US to Australia in One Year Starting February 2012

[dennisail]

Originally Posted by savoir

Which means that if you have two helms your bimini will create enormous windage.

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by savoir

Which means that if you have two helms your bimini will create enormous windage.

Modern fat arsed yachts with single helm have just as large biminis. Anyway with the amount of crap on the back of the cruising yachts ive seen around here, the bimini is only a small factor for windage especially as you can fold it up unlike the rest of the stuff

[dennisail]

Originally Posted by SurferShane

Hate to say, but for the popular production boats Beneteau seem to have one of the better reputations.

I was looking at May 2011 Cruising World magazine last night and there were heaps of good late model 45-46’ Beneteaus and Hunters going for around 150k US. A bit of bargaining and they might be in your price range. These included some real nice 2008 model 46’ Hunter deck salons that would have a very attractive resale value over here. Some of them were ex-charter in the Virgin Islands.

I know you (Dennis) are not keen on the Hunters at the moment, nonetheless, I am wondering if anyone could fill us in on their reputation? From what I can gather they are a decently built US production boat with a good report in Australia?

Yeah I have no prob with Ben. I think they are fairly good. I think have swayed her to realize prod boats are a good alternative.

As far as Hunter go, I am not sure about the B&R rig but I have not ruled them out. I have seen inside a large hunter and it would be good enough to live on long term. However I have not seen many late model prod boats of that size for that price in my searches. Specially Hunter. I need to get a copy of Cruising World.

[SurferShane]

Originally Posted by dennisail

Yeah I have no prob with Ben. I think they are fairly good. I think have swayed her to realize prod boats are a good alternative.

As far as Hunter go, I am not sure about the B&R rig but I have not ruled them out. I have seen inside a large hunter and it would be good enough to live on long term. However I have not seen many late model prod boats of that size for that price in my searches. Specially Hunter. I need to get a copy of Cruising World.

I blew the price on the Hunters. The 2008 41DS"s are advertised at around $190k US. Nonetheless, 2008 34-36'ers were well under $100k. Then it was the well-priced Benateaus like the ones mentioned in this thread that are ex-charter in the Virgin Islands.

I would send you the copy of the May 2011 Cruising World as it also has some good articles about navigating the Pacific from the US, but it is a borrowed from the library and likely already a few days overdue! Still, it is worth a look at their website where they have some good reviews on popular boats.

[Surfer Girl]

I don't know if you've checked the Sunsail brokerage site (below) but there are some great bargains on it! I also realise you are wanting to sail "USA to Oz" but check out some of the Med prices, especially Croatia.
These boats are generally better condition than the Caribbrean ex-charter boats of equivalent year because they are on the hard in winter. Caribbean charter boats stay in the water all year.


Exclusive In-House Brokerage Offices

If I can ever talk my wife into again, I will be buying one in the Med and starting my trip to Oz from there....

[SurferShane]

Dennis,

I was just wondering if you had considered Catalina Yachts? Like the Hunters they are another well-priced American production boat, which have a good reputation over here.

[SurferShane]

Originally Posted by Surfer Girl

I don't know if you've checked the Sunsail brokerage site (below) but there are some great bargains on it! I also realise you are wanting to sail "USA to Oz" but check out some of the Med prices, especially Croatia...,,,,,

A mate of mine who is an ex-boat builder and now involved in the legal side of the boat industry chartered a Jeaneau in Croatia and had a great time. His only gripe was the boat - apparently it was not that sea-kindly and beware of those deadly companion way stairs - , but I don't think you would be complaining too much about a deal like this?

Yacht Search

[dennisail]

Catalina, like hunter are not available at the same cheap prices as ex charter boats from the BVI.

[dennisail]

Croatia has some great deals, but it is too far for me. I don't have the time.

[SurferShane]

Originally Posted by dennisail

Catalina, like hunter are not available at the same cheap prices as ex charter boats from the BVI.

I just saw a few around the lake and their owners seemed happy.

Then again, decades back I surfed with this character from Florida who was a professional fisherman out of the British Virgin Islands and he loved the place!

[Surfer Girl]

SurferShane, that Oceanis 473 you posted the link to is half the price of the same vessel here. There are also 2006 Oceanis 393's for $100K Aussie - again half the price of the same boat here. Fantastic value!

I used to teach sailing and/or charter skipper on 40' Beneteau's - they're pretty tough and plenty have circumnavigated....

dennisail, you will find a great boat eventually and once you leave Ventura, San Diego or whereever on the US West coast, it is a 3 week sail to the Marqueasas - that's the long bit out of the way. From the Marquesas it's all shorter hops of 2 - 5 days depending which route you take all the way to Brisbane. Easily doable in 12 months...

I'm envious maybe I can sneak away and crew for you LOL!

[dennisail]

We might well be looking for crew for any longer passages. Just to lessen shift hours to reduce fatigue. I think an extra hand would not go astray safety wise. SurferShane has called shotgun already

Yeah the Oceanis 393 I mentioned is about half the AU value, as is the Cyclades or Bavaria. So the BVI is still a great option. But I wish I had another year so I could do Croatia. By the time we are ready to leave it will most likely be March. So that only leaves 9 months to go from the BVI back to AUS to beat the cyclone season. But we have until feb 2013 off.

Rather than rush it if we run into time issues, would a trip from the south pacific islands to NZ be feasible? I have studied the pilot charts and winds look OK. But I wonder if this is getting a bit far south for a prod boat? That's why I made the thread regarding the series drogue in the seamanship forum.

Do you think the waters north of NZ are safe say from NOV - FEB?

[Surfer Girl]

Once you start heading south of the 'milk run' lattitudes things get a little more unpredictable. Say you left French Polynesia for the Cook Islands and then to NZ - 1st, it's a longish passage; 2nd, Nov - Feb you could get ideal conditions or you could get smacked. I wouldn't say it would be 'dangerous' in those months (technically you are below the cyclone belt) and plenty of cruisers have done that leg (or from Tonga/Fiji) for exactly the same reason - running out of time to finish milk run to Brisbane or Cairns in the cyclone season - but I would say, if you copped nasty weather you're committed to press on to NZ.

But given your time constaints (without compromising safe passage planning too much), it is doable, with sufficient crew, you will just spend a lot more time at sea. I wouldn't worry if the production boat can handle some rough weather, as long as the rig is sound and you sail conservatively (reef early); I would worry more that you may not enjoy the trip as much and encounter fatigue.

Another alternative is to get to say Tonga, and put the boat up on the hard for cyclone season and come back the following year in April/May to continue the voyage?!?

It's a hard one to give advice on!

[savoir]

Plenty of people leave their boats in Fiji. Maybe this place ?

Vuda Point Marina Fiji - Yacht Haven

[Jamel]

Originally Posted by dennisail

Catalina, like hunter are not available at the same cheap prices as ex charter boats from the BVI.

Quite right, but factor in CA means no Panama expense, time and $!
Usually the Catalina owners here have well looked after yachts with many extras that charter boats are without. E.g. My 2003 C42 has all the nav gear + watermaker, inverter, 2 x TVs, 900 Ah batteries etc, etc!

Pays to do your homework!