Hi all.
I am new to sailing.
Looking to spend 20-25k. Live on Gold Coast so mainly enclosed water but i want to be able to sail up and down the coast a bit.
There are soooooo many makes an models out there.

Can anyone comment on what would be a good first boat to suit my requirements?

If you want to sail mostly in the broadwater something with a pivoting keel would be good.

Thanks Andy.

Is this more common to trailer Sailors? Any suggestions on Brands.

trailer sailors [ swing keel ] can get into shallow water and can be trailer-ed

farr 650 and 750, 750 more than 25 k

sonata 6 and 7



top hat 25 fixed keel , deeper water required say 4 footish , not trailer-able but excellent sea boat

www.tophatyachts.com/ < link to the top hat club which is really great plenty of ideas and spares
a roomy 25 foot top hat over 6 foot head room good study yacht

This Compass 28 has been on market since August 2014. It would be an ideal entry and in your price range.

The current owner is fastidious. He spent approx $6k getting her ready for sale.

If your interested send me a message and I will provide you with the contact details.

Compass 28 another good boat

Yep, ditto to the Compass 28.

That one pictured above, looks like a real dolly yacht .

A club member here has sailed his to Lord Howe Island without major problems and so they have good pedigree as well.

Hi VCR,
Im selling a Sonata 8 a lot cheaper than your top budget if you're interested!
I agree though with the previous comments, a swing keel would be handy for shallow work, and Intrusion is is a fixed keel.
The Sonata 8's are a bit more race oriented, with a lower and smaller cabin as compared to their near identical sister, the Sonata 26.
You could go the 26' for cruising, and the 8 for more lively racing.
Having said that, any of the Sonatas are great boats to sail, very forgiving to learners IMHO.

Thanks Shaggy.
Yeah I am definitely looking for form something more cruiser orientated.

Does a real Dolly mean good, or girly?

Sure Warrina 111, send me the details. What area does it reside?

Anyone know much about Roberts Adventure 25's?

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VCR said..
Anyone know much about Roberts Adventure 25's?

Enough not to go near them.

Hi all, as a current owner of a Roberts 25, I thought I would share my experience.

The Roberts 25 seems to be one of those boats that gets a really bad wrap from many people – yet, how many of these people actually own one? Yes it has a reputation for being a ‘caravan on water’, however in my opinion, it fills its brief perfectly i.e. it’s a 100% designed for cruising! If you are wanting a more performance orientated boat, then look elsewhere. On the other hand, if you’re just seeking a safe, solid, ‘big volume’ cruising boat, then the Roberts 25 could well be for you.

I have currently my Roberts 25 for 18 months and can say I am extremely happy with it. Having said that, when I was looking to purchase a yacht around the 25 foot mark, I was wanting a pure cruising boat (the other option was a Columbia 27). In previous times I had a Holland 25, really loved it, but whilst it’s performance was great, its original racing origins shone through in its design. I much prefer a cruising style of yacht.

The good things I like about the Roberts 25 (it’s the deep keel version, well, still only has a 3.6ft draft):

* Cabin size: for a 25 footer, almost 6ft headroom throughout, great size interior and accommodation; enclosed toilet, even a fridge. It’s perfect for a couple to sleep on as the front double berth is massive and so comfortable. The fit and finish of Roberts 25’s can vary immensely, luckily I am fortunate to have one that was finished to a very high standard.

* Cockpit: deep cockpit with high back/combings, therefore, offering a lot more comfort and shelter from the elements compared to the likes of a Holland 25 etc.

* Heavy and slow: once again, I was purely after a boat that was originally designed for cruising. Can easily be sailed by two people.

Ok, so for the negatives:

* More deck space would have been nice i.e. the 7.10ft beam combined with big cabin top means there is little room to walk around the boat i.e. when the boat is heeling, you have to walk over the cabin top. The trade-off you pay for such a big interior.

* Performance: After coming from a Holland 25, I am only now getting used to the Roberts’ slower reacting time and performance i.e. tacking in light winds can be a struggle sometime.

Once again, it’s a slow heavy cruising boat not an ex-IOR racer like the Holland 25 etc. But all in all, I’m extremely happy with my pocket cruiser. It’s moored in a marina and I do use it as an overnighter/weekend; plus just pottering about in the bay sailing. For the limited outlay and size of boat, for me, the Roberts 25 fills its brief perfectly!

One of my needs if 6 ft 1 head room
The top hat has that im not sure of other boats
My h28 has 6 ft 2
I hate bumping my head inany cabin

Really appreciating this feedback people.

