Please talk me out of buying this racing boat
Discussion
I like the look of this Corby 29 at £35k
https://apolloduck.com/feature.phtml?id=437615
Could be fun for a few summers of low-key IRC round-the-cans racing, plus the possibility to do round-the-island, JOG offshore and so on. Weekend day sails if weather permits and some longer trips if you can handle the somewhat spartan interior.
I need you to convince me it is a terrible idea as I can't shake the possibility from my mind. My family have owned boats before, so I know a little second-hand about the hassle, expense and so on. I've done quite a lot of racing but mostly on different stuff (40.7s and IRC 40-45s, some Quarter Ton). But I live in London and work far too many hours to get down to the coast that much. Hmmmm.
https://apolloduck.com/feature.phtml?id=437615
Could be fun for a few summers of low-key IRC round-the-cans racing, plus the possibility to do round-the-island, JOG offshore and so on. Weekend day sails if weather permits and some longer trips if you can handle the somewhat spartan interior.
I need you to convince me it is a terrible idea as I can't shake the possibility from my mind. My family have owned boats before, so I know a little second-hand about the hassle, expense and so on. I've done quite a lot of racing but mostly on different stuff (40.7s and IRC 40-45s, some Quarter Ton). But I live in London and work far too many hours to get down to the coast that much. Hmmmm.
Why spank £35k on it?
If you want a decent racer or cruiser, you can get decent boats for a fraction of that.
If it's the first boat you've owned, then I'd suggest something fairly bomb-proof. Why not something like a Sonata? Cheap as chilps, a great class to race in, forgiving if difficult to setup just right, just about enough room for the odd night away and virtually indestructible.
You'd get the best one on the planet for less than £10k.
Oh and that Corby has a GM10 in it. Reliable as mud, but dear god do you know when it's running!
If you want a decent racer or cruiser, you can get decent boats for a fraction of that.
If it's the first boat you've owned, then I'd suggest something fairly bomb-proof. Why not something like a Sonata? Cheap as chilps, a great class to race in, forgiving if difficult to setup just right, just about enough room for the odd night away and virtually indestructible.
You'd get the best one on the planet for less than £10k.
Oh and that Corby has a GM10 in it. Reliable as mud, but dear god do you know when it's running!
IforB said:
Why spank £35k on it?
If you want a decent racer or cruiser, you can get decent boats for a fraction of that.
If it's the first boat you've owned, then I'd suggest something fairly bomb-proof. Why not something like a Sonata? Cheap as chilps, a great class to race in, forgiving if difficult to setup just right, just about enough room for the odd night away and virtually indestructible.
You'd get the best one on the planet for less than £10k.
Oh and that Corby has a GM10 in it. Reliable as mud, but dear god do you know when it's running!
This is all helpful, thanks. If you want a decent racer or cruiser, you can get decent boats for a fraction of that.
If it's the first boat you've owned, then I'd suggest something fairly bomb-proof. Why not something like a Sonata? Cheap as chilps, a great class to race in, forgiving if difficult to setup just right, just about enough room for the odd night away and virtually indestructible.
You'd get the best one on the planet for less than £10k.
Oh and that Corby has a GM10 in it. Reliable as mud, but dear god do you know when it's running!
NickCQ said:
This is all helpful, thanks.
No problem. I used to have a Sonata and I still miss it terribly. Class racing is always so much more fun than handicap as well. They are very basic boats, but that is part of the joy, running costs really aren't much more than the average dinghy. I reckon we got away with about 2-3k a year including mooring, insurance, lift out and storage, antifoul, repairs and the occasional spangly go faster bits. There's a keen market for them too, so they tend not to lose any money unless you abuse it badly. We raced at least once a week during season and did multiple events every year, so we gave it a kicking and it never let us down.I think they are brilliant first time racing yachts. You can race with stuff all experience and have fun, but to get to the front of the fleet, you generally have to know what you are doing, so there's great scope for development.
They also have the added bonus of being easily manageable by 3 and 2 at a real pinch (though in any sort of breeze, you want to have plenty of beef on the rail to keep it powered up and pointing) whereas when you get a bit bigger, you often find your racing schedule dictated by crew availability. The more people you need, the bigger a headache it is and when you are new to it all, it helps enormously to have a stable crew complement who know how eachother thinks. Just grabbing any person off the yachtclub lawn is fine when you know your onions, but if you are still learning some people back away from this.
Hunter knew what they were doing when they designed them, honestly I am virtually talking myself into tracking my old one down and buying it back! She was a particularly quick boat even with me driving it. It had an unusual (for a Sonata) tapering mast which meant in a blow you could depower it more easily and still hold it, whereas others would have to constantly dump.
There are plenty of other boats out there for relatively small money compared to the Corby too, which whilst a lovely boat is something that you'd really want to be sailing every weekend to get the most out of. Especially with not just that investment, but also the running costs involved.
For example, 3DL's are very expensive and tend not to last that well either. Great when they are new, but after a season they lose their edge. So running costs on it might be somewhat higher too.
Is it time to launch yet? I'm getting withdrawl symptoms just typing this! Roll on summer!
