My keel-boat career is on pause for a few years due to some unpleasant family circumstances, so rather than keep my existing 30 footer going I'm selling up and returning to a trailerable yacht. I've found one with a diesel shaft drive which for me is nicer on cruising trips than enduring hours of buzzing outboard when the wind is down. It's a Jedda 670 which some googling reveals was "designed and built by Ozzie Whitley from Westernport in Victoria"), so my question is this: was the fibreglass of that era known for problems, or was it quite robust? I seem to remember from other readings that early fibreglass was good, then there was a dodgy patch around the 1980s, and then it went back to being good again. If anybody could confirm or correct that view I'd be grateful. Also, this boat has mostly been kept on the trailer, which is what I would do too - so perhaps it doesn't matter so much?Also, before anybody says it: I dont' mind that bilge keels are a bit slow - I like the idea of extra ballast for coastal hops, while retaining the ability to dry out.

The Jedda was built to sail in offshore Victorian waters. The clinker style hull would be incredibly strong. I have only heard people raving about how good they are!

Family dynamics and relationships change, and not all our dreams are fulfilled. But we carry on being the people we are, with the dreams and hopes we had, and the small outboard you bought off me, serving in another role )). I had a steel bilge keel yacht, 26' and the stability in 20 -30 knot winds and waves in Bass Strait and the Gippy lakes was fantastic. It depends more on the boat weight to length and design than bilge keels per se.

My Northerner 28 was built in 1966 and the parts I cut out of the hull to put in an outboard well have been solid fibreglass, from a minimum of about 7mm to about 12 in that section. Tough as, and thus it has lasted 56 years. so far...

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BluewaterBound said..
My keel-boat career is on pause for a few years due to some unpleasant family circumstances, so rather than keep my existing 30 footer going I'm selling up and returning to a trailerable yacht. I've found one with a diesel shaft drive which for me is nicer on cruising trips than enduring hours of buzzing outboard when the wind is down. It's a Jedda 670 which some googling reveals was "designed and built by Ozzie Whitley from Westernport in Victoria"), so my question is this: was the fibreglass of that era known for problems, or was it quite robust? I seem to remember from other readings that early fibreglass was good, then there was a dodgy patch around the 1980s, and then it went back to being good again. If anybody could confirm or correct that view I'd be grateful. Also, this boat has mostly been kept on the trailer, which is what I would do too - so perhaps it doesn't matter so much?Also, before anybody says it: I dont' mind that bilge keels are a bit slow - I like the idea of extra ballast for coastal hops, while retaining the ability to dry out.

I had the MRK 1 with the fixed keels , the hull was good with quite a bit of room inside for the size of the boat.
the keels are cast iron and I had huge lumps of rust fall ing off them .
the newer ones have retractable keels I believe and may not suffer the same problem .
i wasn't very impressed with sailing capabilities of the boat , but boats are. Compromise and it trailability taking the hard on a even keel quite a bit of space , nice looking boat are for you go for it .
oh and resale is not that good .

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FabulousPhill said..
Family dynamics and relationships change, and not all our dreams are fulfilled. But we carry on being the people we are, with the dreams and hopes we had, and the small outboard you bought off me, serving in another role )). I had a steel bilge keel yacht, 26' and the stability in 20 -30 knot winds and waves in Bass Strait and the Gippy lakes was fantastic. It depends more on the boat weight to length and design than bilge keels per se.

My Northerner 28 was built in 1966 and the parts I cut out of the hull to put in an outboard well have been solid fibreglass, from a minimum of about 7mm to about 12 in that section. Tough as, and thus it has lasted 56 years. so far...

Great advice there Phil - thanks!

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FabulousPhill said..
Family dynamics and relationships change, and not all our dreams are fulfilled. But we carry on being the people we are, with the dreams and hopes we had, and the small outboard you bought off me, serving in another role )). I had a steel bilge keel yacht, 26' and the stability in 20 -30 knot winds and waves in Bass Strait and the Gippy lakes was fantastic. It depends more on the boat weight to length and design than bilge keels per se.

