UK to AUS what boat?

[Javelin]

Had some nice folk here today wanting to look at a newish Southerly 40' with a view to sail it from the UK to AUS.
I simply told them it was possible BUT there are much better boats for the journey whilst the Southerly would be great once you got there.
There's a hell of a difference between a trade wind 25 day hop across the Atlantic and turning left at the Cape.
Anyway I'm a sailor and boat builder first, not a broker so I'm happy to advise folk away from making expensive wrong decisions.

So given a budget of 80 to 100k
Allowing a further 20 to 30k to prep the boat for the trip with the necessary gear and equipment
Require at least 6'4" headroom (which the Southerly also didn't have, in common with the Ovni so that's ruled out as well)
Maximum loa of 43'
A sailor first rather than a wheel house.
Comfortable for three adults.
Centre cockpit or at the very least a decent lump of boat aft of the steering position and capable of fitting wind steering gear.

My first thought was an Oyster 435, as we have one here at the yard that I could show them round and a boat I know well having sailed and delivered 435's 1000's of miles in the past.

Any others you can think of that might fit the bill?

 

[Tranona]

Just a curve ball but there is a regular run of Bavarias and Hanses that do that trip with their Australian owners who start in the Med, have a couple of years cruising there and then off home in the boat.

Seriously you can get too hung up about boat choice - it is more about equipping it right and the crew's capability.

Why do you think the Southerly won't do the job? Highest AVS of any modern production boat and many have been used for just this sort of adventure. Centre cockpit wheel steered boats do not lend themselves easily to vane steering although a Hydrovane will work well.

 

[capnsensible]

Just a curve ball but there is a regular run of Bavarias and Hanses that do that trip with their Australian owners who start in the Med, have a couple of years cruising there and then off home in the boat.

Seriously you can get too hung up about boat choice - it is more about equipping it right and the crew's capability.

Why do you think the Southerly won't do the job? Highest AVS of any modern production boat and many have been used for just this sort of adventure. Centre cockpit wheel steered boats do not lend themselves easily to vane steering although a Hydrovane will work well.

Spot on, Kiwis too. Apparently there are simply not enough yachts for sale there and as you say, plenty are delivered.

Earlier this year I was involved in part of such a trip. Bavaria 46 with Kiwi owner. He got the boat from Greece to the Canaries. Friend of mine took the boat to Antigua, I joined there and went on to Tahiti. Owner intends to explore there for a year or so. Point being, some makes with bad press prove entirely capable.

Crossing the oceans is the easy bit. Beaurocracy is somewhat tougher........

 

[laika]

With that budget? Westerly sealord and prodigious quantities of fine wine

 

[TQA]

You could find a nice Amel Maramu for the money. OK 45 ft but a great passage maker.

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1983/Amel-Maramu-45-3025018/Greece#.WZYhZj6GOM8

If it gets snotty I think I would be in one of Amels creations rather than an AWB.

 

[Tin Tin]

Centre cockpit or at the very least a decent lump of boat aft of the steering position and capable of fitting wind steering gear.

Does a centre cockpit not make the fitting of a wind vane somewhat awkward?
All those line leading to the wheel?

 

[Normalfornorfolk]

Here's a corker all ready to go, and with a bit of turkey-talking fits your budget too.
In mast furling. Oh bugger! What a way to spoil a beautiful blue water boat!

http://www.bachyachting.com/yachts/...o=&length_from=&length_to=&material=&country=

 

[William_H]

Spot on, Kiwis too. Apparently there are simply not enough yachts for sale there and as you say, plenty are delivered.

Earlier this year I was involved in part of such a trip. Bavaria 46 with Kiwi owner. He got the boat from Greece to the Canaries. Friend of mine took the boat to Antigua, I joined there and went on to Tahiti. Owner intends to explore there for a year or so. Point being, some makes with bad press prove entirely capable.

Crossing the oceans is the easy bit. Beaurocracy is somewhat tougher........

There are a lot of this kind of sail boat in Oz and so a lot for sale. I think perhaps the lure of AWB ex charter in Med is the attraction apart from being able cruise a bit around Med before making the long trip home.
If intending purchaser is coming to Oz to live then far better to visit and look at boating scene in Oz and perhaps travel by air. Anyway tell him not to imagine Oz as a boating back water. olewill (gone all patriotic)

 

[geem]

Does a centre cockpit not make the fitting of a wind vane somewhat awkward?
All those line leading to the wheel?

