Hi everyone,

I am brand new to sailing. Currently I own a Hobie Tandum Adventure Island and this has given me a taste for sailing.
I am very good at carpentry work and mechanics. I have time to spend renovating a boat, up to 12 months, but can not afford to spend a lot of money. I have been looking at 25ft due to purchase cost and if I do need to pay for a mooring it will be cheaper.

I have been looking at the following boats, Top Hat and Roberts. I really don't know what I am looking at though. I need a boat capable of sailing to New Caledonia.

Here are the basics
Spend - up to $10,000
Live aboard
Capable of some ocean sailing
Some work required which won't be too costly
No longer than 28ft
Speed is not an issue

Any advice on probably the top 3 types/makes of boats I should be looking at would be great.

Thanks

Hi Sectorsteve, thanks for your reply. We are yet to visit a top hat to see what it is like. I saw a run down Roberts yesterday, but it needs too much work. If I could get a Top Hat at a good price that would be great.

I am happy to purchase a fiberglass hull. I have heard about osmosis, what am I looking for to detect osmosis?

Hi,
I would love to, we are house sitting on Magnetic Island until 19 January. Then heading south to Brisbane. What a shame, I would have loved to go sailing and see how the Top Hats work. If I am in that part of the world I will let you know.

Thanks Trek

Thanks to everyone for their advice so far. We are trolling ebay, gumtree and all the boat sale sites. We have put an add on gumtree for boats people are willing to give away but which have a sound hull and top, we have had a reply and will see the boat on our way down south. Quite amazing really. Kevin has only seen one boat so far, a chap stuck with a boat he no longer wants in Townsville, but the boat needs too much work. We leave our house sit on Magnetic Island on 19th Jan with our car and hobie in tow and onto our next adventure (a working one). Traveling south and expect to end up in either Brisbane or Melbourne for work.

There are many boats out there which we can see along the way. There must be a good boat at the right price (max $5000) out there somewhere. We have been advised to visit boat yards along the way to see if anyone wants to give their boat away.

There are many project boats, boats which have not been touched for a while or boats sitting at a mooring unused which are definitely worth a look. We are also very conscious of the associated costs with fixing up a boat and how many are then sold unfinished for a fraction of what they initially cost. We can't afford to take on a costly renovation. If we can find a boat to live aboard and start sailing straight away this would be great.

All I can say is watch this space and if anyone knows of a good boat no longer than about 30ft for complete novice sailors with time and intend for live aboard please feel free to send details though. Kevin does have the time, persistence and dedication.

Send details through by all means

I've spent a bit of time on a contessa 26 a while ago...great little boat too...but two people on a sub 26 footer isnt that big by the time you stow all the stores and gear you need....plastic is prob your only way to go in that size....may be some steel boats out there but i'd test their sailability :)

spiggie said...
Sorry buddy you are dreaming $10,000 to buy a boat and sail it to the sth pacific ,yes it can be done.at what risk to your life , do you value you and your partners life cheep.
Yes you may be rescued but that isn't cheap either
Buying a yacht is cheap add on radio, G.P.S.,E.P.I.R.B,life jackets,S.A.R.C.,storm sails, life raft/dingy,charts ,insurance ,slipping ,what is your plan if the **** hits the fan and your your masts break or you sink ?

okay let's say you buy a little yacht fix it up are you experienced at rigging,sail making ,electrics ,celestial navigation in case you can't afford a G.P.S. to name a few endlist of items.

lets say you get to Tonga can you show you have the funds to progrees further, if you tie up at the marina you have to show you have insurance, pay taxes ,Marina charges ,perhaps maintence



It is a disaster waiting to happen get more experiance crewing for others,cruising costs a lot more than house sitting around Aus

Many have and do do it. 1 tophat sold recently about 14k. Circumnavigated 40 lat. Around cape horn etc. outboard 3 crew sometimes 4. Where there's a will theres a way i say.
Then theres the other side. Guys i know who have no clue. Given millions and buy yachts. Hire skippers never sail. Motor only. Sell boat cant handle it. 1 knockdown and thats it they're done and all the money and gadgets cant get them past the fact theyre too scared to go any further. Celestial navigation? ? Who the hell does that in this day and age. Every dream starts with an idea. Go for it. Id say these guys would probably be less reckless than sailors who put themselves and their crew in danger due to time constraints costing us a fortune and possible regulations enforced as a result. Im all for it. You only have to know YOUR own limitations and act accordingly.

