Buy or Deliver a Yacht Across the Atlantic: Advice Please

[simeon.michaels]

Hi, I joined the Forum a while ago and have been amazed by how much thought you put into your posts and the level of knowledge and experience you all provide.

I would like to sail across the Atlantic at the end of this year, ideally singlehanded. My plans are to buy a boat (although I will ask about other alternatives below), spend 2 months sailing her with crew from Europe or the UK to the Canaries (while getting her ready), then singlehand across to Cuba, Venezela and Brasil. People usually take on crew for the long crossings and get rid of them to cruise but i have done a lot of other journeys alone (kayaked from Sydney to Hobart for example) and that's my preference.

I am on a tight budget for the initial purchase, with a maximum of $20,000 (E15,000) to spend on the purchase and to get her sail ready, thereafter a decent weekly amount to keep her sailing.

So, first question, does anyone know of the perfect boat for me? I am thinking of something smaller and older (27-30 foot) with simple systems but well built and most importantly, well maintained/upgraded. Moderate speed is OK and it only has to be comfortable for one or two. Ideally I would like a boat that is currently/recently ocean cruising and has all that is required in reliable working order.

I would also apprecate an owner who was willing to sail with me for a few days or weeks to show me around...if someone wants to go on a farewell cruise before parting from their loved one it would fit hand-in-glove

Which brings me to a second alternative. Is there is anyone with a small yacht who wants it delivered for free to anywhere in the Caribbean or South America by early 2013?. I'm not the most experienced or qualified sailor around, but I will put a reasonable amount of work into her, take on experienced crew in the two months before the crossing, pay for insurance and place a cash bond for any post-voyage repairs..

Thanks for taking the time to read this long post, and I hope to hear from you soon,

Many thanks, Simeon

[Pete7]

Simeon, I think you would be better flying to the US and buying something cheap to sail rather than try and do it from Europe on such a small budget.

However if you must do it from Europe then have a look on here:

http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/core/lis...oat_id=2494337

I don't think anyone is going to let an inexperienced skipper sail their yacht across the Atlantic, so best give up that idea and buy your own yacht.


Pete

[Pete7]

You could ask Alex if he wants to sell Hina:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...rew-59975.html

Pete

[Coops]

Originally Posted by Pete7

I don't think anyone is going to let an inexperienced skipper sail their yacht across the Atlantic, so best give up that idea and buy your own yacht.


Pete

My thoughts exactly, and if they would, what kind of condition must it be in?

Coops.

[Pete7]

There is a large second hand boat show coming up in Le Crouesty, Brittany, France, which would have a few bargains. Its the first week of November.

Le Mille Sabords - Salon nautique du bateau d'occasion - Le Crouesty

[simeon.michaels]

Thanks for the input Pete, and the link to the Contessa 26. Once again I'd like to say how great the Forum is, i feel so fortunate to be able to access all that collective knowledge experience. The Contessa looks like a good choice and I will follow up on her but i would't mind some thing with headroom. Any suggestions? For the record I'm not a novice sailor, having sailed since I was a kid, and with several done multi-day passages in heavy weather (including the Bass Strait in a Force 9). But I don't call myself experienced out of respect to those with so much more . Thanks again and please keep the suggestions for available yachts coming, Simeon

[Pete7]

One of these went to the Azores and back a couple of years ago and it has full standing head room. They made 3000 of them so lots to choose from. There is also a fin keel version about.

1974 Westerly Centaur Sail New and Used Boats for Sale - www.yachtworld.co.uk

Fin keeled version:

http://www.westerly-owners.co.uk/wes...title=Pembroke

[carstenb]

Not trying to discourage you, but a boat that is ready for an atlantic crossing for 20 grand? It can be done, but perhaps very difficult to find. When you start adding extras (like demanding headroom), it gets even more difficult. The contessa is a good boat.

Most small boats don't have much in the way of water tankage - so considering a 3 week crossing (add a week for contingency ) now 4 weeks = 28 days. Absolute minimum amount of water you will need is 2 liters per day. That is the base minimum for survival. I wouldn't want to only have 2 liters per day. For safety etc, figure you need a 100 liters. Plus a lot of food. Extra sails? Cordage? etc etc etc etc.

AS I said - it can be done - but a bit spartan for my tastes

good luck

[Pete7]

Agreed, hence the focus on the old classics. The Vega would be a good choice too, I am reading about Beserk going to the Antarctic at the moment. Not my cup of tea but he did it.

I think more water would be required. Mark J of this parish used 100L but he had a modern Beneteau 393 so good turn of speed.

View Boat Photos - YachtWorld.com

[David_Old_Jersey]

Your budget, timescale and scale of ambition put this on the extremely unlikely end on possible.

