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OldFrog75 · 10-07-2015, 10:07

46' is a really big boat for 2 people. 60' is huge...

I echo the sentiments of those that have said, "buying a boat without experience isn't stupid, but buying a 60' boat without experience is asking for trouble."

That said, I'm envious of your youth and enthusiasm. Good luck.

**TrentePieds** · 10-07-2015, 10:10

Amy — further note of caution:

IF you and Dean are already stuck with this boat, then PLEASE, PLEASE do NOT try to teach each other to sail!

The following is no reflection on either of you (how could it be?), but it IS a distillation of considerable experience with teaching "noobs". It has NOTHING to do with sailing per se, but it DOES have, a lot, to do with psychology and human relationships.

I used to take three couples at a time on "crooz'n'learn". Nothing to the sea-faring part really, but the psychology! My, of my! As a teacher ashore as well as at sea I've always been conscious that men and women use language in different ways and for different purposes. It has been said that "America" (meaning the US) and Canada are two counties DIVIDED by a common language. Just so, men and women.

My worst problem on the second day out was ALWAYS that a husband would cut in on my teaching and try to teast "his" wife to sail. As women frequently do in that situation, the wife would back away and go intellectually inert in order to keep the peace. Well, cos my job as instructor involved giving people a

Hawk3y3 · 10-07-2015, 10:16

Hi Amy,
I'm new here as well,new to the idea of living aboard and my partner and I are in need of a serious refresher course on sailing...we both haven't sailed in ages.
Tim and I, are looking into buying a 40.5 Hunter Legend and are afraid we're possibly buying too much boat. Our intention is to not only live a board but, once he retires in 2 years..sail off into the sunset to Ecuador.
I wish I had words of wisdom to share but, can only tell you..we're doing as much reading as we can possibly get our hands on and joining forums to talk with folks who living this day in and day out.

Cadence · 10-07-2015, 10:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by brierlya

Hello, I am brand new to this forum my friend suggested it to me who owns a Motor Yacht in Sydney, Australia.

Let me introduce myself, I'm Amy. And I've sold everything to move back to New Zealand (from Australia) to be with my partner and look into purchasing a Sailboat to Live on! This sounds like the perfect life to me, not the easiest but perfect in its own right.

Not everyone is supportive of this decision as both my partner (Dean) and I have absolutely NO sailing experience, and then on the other hand some people are super excited for us. We have found a boat, and drawing up contracts now to change her into our name. She is a 60ft Tahitian built in 1990 Sailboat, and you have no idea how excited we are about it all.

I've joined this forum to learn as much as I can and connect with people who enjoy the same lifestyle so am pretty glad to have found this forum.

Amy

Good luck! That is a lot of boat for two with no experience.

Impetuous too · 10-07-2015, 10:35

Wish you all the best with it :-)

OldFrog75 · 10-07-2015, 10:54

Is this the boat?

Used Hartley Tahitian for Sale | Yachts For Sale | Yachthub

**TrentePieds** · 10-07-2015, 11:13

OOPS, computer glitch. Carry on!

...giving people a PLEASANT holiday, as well as to teach them the rudiments of sailing, I couldn't just stomp on the man, as I would have done in a straight-forward "rank'n'file" command situation. So step one was to smoothe the ruffled feathers.

Step two was teaching the women aboard, using language in the manner women do, about navy style "orders and reports", and why things are done that way for safety's sake. Then, with that outta the way, came step three:

In a little bay eminently suited for the purpose I'd put the most diffident woman on the helm and tell the men off to handle the deck. The sails, the fenders, the mooring lines. That got them outta the cockpit and out of the women's way so they couldn't interfere with what was coming next.

Then, using the standard ship-handling commands from my conning position in the companionway hatch, I'd slick the boat up to the marina float, still under sail, no engine, and lay 'er dead in the water, six inches off. And, very loud so the men on the foredeck couldn't miss it, I'd go "Wow, Teresa! You sure caught on to ship handling real quick :-0)!!"

After that, Teresa's gaffer was always VERY cautious about sticking his oar in my water !

My beloved came to sailing at retirement age. A sweet, gentle woman who crumbled under the pressure when I tried to teach her the clove hitch the way I've always taught it: "You gotta be able to tie it with one hand! In the dark! While being dragged under water!" The problem was mine. I shoulda known better. So I buttoned my lip and singlehanded the boat. Now, a year later, she does the "basic six" knots perfectly fine because she is one of those who learn by OBSERVING.

And it'll be forty years yet before I become too decrepit to singlehand a thirty footer ;-)

TrentePieds

sklitzky · 10-07-2015, 11:44

There is a couple that chucked it all and went sailing around the world. Their story is at Bumfuzzle Â» Adventures

I am about halfway through their circumnavigation story.

jwing · 10-07-2015, 11:54

You should learn to live together in a small, rented apartment before you try to live aboard any boat.

A sailboat is cramped living, even one as huge as 60-feet. And the dinghy ride to the dock gets to be a long one after you do it several times. And then you are just at the dock!

That boat will almost certainly curtail any adventures that you may be fantasizing about.

grantmc · 10-07-2015, 12:57

Welcome aboard Amy,

I was also going to ask if the boat you’re buying is the Hartley Tahitian, ‘Prince of Tides’, and if so, will you keep her in Picton?

Just be aware that most NZ marinas have live aboard quotas, and as a result sometimes long waiting lists. Nelson for example has I believe something like a 3 year waiting list. Also Regional Councils’ have rules and restrictions about living aboard on moorings. And of course they authorise and inspect all moorings. Sure you can live aboard under anchor pretty much anywhere you like, but not many people do that. So be very careful, before you buy the boat, check that you are allowed to live on her where you want to keep her.

