Sorry no recent experience of Wick. The last time I was there all berths were against the harbour wall. Once I moved to Stromness if going east I would spend a night on a mooring at the east end of Scapa Flow so as to time the tide right to cross the Pentland Firth then head off south past Wick. Usually straight down to the Caledonian Canal when circumnavigating northern Britain. It made a nice cruise going back via Cape Wrath and the north coast.
Yes…I was being pompousYes there are some who just buy a boat and get on with just sailing.
On the other hand there are others who deliberate for many, many, many years over buying anything, remain boatless and miss out on so many sailing experiences.
Wick has memories for me so when I kept the boat in Lochinver I would stop there before or after Orkney. But short winter days!
A boat that is comfortable enough to press on in rougher weather, or enjoyable enough to spend a few days at anchor becalmed or waiting for weather to pass is likely to have a diesel engine so the statement probably holds true. You certainly can do it with an O/board driven boat - or indeed no engine at all but typically those boats also come without some other comforts which are going to be a serious consideration.
hopefully his navigator knows to use the Caledonian rather than the crinan if he’s trying to avoid going over the top ;-)
You spotted my mistake! Have a virtual whiskey.
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Must be Fake News. Clearly it is impossible as they don't have a long keel
Looks like a good potential purchase for someone. The only thing that might possibly be a worry is he has zero feedback rating on eBay. Hopefully the seller is genuine and he obtains a fair price for his 50 year old boat.
Can we have a sweepstake on final price?
An improvement on the shorter suggestions, its length will help it get over the waves better. I remember a day sailing on a friend's Vertue. A very nice boat that sailed well in calmer water but I could not help thinking that it needed a few feet more in length to help it along when we got in a tide chop.
Paying cash on collection should ameliorate that risk. I have a real soft spot for Rivals - they just look right.
I agree, but the interior is very much of its day, dark and cave-like, and cramped for a 32. Not a boat that's likely to tempt a non-sailing lady aboard. All the same, she's still a boat that will take a solo or a couple anywhere.
You missed out slower than a slow thing.
It’s not difficult, and pretty much any boat can do it.On reflection I think this is quite an interesting thread. Who in fact is qualified to give the advice?
Not me although I have to all intents and purposes sailed around the UK including the more remote and challenging parts but not in the sense that most would consider a circumnavigation and not in one go but the passages were singlehanded but again not in a £5K boat or even close. I have though sailed in such boats but it has been short coastal sailing with facilities close at hand. Now much has been made of the fact that that is all that a UK circumnavigation is and 90% of it is but there are some with long stretches of sailing in exposed areas where if there were a problem life would quickly become difficult. For me it's risk management and there are elements of the voyage that contain "risks" which can be managed by a strong and able sailor who chooses his weather windows carefully and is prepared to have some very long days and possibly nights because in those conditions the boats in question may not average the 4 knots. However all is possible corks and letters in sealed bottles make far longer and more arduous journeys and a boat can be made like a cork ( almost)
So who is qualified there are people on here that sail £5K and under boats and no doubt are for the most well maintained and they have total confidence in them but just what type of sailing do they do? I will wager that the most experienced have spent a lot of time fettling their boats and developed the skills necessary to sail and maintain them. There is a forum member that doesn't post on here much now that took a sturdy boat in need of a lot of fettling and has sailed it down to Portugal where amongst many other things he had to fit a new engine.
So yes it can be done and I have no doubt that a Leisure 17 could do it, they have sailed further but I wouldn't recommend the OP to try it in one.
Finally the OP has said that he could with time push the budget to £10K which is beginning to look more promising ( Poignard will be rubbing his hands together in anticipation of a sale) But what the OP has not mentioned is, is he aware of the additional costs that many have indicated and as seasoned cruisers understand and consider part of the joy of sailing. Does he intend to anchor for most of the time or expect to use marinas, what is his time available for the voyage? In any case it's too late for this year so the sound advice would be to buy what he can and likes and get to know and prepare it ready for next year, however as for many next year might not come when he finds the true costs and pleasures of owning a hole in the water.
That option is now unavailable to the OP since I have just sold her to a Frenchman!