I'm just looking at getting a small cheap yacht for summer.. Mainly just for some overnight trips around Pittwater and some twilight racing maybe..

Seeing lots of Cole, Too Hat, Hoods and Endeavours insider the price range I'm looking at.. Saw a Santana22 as well which I quite liked cause it seemed to have a bigger cockpit area..

Anyone have any recommendations?? Or things to look out for.. It would be appreciated..

HI Patto
I'm on Pittwater too
my vote is for the top hat the others don't compare
I would stay away from endeavors and hoods unless your after something under $1000
also consider space sailors both the 22 and the 24


this top hat is local http://yachthub.com/list/yachts-for-sale/used/sail-monohulls/top-hat-25/175840
also this one to and is cheaper www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/st-ives/sail-boats/top-hat-mark-2-yacht-moored-on-pittwater-scotland-island-/1092889259

also it might be worth checking out trailer sailors as well and save on mooring cost and maintenance ect. boomaroo 22 , sunmaid 25 ,compass careels and spacesailor 20 are some to look at .
keep and eye on eBay there are always cheapy's going to auction but they usually need lots of work definitely inspect before you bid

patto1987 said..
I'm just looking at getting a small cheap yacht for summer.. Mainly just for some overnight trips around Pittwater and some twilight racing maybe..

Seeing lots of Cole, Too Hat, Hoods and Endeavours insider the price range I'm looking at.. Saw a Santana22 as well which I quite liked cause it seemed to have a bigger cockpit area..

Anyone have any recommendations?? Or things to look out for.. It would be appreciated..

From what you are saying your intentions are, i.e. cruising Pittwater and a bit of racing, if the price is right I think the Santana 22 would suit you to a tee.

Good for a "Dirty Weekend" with just you and your intended seductress or seductee.

Good for a "Naughty Weekend" with you, your mate and a couple of young devotchkas.

Good for a "Not so Serious Sail" against the rest of the fleet in a fun race with the young devotchkas aboard.

A Gary Mull (bring some along) design that is no slouch and quite sexy. Check it out here:- sailboatdata.com/sailboat/santana-22

Cockpit area is important because that is where the action happens. Top Hats are good if you want to do some coastal cruising as well but not really as sexy.

HG02 said..
Ive seen a few good looking ladies in top hats cockpits Cisco

Seems to be a , or a ' missing there HG.

You have seen a few good looking ladies in Top Hats only, or in cockpits only, or both??

The vision of ladies in Top Hats only in my cockpit is boggling my mind. That followed logically by the vision of the said ladies in Top Hats only reclining on the red velvet lounges in my saloon is blowing all my fuses.

I like Tophats but they are a small 25 footer if we are honest. For the sailing you envisage an older quarter tonner might be more suitable or a Santana 22. Something with a roomy cockpit and basic accommodation, basically a day sailer. Couple of Hutton 24's for sale on eBay. Check out this blokes listing for a Bluebird. These are good starter boats and he sells a lot of boats like you are after. Recently sold a Santana 22 that I was even tempted by!
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Blue-bird-22-fiberglass-fixed-keel-production-yacht-nice-fit-sydney-No-reserve-/161869085170?hash=item25b02639f2:g:hrMAAOSwo6lWGiqf

Keep tabs on what Maxiyacht lists, he has some excellent boats at times.

Spacesailor 24's seem to have a good reputation

regards Don

h28kurt said...
HI Patto
I'm on Pittwater too
my vote is for the top hat the others don't compare
I would stay away from endeavors and hoods unless your after something under $1000
also consider space sailors both the 22 and the 24


this top hat is local http://yachthub.com/list/yachts-for-sale/used/sail-monohulls/top-hat-25/175840
also this one to and is cheaper www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/st-ives/sail-boats/top-hat-mark-2-yacht-moored-on-pittwater-scotland-island-/1092889259

also it might be worth checking out trailer sailors as well and save on mooring cost and maintenance ect. boomaroo 22 , sunmaid 25 ,compass careels and spacesailor 20 are some to look at .
keep and eye on eBay there are always cheapy's going to auction but they usually need lots of work definitely inspect before you bid

Why do you say no to an Endeavor?
At our club there is regularly 6 racing plus they have a very strong class association.
But would also agree with Ramona any of the old 1/4 tonners would suit what your after.

