Hi all. I'm eyeing off a Nantucket 31 for sale in Tasmania. It will be my first sailboat and I'm just wondering if it's capable enough offshore to eventually cross Bass Straight and sail round Australia? Or am I better off holding out for something a little more serious like a Cavalier 32?
Thanks in advance

The design is more than capable enough - I'm sure plenty have done the Sydney to Hobart, however for the trip you have in mind extensive(read expensive) maintenance may be required... that will go for any design.

Things like sails, rigging, through-hulls, engine, winches... pretty much anything that moves... or doesn't... will need to be checked.

If you like the boat, get a thorough survey, it's a small investment.

All the best.

I don't really see why the Cav 32 is "more serious" than a Nantucket. The Nantucket was designed by Peter Cole (who had his own one, called Nantucket itself) as a half tonner back in the days when half tonners were regularly competitors in the Sydney-Hobart, Sydney-Noumea, etc. The Cavalier was basically a slightly earlier design for the same sort of task; although they are now known as cruisers they were very much leading edge half ton racers in their day.

Cavs and Nantuckets have both crossed Bass Strait happily.

Is this the one you are looking at?
yachthub.com/list/yachts-for-sale/used/sail-monohulls/nantucket-31-quality-cruiser-racer-impressive-performance/297127

looks pretty good and clean. Couple of things I would check:
- it's an old engine. I would want to see it started from cold. replacement would be very expensive prob 15k. Saying that if it's been well maintained it might go for ever
- standing rigging age is unknown. My old cavalier 32 with a similar rig cost me $7.5k to replace a couple of years ago factor this in to your budget or negotiation.
- It has an old autopilot. Just make sure it's functional and the installation looks ok. Essential for a long sail.
- Electrics are old. Buy an iPad for a charplotter and replace the radio with a new one that has AIS receive in it, get a wifi transmitter and hey presto you will see other boats on your iPad. Or install a new radio plus ais transceiver with wifi built in.
- those boats have so many fittings through the deck. Check for rot as I think they have a core in the deck. Can be hard to tell as they used a lot of glass back then.

I would ask the owner for a test sail and see if they would take you out a few times if you buy it

think you would have some good fun on that boat. Seems well priced

saying all that. If you can save up another 30k or so you will find many more boats to consider. All old boats come with problems and risks etc

Looks like a nice boat. The basics are there.
But there are some potential big tickets costs.
The rig..probably 5k minimum.
Unless you can service the motor yourself it's really costly.
Electronics can cost a lot or just use an ipad but either way could be a few grand.

I am saying this as l have spent more than $11k on my new to me boat (in the first year) and it didn't even have any issues! This was rig and motor service but also basic electronics and battery etc. Similar size to the Nantucket.
Don't tell my wife.

44 years old ! - Agree better to find another 30k,and get a good survey on your selection .

We met people cruising their 31 back in the 90s. Great boat and sailed to windward like a witch. They would pass lots of bigger cruising boats when anything forward of the beam was called for, they loved their boat for living aboard. Nicer looking than the Cav - I mean Peter Cole could make a turd look gorgeous. And when you go cruising you will spend lots of time looking at your boat from a beach, or a hill, or someone else's boat, it's gotta look good.

I would have loved to be able to afford a Nantucket 31 years ago but they were all out of my price range at the time. I never gave Cav 32s a second thought! That orange hulled example seems an exceptionally well fitted out boat with a superb engine and a nice deck layout. If you buy it keep the flasher depth sounder!

Pucket was initially owned by Gary Appleby, who owned the manufacturer Comprador Yachts. He was also known as a top racer with Pucket (NSW Half Ton champ), Pawtucket (the first 35), and particularly his Farr 40s including his Hobart winner.

As the company owner's boat and (IIRC) the demonstrator she's obviously been beautifully fitted out and looks very well kept; a bit like a baby classic Swan.

There can't be too many riggers in Hobart so surely a few calls would track down someone who can tell you the rough age of the rigging, and if the engine's going well she may not need much cash. I think she's actually a year or two older than the stated 1979 from what I can recall (she was used in ads when new so was in Australian Sailing, and I think there was a nice full colour test in Modern Boating magazine as well) but our boat's of a similar era and while I'm biased I rate those generations pretty highly for durability. Most of them were built by companies owned by the people who raced the boats offshore themselves (as with the Nantucket range) rather than companies owned by shareholders and run by accountants.

