mark

[marktre]

Just moved down to Australia (Perth) and having to learn a whole new range/brand of boats. Seeing a lot more steel hulls. Looking to purchase a boat in the future for solo/shorthanding cruising and support my other passion, snorkeling/scuba. Thinking about something in the 26 to 42 ft range.

Any recommendation on boats for sailing in OZ? Van De Stadt? Roberts?

Any advice welcomed.

Cheers

[psk125]

Van de Stadt has a good reputation for general build quality and design (decent sailing qualities). Roberts boats are more variable. Many of them are home-built, so materials and construction quality can be great or horrible - and anywhere in between. The concern with steel in general: rust never sleeps. If you're diving on reefs, however, steel's toughness and pliability can be a good thing when the boat decides it wants to see the coral up close too.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, marktre.

[Wotname]

Welcome Aboard marktre . Make sure you get a berth with the boat if buy in Perth - otherwise very difficult to find one (like very very difficult).

[marktre]

Thanks for the feeback. Any other boats I should be looking out for/in to?

[builder dan]

an adams 40 is a fantastic boat roomy sail well

[Weyalan]

I'll endorse the recommendation for Adams boats too... a good designer, underrated outside of Australia. Again, many Adams boats are home-built, so build quality can vary.

Alos look out for Jim Young designs (Young 88, for example), Lidgard, Elliot... all pretty popular in Australia (& NZ).

There are still plenty of the Bene / Junneau / Bavaria time European production boats around too.

Check out Yachts & Boats for Sale in Australia & New Zealand | Yachthub for a good overview of boats for sale in Oz