tophatyachts.com

Hi Guy's ,

Don't mean to upset the Apple Cart , though I am considering a few sailboats at the moment for my young family to enjoy . the Top Hat seems to have an enviable safety record amongst sailboats of similar length , though just wondering as most of my time saling will be around the Hawkesbury with an occasional trip to Sydney etc . Just wondering what sailboat would be also worth considering , the few I have in mind are the Endeavour -27 ( extended 26 version ) , Triton 24 for family comfort ...

My kids will be 11, 8 , 7 around the time I will be buying the most appropriate vessel , all advice appreciated ...

Brad
DESIREMK1

Don't know about the Triton 24. Both the TH 25 and Endeavour 27 have good reputations for kindly sailing. Also room to stand up inside. I suggest you get onboard both models and just see what works for you, even if it is only checking out any 4 sale. I don't know how many Endeavour 27's are available nor do I know what price they are selling for but in my opinion, the TH is often underrated and undervalued. That means, you are likely to get far more boat for your money by getting a TH. I had an E 27 and now a TH 25 and I love my TH.

The Triton 24 does not have a lot of headroom. They sail OK but I am tall and prefer the Top Hat because at least I can almost stand up in my Mk11. All these boat would be fine for trips to Sydney. It is certainly a buyers market at the moment and you might find a compass 28 or 29 or something similar In the same price bracket.

Cheers,
Mark
Storm Petrel

I worry about the keel bolts on old boats. It is very difficult to check them, and you do not want your keel falling off at sea. Most of the common boats in the range 26 to 30 ft have bolt-ons. That is the advantage of the Top Hat, lead inside the structure. The Clansman 30 has a similar keel, so could be an option. There is a cheapie going on Gumtree at the moment.
Maybe also just upgrade to a MK11 Toppy to get more creature comforts.

Hi Gents ,

Thanks for the advice Gents , I appreciate your reply . When you consider such Top Hats currently for sale as " Pele " ( http://www.boatsales.com.au ) that offer obvious value for money , to somebody such as myself that hasnt had past sailing experience , and doing research in aid of gaining their first sailboat . Would prefer outboard due to maintainence costs , more internal aft room , and being easier to change power plants etc ...

Very vital point in regard to the internal leaded keel with Top Hats , I guess as a father of three , that really gets me thinking of their safety .

Brad
DESIREMK1

Compass 28 and 29 also have encapsulated lead keels and in my view have much more modern accommodation than a Clansman. Clansman are 30' long but have a beam of only 8' and are a bit claustrophobic down below because they have a 6' long galley that takes up much of the 'living space' below. But I still prefer my little Mk11 Toppy.

If you can't sail a Top Hat then sail a Laser. I do.There is no alternative.

If you're talking about 28 or 29 feet in the case of a Compass then you MUST start looking at a Traditional (Cole) 30. How far do you want to get away from 25ft?

You can't beat a Top Hat in its range!

One of the local guys recently bought a Traditional 30 with a good survey. First race in the Gosford broad water one of the chain plates pulled straight through the deck and he lost the mast, not to mention a chunk of his side deck. I guess it is a case of buyer beware or perhaps a TopHat is a safer bet.

I'd blame the surveyor before you blame the boat. What I'm saying is that sticking to 25ft, you can't beat a TH, or you need to go bigger as has been shown. COMPARE APPLES WITH APPLES !

The Endeavour I race on recently pulled one ring frame out and nearly lost the mast, it bent like a banana. That doesn't mean Endeavours are bad. Shit happens.

A traditional 30 is up around $65K. and it has a cast iron fin keel . That is a lot dfferent to a TH.

I started yacht sailing with a Cole 23, They're smaller than a TH but good value for money. It had a transom hung O/B, 9Hp Chrysler.
I know of one family of 5 that cruised on one on weekends. One also raced offshore at Port Hacking Ocean YC in the 80s. Owned by Tony Galwey.
It comes from the same designer (Peter Cole) as the Cole 30, Northshore 27, Traditional 30. All good boats.
I'd hasten to add I would not touch a Sonata 8, they're too flighty. What about the Parramatta River 25 (PR25) if they're still around. Not many THs seem to be making it to sea. The PR25 is a good harbour boat with a self tacking headsail.
Have a look around and see what buys you!

Hello Hatters

Open cheque book this is my choose !

I still think Swansons designed and made some of the best blue water yachts .

If you are looking for something around the 25 foot mark,value for money and seakindly etc ,try the Top Hat .For the extra wow the beautiful Mk 1 . Basically there isn't anything that compares to the Top Hat in this size.Remember the old saying "Horses for courses "

Bear