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What do you suggest?


Scubash

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Ok... I think I have spent enough time now around the boating scene to realise this is truly my passion! I would love to give myself a boat for my 30th this year :thumbup: :D

 

The only thing is I don't know much about boats in general. Yes I have sailed on very many and I see the pros and cons of each and would love to one day build my own dream boat. But realistically speaking that ain't gonna happen any time soon! :crazy: I also believe that the only way I am going to gain the proper confidence and knowledge is if I get my own boat. :sailor:

 

So for the meanwhile, I am trying to find a boat that I can gain confidence in sailing all by myself. I love to race and it would be nice to have a boat that is capable of racing at some stage, but more importantly I want to be able to handle the boat on my own while cruising. (Especially as I can't seem to land myslef a sailor, I will probably be teaching a non sailor! :P :shifty: )

 

I'm on a budget (up to $5,000 grand is what I want to spend...but for something worth while can maybe consider more? up to $10,000 :think: ) and I can't do a lot of the maintenance myself (at this stage - willing to, but need much guidance), would like it to be comfortable (have a toilet), able to cruise single handed (Capable to go out to GB or up to the BOI), but also fast to be able to race. Is there such a boat?

 

What is everyone's opinions and suggestions? :think: Give me options, tell me reality, pros, cons, the differences between boats... any and all comments are welcome!

 

Also where would be the best place to keep my boat? I know I will use it a lot. I want easy access at a good price. I know if it becomes difficult for me to get to everyday, I may not actually use it everyday.

 

Suggestion's of insurance?

 

Thanks in advance for your help and guidance! :thumbup: :clap:

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I bought a Harmonic for 2 grand and she has a toilet and lots of space inside for her length was a mess when i got her ,learnt a lot while fixing her up now have a great boat that sails well,would recommend you look at these. :D

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From racing to cruising but capable of both.

Pied Piper - probably best fleet racing, bit of a handful on your own, very basic cruising

Farr 727 - fleet racing if they can get it together, lovely to sail, cruisable

Tracker - Good racing in up to 26 fleet, good cruiser

Raven - No rocketship but awesome cruiser

 

All under 10k albeit with a little TLC needed in some instances

 

Haven't considered trailer yachts

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IMO it depends how important the racing is to you. If racing is the priority then a piedy or 727 will get you a good little race boat for under 10k, which you can still use for cruising, you just probably wont have the space you'd have if you went for something like the below.

 

but if cruising/learning is your focus, then something like the one bbay has suggested above looks pretty good.

Or this:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-m ... 063822.htm

Or this (if you can get them to knock a couple of grand off):

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-m ... 795677.htm

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Some thoughts:

Boat maintenance isn't rocket science and sure beats hell out of work; thing to avoid would be a boat needing so much that it becomes overwhelming. But there's nothing quite like it for getting to know your boat and putting your own stamp on her.

A chemical toilet can be carried on pretty much *anything*.

To a certain limit, smaller is better - everything is easier, quicker and cheaper.

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We went for a Tracker as we wanted to be able to go cruising for 2 weeks over xmas etc and they have enough space for a couple to be comfy, and also be part of a class that has racing for when you fancy it (though I have found I'm still racing on other peoples boats and haven't raced the Tracker).

 

They are very well behaved when the weather gets up and good value too; We are now buying a house and I'm looking to sell ours - a tidy 1984 full GRP, 2011 4 stroke 15hp suzuki, near new no1 genoa (only used 5 times), and older no2, no3, main, and spinnaker all for $10,000.

 

Truth is I'm finding it extremely hard to let it go and put it on trade me, so keep telling myself I'll do it after the next anti-foul; problem is that's due now so I guess I'm going to have to bite the bullet and do that and list it (will be at 12 on trade me after anti-foul.)

 

--

 

My advice on whatever you get in that price range is go for an outboard rather the inboard;

- old diesel motors are a huge expense if they go wrong

- and also because of the manoeuvrability!!

 

Sounds silly I know, but wait until your first experience in a big cross wind trying to moor on the piles and finding you can't go around in to the wind like you planned or your drifting sideways at a rate of knots - it shouldn't be anything you can't plan around but there is a learning curve and having an outboard I can point at 90 degrees sideways and move the whole boat sideways like a thruster or at least prevent it from running away into the neighbours pride & joy saved me at-least once and has helped me out many times more!

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Or race other people's boats and buy a cruiser.

 

I'll eternally be stuck up in frontier land doing the bow! :wtf:

Would like to move back to fantasy land and helm a race! :thumbup:

Albeit completely skipping Adventure land...root of all f*ck ups! :silent:

 

:lol: :lol: :lol:

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Take your time, if possible don't let your heart rule your head! take a knowledgeable friend (or 2) with you, or get a survey. some of the older boats have glass bottoms and ply decks, be sure ply is still sound, they often leak around fittings.

It is a buyers market, if you find one that fits your bill make an offer, be prepared to walk away if the seller tries to talk you up past what you think is a fair value , but do leave your PH No. They may change their mind. Once again take your time.

