Victoria30

[Denek]

Having failed in my bid to buy a rival 34 I am once again looking for a boat to safely carry my wife and my self on some minor adventures.
It is our intention upon our retirement to cruise to the channel iles,French coast, Spanish Rias and possibly beyond.
My wife has a likening for more modern designs but I rather like more traditional boats.
I have recently seen advertised a Victoria 30 and wondered if anyone has opinions on this for our needs.
I have not been to view the boat yet but it looks tidy in the photos. Would this be comfortable for a cruising couple and does anyone have ideas about what we should look out for aside from the obvious older boat issues?
Thanks as always.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I have not been to view the boat yet but it looks tidy in the photos. Would this be comfortable for a cruising couple and does anyone have ideas about what we should look out for aside from the obvious older boat issues?

I have the smaller sister. Beautifully made, but the wiring can be a bit cheap-and-cheerful. By default they came mild steel fuel tanks, but anyone sensible ordered the stainless upgrade. Otherwise I haven't heard of any particular issues with any of the Victoria range.

 

[Spyro]

Having failed in my bid to buy a rival 34 I am once again looking for a boat to safely carry my wife and my self on some minor adventures.
It is our intention upon our retirement to cruise to the channel iles,French coast, Spanish Rias and possibly beyond.
My wife has a likening for more modern designs but I rather like more traditional boats.
I have recently seen advertised a Victoria 30 and wondered if anyone has opinions on this for our needs.
I have not been to view the boat yet but it looks tidy in the photos. Would this be comfortable for a cruising couple and does anyone have ideas about what we should look out for aside from the obvious older boat issues?
Thanks as always.

Big difference in accommodation space between the two. I'd say it's in the small side for what you want. Go with what your wife says, it's the best way in the end

 

[GregOddity]

Big difference in accommodation space between the two. I'd say it's in the small side for what you want. Go with what your wife says, it's the best way in the end

Amen !

 

[Tranona]

Attractive boats but very small for a 30' because of relatively narrow beam and canoe stern.

Appreciate you are attracted by old style boats, but they are not intrinsically "better" than modern boats for the type use you are suggesting. You don't say what your budget is, although looking at Rivals and the Victoria suggests modest, but if you are in the £30-40k range then any of the 34-36' Moodys, Westerlys, Bavarias, Beneteaus etc are viable - and a lot more spacious and comfortable for living aboard.

 

[coopec]

Maybe a few ideas in these links?

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Victoria+30+yacht+review&t=hy&ia=web

 

[Denek]

I know what you mean about “ going with what the wife wants” and I also know it is more practical.
Our budget is actually more modest than you suggest ( well for purchase anyway) around £30k is our limit but we expect to spend more to make it ours.
We both actually liked the rival , me more than her but to bring her to where we needed her to be would have cost around £7k on top of the asking price so that’s why we ended up still looking.
We have not been aboard a moody yet but will try to do so. I am not keen on the center cockpit but the accommodation is good I know.
Will keep looking but may go to view the Victoria anyway out of curiosity. You never know it might work for us.
We are looking a little prematurely really as we are currently working flat out to get our house ready for sale to downsize as it’s too large for us now the kids have gone.
We expect to get it on the market in July so we will then be looking with much more urgency to get afloat.

 

[CCJ]

I know what you mean about “ going with what the wife wants” and I also know it is more practical.
Our budget is actually more modest than you suggest ( well for purchase anyway) around £30k is our limit but we expect to spend more to make it ours.
We both actually liked the rival , me more than her but to bring her to where we needed her to be would have cost around £7k on top of the asking price so that’s why we ended up still looking.
We have not been aboard a moody yet but will try to do so. I am not keen on the center cockpit but the accommodation is good I know.
Will keep looking but may go to view the Victoria anyway out of curiosity. You never know it might work for us.
We are looking a little prematurely really as we are currently working flat out to get our house ready for sale to downsize as it’s too large for us now the kids have gone.
We expect to get it on the market in July so we will then be looking with much more urgency to get afloat.

The Moody 336 is a nice boat & will sail very well with good accommodation for Er in doors

 

[Daydream believer]

You can buy some really good boats for under £30K that do not need £1000's spent on them. Why chase after old technology boats like those you suggest. They are no more seaworthy & are far less comfortable & have far less space. They do not necessarily sail as well over a wide spectrum of weather either. Having a boat that sails & motors well will make your channel sailing far more enjoyable. If you are worried about sea keeping ability do not. Most of the modern designs are more than capable of coping with Channel sailing in the conditions that you are likely to encounter. I would look for a later model 31/33 ft boat & compare the size & fit out before you make any final decision

 

[Motor_Sailor]

If you go and look at the Victoria, have a look at the stuffing box and ask yourself "do I want to crawl in there to adjust that?"

The National Body Size Survey released yesterday would suggest that only a very small proportion of adults these days could ever reach it.

 

[Denek]

Thanks for all this. I guess I am not the smallest person so I would probably have a difficult time reaching the stuffing box ( especially with my knees)
We will keep looking, I am sure something will come along the hits the spot for us both.
It is not the sea keeping quality of older boats so much as the look of them. I know just about any boat will do what we need but I am an old tradishionalist..
I will try to get a look at some Moody’s I think.

