Starter boat for those with limited finance's

Madhatter

Madhatter

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 Sep 2009
Messages
3,316
Location
Minehead / boat Porlock (I hope)
wp.me
Sorry Searush,
your thread was great but now it has gone to peeps talking about spending by the thousands ( or 10x) rather than by the hundreds of which there are many out there like it ( maybe they don't come on here or too scared to !!!).
I would like to hear from sailors who consider a starter boat does not cost the same as a small house or as expensive to run as a Chelsea hooker.:D
I am NOT being disrespectful to those that posted on the other thread but they were talking way out of my league .All I want to do is sail around this fantastic coastline play about in the coves and estuary's and the great adventure maybe crossing the English channel to France/channel isles or doing a Nathan.:D
 
Mirror Offshore

£2,000 - motors you out of trouble, easy to handle sails, good galley, rock solid, sits on the mud

your wife will generally stay at home

no second bathroom though

Dylan
 
Last edited:
A small Hurley.

Ideally a 22, safe, seaworthy and fast (for it's type) with loads of trans-atlantics but if budget is tighter the 20 also has ocean-crossing form and the 18 too has a good reputation.
 
any of the small Westley's, Nomad, 22 and the other one I can't remember the name of.

Vallient 18 my first boat, very seaworthy and bildge keeler so cheap to moor.

Hurley 22 as all ready recommended.

for a little more money Macwester rowan 22

there are loads of good cheap small boats
 
Madhatter said:
Sorry Searush,
your thread was great but now it has gone to peeps talking about spending by the thousands ( or 10x) rather than by the hundreds of which there are many out there like it ( maybe they don't come on here or too scared to !!!).
I would like to hear from sailors who consider a starter boat does not cost the same as a small house or as expensive to run as a Chelsea hooker.:D
(snip)
Click to expand...

Quite. And thankyou for rescueing it. Here are 2 suggestions from me.

Leisure 17SL
Westerly Jouster 21

Both suitable for trailering (no mooring costs unless you are in the water). Both suitable for 1-2 people plus a child.


For more space & at about £3-5k, Westerly 22, 25 or Nomad? Widnrush variants.

or Albin Vega, Elizabethan 24 (centreboarder).

Get yourself an old copy of Bristow's Book of yachts & don't dribble on the pages.
 
My little Snapdragon 23 was bought with a fair amount of change from £2k.
It had fairly new standing rigging and a next to new 4-stroke Honda Outboard.
Nice selection of sails, cooker, toilet compartment, GPS, Auto-Tiller etc.

She has Bilge Keels (actually triple) so will sit on the mud and the GRP layup is about a mile thick so safe as old boots.

Ok not as dynamically amazing as some but she gets me sailing and will go pretty much anywhere I want her to go.

At the time I could get a smaller Snapdragon with a 4-stroke O/B for under £1k and a Fin-Keel Corribee minus an engine for under £1k as well.

Sailing doesn't have to be expensive.. Just keep an eye on Ebay & Boats n Outboards and take a wander round some boat yards. There are often some cheap little fellows sitting waiting to be snapped up.
 
Cheap Cheap = Anything small and available locally - cheap :D.

The trick will be being flexible (not too fussy? :p) on the make / model / year (decade :p) and willing to accept not equipped like a Space Shuttle. And buy for the cheap mooring you can keep her on.

No substitute for Boots on the Ground (around boat yards / cheap moorings) - nosing about and chatting to folks for leads. You want a basically sound, but unloved boat that someone hasn't got around to selling - whether out of laziness / embarrassment / money not worth the effort.........and then be the one to wave some cash at them.

Oh, and Cheap = accept you won't (immediately) be going around Cape Horn in a F10 :)


And always keep an eye on re-sale when buying & refurbing / equipping - usually you can turn a £500 - £2k boat into a slightly more easily saleable........£500 - £2k boat :p .........in an ideal world you want someone already on that learning curve, but life ain't always ideal........
 
