Cheap-ish Bluewater Cruisers with Speed

[scm007]

In my home town no less!

View Boat Photos - YachtWorld.com

[scm007]

So the Alvin Vegas are super cheap, and capable bluewater cruisers. Are there any other boats out there <50k perhaps something ~30 or ~32?

[Weyalan]

How about the IOR Farr 37'? or indeed the Farr 1104? Both of these boats are quick, even today, and there are plenty of them for sale for a reasonable price. Of course, being IOR design they can be a handfull downwind (especially if over-canvassed) and are lively off the breeze, but they are good boats.

Frankly, "bluewater" is a nebulous term that means different things to different sailors. People have circumnavigated the planet on boats that I wouldn't care to sail across a swimming pool. Bluewater cruising is, for me, more about realising the capabilities of the boat and of the sailor and planning accordingly than about any particular type or design of boat.

[hellosailor]

scm, if you are looking for pilot house boat ("cabin controls") and saying "Albin Vega" in the same breath, you are going to get yourself in trouble when you buy a boat.

The Vega is a very well respected yacht, but a 27' sloop is radically different from a pilot house boat--which is usually a motor sailer like a Nauticat. You're looking at a Mazda Miata and a Town and Country van.

I'd suggest it is time to put the purchasing decisions on hold for a year or two while you go out and get some experience walking the docks and sailing on some of these boats, to see what SAILING and living on them is actually like.

Any of them can be taken across oceans, but the most important piece of equipment on a "bluewater" boat is the experienced sailor driving it. Without that experience, no boat is ready or safe for bluewater sailing.

[Pathfinder]

The Tayana 37 was built by Ta Yang Yacht Building Co. (TAIWAN). Some Taiwan builders are rumored to have sometimes taken "short-cuts" in some cases, and I believe John Neal doesn't recommend very many Taiwan-built boats.

[sneuman]

Ta Yang and Ta Shing are both respected Taiwan builders. Tayanas have their issues, but no more so than boats built in other countries. In short, there are good and bad builders everywhere and while there were indeed Taiwanese manufacturers who took shortcuts, the broad-brush reputation is a bit unfair. At least that's my understanding.

[Pathfinder]

I don't think it is an oversight about not mentioning more of the Taiwan-built boats. If you read his book "Offshore Cruising Companion", you will understand why some are not mentioned.

[S/V Antares]

Tayana 37 is not fast but not a slow boat either and can be found at reasonable prices... with a bit of work needed. lots of custom boats available ant good prices. No brand name can help on the pricing.

[Marco]

I sail a Sigma 36, cruiser racer. Fast, extremely seaworthy, but still comfortable as a cuiser. I will sail mine across the atlantic in three months, fully equipped... I'm not sure what i will do when in america, maybe i'll consider selling and with the english pound so cheap you could strike a good deal.

See a picture here:
British Beagle | blogSTAR

[Cheechako]

Maybe a Freeport Islander 36? Always liked that boat...

[AV8OR-X]

Originally Posted by Marco

I sail a Sigma 36, cruiser racer. Fast, extremely seaworthy, but still comfortable as a cuiser. I will sail mine across the atlantic in three months, fully equipped... I'm not sure what i will do when in america, maybe i'll consider selling and with the english pound so cheap you could strike a good deal.

See a picture here:
British Beagle | blogSTAR

Hi Marco,

I'm in the market for a used boat in the mid 30s and a Sigma 36 caught my eye. I haven't found a great deal of info about the boat on line and I would be grateful for your any info you have regarding construction. Specifically, is the hull cored or solid glass? I would guess the decks are cored - correct? The boat that caught my eye (an '85) has a deck-stepped mast (I believe a later model has a keel-stepped mast). Do you know how the mast is supported?

I'd also be grateful for your thoughts more generally as to build quality, sailing attributes and things to look out for in a used boat.

I'm looking for something with reasonable accomodations for coastal cruising, but light enough and with a high enough SA/D to make it fun to sail and to give it some potential for club racing as my kids get older. The Sigma 33 looks like it fits within those lines.

Good luck with your upcoming crossing.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Trident Voyager 30 foot - £17k / USD27k......not sure about the "fast" bit though

Trident Voyager 30 for sale - Yachtsnet Ltd. online UK yacht brokers - yacht brokerage and boat sales

[hellosailor]

"Something that is setup for in cabin controls,"
I'd call that a pilot house boat, which automatically puts it into the realm of "motorsailer" not sailboat. A pilot house means more hull above the waterline, more problems from windage, excess weight, and more likely to roll over as the center of gravity gets higher. (Or a slower boat as you add more lead to compensate for it.)

Classic bluewater cruiser? Not in a motorsailer, that's like calling a zebra a horse.

[fast cruiser]

Old racing boats make great fast cruisers and can be had for cheep.
Take a look at this blog from a couple cruising the south pacific on a Ross 40. Met them in Tahiti, definitely one of the fastest boat in the fleet.
Pangaea's Pacific Peregrinations

[roger.waite]

Originally Posted by fast cruiser

Old racing boats make great fast cruisers and can be had for cheep.
Take a look at this blog from a couple cruising the south pacific on a Ross 40. Met them in Tahiti, definitely one of the fastest boat in the fleet.
Pangaea's Pacific Peregrinations

And she is still for sale in Auckland NZ, for anyone that likes high speed sleigh rides!