What boat for £10k

[sigma38dave]

Read what the OP wants and then tell us why you think that boat is remotely suitable

Er, the OP’s wish list…

1) it’s on budget
2) it’s local to him so no delivery expenses
3) sleeps 4 in more comfort than a tent
4) easily capable of coastal and channel hopping without adding loads of kit

Yes it’s not perfect and possibly not to your taste. If the keel isn’t hanging off it I’d say worth a visit.

 

[14K478]

As a wooden boat owner and maybe semi pro fixer upper, I am in the baggy a nd hackett corner. Its a whole heap of occasionally lovely grief. I 100% love my XOD but it horrifies and terrifies me at the same time. A wood boat in top order, Ok. A 40+ yr old wooden boat could be facing a huge list of unknown and unseen horrors. Serious gluttons for punishment apply within. Others, run screaming for the hills

I believe that is what you pay a surveyor for?

And you do that with any forty year old boat, of any material.

The boat I pointed out comes with a very well documented history; I would be rather confident that she has fewer problems than most if not all of the grp boats that have been recommended on this thread.

 

[finestgreen]

The one thing that he hasn't mentioned is can he afford the berthing costs for any boat in the Solent unless of course he has access to a "cheap" swinging mooring as even a 29 foot in a marina will consume the purchase price in 2 years.

Yeah, mooring shouldn't be a problem. I'd be more wary about the extra maintenance costs of something that big though

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I believe that is what you pay a surveyor for?

And you do that with any forty year old boat, of any material.

The boat I pointed out comes with a very well documented history; I would be rather confident that she has fewer problems than most if not all of the grp boats that have been recommended on this thread.

I owned a SCOD for a short time and I am a competent woodworker but the ongoing maintenance was a chore that I could do without and whilst the boat you advocate maybe sound it will require looking after far more than a GRP boat. I understand the maintenance and general care of wooden boats can be part of the attraction and pleasure of those that own them and a well cared for one is a pleasure for all to see but one that is barely maintained and done on a shoestring with bodged repairs of filler and worse quickly makes a wooden boat a nightmare. Which is why I would not recommend one to a new to sailing buyer unless he has the skills and more importantly desire to maintain it.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Yeah, mooring shouldn't be a problem. I'd be more wary about the extra maintenance costs of something that big though

Yes everything is more expensive as the yacht gets larger. The initial thing assuming the yacht ( Sigma) is sound will be antifouling and haul out cost, then it's in to the usual replacement items sails and running rigging etc but they can be budgeted for and plan,ed a couple of years in advance.
The attraction of a larger yacht means that you won't get the itch to go bigger within the first few years of ownership and when you do decide on those cruises to the Channel Islands and France you will arrive earlier simply because the boat is faster, very important when you have a couple of youngsters saying how much longer dad.

 

[Mark-1]

The boat I pointed out comes with a very well documented history; I would be rather confident that she has fewer problems than most if not all of the grp boats that have been recommended on this thread.

Assuming that's true it wouldn't be long before the problems come thick and fast.

A few years ago a guy was telling me how his wooden boat gave him no more trouble than a GRP boat "As long as he kept on top of it.".

2 seasons later he was having it re-decked.

I'd also suggest that you can't simply handwave "keeping on top of it" away.

 

[Tranona]

No you tell me why it won't

It will accommodate a family of 4 comfortably, it's within his budget, It will with the caveat I gave and assuming the advertisement is representative it will certainly be capable of sailing in the Solent this year and going further in years to come.
The one thing that he hasn't mentioned is can he afford the berthing costs for any boat in the Solent unless of course he has access to a "cheap" swinging mooring as even a 29 foot in a marina will consume the purchase price in 2 years.

What a load of waffle. Thee boat is a performance cruiser primarily bought for full crew racing. Of course it has space for 4 people and is capable of sailing around the Solent. The OP says SPEIFICALLY he is looking at boats like the Centaur

 

[Tranona]

Er, the OP’s wish list…

1) it’s on budget
2) it’s local to him so no delivery expenses
3) sleeps 4 in more comfort than a tent
4) easily capable of coastal and channel hopping without adding loads of kit

Yes it’s not perfect and possibly not to your taste. If the keel isn’t hanging off it I’d say worth a visit.

Nothing to do with my taste. He says he is looking at boats like the Centaur so you offer a knackered 36' cruiser racer just because it has 4 berths and is available at £1 below his top budget!

That says more about your taste than understanding what the real requirement is.

 

[Mark-1]

No you tell me why it won't

Yup. The OP says this:

So... what boat would you buy right now with a budget of around £10k, that would get you sailing this year without a lot of immediate work, that would accomodate a family of 4 for holidays of comparable luxury to camping in a tent, and would (perhaps with modest further prep) be safe to go up and down and across the Channel?

The Sigma 362 does all of that in spades. I've sailed two. A couple or a family would have no problems at all sailing one.

