from. They were built on an individual basis, not a factory production line, and many islanders have strong connections with boats so I doubt if unskilled workers were used unsupervised.

Looking at the photos of this boat, she does seem to be in a clean and well cared for condition considering she is 40 years old. If the renovation was done in 2013, then the interior certainly has no apparent disintegration. It may be worth asking the broker for even more photos and a video before coming to inspect.

The Starlight would certainly be able to handle sailing offshore. Our racing version was launched late so we just missed sailing in the 1979 Fastnet Race. We know the boat would have stood the adverse weather better than the crew, even though we were all very experienced sailors. Also for cruising, the shape of the transom means you never get the slap whilst at anchor that others experience on wider stern boats.
 
There is very little info about this design out there. She appears a design on the threshold between the old, seakindly designs and the modern designs putting emphasis on speed and maneuverability. Would she be able to heave to properly? She looks relatively modern in the shape of her underbody. Quite flat, smallish keel and spade rudder. The old model Bavaria 30 which looks a bit the same under the waterline can not heave to, for example. And then there is the pounding when going into the wind against a bit of wave. How would she (and the crew) take a few days of beating into the wind?
 
If heaving to, and beating to windward for days on end is your priority, then you would probably be better off looking at an IOR 1/2 Tonner from the early 70s.

These are also known as the RORC / CCA style boats that were the founders of the IOR rule. There's lots around and if looking for 'cheap' in the UK, then the SHE 31/ Delta 94, Holman and Pye designed Hustler 30 or Contessa 32 would make the list.

But these are old boats - and rebuild candidates will take a lot of money and time. So the alternative is to wind the clock forward and look at pure cruising designs that largely escaped the influence of the racing rules. The Vancouver 32 /34 and the Victoria 30 / 34 would be examples. But well sorted versions of these are considerably more money.
 
Motor_Sailor said:
If heaving to, and beating to windward for days on end is your priority, then you would probably be better off looking at an IOR 1/2 Tonner from the early 70s.

These are also known as the RORC / CCA style boats that were the founders of the IOR rule. There's lots around and if looking for 'cheap' in the UK, then the SHE 31/ Delta 94, Holman and Pye designed Hustler 30 or Contessa 32 would make the list.

But these are old boats - and rebuild candidates will take a lot of money and time. So the alternative is to wind the clock forward and look at pure cruising designs that largely escaped the influence of the racing rules. The Vancouver 32 /34 and the Victoria 30 / 34 would be examples. But well sorted versions of these are considerably more money.
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Well, I wouldn’t call it a priority, but I don’t want to feel miserable when either of these becomes necessary. I crossed the Atlantic with a lovely Comet 50 - we had to steer for 20 days 24h, because the autopilot was overwhelmed by the following seas - just the wrong boat for that. No problem with a crew of 8, but that would have been impossible alone or with a couple. I’m not trying to be frugal out of philosophy, I’d prefer a comfortable, roomy environment, but I don’t want to fall into the trap of good looks and comfort below at the price of difficult behavior when I get caught in even mildly challenging conditions. This is why I was attracted by the Starlight 30, nice boat and with another 5-10k of equipment added to the inventory she could be a fun blue water boat, but then again, her underwater design does not inspire confidence just from looking at it, and there are no reports out there about behavior in bad weather. Yes, the Contessa 32 and Sadler 32/34 were on my radar already, but as you say, prices are double for less sorted boats. I will definitely also look at the models you have suggested. Sometimes one can find a pearl... Thanks!
 
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