Thinking of buying a bigger boat - your thoughts please

ninky

ninky

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I love my Jaguar 22, but after five years it may be time to move on. I'm the sailor, OH is the longsuffering spouse who has done lots of work on our current boat and could possibly do with a break from days at the boatyard - so, even though I go all gooey-eyed at a wooden boat with lots of varnish even I realise this is probably not practical in terms of upkeep. The husband really hates what he feels is a lack of space and the portapotti situation and would also like to be able to invite friends to sail with us. I feel after all the time he has put into my current boat, and despite my attachment to her, he probably deserves to be listened to for once. My needs are a boat that isn't too big, still has the option of a relatively shallow draft for going up the creeks and can take the ground (to make mooring options affordable). Whilst I'm not into racing, I also want something that feels like a sailing boat, not a motor boat with a sail stuck on it - so although the OH wants headroom I don't want big doghouse or high coach roof that catches the wind.

I've been looking at a Hirondelle 23'. On paper it has a lot of features that would suit us both - including outboard rather than inboard engine which always makes me feel less nervous about buying an older boat and possible maintenance issues. However, I've never sailed a cat and I'm not sure how much trickier it is to cope with the width in a marina (no jokes please...). Also, does the extra beam impact on mooring costs and options?

The other thing to consider is selling our existing boat. I know it's not an exact science, but how long should I expect it to take to get a buyer? She's not an expensive boat so really not worth going through a broker - what are the best alternative options to advertise? Ebay? I hate Ebay...
 
Would a Jag 25 be over budget?
Lots have outboards.
You would need one with a Spray hood to stand up when it's wet as it's only at the hatch where you have the head toom.
The dinette bed isn't very long, but I used the V berth or the quarter berth.
Mine was a swing keel but fin and bilge keels are available too.
 
Perhaps (without being indiscrete) you could characterise Hubby's requirements by giving his height and general build? I have a boat which was designed for people up to 5'10" and not too rotund, to the designer's horror it had the headroom increased to 6ft - my mate at 6'3" and 20 stone still has problems getting below decks! Unfortunately the only example of a twin keel version was recently listed as sold at Foundry Reach.

Rob.
 
A Jag 25 could be an option. We are both quite short 5'2" (me) and 5'4" (although claims to be taller :)) Both slim types, fairly fit (although I've had the dreaded big C this last year so not been able to sail as much as I wanted) and recently turned 40....blimey sounds like a different sort of forum....

Budget probably about 5k but will look at anything up to 10k. Manageable maintenance and mooring costs are important and something suited to what we are likely to use the boat for (almost entirely pottering to IoW and along the coast but robust enough we could maybe consider channel passage at some time in the future) - and I do like a boat that doesn't feel so fancy or expensive you feel nervous using it.

Anyone got any advice on cats / multihulls?
 
Multihulls in that size/price range will be small and limiting for cruising - just a bit up on camping. Very few on the market because very few were built 30 or 40 years ago compared with the thousands of 20-25ft mini cruising monohulls. It is almost impossible to recommend an individual model. There are so many boats that meet your criteria, but your choice is limited to what is on the market at any one time. Suggest you do some desk research and spend a weekend looking at lots of boats to see what you can get for your money.
 
The thought sprang to mind - Leisure 23SL.
Not the most racy of craft, but available in your budget, a tardis interior with a loo, headroom and nice cockpit, inboard or outboard engine, pleasant enough to look at.
Bilge keel generally, fins are available, happy to channel hop in one.
 
Does the leisure 23SL have a seperate heads? Not a fan of seatoilets myself, just seem an excuse for seacock disasters and blocked pipes given it all goes to the same place anyway, but OH feels that his friends' wives may be less comfortable with pooing in a potty behind a towel as a curtain than I am...so think a 'flushing' heads with a door is a requirement for any future boat.
 
ninky said:
Does the leisure 23SL have a seperate heads? Not a fan of seatoilets myself, just seem an excuse for seacock disasters and blocked pipes given it all goes to the same place anyway, but OH feels that his friends' wives may be less comfortable with pooing in a potty behind a towel as a curtain than I am...so think a 'flushing' heads with a door is a requirement for any future boat.
Click to expand...

It does have a separate heads......
 
I would look at Westerly, not the fasted of boats, but generally well built and have a good liveable space. (Centaur/Griffon at 26') but other options are available well within your budget
 
Well you have obviously found that you both like sailing and so can justify a bigger boat. If shallow draft is a criteria then yes a cat would be excellent. However as said a cat is restricted by headroom at the bridge deck. So you either have low /no bridgedeck accomodation and 2 separate cabins in hulls or you go bigger. So you need something over 30 ft to begin to look right in cabin height over the bridgedeck.
If you go with a monohull then I really feel that what you have is fine unless you go to something much bigger. ie 30 ft or so. This will give a significant inprovement in space and sea keeping ability. But of course much more work and maintenance costs. To reiterate if you go from a 22fter to a 23fter it ain't enough improvement to justify the costs and effort of changing boats.
What you perhaps should do is put your present boat on the market. It may be that you will sell it in which case you will have huge choices to buy something like what you now know you want or... The difficulties of selling will leave yopu convinced you should keep what you have. good luck olewill
 
William_H said:
Well you have obviously found that you both like sailing and so can justify a bigger boat. If shallow draft is a criteria then yes a cat would be excellent. However as said a cat is restricted by headroom at the bridge deck. So you either have low /no bridgedeck accomodation and 2 separate cabins in hulls or you go bigger. So you need something over 30 ft to begin to look right in cabin height over the bridgedeck.
If you go with a monohull then I really feel that what you have is fine unless you go to something much bigger. ie 30 ft or so. This will give a significant inprovement in space and sea keeping ability. But of course much more work and maintenance costs. To reiterate if you go from a 22fter to a 23fter it ain't enough improvement to justify the costs and effort of changing boats.
What you perhaps should do is put your present boat on the market. It may be that you will sell it in which case you will have huge choices to buy something like what you now know you want or... The difficulties of selling will leave yopu convinced you should keep what you have. good luck olewill
Click to expand...

Yes you are quite right. To go from a 22ft monohull to a 23ft monohull would be a lot of effort for not enough improvement. The hirondelle is multihull, however. I think a move to 25ft or above would be needed for a mono.
 
William_H said:
Well you have obviously found that you both like sailing and so can justify a bigger boat. If shallow draft is a criteria then yes a cat would be excellent. However as said a cat is restricted by headroom at the bridge deck. So you either have low /no bridgedeck accomodation and 2 separate cabins in hulls or you go bigger. So you need something over 30 ft to begin to look right in cabin height over the bridgedeck.
If you go with a monohull then I really feel that what you have is fine unless you go to something much bigger. ie 30 ft or so. This will give a significant inprovement in space and sea keeping ability. But of course much more work and maintenance costs. To reiterate if you go from a 22fter to a 23fter it ain't enough improvement to justify the costs and effort of changing boats.
What you perhaps should do is put your present boat on the market. It may be that you will sell it in which case you will have huge choices to buy something like what you now know you want or... The difficulties of selling will leave yopu convinced you should keep what you have. good luck olewill
Click to expand...

The difference between a Jag 22 and a Leisure 23 is huge. Just saying.
 
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