What boat on a budget?

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brupeckett

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Me and the good lady wife are scheming towards making that great escape. We'll have a tight budget and the more we spend on the boat, the less we'll have to live on. If we can keep the total cost of the boat ready to go below £30,000 we'll be doing well and the less the better really!

A Moody 333 (for example) ticks most of the boxes accomodation wise as far as t'missus is concerned but isn't much to my tastes (I'd prefer something more traditional looking!). They're also at the top end of our price range and may not be suitable for our intended cruising (see below)

Whatever the boat, it needs to be suitable for a couple to live aboard for at least two years with accomodation for 2+ guests. It musn't be claustrophobic below decks and needs to be easily handled by a reasonably fit but not overly beefy couple.

I'm mostly after spending our time in Northern European waters, however the boss is very keen on the Caribbean so something capable of making an Atlantic passage would be (obviously!) desirable!

I don't mind older boats (actually prefer them as far as appearance is concerned), wouldn't say no to wood (ditto) and would take on something that needed some amount of refitting / refurbishment at the right price

So, given all that waffle any suggestions on possible suitable boats would be gratefully received! Oh and it needs to be EU VAT paid up and either RCD exempt or have the RCD paperwork 'cos at the end of our sojourn away we'll want to keep the boat in UK waters and carry on sailing her until we've saved up some more money to disappear over the horizon again!

Cheers
Bru
 
Check out the apollo duck website ther are boats worldwide on there at your kind of budget ..Also www.1001boats.com this is a US based website with Us Private sellers remember boats are alot cheaper in the US Due to the amount there are on the market at any one time there is the VAT problem but if you are cruising and the west alantic and carib is your chosen ground then no prob..the resale value may go down but when the time is up you should recoup 1/3 to 2/3 of your dosh hope this is of some help Remember its only IMO......
 
I suggest keeping a good eye on www.yachtworld.com - you can input all your requirements and price limit and it will list boats in any country you wish.
You can also set up a personal boat shopper - www.yachtworld.com/pbs - which will automatically notify you if anything new hits the market matching your criteria.

We are going through the same process - however we are looking for a £60k boat between 35 and 40 feet, so I doubt anything I've found would be of use.

Jonny
 
Kitted for blue water on £30K, with the space and comfort requirements you seem to have, sounds like a tough ask. It's probably going to need most of the necessary kit already in place, since fitting it yourself will murder your budget. In part it may depend your technical skills, but I'd say a fairly new engine ought to be on your list.
Have you considered steel or even ferro? Prices tend to be very much lower than GRP, and a fairly high proportion are kitted for long distance work -- although much of that kit might be tired. Worth trying a search on the broker yachts for sale link (top right of this page, as I'm sure you know). I think you'll find a fair few boats in your range.
Advice re buying in US is sound -- providing you really do intend to clear off. But if you return to EU, you will face VAT (unless you can show you weren't 'normally resident' in the EU for the previous 12 months, which is harder than it sounds). Boat will probably also have major RCD issues. You can search for US yachts on same 'boats for sale link'.
Incidentally, South Africa is awash with blue water boats (blue water being all they have out there!) at sensible money. Very few will have RCD.
 
Hadn't found that 1001boats site ... if only the plan was to stay put over the other side of the "pond"! Can't believe how much we could save. Unfortunately, having spent the last hour or more reading up on the subject, the costs of getting a s/hand import through RCD plus paying 17.5% VAT make at best marginal and probably uneconomical to buy overseas and import into the EU.

Whilst an Atlantic crossing is definitely on the cards, home ground is going to be European waters. As we shall be selling everything we own to finance the yacht and two to three years extended cruising, at the end of the excercise we'll need to be able to either keep the boat in the UK or sell it wherever we can get the best price and I'd be very worried about having to go overseas in order to sell up.

Looking around, we'll certainly be able to afford a Moody 33 or Westerly or similar older boat and there are plenty of other examples of craft in the 30' to 35' LOA range which would meet our needs accomodation wise within our budget.

The question is whether something like a Moody 33 or Westerly Pentland (yes, for our European and particularly UK adventures bilge keels would be a major advantage) is capable with a reasonable degree of safety for a Transatlantic crossing (I know it's not ideal!)

I'd personally prefer something heavier with a deep long keel for a long ocean passage but if it can be done with care in something that is better suited to the rest of our plans ....

Maybe we just have totally incompatible objectives and need to do some pruning! If so, so be it.

