£35k budget for a boat
Discussion
Hello all.
I'm fully aware that this is a question I should be putting on YBW, but as I'd just get inundated with 'my boat is the best' responses, I thought I'd look for advice form any 'sticks and rags' lovers on PH first.
Long story short, my girlfriend and I are looking at buying a house in the Algarve, and as the process will mean selling some assets here, I'm keen to upgrade our manky old Mirage 28 on the Mudway for something a bit bigger and shinier on the Atlantic coast.
Obvious choices are Bendytoy and Jenneau, thinking around 30-34ft, as we will be short handed most of the time. I'd like mod cons like autohelm and I might (shudder) even think about in mast furling for the main, purely for convenience.
Any thoughts and advice most welcome!
I'm fully aware that this is a question I should be putting on YBW, but as I'd just get inundated with 'my boat is the best' responses, I thought I'd look for advice form any 'sticks and rags' lovers on PH first.
Long story short, my girlfriend and I are looking at buying a house in the Algarve, and as the process will mean selling some assets here, I'm keen to upgrade our manky old Mirage 28 on the Mudway for something a bit bigger and shinier on the Atlantic coast.
Obvious choices are Bendytoy and Jenneau, thinking around 30-34ft, as we will be short handed most of the time. I'd like mod cons like autohelm and I might (shudder) even think about in mast furling for the main, purely for convenience.
Any thoughts and advice most welcome!
A Hunter Legend 30 might be worth a look - c 10 year old one might be in that price bracket. My father's is for sale at present, a little bit north of that price from memory. Not the fastest boat around, but accomodation roomy and reasonably well built, plus fairly well equipped. Not sure if in-mast furling was ever an option though. They had fin and twin keel options, and you got quite a bit for your money when new around the time they were introduced. Has the benefit of wheel steering if you like that sort of thing, which is rare on a boat of that size.
I never sailed it singlehanded, and would need a bit of practice tacking the genoa to get it right, but I am sure not a problem in reality. No problems at all with 2 on board however.
I never sailed it singlehanded, and would need a bit of practice tacking the genoa to get it right, but I am sure not a problem in reality. No problems at all with 2 on board however.
Lively if you choose it to be, easy to sail short handed, a few toys, bathing platform and already in country... yours with a bit of a haggle 
http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/2002/Beneteau-Fi...
http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/2002/Beneteau-Fi...
I'm about to put my 1998 Beneteau Oceanis 281 on the market with a view to going larger.
The boat has pretty much everything you could need (heating, h&c water, holding tank, TV, autopilot, plotter, asymmetric kite, single-line reefing, stackpack etc etc) and over the past 12 months it has been comprehensively refitted (new sails, covers, sprayhood, stackpack, running rigging, standing rigging, deck gear, nav kit, folding prop etc etc etc totalling in excess of £20k. it also has a full condition survey from just a few weeks back.
I can send you a spec if you are interested.
The boat has pretty much everything you could need (heating, h&c water, holding tank, TV, autopilot, plotter, asymmetric kite, single-line reefing, stackpack etc etc) and over the past 12 months it has been comprehensively refitted (new sails, covers, sprayhood, stackpack, running rigging, standing rigging, deck gear, nav kit, folding prop etc etc etc totalling in excess of £20k. it also has a full condition survey from just a few weeks back.
I can send you a spec if you are interested.
Just from personal experience, a bit of a curveball.
Elan 344, which is the baby sister to what I have, is quite a nice boat but potentially a little above your budget?
However, here's a thought....
There's some ridiculously good deals out in the eastern-Mediterranean, Croatia, Greece, etc.
Why not have a shopping holiday to see what's about? I did from approx. Zadar to Split, around 2 hours apart, stopping at some of the marinas on the way through. There's literally thousands of ex-charter boats for sale and more often than not, a really good deal going somewhere. Basic supply/demand rules say that prices will be lower when there's so much competition around.
Then it's a nice sail back through the Med to Portugal, you could make a really good holiday of it if you had the time.
The bonus of that is you'll get to know your boat intimately by the time you pull up, which does help to make subsequent days out a bit more calm and relaxed.
Elan 344, which is the baby sister to what I have, is quite a nice boat but potentially a little above your budget?
However, here's a thought....
There's some ridiculously good deals out in the eastern-Mediterranean, Croatia, Greece, etc.
Why not have a shopping holiday to see what's about? I did from approx. Zadar to Split, around 2 hours apart, stopping at some of the marinas on the way through. There's literally thousands of ex-charter boats for sale and more often than not, a really good deal going somewhere. Basic supply/demand rules say that prices will be lower when there's so much competition around.
Then it's a nice sail back through the Med to Portugal, you could make a really good holiday of it if you had the time.
The bonus of that is you'll get to know your boat intimately by the time you pull up, which does help to make subsequent days out a bit more calm and relaxed.
maser_spyder said:
Just from personal experience, a bit of a curveball.