Edited by IforB on Tuesday 28th February 21:38
NickCQ said:
Could be fun for a few summers of low-key IRC round-the-cans racing, plus the possibility to do round-the-island, JOG offshore and so on. Weekend day sails if weather permits and some longer trips if you can handle the somewhat spartan interior.
Corby built some pretty hot boats.The key question, is it a handicap bandit? That's the easiest and cheapest way to go pot lifting.
That interior is a palace compared to some of the shockers I did JOG offshore on!
Follow the heart.
She looks good, albeit pricey.
And make sure the head, diary and wallet can keep up with your heart, and new boat, as loyal servants.
I did with my first boat http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Ownership can bring a pleasure not only upon deck, but knowing she exists only a drive away.
Time on a boat is longer. Food, drink and experiences are better than on land. Speed really matters and feels more vibrant and powerful.
Sorry. I meant to quote a cliched phrase about FFF/2days and say "Don't do it".
She looks good, albeit pricey.
And make sure the head, diary and wallet can keep up with your heart, and new boat, as loyal servants.
I did with my first boat http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Ownership can bring a pleasure not only upon deck, but knowing she exists only a drive away.
Time on a boat is longer. Food, drink and experiences are better than on land. Speed really matters and feels more vibrant and powerful.
Sorry. I meant to quote a cliched phrase about FFF/2days and say "Don't do it".
kurt535 said:
- agreed on syndicating ownership with one other person? works well with aircraft.
I've seen this go wrong more times than go right - it's not something I'd consider as I wouldn't want to lose friends / sailing partners over financial matters.I'm wondering whether something like a J/80 could be a good stepping stone before trading up in a few years if all goes well. It's easy to talk about budgeting for £5-10k p.a. running costs, but a different thing to experience it first hand.
lee_fr200 said:
I've got a 17ft fletcher arrowstreak with 140hp 3 litre inboard that goes like stink
Why spend 35k come buy ours for 5k I'm selling it to buy a new supercharged seadoo jet ski
We've had tons of fun with it even on the rivers ignoring the speed limit at 40kts
I prefer wind power myself - and have a lot more respect for water speed limits than land speed limits. Why spend 35k come buy ours for 5k I'm selling it to buy a new supercharged seadoo jet ski
We've had tons of fun with it even on the rivers ignoring the speed limit at 40kts
(Edited to increase politeness)
Edited by NickCQ on Wednesday 1st March 20:14
NickCQ said:
kurt535 said:
- agreed on syndicating ownership with one other person? works well with aircraft.
I've seen this go wrong more times than go right - it's not something I'd consider as I wouldn't want to lose friends / sailing partners over financial matters.I'm wondering whether something like a J/80 could be a good stepping stone before trading up in a few years if all goes well. It's easy to talk about budgeting for £5-10k p.a. running costs, but a different thing to experience it first hand.
What you spend on a boat a year is up to you really! Once the basics are covered, the budget for go faster bits becomes very elastic and easily runs away with itself!
Sharing a boat has a lot of positives, but you are right, a lot of negatives too. Who you share with is incredibly important. I've been lucky enough to share with some of my closest friends. We all treat the boat the same and generally we're all good at paying up our share when required. It's also good for racing as you generally have a steady crew, but the problems can arise when everyone wants to drive!
I like sharing boats, but I have seen plenty who have fallen foul of it. I used to run a few flying schools and dealt with aircraft syndicates regularly too and that was generally a nightmare for all the same reasons.
It can work, but you are right to be wary of it.
As for budgeting £10k a year for it, then that is a painful sum unless you have that as easily disposable cash. I run a 5.5m RIB, an RS400 and our MG Spring 25 for significantly less than that a year. If you are on the south coast, then your mooring fees alone may dwarf my annual budget, but that is the joy if being in the wilds of North Essex!
There is nothing that saps the joy out of sailing faster than having to cut corners to make it happen. When your other half starts to give you grief over it, then the fun reduces rapidly and there's nothing worse than that when it's your hobby. Of course, you might be as rich as 98% of PH thinks it is and therefore as a powerfully built company director, running costs for any yacht is just a mere bagatelle to be ignored!
IforB said:
As for budgeting £10k a year for it, then that is a painful sum unless you have that as easily disposable cash. I run a 5.5m RIB, an RS400 and our MG Spring 25 for significantly less than that a year. If you are on the south coast, then your mooring fees alone may dwarf my annual budget, but that is the joy if being in the wilds of North Essex!
It's a big number, to be sure. But my plan was this - for the first year at least I'd keep it in a convenient marina (nearest to me are Chichester or Hamble ... ouch). That has two benefits - (i) initial maintenance backlog is probably easier to deal with, especially as I learn the boat; and (ii) if I don't get enough use out of it in a convenient marina slip, I'm never going to use it if it's a long dinghy ride away, so I should face facts and sell up.So you have £3-4k of marina costs before you've even started, then add insurance, maintenance, lift outs, a new kite for when you screw up, etc etc
IforB said:
Of course, you might be as rich as 98% of PH thinks it is and therefore as a powerfully built company director, running costs for any yacht is just a mere bagatelle to be ignored!
Haha, I wish.What was it that JPMorgan said? If you have to ask how much it costs, you can't afford it.
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