Hi there,
It is an interesting issue. Any photos?
My first boat was a similar design/construction, a 36ft triple diagonal cold mould
ketch. A one off design. I had the same questions which was primarily, can this boat ever be a cruising boat? Of Course people have cruised on nearly every variation of design possible but this doesn't mean every boat is an appropriate cruising boat. With the huge amount of boats
for sale at the moment one can be a little picky about what one chooses. In my case I eventually worked out that it would cost a lot more to add everything I needed (about $45k) in order to transform my first boat into a proper cruising boat than it was to buy a different boat with everything already aboard. There were also basic structural questions about using this older wooden boat (a one off design) as a long distance sailboat. If this is your first boat than the other point would be that it is best to get some sailing experience before making a decision about what boat is perfect for you. It is hard to know before sailing for a bit. But the point remains that it is generally going to be cheaper to buy a boat in good condition that has everything you need than to add and
repair bit by bit. With a modified design such as the one you are looking at you would want to get as much information as is available about who did the
work and if possible talk to the
builder in person. As to the weight/comfort issue it will depend on the ballast ratio and general shape (form stability) of the
hull. If the
hull has gotten heavier but the ballast weight has stayed the same then it may feel strange. Then again doing cold mould strip planking is hard so it is likely it was done by a professional. The Atkins designs are of course generally considered to have a very comfortable motion. I have just bought my second boat that has everything I need to
cruise after 4years aboard my first boat which was the wooden boat. My
new boat is steal and I'm relieved to not have to worry about the constant
maintenance a wooden vessel requires.
My
advice would be that if it is the right
price than get her, learn to sail her, use her as a home, fall in love with her and later on you can decide if you want to upgrade. This is if she is the right
price. (How much they asking) Good luck.
Try and take someone who knows boats with you to check it all out. I would be checking the condition of everything. For example if the
sails are no good. (Expensive to get new ones). If the
engine is decent (how many hours, does it start first time). Is there
water in the
bilge (if so fresh
water or salt). Are the masts in good order. Is the
rigging old( once again expensive to replace)
Once too many of these things are broken or in bad condition it becomes more expensive to fix everything to a point where she can be sailed than it does to buy a better boat. It's a Balancing act.
Hope this is helpful. Write back with any questions you have. Surprised no one has responded yet, they normally eat this stuff up.
"There is no opportunity to sin. Time meant nothing. You just live for the moment. You're happy, yes happy. Well you are not happy when you're upside down but otherwise you're happy." Bill King