Victoria30

[Halo]

" I would probably have a difficult time reaching the stuffing box ( especially with my knees) "

Its later than you think. It takes a while to learn the details of a new boat, how to handle her and how to look after her. It takes more time to do the mods you will require to make her liveable. Find the right boat sooner rather than later and make her your own before you retire ( you should probably be winding down anyway) . If you want your wife to come cheerfully then listen her - its better to be sailing with her in a compromise boat than being on your own.
.

 

[Denek]

Sounds like good advice.

 

[JumbleDuck]

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.

Victorias have oodles of stowage. When other companies were building 26' footers for four and 34 footers for six, the V26 was emphatically designed for 2 and the V34 for four. Of course as Tranona says that's partly because they are narrower than modern designs, but it's also because they have huge lockers built in.

 

[JumbleDuck]

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

Dunno about the V30, but the F/V26 is a real case of art concealing art. They look as if they should have a wineglass cross-section and long keel; in fact they have a nearly semicircular hull with a NACA aerofoil keel below, heavily cut away at the front. Nothing like as fast as deep fin, of course, but much more effective than the view above the waterline might suggest.

 

[JumbleDuck]

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?"

Easily solved on a V/F26 with a hatch in the cockpit sole - the owners' association has plans. I think the V30 offers access through the side panel of the quarterberth, if you have one.

 

[Tranona]

Victorias have oodles of stowage. When other companies were building 26' footers for four and 34 footers for six, the V26 was emphatically designed for 2 and the V34 for four. Of course as Tranona says that's partly because they are narrower than modern designs, but it's also because they have huge lockers built in.

Think it is the OP's post#16 that gets to the heart of it. While there are lots of places to hide things away, one of the big drawbacks of smaller and/or narrower boats when spending long periods aboard is space to move around and keep a separate sleeping cabin. As is often stated, the amount of time spent stationary far exceeds the time spent at sea, and of the seatime the majority is in good conditions. So the benefits of narrow cabins, lots of handholds etc are only realised in a small minority of time. That does not mean safety in bad weather is not important, but it can be achieved in wider and more spacious boats with a bit of thought.

The forward loo and shower facilities are also a drawback as they are in a narrow part of the boat, often with poor headroom as well. so you can see the attraction of centre cockpit boats such as the Moodys and Westerlys of the late 70's to 90s with clearly defined areas and space to move around without falling over each other. This was one of the regular comments from people we met in the Med who had sailed their traditional boats from UK and more than one said that if they had known what is was like living aboard, particularly in hot climates they would have chosen a different boat.

Of course one can adapt one's style of living and there are plenty of examples of folks living on board boats even a cramped as a Contessa 26, but you usually find they are young and probably budget constrained - and life is a big adventure (or grumpy old hermits!). However for mature people taking on the adventure in retirement after a life lived in the relative comfort of a modern home it is perhaps more important to put living requirements at the top of the list. This does not mean sacrificing seaworthiness or sailing ability (although again other than for long distance ocean going more time is usually spent motoring than sailing!) as almost all boats of a comfortable size are well able to undertake such passages.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Think it is the OP's post#16 that gets to the heart of it. While there are lots of places to hide things away, one of the big drawbacks of smaller and/or narrower boats when spending long periods aboard is space to move around and keep a separate sleeping cabin.

On the V26 and V30 the forecabin was intended as the main sleeping cabin. Depending on layout you either get two cabin settees or one settee and a quarter berth as well, but they were really meant for short-term guests. The F26 doesn't have a forecabin, just a sleeping platform, and feels roomier but at the expense of a close-able off cabin, which I consider essential for night sailing.

The forward loo and shower facilities are also a drawback as they are in a narrow part of the boat, often with poor headroom as well.

The V26 and V30 had the toilet (what shower) forward by default, but aft (instead of a quarterberth) was a popular option, and the default on the F26 and V800.

I am very happy to spend a month at a time on my V26, but I realise that it would be fairly small for some people's tastes, After my Westerly Jouster she's a palace! The V30 is quite a bit bigger inside, but for long term living in the Victoria range I'd recommend the V34. Lots of room for two people and the prices are not nearly as insane as they were.

 

[Tranona]

Victoria range I'd recommend the V34. Lots of room for two people and the prices are not nearly as insane as they were.

Remember the OP has a £30k budget which would not get even a worn out 34.

There is still a huge choice though if you are prepared to have an old boat - some mentioned already but could add boats like early Moody 33 and 36, various Westerly in the 33-36 range such as Conways with separate aft cabins, Jeanneau Espaces for example all of which have been popular for liveaboard cruisers in the past. However finding a boat of this age and getting it into good nick for an extended cruise for £30k is a challenge. As ever, moving up to the next level on budget widens the choice, not least in being able to get a boat 10 years younger. For example a Moody 346 is a huge improvement on the earlier 33 in terms of space utilisation and quality of build.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Remember the OP has a £30k budget which would not get even a worn out 34.

Yes, I should have said that. Minimum of £60k for a good 'un, even now. If he wants the style, V30 would be the way to go. V26 a bit small for his needs and V800 is just a tarted up V26 for silly money.