Elan 344, which is the baby sister to what I have, is quite a nice boat but potentially a little above your budget?
However, here's a thought....
There's some ridiculously good deals out in the eastern-Mediterranean, Croatia, Greece, etc.
Why not have a shopping holiday to see what's about? I did from approx. Zadar to Split, around 2 hours apart, stopping at some of the marinas on the way through. There's literally thousands of ex-charter boats for sale and more often than not, a really good deal going somewhere. Basic supply/demand rules say that prices will be lower when there's so much competition around.
Then it's a nice sail back through the Med to Portugal, you could make a really good holiday of it if you had the time.
The bonus of that is you'll get to know your boat intimately by the time you pull up, which does help to make subsequent days out a bit more calm and relaxed.
Cheers MaserElan 344, which is the baby sister to what I have, is quite a nice boat but potentially a little above your budget?
However, here's a thought....
There's some ridiculously good deals out in the eastern-Mediterranean, Croatia, Greece, etc.
Why not have a shopping holiday to see what's about? I did from approx. Zadar to Split, around 2 hours apart, stopping at some of the marinas on the way through. There's literally thousands of ex-charter boats for sale and more often than not, a really good deal going somewhere. Basic supply/demand rules say that prices will be lower when there's so much competition around.
Then it's a nice sail back through the Med to Portugal, you could make a really good holiday of it if you had the time.
The bonus of that is you'll get to know your boat intimately by the time you pull up, which does help to make subsequent days out a bit more calm and relaxed.
Interestingly, I have seen an Elan 333 on boatshed that looks quite nice and is within budget. Not a make I had considered, but I will now. She's lying in Greece I think. I'd love to sail a boat back from there, but am conscious of the time it would take.
TTwiggy said:
maser_spyder said:
Just from personal experience, a bit of a curveball.
Elan 344, which is the baby sister to what I have, is quite a nice boat but potentially a little above your budget?
However, here's a thought....
There's some ridiculously good deals out in the eastern-Mediterranean, Croatia, Greece, etc.
Why not have a shopping holiday to see what's about? I did from approx. Zadar to Split, around 2 hours apart, stopping at some of the marinas on the way through. There's literally thousands of ex-charter boats for sale and more often than not, a really good deal going somewhere. Basic supply/demand rules say that prices will be lower when there's so much competition around.
Then it's a nice sail back through the Med to Portugal, you could make a really good holiday of it if you had the time.
The bonus of that is you'll get to know your boat intimately by the time you pull up, which does help to make subsequent days out a bit more calm and relaxed.
Cheers MaserElan 344, which is the baby sister to what I have, is quite a nice boat but potentially a little above your budget?
However, here's a thought....
There's some ridiculously good deals out in the eastern-Mediterranean, Croatia, Greece, etc.
Why not have a shopping holiday to see what's about? I did from approx. Zadar to Split, around 2 hours apart, stopping at some of the marinas on the way through. There's literally thousands of ex-charter boats for sale and more often than not, a really good deal going somewhere. Basic supply/demand rules say that prices will be lower when there's so much competition around.
Then it's a nice sail back through the Med to Portugal, you could make a really good holiday of it if you had the time.
The bonus of that is you'll get to know your boat intimately by the time you pull up, which does help to make subsequent days out a bit more calm and relaxed.
Interestingly, I have seen an Elan 333 on boatshed that looks quite nice and is within budget. Not a make I had considered, but I will now. She's lying in Greece I think. I'd love to sail a boat back from there, but am conscious of the time it would take.
Doesn't sound like a shoddy trip, does it?
TTwiggy said:
Sounds amazing, but some of us have to work!
Did you go through the straits of Messina?
Yup, it was quite strange.... Reached about 12 knots over ground and the odd little whirlpools everywhere were a quite strange to see. I wouldn't let hidetheelephants go through one though, much to his dismay. Did you go through the straits of Messina?
Flat out, you could probably do it in 2-3 weeks, but that would be the worst way to approach it. We had to go straight past Gallipoli because we were pressing on, and I was a bit gutted to miss it. Likewise some of the Italian islands for a similar reason.
Still, there are bargains to be had in that part of the world....
haha - I've heard about the whirlpools there, and the mirages too!
This looks nice, and I would love to do the delivery trip!
http://www.boatshed.com/elan_333-boat-135464.html
This looks nice, and I would love to do the delivery trip!
http://www.boatshed.com/elan_333-boat-135464.html
Another departure from the norm!
Loads of ex Sunsail and Moorings yachts kicking around for billy bargain prices.
Much newer than the 333, more like '06/'07 ish era, but possibly harder used. Do your homework with a good survey.
http://www.mooringsbrokerage.com/used-boats/index....
Loads of ex Sunsail and Moorings yachts kicking around for billy bargain prices.
Much newer than the 333, more like '06/'07 ish era, but possibly harder used. Do your homework with a good survey.
http://www.mooringsbrokerage.com/used-boats/index....
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