 

[doug748]

"Will keep looking but may go to view the Victoria anyway out of curiosity. You never know it might work for us." Denek

It is never a waste of time to look at all your options but I too think the Victoria might limit you for longer spells living aboard. On smaller boats it is not just accommodation but stowage.
As you have time on your side, and the Rival suits, I should bide my time as these boats often seem to be bargains on the used boat scene. I bet you would spend c 15k to fettle to your needs, but if you bought a new Elan tomorrow you would probably spend 10 so it needs to go into perspective.

Some newer styles have little to commend them other than aft cabin and heads, and they could well present in worse condition than something a little older. This one trick is an attractive one, though it often leads to a restricted day cabin and sometimes a linear galley - not happy things for some.

A Sadler 34 would give you a dash of older style performance, a dash of more traditional looks and the advantage of a small aft private space which is so useful, even for two, on an extended trip

 

[Pye_End]

Not all styles suit all people - the only way to decide if it is for you is to look and try.

The V30 is a good, proven boat of its type, and if this type is what you are looking for then it is suitable.

As to size - it is big enough for extended periods with 2 on board. Modern designs may have more space, if that is your deciding factor, but that does not mean that the V30 does not have adequate space. Depends on how much 'stuff' you want to take.

 

[garvellachs]

The difference in accommodation between a 30ft and a 34ft boat of the same type is significant. If you are planning on spending weeks on board at a time, then accommodation is important, maybe much more than you realise? I sense that your wife understands this while you are more interested in sailing upwind in F5?

As one can commonly read, you will spend many more hours at anchor or in a marina than you will sailing. Many of those will be asleep of course. Much of the time will be preparing and eating meals too. So check out the comfort for two of the main cabin (fore or aft). Check out the ease of use of the galley, things like two sinks, a decent fridge, room for food prep. Are there two places you can sit comfortably for many evenings, reading or whatever floats your downtime boat? Is there enough headroom to use the galley, to get dressed etc.. Is there a decent reliable heater that will keep the boat dry when it's raining outside.

These are things that you will need to get right if your wife is going to be happy to join you for weeks on end on board. They are the things that make it home rather than camping.

Broadly centre cockpit (walk-through) boats do all this well, boats with a wide stern and shallow cockpit do it fairly well, boats with quarter berths and heads forward of the saloon on the way to the forecabin don't really enter the competition. Bigger boats are better in almost every way: size matters. And sails are for the occasional day that the wind is on the beam for the intended destination and the sun is shining. Engines cover the rest.

 

[Tranona]

Your budget limits you to 20+ year old boats of a size that makes for comfortable live aboard. However "comfortable" is subjective and it really depends on the way you live and what you expect. If you are happy living ashore in a one bedroom flat with minimal possessions then a boat like the Victoria would be fine, but if you live in more spacious surroundings then a bigger boat might be better - but it is all about your personal preference.

The common compromise is in the 30-35' range and towards the upper end. The big challenge is not necessarily choosing the boat - the right one usually finds you - but finding one of this age in good condition that does not need a major refit. Costs of gear in a size range are similar whether the boat is a £30 or £60k buy but of course proportionally greater with the cheaper boat. Don't be surprised if you end up spending £10k over any purchase price of which a proportion will be essential (not least to do with living aboard in warmer climes) and part discretionary irrespective of purchase price.

This is probably a one off decision so well worth looking at a wide range of boats. Use the search engine on the big listing sites such as Yachtmarket to see what you can get for your money and go looking. A long weekend spent from Poole to Chichester will enable you to look at a wide range of different types of boats.

Just to kick you off suggest Sadler 34 (as above), Westerly Discus, Countess 33, Moody 336, Beneteau 351. Your budget rules out most of the more modern boats, so perhaps worth relaxing your budget to £40k so you can see what alternatives (and there are many) open up. While more modern boats may not have the visual appeal of the ones you have looked at, once you have owned one and lived with it in the way you plan you will probably appreciate why they are so much better suited! Bit like the old saying about oysters - did not like them until I ate one.

 

[Denek]

Thanks guys I guess there is no way of knowing until you set foot on one. I think we will look at a few. Whatever we look at I think the most important thing as far as accommodation goes is to have a decent size bed without having to make up the saloon. The last boat we owned was a Pegasus 800 and we struggled to spend more than one night aboard because the v berth was too cramped.

 

[Seajet]

I test sailed a Victoria 30, she proved a lot quicker than one may have imagined.

Not a boat show boat with an interior like an Ikea warehouse, but I thought she was a real sailor's boat.

Also met the designer Chuck Paine, a lovey bloke one could spend a century chatting to and learning from :encouragement:

 

[Tranona]

Not a boat show boat with an interior like an Ikea warehouse, but I thought she was a real sailor's boat.

I always thought that by definition all boats with sails as motive power were "sailors" boats. Why are you adding the adjective "real" because by definition all people who sail are real rather than imaginary.

 

[Malish]

I have a R34 that I purchased for <£30k about 5 years ago in v good nick with nearly new sails and a almost brand new Bukh 24 engine, prices have dropped since then, one will come up that suits.

 

[Legin]

It might be worth taking a look at some of the "Tour my Boat" type of you tube videos to see what accommodation works. Good luck with the search.