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Old 10-08-2018, 12:28   #16
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Re: Opinions on ex-racing boat

I'm ignorant of the make and model, but it seems to have quite a nice interior ocmpared to a truely stripped out racing boat. There's a Swan42 on Yachtworld listed at $17k with the remains of a truly stripped out racing interior, pipe berths and a bare head, if you want to see what "racing" can mean.(G)

The boat may be built well enough, but you would have to question whether the engine has enough power (racing engines are often "just for docking"), whether there is enough fuel and water and holding tank capacity, how hard it would be to bump those up, whether the electrical system (and more heavy batteries) would suit your purposes, whether a racing rig was in need of repair by now, or indeed if it was rigged in a way that required more hands than you have available.

Just depends on the price, on your personal needs, and how purpose-built the boat was. At the right price, you can make a lot of mods, if the basic bones will meet your needs. But *do* expect you'd want to look it over very closely, and be aware of those issues.
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Old 10-08-2018, 13:18   #17
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Re: Opinions on ex-racing boat

The lack of storage would be a deal breaker for me aside from all the other undesirable factors. For 200k you could buy a MacGregor 65 or as another post mentioned a 50 foot mono (like i have) that would do close to 200nm /day in comfort.
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Old 10-08-2018, 13:41   #18
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Re: Opinions on ex-racing boat

Quote:
Originally Posted by Azurefeeling View Post
... So how Hard is can be to convert it from current state to a proper cruising boat?
Short answer: impossible. Chalk and cheese.

It's a round-the-cans harbour racer, a glorified race dinghy, cheap to build and fit-out, never meant to last. Fun for a bunch of guys to win races in the sunshine then go drinking in the clubhouse bar; miserable for anything else. You've been warned what it would be like offshore - awful (ask me how I know).

Well you did ask for opinions.
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Old 10-08-2018, 13:56   #19
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Re: Opinions on ex-racing boat

Quote:
Originally Posted by NevisDog View Post
Short answer: impossible. Chalk and cheese.

It's a round-the-cans harbour racer, a glorified race dinghy, cheap to build and fit-out, never meant to last. Fun for a bunch of guys to win races in the sunshine then go drinking in the clubhouse bar; miserable for anything else. You've been warned what it would be like offshore - awful (ask me how I know).

Well you did ask for opinions.



This ^^^^


AND, once you "convert it from current state to a proper cruising boat" it will then suck as a race boat.
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Old 10-08-2018, 14:14   #20
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Re: Opinions on ex-racing boat

Beauty boat EH!


What Grant said is exactly right ... been there done that, but with crew.


And more importantly, when you start to load these boats with "stuff" weight placement is a huge issue to the point of dangerous, in addition to little capacity. Go over the allowable and you won't be able to control her, but more likely the rudder will break. Go too fast down a big wave and this baby will cartwheel into the wave ahead, very tricky to sail but lots of fun.



To make passages they would have to be short like Vic/Maui which would be 14 days @ 12 to 15 kts 24/7 with maybe a slow day or two.


To repeat "very wet and cold"
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Old 10-08-2018, 16:41   #21
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Re: Opinions on ex-racing boat

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Originally Posted by Azurefeeling View Post
Very tempting to buy this boat ( Ker 33 | Vicsail ), not for cruising but for some serious offshore passage. I really like the minimlistic interior and as you can see it already has some basic comfort and equipments. So how Hard is can be to convert it from current state to a proper cruising boat?
We have changed our ex race yacht to a liveaboard. Inglis 39. We lived on her for 3 years but spent the whole time planning the makeover. She was a joy to sail (albeit wet) but uncomfortable to live on. She now is a full on cruiser. With all the trimmings and Sailing is now much dryer and even more enjoyable. It cost over $60k and we did most of the work ourselves. It was worth it. We love the difference. We look forward to doing 200mile days when we cross the Indian Ocean.
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Old 10-08-2018, 17:57   #22
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Re: Opinions on ex-racing boat

Well... for this amount of cash... https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/201...Porto/Portugal

Or this once https://www.yachtvillage.net/en/preo...8Uu1jxNrFCiXqw

RM890 Tiny Viking was owned by legendary Francois Gabart http://www.rm-yachts.com/rm890-n15-t...king---126-500
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Old 10-08-2018, 18:39   #23
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Re: Opinions on ex-racing boat

Another vote in agreement with Grantmc.


I've done a few Coral Sea crossings in similar. He's right. Even in the tropics, it's a very uncomfortable, wet and cold ride in anything but very light conditions.
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Old 10-08-2018, 21:30   #24
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Re: Opinions on ex-racing boat

Tough boat to ever resell for a decent figure. 10 years ago I bought a Farr 43 Snake Oil for $55K in Texas and she had been converted beautifully by a shipwright and was valued for a loan he needed at more than $300K. He was extremely upset and would not meet me. 4 years later I also lost $$$$ on her/it. So it might be a mistake but an exciting one.
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Old 10-08-2018, 21:31   #25
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Re: Opinions on ex-racing boat

Azure Feeling,

To me, this is really about what you would want the boat for, including at the end of the quick passages you wrote you had in mind. Because, the sad truth is that almost everything you do to a boat to make it more cruise-worthy, makes her less race worthy. Weight is added, windage is added. Unless you're extremely hardy, you'll need a dodger. You'll want an autopilot. You'll want to store groceries and have a refrigerator. You don't have to have a refrigerator, but if you want to learn home canning, you'll need a better stove set up. Something to be aware of with prods, especially those that retract into the hull, is that going to windward, it is going to be too wet to sleep well in the forepeak. It could be too wet to store supplies. People who will put up with that for long passages are pretty rare.