Who could afford celestial navigation these days! Even plastic sextants go for silly money. Tables have to be updated etc. Gps puck $25 and up and everything else is free if your smart.

I guess this thread is similar is some ways to Stevethadven's post about sailing across the top in a MacGregor.

The general opinion is that - yes it can/could be done, but why take such a risk when you probably don't have to?
You should take responsibility for your own actions, but if a yacht goes missing - the cost to the public to try and find or rescue stranded mariners is huge and all because someone made a poor choice by heading off on a yacht that is perhaps not up to the task.
Would a person make the same decision if there was no such thing as search and rescue?

I don't see how anyone could buy a yacht for $10k and then expect to get away with only spending say, another $10k (even doing most of the work yourself) and hope to end up with an ocean capable live aboard.

Hi guys,
Genuine question, what is the cost of a good wind vane setup for an auto helm? I always admired Jessica Watson 's approach with the wind some setup, whilst abbey Sunderland used a powered autopilot and ran into gremlins (of course) with the normal autopilot. I would be fixated on a non powered approach to autohelms for a major ocean going voyage. I could be paranoid, just asking!
SB

Anyone read or heard of john lechter? He wrote a book about self steering, sheet to tiller and all that. I have no AP and since buying his book about 18 months ago ive used sheet to tiller steering alot between broken bay port jackson and port hacking both on my 22footer and now on the tophat. Love it. It works so well that i cant justify a tiller pilot. ANYWAY john travelled extensively in the 60s alone and sometimes with his wife in a wooden, motor less 22 foot boat not so different to a bluebird. He went to hawaii and back twice and up to Alaska.
He also sailed up and down the treacherous Californian coast. Theres also the guy from hungry who Circumnavigated in a 20 footer. He sits on the top and the boat looks tiny. Neither of these guys had any superflous equipment.

MorningBird said..

Shaggybaxter said..
Hi guys,
Genuine question, what is the cost of a good wind vane setup for an auto helm? I always admired Jessica Watson 's approach with the wind some setup, whilst abbey Sunderland used a powered autopilot and ran into gremlins (of course) with the normal autopilot. I would be fixated on a non powered approach to autohelms for a major ocean going voyage. I could be paranoid, just asking!
SB

I have a Fleming wind vane and reckon it is the best sailing invention ever. I also have a Simrad tiller pilot for when the apparent wind isn't adequate for the Fleming. The Simrad also has other benefits such as steering to a waypoint, calculating drift and leeway for you.
The only additional mod I would do is one of those attachments for the Fleming so the tiller pilot can steer through the Fleming thereby taking the load on the tiller off the pilot.
The Fleming I got for $2000 off ebay. Because it came off a tiller steered S&S34 the missus and I installed it in an hour or two. The Simrad was $950 at Whitworths on special, six years ago. Plus about $60 for an extension piece to mount it on the seat.

Good advice MB. Although I hav a Monitor Windvane, I'd recommend a Fleming - i reckon they are better engineered.
Shaggy, a boat without an autopilot can quickly become very tedious. Get a Fleming, I guarantee you'll love it....
Besides your new baby deserves one.
regards,
Allan

HG02 said..
fitted to a aries

That's the idea.
I set up sheet to tiller steering on MB in accordance with Lechter's book. In principle the S&S should have been very suitable but it never had the power on the mainsheet needed to steer the boat. I've still got the bits onboard but with the Fleming and SIMRAD I don't need it. Here is a short clip from last year.
.be
I have just replaced the drive belt on the SIMRAD, it is back to as new performance. A very good product in my view.