Hi all looking at buying my first yacht to live on with my wife i dont have much experience other than sailing with my brother Vernon(dexport)
I would welcome any advice on buying a good yacht, and would just like to say hi now that im in the position to join the sailing community.

Hi Tobz. My partner and I just bought a Halvorsen and Gowland 31. What we looked for was a strong bluewater cruiser with plenty of headroom and an aft cabin/centre cockpit. We looked at a lot of smaller boats like a clansman 30, compass 28 and swanson 28 and they just didnt have enough room. I would say buying a boat without any experience is a steep learning curve (can definitely be done!) Im glad that I have 5 years experience running a small sailing program and racing in the ever changeable Darwin wet season and I absolutely consider myself a novice - there have been some big learning curves on our halvorsen already. My advice would be to crew on as many different boats as possible before you buy - learn what boats you like. If you can find a way to crew on a longer cruise even better. You will learn about all the noises, movement and eccentricities that living on a boat brings to your life. Crewing also keys you into the the safety aspects - things can easily go upside down when you dont know how to avoid or remedy certain situations. Having said that its an incredible experience and i love being in touch with nature - you definitely feel the world turn around you! So go for it I reckon!

Toby go sailing with your brother again and suck every bit of information out of him that you can. Ask him what he would do different if he had to do it all over again. What he likes about his current boat and if there is anything he doesn't like and how that could influence your choices.

LooseChange said..
Toby go sailing with your brother again and suck every bit of information out of him that you can. Ask him what he would do different if he had to do it all over again. What he likes about his current boat and if there is anything he doesn't like and how that could influence your choices.

I wish i could hes in indonesia at the moment, will definitely be asking him lots of advise though.
Ive been looking and dreaming for awhile now online but ive just sold my house today so will be inspecting yachts over the next few months, wish me luck

G'day Tobz,
Welcome! Whereabouts are you? You might find a few amicable Seabreezers that you could filch a few rides with.
It's a pity Hammo has been canned this year as there is always a few boats from down south looking for delivery crew and its such a beautiful part of the world to go sailing through.
With Covid-19 hanging around, it might be a bit difficult to cross state borders for a while, so focussing on your local sailing community might be the best ROI in the short term at least.
All the best in your boat searching, its a fun experience!
Cheers,
SB

Hey Tobz
As said, sail as much as possible and learn learn learn for as many people as possible, even better under race conditions.

Learn how to sail on as many different boats as you can under different skippers and mix of crew.

Learn how each boat is set up, how it its rigged, how it responds, how easy or how hard it is to handle, how fast or how slow it is.

Learn what doesnt work for you, what you dont like, things you dont want to have / repeat on your boat.

You will find it will narrow your choices when your looking to purchase.

Craig66 said..
Hey Tobz
As said, sail as much as possible and learn learn learn for as many people as possible, even better under race conditions.

Learn how to sail on as many different boats as you can under different skippers and mix of crew.

Learn how each boat is set up, how it its rigged, how it responds, how easy or how hard it is to handle, how fast or how slow it is.

Learn what doesnt work for you, what you dont like, things you dont want to have / repeat on your boat.

You will find it will narrow your choices when your looking to purchase.

Good advice!
One thing I'd say though, dont take the wife out on a race boat at the beginning, especially not if its over 20knts out and an uphill course.
Start her off slowly, on a bigger heavier boat in nice conditions, get her confidence up.

tobz said..

shaggybaxter said..
G'day Tobz,
Welcome! Whereabouts are you? You might find a few amicable Seabreezers that you could filch a few rides with.
It's a pity Hammo has been canned this year as there is always a few boats from down south looking for delivery crew and its such a beautiful part of the world to go sailing through.
With Covid-19 hanging around, it might be a bit difficult to cross state borders for a while, so focussing on your local sailing community might be the best ROI in the short term at least.
All the best in your boat searching, its a fun experience!
Cheers,
SB

Hi shaggybaxter
Im in Brisbane and i would love to get some more experience from some other sailors and especially get my wife some more experience too. Will definitely be heading down to the local yacht club when ever we get spare time.
Its probably not the best time to be looking at sailing the world but there will always be some reason to put off going so will have to just make the best of it and explore the beautiful part of the world we live in.

Hiya Tobz,
PM me your contact details mate, I' m in Brisbane and I'd be more than happy to drag you out for a sail.
Cheers,
SB

wow ... that is super nice of SB ... i'm jealous! .. I want to experience kicking back relaxing with a beer whilst planing on Fusion

JakeNN said..
wow ... that is super nice of SB ... i'm jealous! .. I want to experience kicking back relaxing with a beer whilst planing on Fusion

Hi Jake,
Well, we should do something about that, send me your contact details and we'll try and make calendars align,
Cheers,
SB