I notice the compass uses the stick for the rudder instead of a wheel. Not sure of its name. Whats the pro's and cons of this set up.
Also, outboards vs inboards? I assume outboards are much easier to work on and probably cheaper to service, maintain and replace. What am I missing?

When people say the Roberts is slow say compared to the Compass or Top hat. What kind of difference could we be talking about? What about handling in the blue water?
I can see myself wanting to sail outside the enclosed waters regularly. I grew up on small boats in medium seas so am not afraid of a swell.

OK, here’s my 2 cents worth:

1.Sailing Performance/racing Handicap

There seems to be a misnomer about the performance of a Roberts 25 vs Top Hat vs Compass 28 (and other makes).

A quick google check of their CBH (Class Basic Handicaps) Handicaps shows:

Compass 28 = 0.670
Roberts 25 = 0.654 (deep keel version)
Top Hat 25 = 0.615

Basically, the higher the CBH Handicap, the faster the boat (based on full racing trim etc). Therefore, the Compass is viewed as the quickest (as the largest boat out of the 3, you would probably expect that), followed by the Roberts then the Top Hat. However, in reality, these handicaps show these three have very similar speed, and I have no doubt that a well crewed Top Hat 25 could out do both the Roberts and a Compass in a club race.

In terms of cruising, there would be virtually nothing between these boats. Comparing these 3 Handicaps to other more modern/race orientated designs, these 3 designs are all in the slow category……….. However, these CBH Handicaps should dispel the misconception that so many posters have about the Roberts 25 being such a slug – especially compared to other older boats out there.

2. Ocean going capability

From what I have read previously, the Compass 28 and Top Hat 25 have serious ocean going capability for their size - I’ve always thought of the Top Hat 25 like the “S&S34 of 25 footers i.e. built tough and ocean seaworthy. If I was out in a big swell and stuck in a 25 footer, the Top Hat would be my number 1 choice. In regards to the Roberts 25 (deep keel version), this design is also safely capable of heading out to the open ocean – I have done so myself and they are a very safe, forgiving boat. But yes, in ultimate seaworthiness, the Top Hat 25 would have to be seen as the superior boat in that aspect.

3. Inboards vs outboards For me, using these 3 makes and similar keel boats, this is a no brainer – inboard diesels all the way. In fact, I have never seen any Roberts 25, Compass 28 or Top Hat 25 with outboard engines.

4. Wheel vs Tiller steering My Roberts 25 has wheel steering whilst my prior Holland 25 had tiller steering. It’s taken me some time to get used to the wheel steering – for me, from a total intuitive perspective, I prefer tiller steering as you always know where the rudder is facing. Sometimes, especially in tight situations, I have losty track of the exact angle of the rudder (and have had to glance over the stern to see where it is at).

I hope this information helps!

Thanks Nirvana.

Any Ocean going I undertake would be coastal anyway. I don't intend to Sail too far out. I guess for my purposes, weekend get a ways and day trips that if the capability differences are negligible then I need to focus on comfort.

Are you saying inboard diesels over out boards all the way given a choice of any vessel? If so, why?

The Top Hats on boatsales.com all seem very cheap, 10-14k but quite old, 1980 the average.
I figured the newest Yacht obviously condition pending I can afford in the model I want to be the way to go?

Nirvana has done a great job in his post.
There are far too many issues and too much knowledge needed to answer your questions on this forum. Get on eBay or go to your local library and search for books on yachts/sailing/buying a yacht and read, read and read some more. It doesn't replace sailing experience but it is a great way to learn about sailing and yachts.

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WarrinaIII said...



This Compass 28 has been on market since August 2014. It would be an ideal entry and in your price range.

The current owner is fastidious. He spent approx $6k getting her ready for sale.

If your interested send me a message and I will provide you with the contact details.

That is such a cute boat. Hiw much?

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McNaughtical said...

WarrinaIII said...



This Compass 28 has been on market since August 2014. It would be an ideal entry and in your price range.

The current owner is fastidious. He spent approx $6k getting her ready for sale.

If your interested send me a message and I will provide you with the contact details.

That is such a cute boat. Hiw much?

i have a columbia 27 and they are excellent so are compasses which have long keels which would be better for coastal cruining. if you can afford it and plan on sleeping on the boat you might be thankful to go up to a ericson 30 or cavilier 32 which are great boats.

i have a columbia 27 and they are excellent so are compasses which have long keels which would be better for coastal cruining. if you can afford it and plan on sleeping on the boat you might be thankful to go up to a ericson 30 or cavilier 32 which are great boats.

Since you say coastal cruising why not look at an Endeavor 26 cheap strong and can be raced. I am.bias as i use to own one but a tasman 26.