vivacity 650

Not a bad choice.

Unusual design to the superstructure but the lack of sidedecks increases the volume of the living space below.

Pretty old but if in good well maintained condition should be no problem.

Cannot fault the Johnson .. I have the Evinrude version.

A well known design so selling again when you move on to something larger should not be to great a problem.

Sort out a mooring if you have not already done so and be aware of the overhead costs..

There does not seem to be a trailer included so shifting to your location from the Solent needs to be thought out
 
viv 650

thanks for the reply vics ,not buying just yet ,scouting around to see what there is. and best value for my pennys with as much room as possible in a 21 footer as im a tall lad ,am thinking of bringing whichever boat i eventually choose to buy ,up river to put near my home there are a few floating pontoons here ,the other thing ill be doing is a bit of coastal and maybe one day pop across to france for snails and cake :D
the vivacity 650 looks a bit roomier than most ive seen till now,although i also have a sweet spot for the corribee :)
 
A friend had one in the 1970s. they have a good performance and no special vices. I did my first foreign trip in it, from Crouch to Ijmuiden. Had some heavy weather as we approached the Dutch coast, but never had any worries about the boat. He then cruised for 6 weeks through Holland with 2 adults and 2 kids, without problems,[ apart from a Seagull outboard but that's another tale].
 
My dad's first boat was one of these. Great little boat. Looks like quite a tidy one too.

We sailed it to Cornwall, France, Thames Estury (from Chichester), and had a lot of fun with it.

Ours was called Little Gem, and about 5 years ago, we were having a drink on a neighbouring boat in Yarmouth and the subject of "first boats" came up, and they turned-out to be the family that my dad sold it to in the mid-70s. What a small world.
 
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chris46 said:
thanks for the reply vics ,not buying just yet ,scouting around to see what there is. and best value for my pennys with as much room as possible in a 21 footer as im a tall lad ,am thinking of bringing whichever boat i eventually choose to buy ,up river to put near my home there are a few floating pontoons here ,the other thing ill be doing is a bit of coastal and maybe one day pop across to france for snails and cake :D
the vivacity 650 looks a bit roomier than most ive seen till now,although i also have a sweet spot for the corribee :)
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Corribee will almost ceratinly sail better but internally I think you will find it a bit cramped.... Rather flimsily built as well. You can rock a twin keeled Corribee, end for end when standing on a firm base and see the hull flex!
Also has tendency for the cockpit drains to flood the cockpit with too many people in the cockpit I believe.
I know someone who strengthened a Corribee hull also built a new raised cockpit sole sloping to drains at the front end and cut an outboard mounting into the transom instead of using a bracket on the back ......... then his wife decided that she had lost her interest in sailing, and her nerve, so he sold it!

For good head room for the taller person look at the Westerly Warwick/W21.

More expensive but always going to be relatively easy to sell when the time comes .
 
I owned one for 4 years. Tough little boats and easy to handle. Flat deck is handy. Average sailing capability, you won't get anywhere fast. Don't steer well going backwards until you get speed on but if you can steer with the outboard then not an issue. Some have a bit of deck compression which may need sorting. Only sitting headroom below. I would say it's a good starter boat.
 
My last boat, up to earlier this year, was a Viv 650. There's a quiet owners club on the net and a Facebook page somewhere. Nice boat that looked after me but I decided I wanted standing room, I'm 6ft tall and decided I couldn't use the forecabin though with the bulkheads in place. Mine had some deck compression,I think most of them do.

Steve
 
the-drifter said:
Hi there
It is back up for sale


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170919864...AX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2648#ht_500wt_1414
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Not surprised, it doesn't include engine and has a very odd interior for a vivacity 20. I'd also be worried that none of the grp inside is visible and that it's been covered in wood that might last 2 years.

Having said all that, Viv 20 is a great little boat and I've had all sorts of adventures in mine. I'd want a darn sight more than £450 for it though, bidding would start at £1500 for mine!
 
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