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Farr 1104 or Stewart 34 offshore?


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I'm currently pondering boat options for an bit of offshore work. 

 

Planning to spend around $50-65K to buy the boat and then over the next couple of years putting $60-75k into it to customise and set it all up for cruising either trans tasman and up the Great barrier reef or up to the islands. I like the idea of getting a basic boat and getting it how I want it rather than spending more upfront (but probably less overall) to get something with all the fruit. I won't be loading it with too much gadgetry and fancy systems. Maybe a watermaker and a fridge/freezer. 

 

Prefer tiller steering, and wan to stay around 35-37ft. The boat will be club raced and CC maybe RNI as a shake down.

 

I like Stewart 34's and the Farr 1104 as options (have sailed an S34, like the look of an 1104 with the open transom - especially like the look from photos of one on Trademe at the moment). Don't want to have a complex rig (so prefer no runners).

 

Something that would sail off say .74-76 PHRF+ would be nice without being a full race mode boat.

 

Just wondering has anyone been off shore on either and can share experiences.

 

Anything that I should consider? I like the look of the T34's too but they are a very different boat. I currently have a 930 so a Townson may be a bit boring in the racing department.

 

Also with regards to Cat 1, is the stability work already done on some of these boats so I can save money there?

 

Any other boats worth a look?

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I haven't sailed either.  My marina neighbour has an 1104 with a hard dodger and he is planning on taking offshore next year I believe.

Personally I would tend toward the 1104, due to higher freeboard, open transom, and other boats have done it.  I cant recall the name of the 1104 that has been offshore, another hard dodger one. 

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RNI as a shake down?? I’d have thought most of the people who did it last time would say a cruise to the islands would have been a good shake down for the RNI. Then again, I’ve done neither.

 

On that purchas and refurb budget, you would want to be careful of anything with old motor, wiring, sails, rigging, or paint. That could chew a heap of budget just to make the boat up to scratch for coastal cruising, let alone cat 1 stuff. Nice boats with that stuff done are getting cheaper though. Although that only ads to ‘cheaper than doing that stuff yourself’.

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Have you considered a Davidson 35. There's a well set up one for sale down in Welly, has circumnavigated and has a lot of gear on board. Have a look at trade me. I owned one for a few years and loved it. My wife still tells me I shouldn't have sold it.

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From what I can see boat prices are still falling or boats aren't moving. For the right boat stretching the refit budget to $100 odd K would work. I just want to get a boat and sail it then chip away at getting it right.

 

Seen a heap of the fancy AWB's with stuff like TV's, full size fridges, 2 heads etc which I don't want.

 

Revolution on trademe has got me interested as a boat to start with haven't got too far into it but it may need a new engine at some stage.

 

Wild Thing is up here now and is why an 1104 has my interest. 

 

If I didn't have a wife who would join me once up there I'd be looking at Squealer but not sure how that would work with two kids, surfboards and kite boards onboard in Tonga for a couple of months.

 

There's also a Mick Elmes Magic Carpet in Keri and the S 34 "Palmyra" with a new engine and paint job that look good but an S34 could be a challenge offshore.

 

Don't want to take 930 up there, that much I know.

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I nearly bought a Contessa 32 a few years ago, but we couldn't agree on price. I read they were known as a wet boat, but certainly offshore capable and nice to have encapsulated keel. Not sure they are very roomy for four people.

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Agree with marinhheiro on Lotus 10.6 Also a couple of Contessa 32 on tme are well known offshore performers

Seen the Contessa 32's - probably a touch small and while I understand they are impressive vessels offshore for the size, They look a bit cramped inside and I do want to still be A division in the club racing, while i get ready to go.

 

A S34 or Farr 1104 will do that.

 

Anyone have any advice on Farr 1020's or 38's too. Few of them could be options.

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Someone will remember the whole story , but wasn't  the catalyst for  righting moment specs  for cat 1 being taken to another level because of a spat between the Farr Office and someone else  about  8 or 10 years ago. Fingers got pointed at a race competitor and it was found that the 1104 or 38 didn't meet the specs?

 Giant irony at the time because the design was well accepted and well thought of for offshore.

 

 go the Davidson 35.( or 37)

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As a FYI, I've put 55k +/- into my little project so far and think I have around 15 more to go, mostly on a couple more sails.

 

Of the original boat I have kept the bare hull less some of it's transom, 1/2 the cabin top/foredeck, the mast, the boom, the keel, the bottle opener. Everything else is new plus I've added some nice fruit (and some wank for wanks sake, just because I can) on top of that which she didn't have when I started.

 

But in that sum is a nice amount that went to R&D and 'wank for wanks sake just because I can!!', like the 4 galleys I've built before settling on the one now in there, making and testing lots deck connection ideas, blowing part 4 rope jammers while testing all the brands to see what I'll fit, imported carbon fibre hinge for Nav table and a bit too much fecking around like that. These actions also added a tad more time that originally planed.

 

There is no yard/storage costs in that sum. Watch for those as they can add up fast. 5 hundy odd for a truck to and from the water.

 

So I am thinking your number is not an unrealistic tweaking budget for what you're thinking about. That is very good as that tweak budget is the one that usually catches most people out.

 

I'm not planing on a monster refit but am thinking rigging, blocks, clutches, halyards, Nav gear, Cat 1 gear and maybe one or two big items (bottom Job, engine, mast) maybe deck paint and vinyl wrap. Will strip my current boat for parts before selling as theres a heap of new stuff on there that can be swapped for the servicable but not so new stuff in my garage and doing that won't effect performance or resale very much at all (but is probably going to save $5-10K at  the chandlery. Quite a bit will be DIY and can be done on water at a work berth. 

 

 

 

Keep sailing the boat as that will probably prove more valuable for cruising the islands than having it parked up getting a pretty paint job. More planning to tweak away as we figure out what works.

 

I still think by doing it that way I'll get a boat that works better and will do more sailing than waiting till I can buy a fancy euro boat.

 

Really like the look of the Farr 1104 "Revolution" on Trademe, anyone know anything about it? Sounds like the Farr's have been offshore plenty.

 

Will look at D35's too.

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Stewart 34's pound a lot at sea and don't have the room of 1104. My choice would be 1104 or D35 depending on what condition is of those boats for sale. IMO pay a bit more rather than go for one that needs $$$ spent. Read KM's post. BTW KM which clutches did you settle on ?

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Someone will remember the whole story , but wasn't  the catalyst for  righting moment specs  for cat 1 being taken to another level because of a spat between the Farr Office and someone else  about  8 or 10 years ago. Fingers got pointed at a race competitor and it was found that the 1104 or 38 didn't meet the specs?

 Giant irony at the time because the design was well accepted and well thought of for offshore.

 

 go the Davidson 35.( or 37)

No one remembers this and the subsequent tightening up of the regs?

 

 Anyway , just re reading what I wrote it might be seen as a criticism of the Farrs.

Not intended , I like both of them  , my point is simply that it might be wise to  check that they pass current stabilty regs if you want to take one offshore.

 

 or , the answer might be that they get grandfathered in for cruising cat 1 because of record and history.

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They will pass cat 1. They won't pass cat 0. I emailed the Farr office for the stability curve of Island Time (phase 4, design no 167) and they sent it by return, no charge. I'd expect the other farr designs to be the same.

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