Australia to Asia - Boat Selection Help

[daddle]

Eh? You'll need sails when you get away from the womb of SE Asia. There's some long legs in the Pacific you won't be motoring thru. If you're planning on always motoring, as many end up doing, you can remove that pole and clothesline contraption on the cabintop. As for myself, sails are the most important item. The motor is an unreliable stinky thing I'd rather do without (two on a cat, ugh!).

[MartinJ]

thanks for all of the advice! Wish we had the finance to get summersalt.. will definately go a crowther and will keep eyes peeled for a good priced one with all the extra options. Still have 9/12 months till we are ready to buy but never know when something will come along. Thanks again guys back to forum trolling

[tuskie]

In the low A$100,000s price bracket the best value IMHO are the epoxy/ply boats. There are some Snell Easy and Waller designs that are fully equiped and less than 10 years old in our part of the world. Properly constructed and maintained they last well and are proven designs. At this age the sails, rig and motors shouldn't need replacing for a while yet.

Why are they so cheap? Buyers of second hand boats don't seem to like ply.

With any boat, pay for a good survey and do your own homework. Repairs can make a "cheap" boat very expensive.

[dirkdig]

we will be taking out next year from Aus over the top to Indonesia etc.If you guys get a boat be in touch and we can maybe buddy together.We have a Lagoon 440 and will be going surfing/exploreing etc.

[MartinJ]

Thanks Tuskie for the sound advice! I have been hesitant about the ply and balsa covered with epoxy due in the off chance a surveyor doesnt pick up on some rotting of the core/decking/interior. In regards to that can anyone recommend an honest and thorough surveyor in brisbane?
Im still very keen on a crowther does anyone know how they go for wave slap? If i can find a Easy or Waller designed cat that has been built by a reputable builder i will definately have a look, not too keen on trusting a backyard job as you cant really see what corners they have cut or things they may have accidentally forgotten in regards to structural and waterproofing or electrics :s
Dirkdig thanks for the offer that would be great as thats exactly what we have in mind. To take our time surf and explore!

[handmer]

Something like this might be suitable. Cheap, though not huge or opulent inside by the looks of it.

Boats For Sale Directory by Boats-A-Million

[beau]

The general problem with home built boats is they are overbuilt, not underbuilt. and therefore heavier than they need to be. Somebody building a boat that they are going to risk their life in, doesn't underbuild. In my experience.
Also an ugly boat will be considerably cheaper, but may be more than suitable for what you want to do.
Particularly with under 40 ft Catamarans owners who want the headroom on the bridgedeck and will do anything to achieve it

[tuskie]

I agree Beau, don't rule out boats just because they're "homebuilt".
I get the impression that there are big differences between listed and selling prices in Australia. Just as in most places in the world at the moment it's a buyers market. The most difficult task is finding a suitable boat: many sound ok in the adds but after one look in the flesh...
You would kick yourself if you didn't inspect a suitable boat because you thought it was out of your price bracket only to find out later it was sold for less than you were prepared to pay. Common sense is obviously required here, or you are wasting everyone's time.
Sorry, but I can't personally recommend a surveyor in this area.

[MartinJ]

I was looking at the crowther 32 and will shoot Roger an email and see what the go is with his boat. I guess i would prefer to have an overbuilt boat than an underbuilt boat aside from the whole weight factor.. And beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Yeah my mate who is buying in is 6'4" so im sure he will have a sore neck unless we somehow win the lotto in the 6 months, fingers crossed!!
I would definately not rule out a homebuilt boat if a good surveyor thinks its built close enough to plan schematics and materials used. We are definately looking into boats above our intended price range as there is always room for compromise when cash comes into the equation.
I have bought and sold many cars and figure that the same common sense principles apply to buying and selling boats. People make foolish decisions in purchasing resulting in get ripped off when they dont do their homework, make a quick and rash purchase from buyers lust or take on a project that is far too large for their budget! Definately why we are looking to buy a fair while away from now and are just starting to get a feel for the market.
Thanks for the food for thought!

[cat man do]

There is a reason why those eureka's are cheap (and getting cheaper)

[beau]

A 32ft catamaran for cruising?, I would not think that is suitable.
With a Cat it would have be at 36 ft or 40 ft to get the necessary bridge deck clearance if you also want headroom on the bridge deck

[svstrider]

Originally Posted by Laidback

The link boat did not say anything about the rigging - the engine/s - no pictures of it under sail or of the cockpit - fairly grubby! and probably home built.
Keep on looking!

Agree with these comments. The head looks truly atrocious but could be cleaned up. Shonky wiring however is impossible to fix. Evidenced by the array of jerry rigged wiring in most pictures. Forget that engine. They say that it sails at an average speed of 10 kts which I find VERY hard to believe. In fact that boat probably has never seen 10 kts of the log IMO. Worth MAYBE 60k even if you wanted to spend all the extra money on fixing its problems. Look elsewhere is my 2c.

I owned a 33 ft Crowther cat which was a Seafire design. The cat pictured is a Windspeed design and does not have headroom in the bridge deck. There were about 15 Seafires built, I think. They had headroom in the bridgedeck and mine had the galley up which I think is a must for sailing in the tropics. My partner & I sailed her for about 4 years up & down the east coast of OZ and it was ideal for our needs. However it could not carry much of a payload. We didn't realise how fast she actually could sail until we took all our possessions off of it when we were selling it. On all our new boat we have an electronic dictionary instead of the 6 kgs of the Shorter Oxford dictionary that we had on our Crowther. You live & learn.

PS Good luck with your planned adventure.