My Northerner 28 was built in 1966 and the parts I cut out of the hull to put in an outboard well have been solid fibreglass, from a minimum of about 7mm to about 12 in that section. Tough as, and thus it has lasted 56 years. so far...

Great advice there Phil - thanks!

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Ramona said..
The Jedda was built to sail in offshore Victorian waters. The clinker style hull would be incredibly strong. I have only heard people raving about how good they are!

I had read that on a chat forum, so good to have it confirmed. The holy grail of trailer-sailers is their ability to handle offshore conditions. My old RL24 was too light for that sort of thing and even got quite scary in Port Phillip Bay. I believe the JOG boats are quite good - the Sunmaid 20, Austral 20 (I think?) and one or two others are options.
And by the way, the latest offer for my keel-boat just fell through as the 6'4" buyer tested the bunks overnight and found them too small! So any cruisers out there might want to have a look ...
www.boatsonline.com.au/boats-for-sale/used/sailing-boats/nimble-30/288948

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MAGNESIUM said..

BluewaterBound said..
My keel-boat career is on pause for a few years due to some unpleasant family circumstances, so rather than keep my existing 30 footer going I'm selling up and returning to a trailerable yacht. I've found one with a diesel shaft drive which for me is nicer on cruising trips than enduring hours of buzzing outboard when the wind is down. It's a Jedda 670 which some googling reveals was "designed and built by Ozzie Whitley from Westernport in Victoria"), so my question is this: was the fibreglass of that era known for problems, or was it quite robust? I seem to remember from other readings that early fibreglass was good, then there was a dodgy patch around the 1980s, and then it went back to being good again. If anybody could confirm or correct that view I'd be grateful. Also, this boat has mostly been kept on the trailer, which is what I would do too - so perhaps it doesn't matter so much?Also, before anybody says it: I dont' mind that bilge keels are a bit slow - I like the idea of extra ballast for coastal hops, while retaining the ability to dry out.

I had the MRK 1 with the fixed keels , the hull was good with quite a bit of room inside for the size of the boat.
the keels are cast iron and I had huge lumps of rust fall ing off them .
the newer ones have retractable keels I believe and may not suffer the same problem .
i wasn't very impressed with sailing capabilities of the boat , but boats are. Compromise and it trailability taking the hard on a even keel quite a bit of space , nice looking boat are for you go for it .
oh and resale is not that good .

It's a heavy boat - nearly 1.5tonnes, but my car is rated to tow 2.5 tonnes so I'm guessing with trailer etc I could still tow it. And I agree, very hard to re-sell. It has piqued my interest in bilge keels again though, as when I was in Qld with my RL24 I had to dry out in lagoons etc a fair bit - bilge keels do that well. With a reconditioned diesel on board it would be a good motor-sailer for trips like that.

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BluewaterBound said..

The holy grail of trailer-sailers is their ability to handle offshore conditions. My old RL24 was too light for that sort of thing and even got quite scary in Port Phillip Bay. I believe the JOG boats are quite good - the Sunmaid 20, Austral 20 (I think?) and one or two others are options.

Just out of interest what aspect of RL24 did you find scary and too light?

I haven't done many miles in my trailer sailer yet but some of the miles I have done were a bit rough and I couldn't help thinking about the chain plates and the thickness of the standing rigging compared to my Northshore.

They look way more like they are items off my RS Quest as opposed to the NS38.

Hopefully it's all in my mind and some engineer has worked it out.

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julesmoto said..

BluewaterBound said..

The holy grail of trailer-sailers is their ability to handle offshore conditions. My old RL24 was too light for that sort of thing and even got quite scary in Port Phillip Bay. I believe the JOG boats are quite good - the Sunmaid 20, Austral 20 (I think?) and one or two others are options.

Just out of interest what aspect of RL24 did you find scary and too light?