there's nothing inherently wrong with them they are just small and I would say uncomfortable as a weekender there is a 24 moored next to my boat and the cockpit is cramped with 2 people they are cheap boats and often sell around $1000 on ebay hence my comment .
there is a endeavor 26 on ebay for $1000 it needs work no one has bided yet
some do sell for much more but you could by a top hat or a nice trailer sailor for that cash
I do like the spacesailor 20 and 22 for a little boat
check out simon's youtube page /videos he has a spacesailor 20 and sailed it up the qld coast great video's

twodogs1969 said..

h28kurt said...
HI Patto
I'm on Pittwater too
my vote is for the top hat the others don't compare
I would stay away from endeavors and hoods unless your after something under $1000
also consider space sailors both the 22 and the 24


this top hat is local http://yachthub.com/list/yachts-for-sale/used/sail-monohulls/top-hat-25/175840
also this one to and is cheaper www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/st-ives/sail-boats/top-hat-mark-2-yacht-moored-on-pittwater-scotland-island-/1092889259

also it might be worth checking out trailer sailors as well and save on mooring cost and maintenance ect. boomaroo 22 , sunmaid 25 ,compass careels and spacesailor 20 are some to look at .
keep and eye on eBay there are always cheapy's going to auction but they usually need lots of work definitely inspect before you bid

Why do you say no to an Endeavor?
At our club there is regularly 6 racing plus they have a very strong class association.
But would also agree with Ramona any of the old 1/4 tonners would suit what your after.

I have an Endeavor 24 and have had three adults reasonably comfortable on day sails. True, they aren't the roomiest of cockpits, but they aren't limited to two-person. We haven't over-nighted on ours - it's just my wife and I - but for one, maybe two nights it would work for us.

The price was right at a bit over $1k with outboard and ready to sail. I'm putting some money into her to make her more comfortable, more convenient and improve wife-appeal ;) but for budget sailing it worked well so far for us.

Does anyone have any experience with a Boomaroo 22 or a Columbia 22??

patto1987 said..
Does anyone have any experience with a Boomaroo 22 or a Columbia 22??

Columbia 22 built by International Marine Melb. In the seventies. International Marine was back then ,at least, one of the top quality boat builders in Aust. and built the Bertram and Caribbean motor cruisers as well as the Columbia 27 and 34 yachts. There are a lot of their boats around still.I took delivery of a 27 in 1978 and can vouch for the quality build .
There were no short cuts and they were quite expensive relatively speaking. I would expect their boats to have held up pretty well if cared for. IMO all of the Columbias built by them were under rigged hence very easy to sail single handed or by a family. I used to sail in the RMYC wag races single handed pretty easly
The 22 was built by Columbia Yachts USA in the 60's and had a solid reputation with a fair turn of speed.
Worth a look

jeezus that cabin is hideous on that Hutton... why didn't they do a pop top like some others.. At the moment im leaning to something that doesn't really require any major work as I just don't have the time.. There is a couple of absolute shockers hitting the market.. can hardly believe someone actually paid money to build them at some point they are that bad...

Theres a few ones that are fitting the bill that if I can get for the right price would be good.. looking at 4-6 this weekend and hopefully will make an offer next week on something.

The Sea gulls think it's a good boat

h28kurt said...
The Sea gulls think it's a good boat

They have probably spent a lot of time going over every detail of that boat

patto1987 said..

HG02 said...
Boomaroo 22 I think it was made in Geelong many years ago I did hear of a bit of a disaster with one cant remember the details

I heard some have/had problems with dissimilar metals in the swing keel..

It might have been that and the boat feel over so to speak it rings a bell ( well I can hear the Echo in there some where)

Surfershane the thing with trailor sailers is the effort involved when you wanna go out. Sometimes its more effort than time will allow. I had a hobie before my bluebird. Now onto a tophat. Loved the hobie. Trailored it around the country. Sailed grampians lakes. Port philip bay. Wilsons prom. York peninsular. That was the beauty of it. Go anywhere. I could set the hobie up myself and launch off beaches but after 2 years of soing this alot i decided a mooring would get me sailing more and this is the case. A trailor sailor would require a few hands. A boat ramp and a bit of time to set up everytime.