Opinion required

[southernman 73]

We have recently sold our boat and in the hunt for a new one. A boat we are looking at is the following:

 

http://au.yachtworld.com/boats/2008/G-wind-Marine-Berckemeyer-2206348/South-Africa

 

I'm interested in your opinions. Our criteria is, alloy as we are planning a Cape Horn adventure, Modern hull design, easy to single hand, drop keel for access to cheap mooring when we return to NZ and reasonable resale.

 

Value your thoughts!

[Deep Purple 512]

Thats a cool boat. I'm not sure you'd recover the $600k+ it would owe you by the time you got it back to NZ but for the purpose you want, it's ideal.

[Absolution 7]

I can't claim to know anything about the design but it looks like a great boat! Twin furlers and a hard dodger will be ideal for what you are planning. Looks like its very nicely built too!

[JK 28]

There was one listed here http://crew.org.nz/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=15646 that fits many of your requirements.

[Guest]

That first one looks fantastic- can I come?

[southernman 73]

It's a nice boat for sure and I think resale would be straight forward given the build quality. The owner will take a lot lower price than the advertised price so all up landed in NZ will be just over 400 NZ.

 

The main question is which route. We are thinking SA, Brazil, then down the coast round the Horn up the west coast then downwind home. I can get work in SA for 6 months so thinking work for 6 months while we prepare then leave.

 

More questions - anyone got hands on experience with alloy boats? I've owned steel and glass but never alloy. Any problems with a modern build that I should look out for?

 

Doing the 14 hour flight to Joburg then Durbin next week to check her out.

 

The thing i've learnt over the years is light sailing performance is critical rather than using the engine, and being able to change sails yourself so that's the reason for spending some bucks this time rather than cutting corners. Besides the only reason I can do this trip is if the wife is comfortable and we will have 2 young kids on board also. The wife wants a cat but we can't afford the one we want so this is next best. Besides I don't fancy a cat round the horn.

[PaulR 3]

Certainly looks very suitable. Seems to have all the gear.

 

Possible consider a removable seat / storage locker across the aft deck. It will be useful when cruising and make a more secure cockpit, especially in the Southern Ocean. Then it can be removed for coastal cruising, island hopping or when anchored or moored stern to.

 

A Solara 45 had one, with a 75mm gap to allow water to flow underneath. It had safety gear, grab bag & liferaft inside, but your liferaft looks well protected inside the tubular frame.

 

Possibly fit some 3 legged S/S Hoop frames either side of mast to help when working there.

 

Being able to work the autopilot whilst sitting in main hatchway under the solid dodger is very useful, more when very VERY cold, rough or heavy rain, or all at the same time!!

 

Make sure no coins are or will be dropped in the bilge. They tend to corrode and make a very neat round hole that lets in lots of water from behind an impossible to reach spot. A Brazillian 42 to 45ft racing yacht sank mid ocean from this in late 70's, a German Freers design I think, that was in Brazil Admiral's Cup team.

 

All junctions of stringers, frames, ribs etc should have little triangular pieces to spread the load at these stress points. Stringers to be continously welded, on BOTH sides, not just spot welded. These tend to pop off the hull plating in the sothern ocean. I have tossed several lengths over, about 40 south of Africa, 1500 miles SE of Port Elizabeth, that came from under my bunk. Your welcome to use them!!

 

Welding is critical. We had repairs in PE in 1973 but the wrong welding rods were used and it all had to be redone when back in the UK. I was not really involved with the welding / engineering / owners lengthy, detailed and heated arguements, as I was busy on sail repairs.

 

Have a heap of photos showing the bent ribs about 50mm out of alignment, bent plates, broken stringers etc from under my bunk so you are welcome to see before leaving Auckland. PM me.

 

The harmonics of plates vibrating at different rates makes an interesting tune when beating to windward. Lack of stringers Variations between 10 to 28 beats per minute were obtained and all plates vibrated at different rates. Obviously no stress on plate butt welds

 

"Go with the sounds bro" was the message reggie / samba style, but there was no off switch so for 10+ days hard beating up the north Atlantic we were ready with grab bags etc to hop off quickly, going with the rhythm

 

Alloy & steel being metal can gery very cold down south. The steel 54ft Awahene that went around Antartica, had the engine exhaust hot water before discharging, to optionally be pumped twice around the hull skin at water level to both heat the insides of the boat and to melt the ice around the hull if necessary if trapped.

 

Fitting insulation would be very helpful. We had polystyrene blocks glued to the alloy hull. Possibly better these days could be pink batts.

 

The other boat 42ft looks nice with good comfortable settee in main saloon. No photos of your saloon. Comfort is really important.

 

The specks mentioned extra long bunks. Very Useful!!

You will need several mesh nets from the deckhead (ceilings) to store all the kids loose clothing, toys, cuddly blankets, their favourite things etc, possibly in their space up in forward cabin.

 

Enjoy

[PaulR 3]

Route seems fine, but aim for Rio de Janerio or higher first, then enjoy the brazillian coast, Rio Carnival is before the start of Lent, 6 weeks before Easter.

A week or two before that there is a big wonderful party at the Iate Clube de Rio de Janerio around their massive swimming pool. All the girls are dressed up in the expensive glamerous costumes, feathers, tall hair dos etc dancing on the table tops so the photographers can get good pictures for the carnival magazines and a life changing modelling career thereafter.

