UFO 34 vrs She 36

zarathustra said:
What would you estimate it would cost to get this into respectable and reliable cruising condition
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£300 to get the liferaft looked at. Maybe £1500 for bits and bobs.
It looks in respectable nick and, as far as can be seen in the snaps, it is well equipped. A common sense inspection, to see that all is as it seems, and away you go.
 
doug748 said:
£300 to get the liferaft looked at. Maybe £1500 for bits and bobs.
It looks in respectable nick and, as far as can be seen in the snaps, it is well equipped. A common sense inspection, to see that all is as it seems, and away you go.
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what about the moisture under the epoxicoat, is it something that can be ignored? What bits and bobs particularly, do you think the asking price is fair or optimistic?
 
sailorman said:
So my ole memory aint too bad then :eek:
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Its a lot like that replacement stuff you can get now... the two examples I have seen with it on looked a bit weird... in that the colour hadnt gone greyish like real wood... stayed a bit more orangey/yellowy... In reality I think that I would have wanted to replace the stuff as it just looked a bit tired..

I was dead keen on one in Plymouth a few years ago... but in the end I realised that she was going to be a handfull, now that I sail 1 up a lot I am glad I didnt buy her... she would have been too much hard work singlehanded.
 
zarathustra said:
what about the moisture under the epoxicoat, is it something that can be ignored? What bits and bobs particularly, do you think the asking price is fair or optimistic?
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No boat ever sunk from the pox.

Fido's perpective is that the boat needs to be essentailly perfect... versus Doug above who has a more realistic perspective that the boat needs to work....

I feel that Fido is essentially misguided... a older boat needs to be accepted for its foibles... or you will end up spending tens of thousands of pounds on a continuous basis, and would have been better off buying a new boat instead.

My boat has a number of issues right now which Fido would probably say needs replacing... OTOH, everything works fine, and does the job, so not a issue.

Its about your comfort level.

Some folks are only comfortable with everything essentially perfect and right... but in reality dont have the budget.

Some folks are comfortable with almost nothing right.

Most of us are somewere in between, and I think that the longer you do this for, the more accepting you are of imperfections. Many of the imperfections on my boat would have casued me real issues a few years ago... now I am quite happy and will deal with major things as we go along.



There is one simple truth about this game.... There are no bargains.
 
zarathustra said:
Thanks for that. It doesn't look an attractive proposition with all that work to do. You have obviously an interest in the She36 also, or similar. What other boats take your fancy at this size range?
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UFO 34 immediately springs to mind. Westerly Fulmar 32 (around £26k if you're lucky) Westerly Typhoon 37 (£45k - more than I can afford), maybe a Sigma 33 (£22k) or 38 (tired versions for about £30k)
 
photodog said:
No boat ever sunk from the pox.

Fido's perpective is that the boat needs to be essentailly perfect... versus Doug above who has a more realistic perspective that the boat needs to work....

I feel that Fido is essentially misguided... a older boat needs to be accepted for its foibles... or you will end up spending tens of thousands of pounds on a continuous basis, and would have been better off buying a new boat instead.

My boat has a number of issues right now which Fido would probably say needs replacing... OTOH, everything works fine, and does the job, so not a issue.

Its about your comfort level.

Some folks are only comfortable with everything essentially perfect and right... but in reality dont have the budget.

Some folks are comfortable with almost nothing right.

Most of us are somewere in between, and I think that the longer you do this for, the more accepting you are of imperfections. Many of the imperfections on my boat would have casued me real issues a few years ago... now I am quite happy and will deal with major things as we go along.



There is one simple truth about this game.... There are no bargains.
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when you buy second hand you are buying all the previous owners old problems. QED
 
photodog said:
No boat ever sunk from the pox.

Fido's perpective is that the boat needs to be essentailly perfect... versus Doug above who has a more realistic perspective that the boat needs to work....

I feel that Fido is essentially misguided... a older boat needs to be accepted for its foibles... or you will end up spending tens of thousands of pounds on a continuous basis, and would have been better off buying a new boat instead.

My boat has a number of issues right now which Fido would probably say needs replacing... OTOH, everything works fine, and does the job, so not a issue.

Its about your comfort level.

Some folks are only comfortable with everything essentially perfect and right... but in reality dont have the budget.

Some folks are comfortable with almost nothing right.

Most of us are somewere in between, and I think that the longer you do this for, the more accepting you are of imperfections. Many of the imperfections on my boat would have casued me real issues a few years ago... now I am quite happy and will deal with major thin
There is one simple truth about this game.... There are no bargains.
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You don't have to spend a penny on improvements if you don't want to. So long as she floats and stays that way then she's a boat and can probably be sailed. Buy the She 36 at the asking price of £29,950 and use her as is; her owner did until a couple of years ago.