Thank you all very much for the advice. Yep it's the orange boat! I'm definitely expecting to do extensive upgrades and refit. After a survey of course. You guys have put my mind at ease about the capability of the design!

What about this one if you can stretch a little further;

I think you might be interested in this listing for sale on Yachthub.com yachthub.com/list/yachts-for-sale/used/sail-monohulls/sparkman-stephens-34-brand-new-engine/296441

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keensailor said..
What about this one if you can stretch a little further;

I think you might be interested in this listing for sale on Yachthub.com yachthub.com/list/yachts-for-sale/used/sail-monohulls/sparkman-stephens-34-brand-new-engine/296441

It pains me to say this but I think the Cole has a far better fit out and much better value for money!

It all comes down to condition, condition, condition and therefore how much money needs to be spent. They are both good boats.

You will get the vibe once you go on board and start looking at things and pulling up floorboards and looking inside lockers. Don't forget your sense of smell either.

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julesmoto said..
It all comes down to condition, condition, condition and therefore how much money needs to be spent. They are both good boats.

You will get the vibe once you go on board and start looking at things and pulling up floorboards and looking inside lockers. Don't forget your sense of smell either.

Yeah, I guess when you mention to be aware of your smell you mean looks for leaks. Fresh water leaks can be very hard to track down and cause damage over time. I remember a well known broker in Sydney told me a dry boat is a good boat. I later learned that lesson with our boat that we eventually sold. It sucks when your stuff gets wet ;-)

We owned a Nantucket 31 for a number of years and absolutely loved her. They sail to windward beautifully. A couple of things to look out for, ours had a few leaks around the toe rail and tracks when we bought her. Not a problem, just a matter of replacing some screws and using sikaflex. Because they are keel stepped we did get some water in around the mast. Not a huge issue, but be aware they have a very shallow bilge. In heavy seas we noticed some flexing near the keel, so had some extra stiffening ribs put in by a local shipright. They are a beautiful looking boat and lovely to own, ours drew admiring glances and comments wherever we went.

This is some information we were given about the Nantucket..

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Watermark said..
We owned a Nantucket 31 for a number of years and absolutely loved her. They sail to windward beautifully. A couple of things to look out for, ours had a few leaks around the toe rail and tracks when we bought her. Not a problem, just a matter of replacing some screws and using sikaflex. Because they are keel stepped we did get some water in around the mast. Not a huge issue, but be aware they have a very shallow bilge. In heavy seas we noticed some flexing near the keel, so had some extra stiffening ribs put in by a local shipright. They are a beautiful looking boat and lovely to own, ours drew admiring glances and comments wherever we went.

Good input there, agree a top yacht. You add the below text seemingly as a throw away line of little or no consequence. Were such extra ribs needed for all Nantucket 31s? How many is "some". I am aware of such extra stiffening added to one other yacht design in the 31-38ft range and of a similar vintage and there have been comments on this forum regarding the Cole designed Mutiny 28 hull to keel transition structure.

In heavy seas we noticed some flexing near the keel, so had some extra stiffening ribs put in by a local shipright.

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r13 said..

Watermark said..
We owned a Nantucket 31 for a number of years and absolutely loved her. They sail to windward beautifully. A couple of things to look out for, ours had a few leaks around the toe rail and tracks when we bought her. Not a problem, just a matter of replacing some screws and using sikaflex. Because they are keel stepped we did get some water in around the mast. Not a huge issue, but be aware they have a very shallow bilge. In heavy seas we noticed some flexing near the keel, so had some extra stiffening ribs put in by a local shipright. They are a beautiful looking boat and lovely to own, ours drew admiring glances and comments wherever we went.

Good input there, agree a top yacht. You add the below text seemingly as a throw away line of little or no consequence. Were such extra ribs needed for all Nantucket 31s? How many is "some". I am aware of such extra stiffening added to one other yacht design in the 31-38ft range and of a similar vintage and there have been comments on this forum regarding the Cole designed Mutiny 28 hull to keel transition structure.

In heavy seas we noticed some flexing near the keel, so had some extra stiffening ribs put in by a local shipright.