I guess too you really need to organise a berth or mooring before you buy. A berth for such a big boat wont be cheap either. At Waikawa it will be $10K per annum, at Seaview cheaper at $7,500 plus a $1,000 live aboard tariff. And even at $200 per week that’s way cheaper than renting a decent flat. I’m presuming you’d prefer a mooring as plugging into shore power makes life much more comfortable.

Reading the posts above, you’ll be concerned by the warnings that people have given you. Some blatantly advising you not to buy. When it comes to friends and family, I guess unless they know something about boats their advice isn’t especially relevant.

I am based in Wellington and for a long time had a mooring at Seaview. Something I noticed. At least 25% of live aboard people never take their boats out of the marina. They are just houses on the water for them and they’re happy with that. Big and comfortable to live aboard boats need considerable maintenance as people have posted. Especially if they’re to remain in a condition to be able leave their mooring. When something seemingly simple goes wrong it will cost at least $1,000 and usually much more. Nothing ever costs less than $1,000 And things go wrong all the time. Boats (and the gear) are in horrible stuff called seawater, and lots of creatures that will find your boat an exceedingly attractive place to live too. So sometimes people can’t afford the time or money to keep up the maintenance and slowly the boats become derelict as boats in the true sense. But they’re still ok to live on.

You’ll quickly discover too that everything you need requires ‘marine grade’ and so is 3 times the price of seemingly the same thing in non marine grade. Much of the boat gear for such a large yacht will originally have been a bespoke design and fabrication. And because your boat is big the prices of everything are set based on some mysterious marine industry compounding formula. So for example my boat at 26 feet might say need a winch that costs $500 you’d expect a winch for your boat to cost say $1,500, but no it will more likely be $5,000. And nor will you have the variety of choice that I will. Few firms cater to that size boat market. So yes you’ll also spend a great deal of time chasing for parts and or for people who can make something for you.

And again, as several people have pointed out, sailing/and motoring a boat of 18 mtrs is always a challenge, especially on a windy day. And we live in the roaring forties. On an 18 mtr boat, everything is heavy, everything is big and hard to handle. And everything is expensive when it breaks. On a boat being worked things break all the time. So at least one of you needs to be a real handy person with a good tool set.

I hate to come across as negative, one other factor; but one day you’ll want to sell. Almost no one wants ferro boats. For various reasons they have an awful reputation, especially in NZ. And to be realistic, if ferro boats were such a good idea wouldn’t people still be building them?

So you both need to decide whether you’re serious about sailing. And if you are, then probably a boat this size is a poor choice. But if all you want, 95% of the time, is a place to call home, and have the occasional little motor sail around the Sounds. Then she is less of a risk.

Suggest you make the same post/question at crew.org.nz

Cadence · 10-07-2015, 13:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwing

You should learn to live together in a small, rented apartment before you try to live aboard any boat.

A sailboat is cramped living, even one as huge as 60-feet. And the dinghy ride to the dock gets to be a long one after you do it several times. And then you are just at the dock!

That boat will almost certainly curtail any adventures that you may be fantasizing about.

Why be negative. Space shouldn't be a problem. If it is the ferrocement one I hope they attend to any little nicks in it ASAP.

Scout 30 · 10-07-2015, 13:55

Some great post here. There was a thread similar to this where a woman with no experience wanted to buy a large motor yacht & take her kids cruising. It went on for months & she was told by everyone that it was crazy. She did it anyway & they had a great time although she had to hire a captain to run the boat. With a boat that size you should do the same. Personally, I've always been a fan of getting the smallest, best quality boat that will get the job done.

Adam M · 10-07-2015, 14:41

Hi Amy,
I've just bought a boat too. I've got a little sailing experience but mainly in small dinghies. I'm also in the happy position of working with some extremely experienced blue water sailors/round the world yachtsmen. Their advice has been invaluable and there were two main points - less that 40ft for solo/shorthanded sailing and don't worry what it's made of but don't buy wood, steel, aluminium or ferro!
My advice isn't worth much - I don't have the experience yet - but I'm passing on what I've been told very recently by people who do know. Think really carefully about what you want to do with the boat. Handling a 60-footer is gonna be a challenge. And costs rise at a shocking rate with size. My 36ft fibreglass South Coast is up in Newcastle and I live in Melbourne, so for practicality I had a marina up there lift her out, jet wash, anti-foul, buff and polish her. New anodes, prop treatment and a couple of days in the marina before I could move her to a swing mooring and that was $3000. I shudder to think how you'd go about a similar piece of work on a 60ft ferro boat but your bank balance is going to shudder even harder. I don't know your finances, obviously, but talk to some marinas and so on and get some idea of costs because these are going to be regular ongoing things, not one-offs.
All that said, don't be put off - just be sure you're starting out on the right boat for you.
Adam

sepeteus · 10-07-2015, 16:05

Hi Amy. Good plan, go for it. I also bought 60 footer and I hope there are my partner and I living onboard in the future. I first bought wrong boat and spent lot of dough on it and the second time around settled on the right one. Right or wrong,can be argued until the cows come home. I bought Nautor Swan 57 and the purchase price under 1 mil wasnt the end. An other 100k and she is up to speed. One thing I warmly recommend..... Make sure you have pro survey done so you know what's coming. I overlooked the standing rod rigging which I am replacing with new. This is all good but need to have decent budget. I don't mind big boat handling and manoeuvring rather make sure that she doesn't draw too much water. My 60 footer draws 2.4m and that is getting there and especially NZ North Island east, it's quite shallow. Best of luck!!