For background, see this post;

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Sailing/General/My-Background-Sailing-Courses-in-Sydney

So my next question is which boat?

To get started on Sydney Harbour to build my skills and experience for the next three years, I am thinking something along the lines of a Cavalier 28 or Northshore 27. My preference is for the Cav 28 simply because of the heavier displacement compared to the Northshore 27, but I have not been on board either boat, so would definitely want to spend time on both boats before narrowing the decision to search for the specific boat I would buy.

I made a list of desirable attributes and realise the above two boats do not meet all of these criteria, but have used these criteria to keep me focused;

Fibreglass
Inboard Diesel Engine (Yanmar or Bukh)
Shaft Drive
Encapsulated Lead Keel
Enclosed Head
26-34 feet
Sloop Rig
Headsail Furling
Lazy Jacks and Boom Bag
Tiller Steer

The boat will be used on Sydney Harbour, mostly single-handed and focused on cruising around the harbour, with some short offshore stints up to Pittwater and maybe even a passage to Jervis Bay to re-live my old Creswell days. Not interested in racing.

I have a few requirements with respect to space inside the boat, such as the ability to stretch out a 6' frame on a quarter or salon berth. I have a preference for the types of interiors in the Cavaliers or Northshores vs the older more enclosed Compass 28 style interiors.

Budget will initially be around the $20k mark for purchase, but could go up to $30k for the right boat. Preference is to initially spend less, so I can upgrade to a 34' class boat once in Mooloolaba, as I am not sure the Cav 28 would be ideal for the run to New Caledonia.

I have also thought about a shared ownership 50:50 with a more experienced sailor, with a view to purchasing the other 50% over the next three years and then taking that boat to Mooloolaba.

Other boats I have considered and researched are as follows;

Martzcraft 35
Jarkan 10.5

UFO 34
Duncanson 34
S&S 34
Carter 33
*Northshore 33
Cole 32

Cavalier 32
*Eastcoast 31
Cole 31

Duncanson 29
Compass 28
*Cavalier 28
*Northshore 27

*Top Hat 25

Sonata 7
Noelex 25
*Investigator 563

Spacesailer 22
Sunmaid 20

The asterisks denote my first preference in each class.

So what say you? Cavalier 28 or Northshore 27 for my requirements?

Hey guys,

Just after a bit of advice from the brains trust please. I'm keen to get my young fella (12yo) into sailing, and initially he'd like to start with me on a 2 person dinghy. I'd love some suggestions on a good 2-person yacht that has some decent performance without being too technically challenging, and that is also relatively popular (so we would be able to sail with others in Brisbane).

Thanks all