 

[Denek]

Couple of nice looking 34 s on yacht market for around £45k I could spend that but it’s a lot of money to have tied up.
Plus th additional costs for marinas etc. I must admit looks like a lovely boat though

 

[doug748]

Yachtsnet sold an early 34 for near your figure so they do come up now and again, tiller as well; tho in need of some refreshment.

 

[jonic]

The Victoria 30 is a pretty boat - and very capable, but might get a bit cramped long term.

I was at the Ocean Cruising Club awards dinner the other night and sat next to a couple who recently sailed their Rival 34 to the Caribbean. They were very happy with her.

I think this may be out of your price range, but a Malo 34 is very capable and has excellent accommodation for her size.

http://www.jryachts.com/yachts-for-sale/malo-34/1501862

 

[Denek]

Very nice but sadly a little too much for us. We are looking at the Victoria 30 this Friday along with ( so far) a westerly fulmars and a Feeling 326.
I am wonderingly how they will compare?

 

[richardbrennan]

I was going to suggest a Westerly Fulmar. They sail well, and apart from the lack of an aft cabin, have spacious accommodation. They're also are pretty bullet proof, which is why they were popular with sailing schools.

 

[jonic]

Yes, a Fulmar is a great boat. Feelings are surprisingly spacious.

Good luck on Friday.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Very nice but sadly a little too much for us. We are looking at the Victoria 30 this Friday along with ( so far) a westerly fulmars and a Feeling 326.
I am wonderingly how they will compare?

Victorias are silly expensive (even now) and compared to more modern designs they are relatively small inside. But hey, if you gotta have one, you gotta have one. Think of them as the Morgans of the sailing world - outclassed in every way by a Mazda MX-5 at half the price, but Morgan are still going strong.

 

[Tranona]

Victorias are silly expensive (even now) and compared to more modern designs they are relatively small inside. But hey, if you gotta have one, you gotta have one. Think of them as the Morgans of the sailing world - outclassed in every way by a Mazda MX-5 at half the price, but Morgan are still going strong.

A good analogy except it falls down when you are buying either a boat or a car for a specific purpose. Then the objective is to match the requirements as closely as you can. For this reason I have a Ford C Max for daily use and Morgan for those few times a year the weather is kind. I bought them at roughly the same time and the Ford has done 90k miles and the Morgan 20. However the Morgan looks good in the garage and the mind (and the cat likes sleeping in it).

Carry the analogy to the OP. He is looking for a boat for extended cruising and living on board, so accommodation probably ranks higher than looks and "feel". He can get that with a bigger boat and a bigger budget, but with a limited budget the C Max approach is perhaps the one to take. This does make some very worthy boats possible as some of the suggestions show.

 

[Concerto]

We are looking at the Victoria 30 this Friday along with ( so far) a westerly fulmars and a Feeling 326.
I am wonderingly how they will compare?

As a Fulmar owner, I can vouch for the way they sail, with very little helm needed to keep on course. The accommodation (and performance) is far better than a Victoria 30, but headroom is about 6ft everywhere except the heads where it is about 5' 6". Go for a fin with folding prop, and best with a Beta 28hp engine.

In the past I had a Feeling 286 from new, which is the same era as the 326. The 326 is a very spacious boat and I liked the layout, but at the time I could not afford one. However my 286 had several areas of poor quality build and the hull was certainly flexible enough for some squeaks from below in rough weather. Another point to consider is it is a grey gel coat, so minor repairs are more difficult than white. Also the side stickers may no longer be available if they are damaged.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Carry the analogy to the OP. He is looking for a boat for extended cruising and living on board, so accommodation probably ranks higher than looks and "feel". He can get that with a bigger boat and a bigger budget, but with a limited budget the C Max approach is perhaps the one to take.

Maybe, but the Victoria 30 will do everything the modern boats will do. It's simply a matter of whether he is happy to pay more for style over bland anonymity. Possible hint of bias there.

 

[Tranona]

Maybe, but the Victoria 30 will do everything the modern boats will do. It's simply a matter of whether he is happy to pay more for style over bland anonymity. Possible hint of bias there.

I have a sneaky likeness for the Vic 30, but it simply won't do what modern boats do in the context of long term cruising for 2 mature people unless you are prepared to live with the limited space. Also if (as the OP plans) you are going to warmer climes when the cramped cockpit, lack of access to the water over the stern, difficulty in providing shade to the cockpit with a bimini, poor reversing performance for berthing stern to will come into sharp focus.

At the risk of repeating myself it is wise to draw up a list of the key attributes required for the intended usage and use that as a base for choice, rather than say I like the look of that boat. The difficulty for many people making this sort of choice is they have no, or limited experience of what long term cruising is like, particularly in warm climates and many make the wrong choice based on their experience and likes in the rather different environment of the UK.

I remember mooring next to a Vindo and the owners struggling with the lack of space, the cramped cockpit the need for an over the boom cover because they could not fit a bimini, never mind the upkeep of the teak decks and all the varnish work. To cap it all the old Bukh was having a rebuild. Both said when they came for dinner that they wished they had bitten the bullet and bought a more appropriate boat rather than the one they had lusted after for years.

Yes, definitely bias on your part and perhaps rose tinted specs!