Sister had a 29, with a bowsprit and cutter rig, Malua Bay. There is a Compass club, look them up as they should provide good advice.
Slow but a good sea boat. The long keel makes them track well but limits their manoeuvrability and pointing. Not too good around the cans.
The 28 sails better but the 29 has more room and is much more comfortable for spending time on, but it would be tight to live on.
Very solidly made hull and deck. Relatively cheap to do rigging etc. They have completed some significant cruises.
Get one with at least a 15hp diesel as they need some power to make way against current or wind. We had a 10hp and were stopped against 15-20kts on the nose coming up to the Spit Bridge.
I like them, particularly as a 1st boat, and think they would be good buys at the moment.

One of my neighbours sailed his around the world in the 70/80s. He regrets ever selling her.

She then went on to be another neighbour's liveaboard for many years...likewise I don't think John is as happy with what he bought to replace the Compass.

Recently hired a Compass 29 for a week around hawkesbury. Made us decide to buy a boat.
Have a look at a Northshore 27, good to sail, just as cheap and looks better

MorningBird said...
G'day Trace. If I am the John you reyfer to I only have experience of my sisters Compass 29. While the Compass are good small yachts, I reckon my S&S34 is one of the very best mono sea boats ever launched and a quantum step above nearly anything else.
They are a good well built yacht but I wouldn't rate a Northshore 27 as a true ocean going boat. When it blows really hard with a contrary current you want to be able to heave to, go below with a bucket, and be confident the boat will still be there when you go back up. A Northshore 27 isn't in that category.
Nicholson 32 is, Duncanson 29/34/35 is, Swanson 32 is, Compass 29/30 is, as are many others but the little Compass is probably the cheapest to buy and refit and easiest to sell.

Hello Morning Bird aka John,
no, another John who just bought a Catalina 30 for the extra space now he has a lady in his life. He misses his other girl (the Compass lol).
This Compass that belonged to John for some time sailed around the world whilst named 'Golden Sapphire', then owned by another neighbour named Tony in the 70/80s.

I agree with you about the Northshore 27 being in an entirely different calibre to the golden oldies. I'd go to sea in any of the ones you mention but not a Northshore. But yes, I'd take my bucket lol.

Interestingly, I was just talking to Tony (of Golden Sapphire around the world trip but now Melody, 32ft steely) the other day and he was telling me that he'd cruised up and down the NSW coast in both a Hartley (maybe 18??) and a Noelex 25. He'd choose the Hartley in a sea any day over the Noelex. All that glitters is not always gold as they say .

Happy Thursday people

A colleague of Ramona and I in our Navy days bought a Swanson 32 about 10 years ago. He paid about $50k in 2003 $.
I sailed with him from Pittwater to Sydney.
It was a great sail, not much different in balance to my S&S34, just lighter in weight and more motion. A Swanson 32 was on my list when I bought my yacht.
He did tell me that they have a common problem in that the deck suffers from water in the timber sandwich. They have, as do many yachts, a glass ply sandwich deck but he told me the Swanson didn't use a good ply.
The moral is, check the deck for a spongy feeling before you buy. Expensive to fix and I believe it is structural.

When I checked this yacht the deck was fine. It was unusual in that it was obviously an upmarket Swanson 32, fitted out to a better standard than they usually are. Some ones pride and joy at the time. The twin spreader rig was fairly unusual in a Swanson. The only fault I found was a crack in one of the lower spreaders visible from the deck.
The new motor makes it a particularly good buy.

Soft ply under the beech would be a problem but not the end of the world. I would have no hesitation in laying epoxy and cloth over the deck.

SirJman said...
Thanks for the info guys. Sorry I didn't reply sooner, but I was reading the posts as they came through.
I have been looking at a couple clansman's for sale as cisco recommended.
From my research you are not allowed to live aboard at any of the marinas in port phillip, is this true? May affect my later decisions.

You might not be allowed to live aboard, but you can with discretion. We are living aboard where it's not allowed, it's all in the way you go about it. The best hint I can give is keep a low profile!

The great land of what you are not allowed to do