 

Naturally talking to grotty yachties was knot on their adgenda.

 

I enjoyed the party, and cruising south of Rio to their Bay of Islands. A bottle of duty free scotch could be traded for 12 bottles of local cane spirit, which can be enjoyed by more yachties!! Forgot what happened after that and the pictures don't exist anyway

 

Further south Santa Catarina, Florinapolis etc was also nice.

 

Then onto Montevideo and Buenos Aires. Wonderful yacht club on an island in the Tigris River, with tennis courts, golf etc as well.

 

Read the Pilot books about Pampereos, it's true about insect life build ups, black windless clouds and then it hits you. Fastest speed was 14 knots under bare poles off Argentina.

[smithy09 50]

Wow. Cool Boat. Almost the ultimate cruising boat? Bare alloy topsides always guarantees a bit of room in the marina... Look like it has some excellent features. Very exciting. Good luck!

[Steve Pope 243]

Obviously you have the bikkies to make it happen, Alloy is one of the best materials for what you want to do, I'm sure it is insulated from the waterline up so you shouldn't have any problems with condensation. We changed all the deck head screws (SS ) to nylon to stop the odd annoying drip of condensation. There is quite a range of alloy boats on the market that would do what you want, the more loot you have the bigger the range. Of course the older they are the cheaper they are. Our was designed specifically for the ice, with a totally isolated engine room and the keel base is 700mm wide to allow it to sit on the ice without the need for legs, although I would have them in the unlikely event that I would need them for extra support.

[Steve Pope 243]

Also you'll need a diesel heater, Dickinson make good ones, interestingly they all use the same burner size whether it is a heater or stove. very well priced at present re the NZ / US dollar.

Refleks (Denmark) are also good they run using the same system as the Dickinson ones.

[Deep Purple 512]

It's a nice boat for sure and I think resale would be straight forward given the build quality. The owner will take a lot lower price than the advertised price so all up landed in NZ will be just over 400 NZ. .

 

In that case ya mad if ya don't

[Fogg 427]

Before I even clicked on your link, when I read your requirements I immediately thought "this guy needs an Ovni". I've always admired these robust French vessels which have cruised to all corners of the world inc into ice. Alloy, lifting keel, fast bluewater cruisers. The biz.

 

 

Typical spec:

Type: Ovni 43

Hull: aluminium

LOA: 13.10 m

LWL: 10.40 m

Beam: 4.30 m

Draught: centreboard down 2.50 m, up 0.80 m

Displacement: 8.5 tonnes

Ballast: 3.6 tonnes

Sail area: 90 sq.m.

Water: 460 litres

Fuel: 350 litres

Engine: Volvo Penta MD22 50 hp

 

Here's a 13m Ovni in Aussue for AUD$324k: http://au.yachtworld.com/boats/1999/Ovni--2145593/Australia

 

and here's a 12m one here in NZ asking only $229k: http://au.yachtworld.com/boats/1995/Ovni-39-2307508/New-Zealand

 

Review of a smaller one: http://www.yachtingmonthly.com/reviews/boats/1/128171/ovni-365

[tuffyluffy 76]

 

More questions - anyone got hands on experience with alloy boats? I've owned steel and glass but never alloy. Any problems with a modern build that I should look out for?

 

 

S'man, Ive got a 13m ex raceboat in alloy, now converted to a cruiser. The best thing about alloy is you can see if there are any problems, you dont have to wonder whats hiding under paint, between glass laminates, inside plywood etc.

 

I didnt know or understand alloy at all when i purchased her, but after owning her for 5 years, buying a used boat in alloy was the best thing i could have done.

 

My boat has been faired and painted on the exterior, and i had the interior sandblasted back to bare metal and triple coated with some industrial grade epoxies, hence i dont need to worry too much about metals falling in the bilge.

 

My boat is 4mm sheet over ring-frames and stringers at 400mm centres

 

A few things ive learnt along the way,

 

1. Isolate any dissimilar metals ie bolts, fittings. I used lots of lanolin and plain plastic sheeting under deck fittings - icecream container lids are great.

2. If you get any paint bubbling due to little spots of surface corrosion under the paint, deal with it quickly to stop the progress. Fish-oil is a great short-term fix.

3. Make sure your electrical wiring is good.

4. Be anal about anodes, and dont park the boat near dodgy steel boats/objects for long periods.

 

In the pre-purchace inspection, pull as much of the interior hull linings back as possible and check for corrosion under deck fittings, and eyeball as much of the interior bare hull as you can.

 

Theres my 10c worth, hope it was of some use?

[Guest]

I have been told that the Ovnis are really nice cruisers but the stability could be one issue against them. When they are fully geared up for cruising the self rightening angle can be around 90-100 degrees. It can be really hard to get a Cat 1 in NZ. I know several cruisers who have passed the Ovni's because of this. I have no facts but before buying one I think you should look into it.

[Steve Pope 243]

The righting "problems" with Ovni's is anecdotal only, there don't appear to be any recorded cases of them rolling let alone rolling and staying upside down.

Unlike several modern race craft that have shed their keels. I'm sure they would have had the relevant cat classification if they were going racing in NZ.

It is the old problem, if you say something often enough it slowly becomes fact.

Ovni's are proven cruisers, that are built to be incredibly strong.