I haven't done many miles in my trailer sailer yet but some of the miles I have done were a bit rough and I couldn't help thinking about the chain plates and the thickness of the standing rigging compared to my Northshore.

They look way more like they are items off my RS Quest as opposed to the NS38.

Hopefully it's all in my mind and some engineer has worked it out.

The waves in Port Phillip Bay can be quite scary because the water is so shallow - it's about 10m give or take and they very quickly gain amplitude. There's a patch just near Point Gellibrand where (if I remember my geography lessons from high school correctly) the wave energy curves around a 'recurve spit' and seems to collide with other wave energy - perhaps the energy bouncing back from Port Melbourne. Whatever causes it, the RL24 would bounce around like a dinghy and I'd get the feeling that a capsize was imminent, or if I dared to turn towards home broaching and capsizing would be the result. So after a few of those I went looking for a keelboat. Having said all that, the RL24 and I were holed up in Pelican Bay, not far from Tin Can Bay in Queensland, for three days and then made a break for home through some pretty large and steep waves at the sound end of the Great Sandy Strait - very exciting and I didn't have that same feeling of danger. So perhaps it's just Port Phillip Bay that's the problem

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FabulousPhill said..
Family dynamics and relationships change, and not all our dreams are fulfilled. But we carry on being the people we are, with the dreams and hopes we had, and the small outboard you bought off me, serving in another role )). I had a steel bilge keel yacht, 26' and the stability in 20 -30 knot winds and waves in Bass Strait and the Gippy lakes was fantastic. It depends more on the boat weight to length and design than bilge keels per se.

My Northerner 28 was built in 1966 and the parts I cut out of the hull to put in an outboard well have been solid fibreglass, from a minimum of about 7mm to about 12 in that section. Tough as, and thus it has lasted 56 years. so far...

A further update Phil ... the deal I had struck with a buyer to hand over my Nimble 30 fell through, and as it did I noticed that I felt nothing but relief. I guess it takes a near-miss to make you realise what you've got. When I went to the marina to take her back out to the mooring, two local sailors (one with an Adams 31, and another with a 24 foot restored timber boat) admired my boat and agreed that I'd be crazy to sell her. So paying attention to all these things, I think I'll just anti-foul her and mull it over for another year or two. The 'perfect boat' is the one that fits with your life at that moment in time, and with a life in flux (as mine is as adult kids start to fly the nest) it makes sense not to do anything rash - those 'dreams' you mention may end up being realised after all

Smart move. That's a nice looking boat. Going to a trailer sailer after that would certainly put paid to your sailing activities, especially as you get older.

I would keep the Nimble, she looks so pretty.

Looks like you have personalised the Nimble, to the extent that you would really regret selling/trying to replace her.
Also,if she can be stored,on your own place,especially under a roof,you can come back and start again .
Mason

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BluewaterBound said..
My keel-boat career is on pause for a few years due to some unpleasant family circumstances, so rather than keep my existing 30 footer going I'm selling up and returning to a trailerable yacht. I've found one with a diesel shaft drive which for me is nicer on cruising trips than enduring hours of buzzing outboard when the wind is down. It's a Jedda 670 which some googling reveals was "designed and built by Ozzie Whitley from Westernport in Victoria"), so my question is this: was the fibreglass of that era known for problems, or was it quite robust? I seem to remember from other readings that early fibreglass was good, then there was a dodgy patch around the 1980s, and then it went back to being good again. If anybody could confirm or correct that view I'd be grateful. Also, this boat has mostly been kept on the trailer, which is what I would do too - so perhaps it doesn't matter so much?Also, before anybody says it: I dont' mind that bilge keels are a bit slow - I like the idea of extra ballast for coastal hops, while retaining the ability to dry out.

Hi, if you are no longer interested in the Jedda can you send me the link to it?

Cheers,

Mike.

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Mike367 said..

