Choosing a yacht for offshore

[headingwest]

Hi All,

I have a dream next year to sail solo to Lord Howe. I did the trip as crew a couple of years ago, now it's my turn. Having twilighted (a new verb!) Top Hats a while back I'm familiar with this boat. Also the boat we sailed on had, allegedly, been sailed to Lord Howe twice by a previous owner.

My budget is about $20K, so this also fits.

But I'm also looking at the following yachts as an option, do any of you know these models:
- Compass 29
- Cavalier 26
- Pacific 27

I know this is a Top Hat forum, but it doesn't hurt to ask...

Thanks.

[Phillip]

Headingwest,

Look here http://compassyachts.info/web/ for compass yachts, but you are 10K + short for one of them.

Best to stick to a Top Hat with your 20K and you will have some left over (you will need up to a 1/3rd of purchase price) to fix it up to how you want it.

Go to the regatta this weekend to see the different Marks!

Phillip
SEAKA

[Maggsy]

I may have just the boat for you! If you are brave enough to go ocean sailing on a 25 footer. I know that Top Hat's are capable, but I am not sure if I have the Cojones!!

My Top Hat is set up for offshore, and all the trimmings for solo sailing. She has been a great starter boat for me, having never owned my own boat before, and I have managed to sail her single handed a number of times without any difficulties.

I am now considering upsizing and have spotted a Carter 33 that i like, so Sea Monkey may be going on the market. I am in negotiations at the moment and if a deal is struck I may have to let her go. If you are in Sydney and would like a look get in touch.

Regards ... Ian

[karl010203]

Heading to Lord Howe - no problem for an experienced skipper in a Tophat...

My choice would be Tophat naturally or a Compass. Have a look at the Compass 28 also on Boatpoint at the moment, if the ad is to be believed, they have just spent 25k fitting it for a trip to Tassie and now selling for under the $20k. There are some cheap boats out there at the moment.

Karl

[lockie]

I became a Compass 28 owner last year after a pretty thourough search, and from what I saw I doubt you would get a suitable Compass for $20k. You'd need to spend another $10k or so to get it right for your trip. And 29's bring quite a bit more. The Toppies I saw seemd to be quite a bit cheaper for comparable condition and equipment - those extra 3 feet are pretty expensive.

Good luck, hope you make it. I'm planning a solo trip Melbourne to King Island soon so I'm very interested in the solo-ing topic.

Hope my cross-boat-breed perfidy does not offend, but we all speak the same lingo.

cheers, lockie

[headingwest]

Yes, the $20K limit puts me firmly with Tophats. As much as I'd prefer a larger boat it's just not in my budget.

[karl010203]

Agree given your budget you aren't going to do better than a tophat.

There is a compass 28 with recon motor etc on Ebay at the moment, starting at $16, buy now of $22...

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Yacht-sailboat-C ... 4aa67cafd1

[lockie]

$22K would be about the sensible limit for that C28 on Ebay, compared to a good one which you could get for $29 - 30K, fully equipped with recent rigging, instruments, extra sails etc. It's amazing how quickly the extra bits add up - I went through that exercise with a couple of C28's and was amazed at how much better value the one we bought for a couple of grand over our $27K budget actually was in the long run.

lockie

[Shaun]

You wont go wrong with a well prepared Top Hat, but if you'd like the few extra feet...
How about a Northener 28?, forerunner for the Compass 28.

lockie, you must of looked into the N28 option, when you were searching? If you did, why did you eliminate them?
They seem good value.
cheers
Shaun

[lockie]

Shaun;

There wasn't one on the market at the time. I'm in Melbourne and we don't have the wide choice you northern chaps do.