Oh and I know that bilge keels come with a hefty penalty in sailing performance. Having plonked around the sandbanks and mudflats of the English East Coast and given the high number of drying harbours around our coastline it's a price I'm prepared to pay - especially as being able to dry out will drastically reduce the cost of moorings and enable us to visit places that would otherwise be difficult or impossible (however, I'd settle for beaching legs at a pinch on a boat otherwise capable of drying out)

Cheers
Bru
 
Given your preferences, for along keel and more traditional looks (my preferences too), may I offer the Halmatic 30, Rustler 31 and Nicholson 32 as possible contenders? All have proven pedigree, are easily handled by 2 and will sleep 4 or more and all fall within your price range. All respond well to vane steering and at <10m LOA, should help to keep mooring costs down. The down side of course, is less accomodation - specifically no aft cabin - than a Moody 333. A Warrior 35 or Challenger 35 (same hull) might fall within the budget and they have made excellent liveaboard cruisers for others and in the case of the Warrior, offer a small aft cabin for privacy/storage. For just a little more, there's a Biscay 36 on the Ardfern brokerage for <£33k. All of these would dry out nicely if fitted with legs. Good luck!
 
Maybe have a search for a Bav 320 from 91/92, very nice boats.
I ended up with a 390 after originally starting with Nich 38 and Rival 38 at the top of the list. It turned out to be one of the best boats I've sailed in a number of ways.
 
[ QUOTE ]
A Moody 333 (for example) ticks most of the boxes accomodation wise as far as t'missus is concerned but isn't much to my tastes (I'd prefer something more traditional looking!). They're also at the top end of our price range and may not be suitable for our intended cruising (see below)

Whatever the boat, it needs to be suitable for a couple to live aboard for at least two years with accomodation for 2+ guests. It musn't be claustrophobic below decks and needs to be easily handled by a reasonably fit but not overly beefy couple.


[/ QUOTE ]

Horses for courses I guess, but it seems a big ask to me.

I think the most important thing is to buy a seaworthy boat which keeps SWMBO as happy as possible.

Having never sailed, my SWMBO thinks a Moody 44 is claustrophobic and not really big enough to invite guests to stay!

I sailed for a while on a Westerly Storm 33 which may also suit your needs, and my father sold his Oyster 37 in 2003 for just under £30K.. now that was a cute, seaworthy boat.
 
I have done what you plan to do and been doing it for six years mostly in spain, I·m doing it in a WESTERLY I think a WESTERLY ·FULMAR· model would be the one for you, GOOD LUCK AND GOOD SAILING PS. I live almost full time on my WESTERLY.
 
No, no, no, I will NOT plug mine... it's not for sale. Yet.

But, there's so many options out there, and it's all so personal, I'd be amazed if your needs are the same as anyone else's here. We mustn't be blamed if the final choice fails to impress.

Jem.
 
How about a westerly Cirrus or Conway? worth a look! or even a moody 36 Michael E Briant "did the world" in one! Hes usually on here ask his opinion on a 36!
 
Another thought just sprang to mind - what about a Seadog 30. See details here:
http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/archives/seadog-30/seadog-30.htm
They are a little smaller than you though, but can be picked up for around £20k - leaving spare cash for extra equipment. They are very well built and heavy boats - we know one that has cruised all over Europe and is very well respected by friends of the owener.
They have a rear cabin - so plenty of space, and most are triple keels, so would dry out.

We considered one - but decided it was a bit too small for us - but I suspect accomodation and storage would be on a par with a Moody 33 or simalar.

There are a few around on brokerage (one is based in North Wales called Gundog - an excellent boat - we knew the owner before he passed away last year - lots of new kit and worth a look!)

Jonny
 
Sadler 34 by the sound of things, though I'd be just as happy on your itinerary in my S32; same breed of (monohull) cat...
 
If you are prepared to put in some work £30K is no problem at all.

My Dufour 35 was circ £20k and I expect to spend around £5 to £10k in getting her up to blue water standard.

She will have an almost new interior with updated soft furnishing (made by others) all new electrics and nav gear, by me along with new deck gear and a new (secondhand) main & genoa.

A lot of the work is being done on her on the the hard in the South of France but we got her in the water this year and had some great trips including getting her back in to the bay of Fos against a 7/8 & she behaved like a perfect lady.

It really is up to you guys to have a look around amd get on as many boats as poss. Come down to port nap just here for a weekend and have a look at loads of boats for sale including cats if you want, Eat & drink is Provence what can I say....Rick/Jamie eat your heart out. A visit to Arles is also not to be missed, about 30/40 mins away by car.
Fly down ryan air and hire a car for a long weekend..blymy I sound like a travelco.. its just that IMHO you need to get a flavour of the whole experience not just look at boats in a showroom.

have fun.

poter /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
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