Not my intention to infer it was of no consequence. We noticed that there was some extra water in the bilge sailing offshore in a decent sea. The shipwright we used said that there could be some flexing of the hull near the keel. Checked the keel bolts, they were fine. As a precaution we had two extra ribs placed as stiffening near the keel in the bilge. This seemed to solve the issue. I can't say if this was required for all Nantucket 31s, just ours seemed to benefit from this. There was never any problem with the structural integrity of the hull, in fact when she was sold the surveyor was impressed with the build quality and condition of the boat.

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Watermark said..

r13 said..

Watermark said..
We owned a Nantucket 31 for a number of years and absolutely loved her. They sail to windward beautifully. A couple of things to look out for, ours had a few leaks around the toe rail and tracks when we bought her. Not a problem, just a matter of replacing some screws and using sikaflex. Because they are keel stepped we did get some water in around the mast. Not a huge issue, but be aware they have a very shallow bilge. In heavy seas we noticed some flexing near the keel, so had some extra stiffening ribs put in by a local shipright. They are a beautiful looking boat and lovely to own, ours drew admiring glances and comments wherever we went.

Good input there, agree a top yacht. You add the below text seemingly as a throw away line of little or no consequence. Were such extra ribs needed for all Nantucket 31s? How many is "some". I am aware of such extra stiffening added to one other yacht design in the 31-38ft range and of a similar vintage and there have been comments on this forum regarding the Cole designed Mutiny 28 hull to keel transition structure.

In heavy seas we noticed some flexing near the keel, so had some extra stiffening ribs put in by a local shipright.

Not my intention to infer it was of no consequence. We noticed that there was some extra water in the bilge sailing offshore in a decent sea. The shipwright we used said that there could be some flexing of the hull near the keel. Checked the keel bolts, they were fine. As a precaution we had two extra ribs placed as stiffening near the keel in the bilge. This seemed to solve the issue. I can't say if this was required for all Nantucket 31s, just ours seemed to benefit from this. There was never any problem with the structural integrity of the hull, in fact when she was sold the surveyor was impressed with the build quality and condition of the boat.

Ok thanks for clarifying.

Just found a couple of pics of our Nantucket.they are a really pretty boat. She is still racing on Lake Macquarie.

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Watermark said..
Just found a couple of pics of our Nantucket.they are a really pretty boat. She is still racing on Lake Macquarie.

I thought we looked at this Nantucket around 2013 when we were looking to buy a boat.
Maybe it was for sale around then ?

Possibly.we bought her when she was in Pittwater. Racing out of RPAYC. Sounds about the right time, called Flying Colours.

Derek is still racing Flying Colours most weekends. There is now a 3 way battle between him, a Traditional 30 called Alibi and our East Coast 31.

Over winter, he has been a bit reluctant to get under the boat and remove the crud. Come spring, no doubt he will be back up to speed.

It is a lovely boat. and has been well cared for.

Yes, he has taken good care of her.I still see her name on the results for LMYC.

I have Nantucket 31, Oasis out of Paynesville Vic. They are a great boat, sail to windward like the best of them and have a design that defies their age. The tassie one looks great in orange and overall looks to be well maintained in and out. The Bukh DV20 if well maintained is renowned for reliability, other than general maintance keep a close eye on the water pump seals at the back of the pump - if in unsure replace the seals. I didn't and it was an expensive mistake. This one has an extensive running rigging and sail wardrobe so it will get you around across bass straight and beyond without a problem but worth getting surveyed if age can't be confirmed. Leaks from the toe-rail/stanchon mounts seem common especially mid-ships where people typically step on/off the boat are cheap to fix but can be fiddly if you DIY.

some really good information on the nantucket31, so good I thought I should take a look, thanks to the comments it made buying her that little bit easier. after the survey all looked positive, new standing rigging and some instrument upgrades and we look good to bring her across to Melb in dec.
if anybody knows of a Nantuket group, please let me know. thanks agin for the feedback on the toe-rail, and rear of water pump.

Hi MissJackson, others here can comment on the quality and suitability of this design better than I. I would be suspicious of the claim that the age of the standing rigging is unknow though. That's often code for, it's old and therefore probably more than 10 years old. It's likely uninsurable if the standing rigging is older than 10 years and it will need to be replaced, so factor that in to the cost. Get a rigger to assess it. If you're planning some longer voyages, it'll be money well spent. Good luck with the purchase and have fun sailing!