TBH, I suspect there's an unwritten requirement that the boat must take to the ground and be cheap to run and berth, but the OP didn't say that.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

What a load of waffle. Thee boat is a performance cruiser primarily bought for full crew racing. Of course it has space for 4 people and is capable of sailing around the Solent. The OP says SPEIFICALLY he is looking at boats like the Centaur

No you need to improve your reading and comprehension skills, he says he has been following the Centaur thread with interest and he's in the £10K sector of the market.

 

[Wansworth]

Back in1971 two Americans bought a westerly Centaur fitted it with a hasta Vane gear and sailed off to America,seemed a fine small boat though obviously not intended for ocean crossings .The well know Bill Bleacher who wrote a book on self steering was impressed he sailed a T 24 on ocean voyages so knew what he was on about was in the marina and helped sort out the vane gear.I helped deliver it from Emsworth th Gosport

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Back in1971 two Americans bought a westerly Centaur fitted it with a hasta Vane gear and sailed off to America,seemed a fine small boat though obviously not intended for ocean crossings .The well know Bill Bleacher who wrote a book on self steering was impressed he sailed a T 24 on ocean voyages so knew what he was on about was in the marina and helped sort out the vane gear.

Did they get there?

 

[dunedin]

For quite a number of years I laid up this next to a GRP Cornish Pilot Cutter, a gaff rigged boat of the same size, and we compared the time spent on maintainance ( we both had the same, quite high, standards):
Antifouling: same
Engine: same
Spars: same
Electrics and navigation stuff: same
Decks: same
Brightwork (ok, not all GRP boats have as much as his boat did): same
Topsides: He polished his every year, I painted mine (Epifanes one pot) every other year. He spent a little more time than I did.

But a completely unrealistic comparison to a Cornish Pilot, compared to something like a Hunter Horizon 27 or Sadler 29, two of the most attractive (to my mind) of the suggestions so far for those who want to go boating not ashore maintaining.
Re your list:
- Antifouling: yes same, though with a wooden boat may have issues with the wood underneath the paint.
- Engine: yes same, though typically just 2-3 per annum and easily done afloat at a time that suits (a day too windy to sail)
- Spars: not same as wooden spars, alloy spars only need occasional inspection
- Electrics and navigation stuff: yes same, but most need no annual maintenance (certainky not the navigation gear)
- Decks: not the same, a GRP deck only needs occasional hosing off of salt, and best ones have no varnish work needing attended to
- Brightwork (ok, not all GRP boats have as much as his boat did): not same, for reasons above
Topsides: definitely not the same - few do extensive polishing of a £10k boat topsides, and a quick hand application of polish/wax perhaps 2-3 hours for a 30 footer, able to be done afloat when suits. Bet you can’t run down and paint topsides multiple coats in 2-3 hours.

Wooden boat ownership is a different hobby. A perfectly good one if you like doing that sort of work. But not if have limited time and want to maximise sailing time. We used to just do an annual overnight lift and hold to clean and redo antifoul and anodes, and a day or so of other maintenance afloat.

 

[Wansworth]

Did they get there?

Did they get there?

I am not sure but being ex American pilots retiredfro the Vietnamese War they were tough enough!

 

[Mark-1]

Did they get there?

They're three quarters of the way across.

 

[Wansworth]

They're three quarters of the way across.

Laurent Giles knew a good deal about naval architecture ,they are not bad boats.They had moved on from just two flat plates bolted on the bottom and they had been properly designed I believe in a test tank at Southampton.

 

[steve yates]

This sadler 25 new furler and forestay, Ob if there is an engine problem. Buy and sail, replace shrouds and backstay for about £1k when ready.
Or this Frances 26. Recent engine and tiller pilot, new genny, get a new mainsail for about £1k and you have a tough wee boat that will take any weather you come across and look after you.
Or this penpol 27 near you, just make an offer that suits you and walk away if they say no, there is always another boat to buy.

Or even better, bang on budget, another lymington boat. with almost everything done to it that you might have to pay for with other boats, this Sadler 26. Pop down, check it out, if you like it, buy it and go sailing

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Laurent Giles knew a good deal about naval architecture ,they are not bad boats.They had moved on from just two flat plates bolted on the bottom and they had been properly designed I believe in a test tank at Southampton.

That's a bit like saying the pyramid builders knew about architecture and design to someone looking at buying a house in Clapham.

 

[Tranona]

No you need to improve your reading and comprehension skills, he says he has been following the Centaur thread with interest and he's in the £10K sector of the market.

You can interpret as you wish. But nowhere does he say he wants a knackered old 36' cruiser racer which only comes up because a Sigma owner thinks it is a good buy.

That is the problem with these threads. The responses come in 2 forms. First those that make sensible suggestions either in general terms or specific boats. Those that suggest the boat they own or lust after and then spend ages waffling on trying to justify their suggestions even though they are almost always totally unsuitable.

 

[Wansworth]

That's a bit like saying the pyramid builders knew about architecture and design to someone looking at buying a house in Clapham.

Well if you know about yachting history and you no doubt do knows that Giles drew some great small seaworthy small boats.