You mean those two pieces of 5mm dyneema running down one side of the cockpit comming? Our Windpilot on a centre cockpit boat works very well. There is plenty of cockpit left in a 44ft boat

 

[Barbican]

Had some nice folk here today wanting to look at a newish Southerly 40' with a view to sail it from the UK to AUS.
I simply told them it was possible BUT there are much better boats for the journey whilst the Southerly would be great once you got there.
There's a hell of a difference between a trade wind 25 day hop across the Atlantic and turning left at the Cape.
Anyway I'm a sailor and boat builder first, not a broker so I'm happy to advise folk away from making expensive wrong decisions.

So given a budget of 80 to 100k
Allowing a further 20 to 30k to prep the boat for the trip with the necessary gear and equipment
Require at least 6'4" headroom (which the Southerly also didn't have, in common with the Ovni so that's ruled out as well)
Maximum loa of 43'
A sailor first rather than a wheel house.
Comfortable for three adults.
Centre cockpit or at the very least a decent lump of boat aft of the steering position and capable of fitting wind steering gear.

My first thought was an Oyster 435, as we have one here at the yard that I could show them round and a boat I know well having sailed and delivered 435's 1000's of miles in the past.

Any others you can think of that might fit the bill?

Which newish Southerly model? Distant Shores are just buying their 3rd (Revised S47) And Ruby Rose seem happy enough (S83)

 

[maby]

Personally, I would go for the QE2!

 

[alant]

Had some nice folk here today wanting to look at a newish Southerly 40' with a view to sail it from the UK to AUS.
I simply told them it was possible BUT there are much better boats for the journey whilst the Southerly would be great once you got there.
There's a hell of a difference between a trade wind 25 day hop across the Atlantic and turning left at the Cape.
Anyway I'm a sailor and boat builder first, not a broker so I'm happy to advise folk away from making expensive wrong decisions.

So given a budget of 80 to 100k
Allowing a further 20 to 30k to prep the boat for the trip with the necessary gear and equipment
Require at least 6'4" headroom (which the Southerly also didn't have, in common with the Ovni so that's ruled out as well)
Maximum loa of 43'
A sailor first rather than a wheel house.
Comfortable for three adults.
Centre cockpit or at the very least a decent lump of boat aft of the steering position and capable of fitting wind steering gear.

My first thought was an Oyster 435, as we have one here at the yard that I could show them round and a boat I know well having sailed and delivered 435's 1000's of miles in the past.

Any others you can think of that might fit the bill?

Look for one you can sell there?

 

[ip485]

An Island Packet of course.

 

[Pasarell]

With that budget they could get a very nice late Moody 44 with new rig, sails, engine and electronics + quite a lot more. Not sure how the headroom would work out but probably a little less than 6'4". I've lived with mine now for 9 months and very happy indeed so I'm biased

 

[Tranona]

Here's a corker all ready to go, and with a bit of turkey-talking fits your budget too.
In mast furling. Oh bugger! What a way to spoil a beautiful blue water boat!

http://www.bachyachting.com/yachts/...o=&length_from=&length_to=&material=&country=

If you look around you will find that In Mast is increasingly the rig of choice for long distance cruising. For example over 90% of HRs over 37' are fitted with it from new and have been for the last 20 years or more. So the boat is enhanced rather than spoiled.

 

[Tin Tin]

You mean those two pieces of 5mm dyneema running down one side of the cockpit comming? Our Windpilot on a centre cockpit boat works very well. There is plenty of cockpit left in a 44ft boat

Not to mention the control lines.

I may just be naturally clumsy, but when some years ago I delivered an Oyster 406 (centre cockpit) fitted with a Monitor wind vane I found all these lines to be a bit of a trip hazard.

 

[johnalison]

Personally, I would go for the QE2!

I'll join you.

 

[SailSouth]

Not to mention the control lines.

I may just be naturally clumsy, but when some years ago I delivered an Oyster 406 (centre cockpit) fitted with a Monitor wind vane I found all these lines to be a bit of a trip hazard.

the answer is to get windvane self steering with it's own rudder and therefore no lines to run. My preferece is for a servo-pendulum type such as my Windpilot Pacific Plus but lots of boats with the likes of Hydrovane.

 

[[163233]]

...turning left at the Cape.

Not the canals?

 

[JClarkes]

What a trip this will be.