5Yr plan - am I crazy?

[Ianb]

Yes, the boats are spread out from Newcastle to South of Sydney. Suggest you first scan Gumtree http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-sydney/top+ ... 003435r500, Yacht Hub: http://yachthub.com/catlist/used/yachts ... to-25ft/20, Boat Point: http://www.boatpoint.com.au/used-boats/TOP-HAT/make.htm, even the venerable Trading Post : http://www.tradingpost.com.au/Search?Qu ... f=margb067
and see where all the boats are.

Dont be put off by the prices listed by brokers- some of their boats have been on the listings forever waiting for a buyer. Once you have seen a few that are priced to sell, you can go back and make realistic offers.

As well as Google maps, suggest you invest in a GPS navigator. Takes a lot of stress out of finding addresses in strange places. Start in Newcastle and work down, or vica versa if you prefer to take a look at Di's boat first.

[di_namic42]

Great suggestions.

As I have been researching boats fo 6 months I have almost every yacht sale site on bookmark.

I have started printing top hat info and map of Sydney area.

Will stick pins in and do where most are clustered.
Also holiday for me and I enjoy driving, but planned well!!!

Will plan Monday night, with Diana's help.

[Ianb]

There are so many tempting boats out there. Some are in price/specification clusters. ie similar specifications and price. Hard to choose. Since you would want to sail the new boat home, I would suggest it is important that the standing rigging has been replaced in the last 10 years, and that the motor is in good condition. Alternatively figure on spending circa $1500 in getting the standing rigging replaced. Di will be able to provide a better estimate of the cost for that.

In any event, before concluding a purchase, I would recommend getting a professional survey done. It will cost around $500, but will also give you an opportunity to anti-foul the hull, and if any non-deal-killing defects are found, will give you negotiating firepower, as well as peace of mind.

[Peter57]

Hi Di, hope your having fun looking at all the boats. While your in Sydney may be worth looking at some other types as well to compare such as the Northerner 28 which as William from Nightingale has said are great boats as well as some larger ones. Any decent boat should be able to be sailed single-handed. In another post you talk of trucking your boat up to Brisvegas. I would suggest that you sail her and by the time you arrive through the Seaway you will know the boat well and be able to appreciate her. There are lots of people who like to assist in the sail generally as well. I sailed the Top Hat Marinka I had from Lake Macquarie to Mooloolaba in 2 hits, as described elsewhere on this site and it was great fun. Hope all goes well and enjoy. Cheers Peter

[Ianb]

Di, do tell us how your inspections went. Hope you were not disappointed, as you have been quiet on this thread.

[di_namic42]

Quiet ? Yes I guess so.
Firstly, the drive down in one day is exhausting, and I needed a day to recover.
Spent a few days looking at top hats
Dave took me for a short sail in Peppercorn. He can really manouver it well. I was impressed and just confirmed my feeling that a top hat feels right somehow, and that I will be able to manage it.

Diana (sea lady) and her dad Keith looked after me really well, and I felt like family at the end.

We went for a short trip in sea lady as it was just as the wind storm was coming in.
I am glad I saw sea lady last , as it is lovely and clean and things work.
So I didn't see a number of boats I wanted to see, or catch up with a few people i planned to, but I had a couple of free Sydney harbour cruises coutesy of 2 brokers.
Then drove back to brisbane and exhausted again.


Then straight into 5 dayintensive day skipper theory course, which was great. It was run by Southern Cross yaching and the instructor was Steve Crockett. Learned so much about so much. Not just how to get around in the bay, but an beginners insight in how sailing, tides , currents, bouyage and pilotage work around the world. Thoroughly recommended.
Steve is quite a character aand very knowledgeable and entertaining.

So finally, I am back home now, tonight. So have been too busy and exhausted to write, as well as trying to recover still form Ross River fever and barmah forest virus. I think I have had them for 6 months but have only just been diagnosd. At least I know I will feel better sometime in the future

Time to review ......
My pre reading was 3 books from amazon on surveying fibreglass boats and surveying the aging sailboat. I will add the actual titles once I unpack and find them again. Of particular interest in one of the books ( before inspections) was the patterns of crazing in paint, and how it can indicate problems in the rigging I.e. too tight in some places. I thought it was interesting, but never expected to see it. I was certainly going to view boats witha more critical eye.

I will put some photos up tomorrow night with part 2 of the Sydney trip.

[Troppo]

Hi Di, you have been packing a heap of activities into your time, no wonder you feel exhausted! And fighting Ross River/Barma F. fever as well. Those wierd viruses certainly knock the stuffing out of people. But you have just had a big dose of various boating experiences and I am sure they will help with the ongoing seeking for ya own top hat.

cheers

Louis

[di_namic42]

I posted some photos during my viewing of a few top hats in
General Gallery, What to look for when buying a top hat.

Comments would be appreciated so I can understand if these "features" are serious or only cosmetic.

I must admit reading the how to survey books was fairly depressing and full of horror stories, and makes me fell like every boat is about to sink.

I need to see some well maintained boats to see the other side, I think!

The day skipper theory course was brilliant !!!

I may be goinging crewing for 10 day on a 52ft S&S out from Rockhampton starting next monday ( if the cyclone do BAD things). I was planning to look at the top hat at the marina there. I believe Phillip has seen it some time ago. Bit strange IMHO, as it has a generator on the back instead of solar panels. It looks well maintained from the photos.

[Ianb]

Di, It would be useful to other buyers if you could add the name and location of the boats to the pics that you posted. Similarly any good or bad points that you noted on the boats you looked at.

[Phillip]

Di,

Here are the photos of COOL CHANGE, one of four posts.