Hi all,

So I am looking for some advice on a suitable first sailing boat to buy that needs to meet the following criteria:
- Under $20,000 purchase price
- Comfortable enough for two adults and two kids to sleep for a few days (so many of them seem to have very small/narrow berths)
- Enclosed head
- Easy to sail and forgiving for a novice sailor (in saying that I have been around boats all my life)... preferably solo/shorthanded
- Able to shortish ventures from Broken Bay to Sydney Harbour/Lake Mac/Nelson Bay even beyond
- Not a money pit (any more than he 10-15% of purchase cost /year standard maintenance)
- ketch or sloop fine

I have physically looked at Contessa 25 and Top Hat 25 which are a little too small and cramped. I am now focusing on the 27/29 foot range in which I like the look of Compass, Duncanson, Phantom, Herrshoff, Manitou etc type boats? Definitely open to suggestions and appreciative of reasoning behind certain designs over others.

Currently in the research (and saving) phase so not ready to pull the trigger but would love your thoughts.

Thanks all

Stealth

www.boatsales.com.au/boats/details/1980-walker-h28/OAG-AD-18544604/?Cr=0

Plenty of room in the price for negotiation.
Walker H28, strong dependable

There's nothing wrong with a ketch rig those little h28s are ok, might not win a race around the cans but you wouldn't buy one to try and take out the club trophy, The mizzen mast is in the middle of the cockpit, it's actually less space consuming than say wheel steering it's a great starting place for a cockpit table / boom tent / Derrick etc. the ability to split sails is something the sloop sailor has relatively minor ability to do, ie the mizzen is a great riding sail hauled on by its self will point you up wind, hauled out by its self will reverse the vessel, to add to that you set mizzen staysils or sail jib and jigger, all covering a diverse range of conditions. So pray tell besides not being able to point so high in comparison to the sloop what makes them unsuitable ?
.

What about a Northshore 27??

www.boatsonline.com.au/boats-for-sale/used/sailing-boats/northshore-27-best-on-the-market/245173

Wide enough to have a quarter berth and enclosed head, means only 1 has to sleep on the settee.
Also 3/4 rig is easy to handle.

woko said..
There's nothing wrong with a ketch rig those little h28s are ok, might not win a race around the cans but you wouldn't buy one to try and take out the club trophy, The mizzen mast is in the middle of the cockpit, it's actually less space consuming than say wheel steering it's a great starting place for a cockpit table / boom tent / Derrick etc. the ability to split sails is something the sloop sailor has relatively minor ability to do, ie the mizzen is a great riding sail hauled on by its self will point you up wind, hauled out by its self will reverse the vessel, to add to that you set mizzen staysils or sail jib and jigger, all covering a diverse range of conditions. So pray tell besides not being able to point so high in comparison to the sloop what makes them unsuitable ?
.

Ok, apologies, agree, I should have stopped at the text "for your needs....". So imho a novice crew would be better off without two masts etc but Stealth being around boats for all life might negate this.............

r13 said..

woko said..
There's nothing wrong with a ketch rig those little h28s are ok, might not win a race around the cans but you wouldn't buy one to try and take out the club trophy, The mizzen mast is in the middle of the cockpit, it's actually less space consuming than say wheel steering it's a great starting place for a cockpit table / boom tent / Derrick etc. the ability to split sails is something the sloop sailor has relatively minor ability to do, ie the mizzen is a great riding sail hauled on by its self will point you up wind, hauled out by its self will reverse the vessel, to add to that you set mizzen staysils or sail jib and jigger, all covering a diverse range of conditions. So pray tell besides not being able to point so high in comparison to the sloop what makes them unsuitable ?
.

Ok, apologies, agree, I should have stopped at the text "for your needs....". So imho a novice crew would be better off without two masts etc but Stealth being around boats for all life might negate this.............

No need to apologise, I didn't go out to buy a ketch much less a gaff ketch,but at the time it was a lot of boat for the money ( how times change). The learning to sail what ever it is you have is the joy. If when you learnt to drive the only vehicle avalible had a crash box you still would of loved driving it.

Stealthmission said..
So I am looking for some advice on a suitable first sailing boat to buy that needs to meet the following criteria:

Here are a few that offer great sailing for a family of four.

www.boatsales.com.au/boats/details/1993-thunderbird-class/SSE-AD-6505583/?Cr=6

Watch the drone vid of Ruff Red. Totally awesome.

She Heart of Gold with a reputation. This be the blue water version of the Adams 10.

www.boatsales.com.au/boats/details/1983-adams-10/SSE-AD-6473992/?Cr=8

The 28 was the best of the Compasses and this one is hard to beat for the money.

www.boatsales.com.au/boats/details/1974-compass-yachts-28/OAG-AD-16152032/?Cr=12

A lot of yacht here for the money.

www.boatsales.com.au/boats/details/1990-adams-35/OAG-AD-17077419/?Cr=19

But rather than a Compass28, this one is sweet.

www.boatsales.com.au/boats/details/1980-herreshoff-28/OAG-AD-16665551/?Cr=23

This Santana 30 has got me drooling. How about you??

www.boatsales.com.au/boats/details/1987-santana-30/OAG-AD-18150593/?Cr=24

$2,000 over your budget but what a rip.

www.boatsales.com.au/boats/details/1988-duncanson-offshore-30/OAG-AD-18535422/?Cr=34

Heaps more I could post but the point is if you want to go sailing and you have cash, you are in the toy shop.

If you can get a Phantom for the right price get it. You will have plenty of room for you and your family. Easily single handed( I used to regularly). No history of osmosis and most were built to survey. The Phantoms have circumnavigated and are travelling the coast constantly.
I lived on one for 4 years very comfortably.