Last edited:
Kingfisher 20 - built like tanks, safe as houses, sleeps 4 in 2 cabins, separate loo, twin keels, can be trailed, sailed all over the world, completed last Jester Atlantic and Azores Challenges, great owners club and support. PM me for any more info. Can't go wrong ! From £500 to £4000 depending on condition and equipment. £500 will buy a solid one in need of TLC.
 
I always like to have a good sniff of any boat as soon as I open the main hatch. Ok, so rot ain't so much of a problem with frozen snot (GRP) and cleaning can make a big difference, but it can take a lot of time & effort to get rid of mildewed materials or decayed wooden fitting & furniture.

I agree don't go looking for any specific model. Know your probable pattern of use & what sort of boat may suit it, but keep an open mind. Be prepared for an unexpected opportunity. Call at every club, visit every run down corner of evry harbour & boatyard you can reach. talk to the people you see. Every one will have an opinion, listen to it & try to understand why it is held.
 
Malthouse said:
Gallion 22.

Lovely solid boat, sails well and has more space than you would expect.

You ought to be able to get one for 500 to 2000 depending on condition.
Click to expand...

Actually closer to £3k with a decent inboard and fully fettled.

This is what I will be buying when I sell Full Circle in my dotage.
 
oh, and I would deffo go for an outboard.........or at a stretch something that would take / be saleable with an outboard - if (??!) the 20 / 30 + year old inboard goes pop - or simply starts eating pound notes....

Just because you may upgrade to a nice outboard don't mean you have to sell with one - with an inboard you don't have that choice, nor such an opportunity to buy s/h.
 
Searush said:
For more space & at about £3-5k, Westerly 22, 25 or Nomad? Widnrush variants.

or Albin Vega, Elizabethan 24 (centreboarder).

Get yourself an old copy of Bristow's Book of yachts & don't dribble on the pages.
Click to expand...

Ummm, you're not going to get a Vega for that money. Or at least I hope not, since I've just bought one for a damn sight more!! :O


Agree that the best way to get a bargain is to look local, look in small ads, even eBay for stuff going on the cheap, and don't be too specific about makes and models.
But having said that, I'd throw the Hunter 19 and Europa into the ring. Never sailed, owned, even viewed one, but I always fancied one. You see them going at under £2k with outboards and trailers... I was sorely tempted but got a Wayfarer instead. Hunter would have been a lot more boat for a tiny bit more money, but it's horses for courses.
 
FullCircle said:
Actually closer to £3k with a decent inboard and fully fettled.

This is what I will be buying when I sell Full Circle in my dotage.
Click to expand...

I personally think an inboard diesel is a must, especially as you get older. Outboards are expensive to maintain, easily stolen, ineffective in choppy conditions etc. Also a trailer/trolley to haul your yacht out and home will reduce costs and having to wait sometimes weeks for slip availability.
 
Madhatter said:
Sorry Searush,
your thread was great but now it has gone to peeps talking about spending by the thousands ( or 10x) rather than by the hundreds of which there are many out there like it ( maybe they don't come on here or too scared to !!!).
I would like to hear from sailors who consider a starter boat does not cost the same as a small house or as expensive to run as a Chelsea hooker.:D
I am NOT being disrespectful to those that posted on the other thread but they were talking way out of my league .All I want to do is sail around this fantastic coastline play about in the coves and estuary's and the great adventure maybe crossing the English channel to France/channel isles or doing a Nathan.:D
Click to expand...

Get an oppie and as long as you are more than 4 ft tall either your wind awareness will improve or you will be drowned/brain dead. But seriously (owning a 44ft boat): Go to a small marina (round here Gillingham or Swale) and look for a 20ft boat for sale that is fundamentally sound but no-one has cleaned it off for months. Make a "silly" offer, (happy to advise for a pint but probably more help if we were to share one on Sara Jane). Good luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top