Hi,
I'm looking to buy my first keelboat to learn on in coastal waters along the east coast. Max budget of 20k sail away. My experience is limited to mucking around in dinghies on weekends.

Most boats listed in this price range this past year appear to be flogged hard and put away wet. So I can expect to add thousands in repair costs on top of the purchase price sometime before I sell to upgrade.
I'm wondering if, since the work most likely has to be done anyway, I should find a fixer-upper and spend about the same replacing new for old. I might end up with a boat in better condition that will serve me for the next few years and be ready to sell again when I upgrade?

Do I hold out for a good value listing or should I start looking at boats to resurrect from the depths of Davy Jones' locker?

An example I saw on gumtree (sorry I can't post a link with my new account). A "28ft Adams" I presume is an Adams Tasman 26 for $2500. Appears neglected for years on a trailer but the inboard is said to still run. Fully restored it might sell for 10-15k. I don't mind doing the work myself as I'm sure those skills will come in handy in the future.
gumtree (com au) /s-ad/rainbow-beach/sail-boats/28-ft-adams-yatch-on-slip-trailer/1281923224

Cheers,
ridingsails

You want to sail or your spend your days spending money .
For an adams keeler look at this one as comparison. IMO opinion expensive at $2500.
www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/cairns/sail-boats/adams-27ft-sailing-yacht/1281577056

Others might chirp in, however there's quite a gap between some perceived Fixer Uppers and yachts that need a bit of work & love. This one appears to slide into the lower end of the spectrum.

Great price if the paint washed itself back on, standing rig popped up with no surprises, and working sails/running rigging appeared in good condition. Of course then the inside would only need a bit of a clean, and maybe a new battery, which by the few pictures shown doesn't look the case.
Otherwise I'd hang out for something else that's floating, and stuff like rig/motor/sails all functioning, and attached mast. Wait for something that only needs a weekend or two of work cleaning her up before you sail, and then upgrade later.

Unless you have heaps of time, like retired and looking for a project amount of time, are a allrounder at fixing any boat job from Paint/Electrics/Motors/Plumbing/Carpentry etc, and have most of the tools in your shed, and then a bit more time, and just live down the road or can get the cradle delivered to your backyard, and then expect to spend 2-4 times the cost of the boat again making it usable and clean, then to upgrade and more time and $$.

I'm on my 4th Fixer, and all of those were boats were sailed home, with running motors and most things working (ok ,one tow by VMR when the outboard died in a terrible spot), and I still spent 2-4 times the purchase price.

Be patient, keep searching through all the Boat Ad's like the people that have a boat still do, and something more suitable will come up.

Good luck

Select to expand quote

Bananabender said..
You want to sail your spend your days spending money .
For an adams keeler look at this one as comparison. IMO opinion expensive at $2500.
www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/cairns/sail-boats/adams-27ft-sailing-yacht/1281577056

Buy this, great value, If your a singlehanding beginner, put a furler on her,

It looks fast...
The draft appears deep for a Adams 8... 1.47mtr on sailboat data....looks deeper ?? maybe a Modified keel?

A lot of boat for the $$, especially if the sails are good

Tasman 26 yachts pre covid in good condition were about 7 to 10 grand. I think their accommodation might be a bit snug too. I'm also of the opinion now is the time to be sailing and not doing a long-term renovation. The basics are inboard diesel, standing headroom, and furling headsails. This Supersonic has more room than a Tasman 26.
www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/killarney-heights/sail-boats/27-yacht-supersonic-mk2/1273834447
A better coastal cruiser and my favourite best deal is the Tasmanian Roberts 34. Has a crook SAAB which might be terminal but more than likely not. Worth a look when people can travel again.
www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/killarney-heights/sail-boats/27-yacht-supersonic-mk2/1273834447

Hello ridingsails

This is the yacht you mention in your post - a Tasman 26 as you say.

www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/rainbow-beach/sail-boats/28-ft-adams-yatch-on-slip-trailer/1281923224

Glory, where to start. There is no mention of mast and standing rigging in the post but photo 2 includes a white pole on the ground which is presumably a mast. So if that is the case possibly a boom is included also. No mention of standing rigging (age?) or sails - a mainsail and no3 jib can be bought for not much - main as is or cut down off an E22, jib same off E22 but it will be short hoist. Numerous 2nd hand sail merchants on the web. If the diesel and whole drive train is easily serviceable then that's a bonus - the drive train including everything all the way through to the prop including coupling, hull stern gland, p bracket and its bearing etc.

But it might be what you are after.

As regards the above posts (sage comments by BBender and Cabron obviously) , imho;

1 I (and Ramona) have mentioned the Supersonic in numerous prior despatches - not sure why it has not sold - I have no knowledge of this specific yacht other than the advert. I know the S27 well - a mate had one - I inspected one for another mate. Realise you are in Qld.

2 The Adams 8 is a superb harbour daysailer racer as long as sailed with an experienced crew........the best Adams 8 was Popeye out of MHYC in the early 80s.......but it is very tippy and certainly not an offshore boat.

Hi, Almost my favorite topic.

In Queensland with your budget and stated goals I would look at these:

yachthub.com/list/yachts-for-sale/used/sail-monohulls/lidgard-29/262798
My top pick, a little more than your budget but worth a look. Most modern boat for your $$ available today

yachthub.com/list/yachts-for-sale/used/sail-monohulls/van-de-stadt-pion-30-reduced/253433
Older but pretty well equipped if your are thinking of cruising. Been on the market for a while so you would need to look closely to see if there is something not quite right

yachthub.com/list/yachts-for-sale/used/sail-monohulls/savage-30-defiance/263964
shouldn't need to say anything about this one. If this is to your taste then there are a few on this forum who have vast knowledge on this design.

As above the supersonic seems to be good value and as for the Adams 8, looks like fun up in Port Douglas but perhaps not what you are looking for? So, any of the above take your fancy?

oh, yeah, My advice is buy the best boat you can afford and go sail. Fixer uppers are misery unless you want to fix boats not sail.

Go look at Top Hats, good enough to sail around the world in

+1 for the advice to avoid fixer-upper/project boats. You would almost certainly find that the amount you pay for materials, tools, consumables, yard fees etc etc will bring the total price up near and possibly beyond that for a plug-and-play sail-away boat in good nick. And that's before you put a price on your endless labour, lost sailing (ie fun) time and the endless disappointments. Look for some poor seller who's poured money into the boat but no longer can or wants to use it for whatever reason. Try to find one with as recent as possible engine, rigging and sail replacements. These are usually the bigger "lumps" of money in the deterioration/replacement cycle. Other stuff is mostly a few hundred bucks hear and there.

Cheers, Graeme