How much water tankage does she have? How does it compare to your daily usage? Might have to add more....and "a pint's a pound, the world around." Fuel tankage?

Another issue is that it was built for a race boat, as a casual cruiser, sort of like camping out on a weekend. This won't matter unless there's a significant other who would like to use the sun shower sometimes? It is actually fatiguing to hand steer even an easily steered boat watch on watch, day after day.

If you're meant to drop the headsails and re-set a new one, what's going to keep them on deck? Where will you store the sails? In the wet forepeak? might as well leave that set of cushions home.

If the boat is for voyaging in, you will need somewhere for a change or two of clothes, maybe more.

That's enough for now. It is not that it cannot be done, but something a little more on the cruisy side might do you better. Or, the lack of "cruisy" might help you motivate a seller to come down in price, making the changes you'd want for yourself more in reach monetarily. Boats built primarily to race in may not be as stoutly constructed as you would prefer for a cruising boat, as well. It was John Mc Conaghy who said to us, "if some of your boats don't break, you're building them too heavily." This was after "the boat that broke its back" sank in San Diego at the America's Cup.

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Old 10-08-2018, 22:23   #26
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Re: Opinions on ex-racing boat

I couldn't imagine sailing offshore in that.... For me cruising is least about getting somewhere fast. I get the benefits of outrunning weather and so on, but how will the performance of this boat be when it is loaded down with tankage and supplies and spares and a dinghy and BBQ and cans of beans and beer, like a typical cruising setup? It's like setting off cross country on a skittish english dressage horse instead of a nice fat western trained arizona mare One can run real fast, but you're gonna be working hard to keep it in control. The other you can sleep in the saddle and she'll still get you there. Of course our boat looks like a french boudoir on the inside, so maybe it's just a taste thing, but it seems like you have to pick your preferred goal and get the right boat for the job.
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Old 13-08-2018, 09:39   #27
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Re: Opinions on ex-racing boat

Ker is carbon fiber everything. Having sailed a bit on a Ker 46 I can say it is pleasurably quick, agile, and roomy inside which is terrific for racing with numerous crew. No storage spaces, but lots of fast fun. It is noisy inside as the carbon fiber "everything" is making "ting, ting,-ting-ting-ting noise constantly. Even a little water lapping on the hull sides is tinging, almost like ringing. Carbon fiber.
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Old 13-08-2018, 20:00   #28
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Re: Opinions on ex-racing boat

I've cruised a more conservative racer cruiser and truly enjoyed it, but I've also transited boats like this one. Very wet cockpit, quite light and bouncy with no crew weight, and generally uncomfortable and physical boats to sail, basically tiring on long passages, unless those passages tend to be smooth and perfect sailing conditions. In lumpy seas you'll get beat up and soaked unless you had a huge hard dodger fabricated, but that would defeat the whole purpose of getting a light fast boat.
Ever thought of an open class boat? They're designed for open ocean racing, so they're a bit more forgiving in the cockpit protection, just a bit. Just as spartan on the inside but designed to support ocean crossings, instead of just bay crossings.
Once the rules change slightly they're pretty cheap since they're no longer competitive.
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Old 14-08-2018, 17:46   #29
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Re: Opinions on ex-racing boat

I’d probably go with an open 40 as a few have been converted but still wet.
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Old 17-08-2018, 11:27   #30
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Re: Opinions on ex-racing boat

This is the wrong boat. It would be a pretty exciting ride and it would be fun to sail on a fast downwind leg. But on a long ocean passage or cruising at a destination, you will be camping out, and there are lots of hardships to deal with as Grantmc and others have said.

If you want a fast cruiser (we've been there and done that, and still do) get a little more conservative ex-racer, one that can tolerate the weight and modifications, and them embark on your major upgrade project. Be prepared to spend money and time to do it. Be careful not to add too much weight (on the Kerr, that wouldn't be very much) and retain as much of the race boat characteristics as possible.

Back to the Kerr, to make this boat (or any other race boat) into a suitable offshore passage maker you need:

Dacron cruising sails (and sail storage for the racing sails)
Bow roller and Anchor windless, (unless you have a strong back)
Dodger big enough to give some protection in the cockpit
Better battery capacity, charging system and maybe solar (but where?)
Auto Pilot and or wind vane
Propane stove and propane system
Refer
Dingy (fold up) and motor
Black water tank and pump out capacity
and more.

If you do all this you will lose much of the character of the boat and much of what the boat can do.

I do know what you are dreaming of. I often dream of converting a TP52 to a cruising boat, but it's foolish. I recommend that you either keep the boat AS IS and do short, racing style, passages, and do most of your sailing (racing), with crew, around the bay, or select a more conservative (but still fast) boat.
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