BluewaterBound said..
My keel-boat career is on pause for a few years due to some unpleasant family circumstances, so rather than keep my existing 30 footer going I'm selling up and returning to a trailerable yacht. I've found one with a diesel shaft drive which for me is nicer on cruising trips than enduring hours of buzzing outboard when the wind is down. It's a Jedda 670 which some googling reveals was "designed and built by Ozzie Whitley from Westernport in Victoria"), so my question is this: was the fibreglass of that era known for problems, or was it quite robust? I seem to remember from other readings that early fibreglass was good, then there was a dodgy patch around the 1980s, and then it went back to being good again. If anybody could confirm or correct that view I'd be grateful. Also, this boat has mostly been kept on the trailer, which is what I would do too - so perhaps it doesn't matter so much?Also, before anybody says it: I dont' mind that bilge keels are a bit slow - I like the idea of extra ballast for coastal hops, while retaining the ability to dry out.

Hi, if you are no longer interested in the Jedda can you send me the link to it?

Cheers,

Mike.

Hi Mike
As I said in an earlier post, the holy grail for trailer sailers is the ability to do open water sailing - so this looks like a winner, even if a bit old.
www.boatsonline.com.au/boats-for-sale/used/trailer-boats/jedda-670-retractable-twin-keels/305090
The bloke selling it seems like a decent sort. He's got to convert the trailer to roadworthy, but from the pics it's in very good condition. He told me he'd want to add on a couple of grand for converting the trailer, but it could still be a good buy

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PLanter4 said..
Looks like you have personalised the Nimble, to the extent that you would really regret selling/trying to replace her.
Also,if she can be stored,on your own place,especially under a roof,you can come back and start again .
Mason

Hi Mason
You're right, but I do have a long list of further upgrades I'd like to do ... and juggling the funds required isn't easy. On the other hand, I can store her for a year of two if necessary and in the last few days I've been thinking 6 mths or a year on the hardstand at one of the Williamstown yards would be worthwhile - not only could I do a few upgrades, but save some on-water costs. I guess a lot of sailors are in the same situation. It's a balance of time, money, know-how and drive. And I'm grateful for the supportive comments here... helps to focus the mind.

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BluewaterBound said..

Mike367 said..

BluewaterBound said..
My keel-boat career is on pause for a few years due to some unpleasant family circumstances, so rather than keep my existing 30 footer going I'm selling up and returning to a trailerable yacht. I've found one with a diesel shaft drive which for me is nicer on cruising trips than enduring hours of buzzing outboard when the wind is down. It's a Jedda 670 which some googling reveals was "designed and built by Ozzie Whitley from Westernport in Victoria"), so my question is this: was the fibreglass of that era known for problems, or was it quite robust? I seem to remember from other readings that early fibreglass was good, then there was a dodgy patch around the 1980s, and then it went back to being good again. If anybody could confirm or correct that view I'd be grateful. Also, this boat has mostly been kept on the trailer, which is what I would do too - so perhaps it doesn't matter so much?Also, before anybody says it: I dont' mind that bilge keels are a bit slow - I like the idea of extra ballast for coastal hops, while retaining the ability to dry out.

Hi, if you are no longer interested in the Jedda can you send me the link to it?

Cheers,

Mike.

Hi Mike
As I said in an earlier post, the holy grail for trailer sailers is the ability to do open water sailing - so this looks like a winner, even if a bit old.
www.boatsonline.com.au/boats-for-sale/used/trailer-boats/jedda-670-retractable-twin-keels/305090
The bloke selling it seems like a decent sort. He's got to convert the trailer to roadworthy, but from the pics it's in very good condition. He told me he'd want to add on a couple of grand for converting the trailer, but it could still be a good buy

Thanks for that, I thought it might be that one but there was no mention of an inboard in the ad. But I did see what looks like a throttle control aft of the traveler, so wasn't sure.
Boat and trailer look okay in the pics, I might go for a drive on the weekend.

Cheers,
Mike.