However, the question posed by zarathustra was " What would you estimate it would cost to get this into respectable and reliable cruising condition, approximately from the condition of the pics." I've given my estimate, based on no real knowledge of doing up 30 year old boats, so I could be wildly out! I would very much appreciate someone who does have a lot of experience in this area to advise with details of cost estimates, as I need all the knowledge, experience and help that I can beg, borrow or steal :o
 
zarathustra said:
what about the moisture under the epoxicoat, is it something that can be ignored? What bits and bobs particularly, do you think the asking price is fair or optimistic?
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Photodog has pretty much answered for me.

New decks, sails, electronics, plumbing and a fortune spent on refinishing the hull would be nice, and make it more saleable in future, but it would do little to make your boat more reliable.

Bits and bobs will certainly include having the sail stitching looked at, new fire equipment and having the gas system checked and maybe updated. There will be other stuff, there always is.

The price is low and there will be a reason for this. Perhaps it is smelly below or damp; maybe the old engine dumped a load of oil in the bilge, maybe a diesel leak, perhaps the deck is curling up at the edges.
Without going and looking we are all guessing but one thing needs to be bourne in mind, a new boat of this type would cost over £200,000 so perfection is not to be expected.
 
Phideaux said:
I would very much appreciate someone who does have a lot of experience in this area to advise with details of cost estimates, as I need all the knowledge, experience and help that I can beg, borrow or steal :o
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Thats not really a question that can be answered... see my previous in regards to comfort levels...:)

Its kinda like asking "how long is a piece of strong?"

I think a lot of your figures are probably not far wide of the mark.... but I also think that each individual will be totally different.

Shore storage even at PYH and including a lift in and out will only cost around £1500 for the entire year on 35 feet or so....

Electronics... I think you could now kit a boat out with the basics for as little as £1000.. (VHF, Plotter with AIS and fishfinder, PLB, Log.)

But all of this is down to preference and budget, and what you are comfortable with.
 
doesn't it already have the basic electronics? Would you expect that needs updating. It is the sailing characteristics that interest me most, a boat that handles well in typical Irish winter conditions, but I would like to know I am not buying trouble, the boat is a long distance for me to travel so appreciate feedback before taking my interest any further.
photodog said:
Electronics... I think you could now kit a boat out with the basics for as little as £1000.. (VHF, Plotter with AIS and fishfinder, PLB, Log.)
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As a aside... looking at the boat in question directly...http://uk.yachtworld.com/core/listi...rency=GBP&access=Public&listing_id=73591&url=

She does seem remarkably cheap.........

Needs a good look but like Doug says may just need the Gas looking at and the sails serviced.....

None of the electronics look too outdated... Sails are not beyond use only 10 years old....

Interior looks a lot tidier than other examples I have seen...

So, you may be able to get away with a bit of a tidy and sort.....

BUT.. a boat of this vintage... is gonna soak you for the running costs... expect LOTS of work every year!
 
zarathustra said:
... It is the sailing characteristics that interest me most, a boat that handles well in typical Irish winter conditions, but I would like to know I am not buying trouble, the boat is a long distance for me to travel so appreciate feedback before taking my interest any further.
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I believe that if the hull, deck and rigging are sound then this boat will carry you through some fairly horrendous conditions, providing you have the skill and crew necessary. I've been advised that's it probably not for me as a single-handed or short-handed novice sailor. The comforts of life are as you'd chose them to be on your budget; who needs working heads when you can park your bum over the side (with a free douche in lively conditions).
 
Here is a copy of my UFO 34 catalogue - I have (had?) also a catalogue re the SHE 36, but it has gone awol.....

Re the UFO, it is interesting to see that Donald Pye is quoted as saying (in the copy of the May 1976 article in Yachting World) that "She is a well balanced and, by modern standards, docile boat to handle with no great vices and is one of the most un-broachable boats I know, even with a very shy spinnaker in strong winds".

I mention this in relation to the various comments above re how IOR boats with pinched sterns are alleged to be a bit wobbly downwind when pressed hard.

UFO34P1.jpg


UFO34P2.jpg


UFO34P3.jpg


UFO34P4.jpg


UFO34P5.jpg


UFO34P6.jpg


UFO34P7.jpg


The price of a complete boat in 1976 was GBP 19,500 (ex VAT) with a Thorneycroft 90 35 hp diesel engine - alternatively, you could have a 12 hp Yanmar engine instead for GBP 18,950 ex VAT.

And I have a letter from Richard Matthews mentioning that a 'sailaway' version could be supplied with all parts loose for DIY completion, less paint and wood, for GBP 8,581 ex VAT.
 
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