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downgrade that fancy car of yours = bigger boating budget!

 

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

I wont lie it has crossed my mind! :shifty:

But I do love my car! :shh:

 

That's exactly what I did for my first yacht. Sold my VW and bought a Ford. An extra 5k goes a long way!

 

Personally I reckon a Farr 727 is your best bet. As previously advised, take your time :)

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+1 for Raven 26 - extremely comfortable, roomy boats, but not great racers (or lookers) :silent:

 

+1 for Farr 727 - pretty much the opposite of the Raven, i.e. more racy, less room.

 

Also highly recommend the Variant (fin not bilge keeler) as a good cheap first boat. We had one before Sala and she was a wee beauty. We had 4 people, 2 sets of dive gear & 5 tanks, plus a massive chilly bin of booze away for 3 days in perfect comfort. Plus they're really seaworthy, stable little boats, perfect to learn and experiment on, unlike F727s which are a bit more tippy and twitchy.

 

Not sure you'd get a Tracker for under 10 Gs, but perhaps times have changed???

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My opinion is that if you want to cruise, you want some comfort and that is hard in a small boat at that budget. I'd cruise on someone else's flash palace that I could sleep comfortably on, stay mostly dry and be able to stand up in the galley :D

 

If you want to race you can have as much fun and serious competition in the up-to-26 fleet as any other fleet, even at 10x the cost.

 

Now for the personal punt :shock: Infiltrator will be on the market shortly. "Pedigree and potential and I have done all the hard work over the last few years. Easy boat for all female crew, not too bad short handed and I had heaps of fun solo, but that is hard work. She has rewarded me with heaps of results". Oops I think I am going to shed a tear :cry:

 

Racing sorted, but cruising.... (yeah, right) :lol:

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Sims Tracker sounds interesting.

 

Again buy the best you can afford as if everything is very tired it is an expensive process to do up.

 

Trackers seem to have some good racing and they are big enough to get away for a reasonable stint cruising.

 

Otherwise the yacht BBay listed on Trademe looks like a very good value cruiser

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my 2cents worth

 

you want something you can race with to improve yourself, so you need to be able to race similar boats to get a true gauge of your gains and looses.

you want to cruise ... and you dive... so a yacht that won't be too bogged down with your gear and keep sea kindly

you want a robust simple rig

engine - well they can all be a pain and expensive

you want a boat that seems to hold its value, so the best boat in its class would be outside your budget, but the worst under.

you should stretch your budget for the best of the middle range. As you upgrade your boat you wont be throwing too much money away, based on the price of the best boat.

If it is a class boat you will be able to get hand me down stuff, and helpful advise from those that have been there done that with your type of boat

my call for you would be the tracker

fin keel version

 

oh by the way Ash could stand up in nearly any galley ;-)

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Only Option - a Piedy!

 

Great value for money, great racing and very capable cruiser. I'd bet you'd find Piedys are cruised more often and further than any other small keeler. I and my mates (we had 4 Piedys between my good mates at one point) have spent many holidays at Kawau, The Barrier, The Mercs, BOI, etc for long periods (sometimes a month).

 

And if your new to boat ownership, the Piedy fleet is the best place to learn how to do pretty much everything to know about boat ownership. They are a great group who are always happy to help.

 

They are 50 years old and still as popular as ever, there has to be a good reason for that! Very kind in a seaway. Most of NZ top yachties have been through them at some point.

 

And they are great racing! Get yourself a mooring close to where you live for cheap ongoing costs and easy of use. Milford Marina is another low cost option.

 

We still have one in our group (Jim Beam) so come for a yacht sometime if you want to check one out.

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my 2cents worth

 

my call for you would be the tracker

fin keel version

 

Make that now 4 cents worth, have crossed Cook Strait at least 30 times in one, from wind speeds of 0 to 35 knots and 5m swells. Very predictable and plenty of room. we used to go away for up to 3 weeks with 3 adults on board. Only once ever felt uneasy in it when we got caught by local weather conditions and a rip in the strait but that was when we hit 15 knots while going sideways down a 7m wave..... I know the wave was at least that big because it was higher than the mast :lol: :lol: :lol:

I think they have a few that race in Auck and are a class boat. Lots of different interior set ups as lots were finished off, if not built, at home.

:wave:

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my 2cents worth

 

my call for you would be the tracker

fin keel version

 

Make that now 4 cents worth, have crossed Cook Strait at least 30 times in one, from wind speeds of 0 to 35 knots and 5m swells. Very predictable and plenty of room. we used to go away for up to 3 weeks with 3 adults on board. Only once ever felt uneasy in it when we got caught by local weather conditions and a rip in the strait but that was when we hit 15 knots while going sideways down a 7m wave..... I know the wave was at least that big because it was higher than the mast :lol: :lol: :lol:

I think they have a few that race in Auck and are a class boat. Lots of different interior set ups as lots were finished off, if not built, at home.

:wave:

 

 

Would you do the Transtasman Solo in it? :think:

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