What 8 metre boat is for me?

[Tranona]

For £25k budget to a ready to go boat you are in more modern boats including Sadler 29 and 32, possibly Fulmar, Moody 30 and 33 and if you trade off speed for ruggedness a Golden Hind 31 plus many more lesser known designs like Rustler 31, Elizabethan 30. Avoid any boat that needs major bits of kit as the cost is way out of proportion to the value of the boat. Decent sails will be £4k, replacing seacocks £800-1000. rigging £2-3k even DIY. Don't get too hung up on design, condition is far more important. the boat is a means to an end for what you plan, not an end in itself.

You are more likely to find a larger boat in decent condition than a Vega sized boat simply because few people are willing to spend money on a low value boat to keep it going and a bigger/better boat will likely sell easier when the time comes. Your example of the Hydrovane illustrates the mismatch between buying gear for cruising and value of boat - nav gear, autopilots, electrics and to an extent sails and rigging cost much the same for a 30' boat as a skinny little 27'

 

[MontyMariner]

I like a challenge, but am I right in thinking you’d be eyeing up shelter in a F6?

If you know it's coming you stay at home, if you're out in it, rig for it and live with it!

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Well it would go astern but the prop was behind the rudder……I would say it was vague

They sll move in a backwards kind of direction, the issue with all boats of that type, or long keelers, is exactly where you’ll end up. Something that needs to be taken into account when finding a mooring for them. Those boats are from an age before finger berths were a thing, and the need for close quarters manoeuvres in reverse just wasn’t so imperative. My mooring neighbour has a Vancouver, we often shove him off if the tide is flooding when he leaves, or take a stern line and sweat him in on arrival. Lots of fun he sails solo. A Sadler would be much easier to park, but less reassuring when it really comes on to blow.

 

[webcraft]

Plenty of Albin Vegas around in excellent condition in the £6k - £8k range. A very handy wee boat for a cheap liveaboard/offshore cruiser. I've sailed mine from Scotland to the Canaries and the Azores and to Shetland and Norway. You need to be 5' 8" or under to be comfy though.

- W