To be honest, even with a higher budget the odds of finding a boat good to go are slim to none - especially given the intended size for the simple reason that 99% of such boats will not be equipped for an extended transocean voyage (why would they be?). Of course it is always possible to luck onto a boat - but your very short timescale makes that highly unlikely.

Experiance wise you probably have enough to "give it a go" - whether enough experiance and sense to learn along the way sufficiently to complete is another matter! My main caution is your comment about "getting her ready" whilst heading to the Canaries - which seems to indicate both a lack of understanding of what fitting out a boat actually involves and also that the whilst the initial trip is small in comparison to your later plans it nonetheless is a serious voyage in it's own right and not to be taken lightly.

If you need to get out of Europe by sailing boat the cheapest and easiest way would be as crew on someone else's boat - and if you are willing to chip in some of your budget as expenses it would making finding a berth fairly easy.

But if you are sold on the idea of going by own boat, then to make the venture more likely to succeed (or even to start!) I suggest that you compromise on either budget or timescale. or both!

In regard to boat, I would ignore the Contessa 26 - nice boat and capable and pretty much what you are after, blah, blah, blah but priced for it's good name. and in your budget buying on name is not money well spent. I suggest having a look at a Halycon 27 - apart from being a foot bigger I beleive also a few inches beamier and in that size of boat every little helps. Plus she doesn't have the Contessa premium on price - but still a folkboat derivative from the same era. Lots built so a reasonable chance to find one, and in varying conditions and price.

Nonetheless anything in your price (and therefore age) bracket will likely need work (even before the ocean stuff comes into play) - even if "just" to be prudent (not so easy to fix 25yo age broken stuff in the middle of nowhere - including the ocean!).....and the usual remedy for a small cash budget is time and DIY.......the trick with buying any boat is to (personally) know exactly what you are looking at and therefore can understand what work is required, how much it will cost (in time & money) and what is within your own capabilities and desire to deal with. If you are starting from zero knowledge of actual boat ownership then all that will be a big ask and you will be relying heavily on others (including a Surveyor?), none of whom will be on the boat with you in the middle of the ocean. and you will also be heavily relying on luck.

[barnakiel]

Simeon,

You budget is fine and one could find an older and not big, but strong and safe, boat for such a trip. But it is October now and you should be already somewhere in the Western Med / Madeira / etc. and thinking of moving down to the Canaries. Atlantic passage can be done any time, but getting out of continental Europe is best done before late fall sets in (and especially so in a small boat on a tight budget).

You are not likely to do this this winter season unless you buy a boat far South (in Canary Islands perhaps) and take up fom there. But I am in Canary Islands and it is difficult to buy an inexpensive and good boat here. Not impossible, just difficult. If you know which one is good, you may find it. If you do not, skip this part, take your time, go next year.

And everything depends on your skills - getting the boat ready, managing a tight budget and then sailing accross too (the sailing being possibly the easiest of the three things). If you have plenty of budget management, boat survey, sailing skills, then you are set. If not, then you are wasting your time.

So if you are dead serious and if the adventure beckons, let me know how you progress. You might be going via the Canaries and if so then drop me a PM and I will try to share some tight budget Canary secrets with you.

Fair winds,
b.

[carstenb]

Pete

I acn only agree with you on the water. 2 liters is the absolute minimum necessary for survival. You don't wash dishes in fresh water when you only have 2 liters. You drink it all.

100 liters is equal to about 4 liters per day. Still very little and he would need to be extremely sharp on his rationing.

200 liters = 8 liters per day. Now he can afford to "waste" at little. But still not much. 200 liters on a 27 ft. boat is a lot. fill a lot. tank for 200 liters is 1 meter by 1 meter by 20 cm Big Mother.

Anything is doable - but not necessarily enjoyable while being done

[chucklet321]

I would probably go with a 1977 morgan outisland mk 2 aft cockpit,
300 liters 2 cablins 1 aft and a v berth quite seaworthy depending on the hull, quite easy to sail.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by chucklet321

I would probably go with a 1977 morgan outisland mk 2 aft cockpit,
300 liters 2 cablins 1 aft and a v berth quite seaworthy depending on the hull, quite easy to sail.

Is this the same Chucklet, age 13, who is going to double or triple non stop circumnav around both big capes in a Hunter? Now you're giving advice? And lousy advice at that. This kind of post makes it very difficult to "be nice". It's Sat nite. Shouldn't you be at the movies breathing hard hot breath on some babe's neck?

[Travelnik]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Is this the same Chucklet, age 13, who is going to double or triple non stop circumnav around both big capes in a Hunter? Now you're giving advice? And lousy advice at that. This kind of post makes it very difficult to "be nice". It's Sat nite. Shouldn't you be at the movies breathing hard hot breath on some babe's neck?

He's an amputee charter captain that has an aquarium on a Hunter!

Maybe he's not into babes?