Hello from the UK

[Bluewaters2812]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Wow...I just looked at them online...HUGE!!! The prices range from $49K to $130K.

Thanks for that input. I was not aware of the design you mentioned but will certainly add it to my list of yachts to consider. I know that my brother-in-law advised me to be careful of the "Hunter" design, as, according to him they have a reputation for having "soft" decks? Not sure whether this is generally accepted by the yachting fraternity?

[Celestialsailor]

We get into a lot of trouble here when say anything bad about Hunters.

[Eleven]

You should also be considering the sail arrangements. Single mast or more. Smaller sails are easier to handle if there's just the two of you, and to be safe one of you will always be on watch. Get stuck into to your classroom navigation certificates now, ideally just for the two of you. You'll learn faster and better like that, and you will both need to be fully competent skippers, though not necessarily both qualified.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Bluewaters2812

Thanks for that input. I was not aware of the design you mentioned but will certainly add it to my list of yachts to consider. I know that my brother-in-law advised me to be careful of the "Hunter" design, as, according to him they have a reputation for having "soft" decks? Not sure whether this is generally accepted by the yachting fraternity?

Well soft decks are a very common problem with older boats of almost every maker. For construction and engineering benefits it is very advantageous to build fiberglass stuctures (like boat hulls and decks) with a core instead of sold glass. A core or sandwich construction will be stronger, lighter and more rigid than one of straight fiberglass. Cores are commonly plywood, foam, and end grain balsa wood mats. The downside is you make this nice, solid, sealed fiberglass deck with a plywood core and then come back and drill hundreds of holes in it to mount winches and tracks and all manner of sailboat hardware. Then over time water might leak through all these holes, wets the core and it starts to rot. Lots of ways to deal with it, either in the building phase or after that fact but that's for another thread. Bottom line, most decks are cored and in an older boat you need to check for this very, very carefully. A wet and rotten core loses most of its strength and it could cost way more than a boat is worth to repair.

BUT, a few boats are made with no core or made in such a way that water cannot leak into the core. The CSY is one boat that has no core anywhere. The decks are solid fiberglass. However, without the core they have to be thicker and heavier to have the same strength but still do not achieve the rigidity. So walk on a wide flat area of a CSY deck and it will be a little bouncy, like a trampoline. That is just the nature of fiberglass and probably not an indication of a structural problem.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
Good to have you here. I always like to ask those folks who are looking at large boats if they've ever been a boatowner before. I have a 42 project boat that I'd gladly trade for a 32 to 36 footer that was close to sailing. So much more ease of handling in tight spots and much cheaper to maintain and to keep at a marina.
Of course, that's just my opinion.
kind regards,

[Bluewaters2812]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

Aloha and welcome aboard!
Good to have you here. I always like to ask those folks who are looking at large boats if they've ever been a boatowner before. I have a 42 project boat that I'd gladly trade for a 32 to 36 footer that was close to sailing. So much more ease of handling in tight spots and much cheaper to maintain and to keep at a marina.
Of course, that's just my opinion.
kind regards,

Tks SkiprJohn,

I guess the bigger and beamier the boat for us is the way to go. We plan to spend a long time doing this so don't want to be too cramped. Although I have sailed a bit over the years we have never actually owned our own boat. Having said that I am fully aware that it can be a bottomless pit to throw your money in lol.

[Bluewaters2812]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Well soft decks are a very common problem with older boats of almost every maker. For construction and engineering benefits it is very advantageous to build fiberglass stuctures (like boat hulls and decks) with a core instead of sold glass. A core or sandwich construction will be stronger, lighter and more rigid than one of straight fiberglass. Cores are commonly plywood, foam, and end grain balsa wood mats. The downside is you make this nice, solid, sealed fiberglass deck with a plywood core and then come back and drill hundreds of holes in it to mount winches and tracks and all manner of sailboat hardware. Then over time water might leak through all these holes, wets the core and it starts to rot. Lots of ways to deal with it, either in the building phase or after that fact but that's for another thread. Bottom line, most decks are cored and in an older boat you need to check for this very, very carefully. A wet and rotten core loses most of its strength and it could cost way more than a boat is worth to repair.

BUT, a few boats are made with no core or made in such a way that water cannot leak into the core. The CSY is one boat that has no core anywhere. The decks are solid fiberglass. However, without the core they have to be thicker and heavier to have the same strength but still do not achieve the rigidity. So walk on a wide flat area of a CSY deck and it will be a little bouncy, like a trampoline. That is just the nature of fiberglass and probably not an indication of a structural problem.

I am a little wary of soft decks and balsa core types for the very reasons you mention. I guess, like the hull and other things we should just pay some good attention to the decks especially around where fittings are attached like the mast etc. I walked on a Bavaria 46 footer this week and it seemed to be nice and firm (2005 model).