Yacht Forum UK

yo, i am a novice yacht sailor, i have had about 50 hours at sea, and am looking to buy a yacht basically. i have a budget of £20,000, and have no idea where to start.. new second hand etc...

help please folks!:D

cheers

rich

Hi Rich

I'm pretty new to this game myself having just taken the plunge and bought myself my first yacht (which I'm simultaneously both excited and stressed about as you can maybe tell my all my questions ).

I asked about a lot before deciding where to look and what to look for etc etc, and I recommend you do the same.

A really good thing to do is to get yourself down to your local boatyards and brokerages and just have a look about and see what's what.

Someone once suggested to me that a new boat is always a really bad idea because you lose a ton of money they moment you stick it in the water - and buying new by no means guarantees you get yourself a trouble-free boat... but I guess it does mean you have a warranty - which I certainly don't have!

£20k budget is going to buy you a very small new boat though... and could get you something pretty decent if you went second hand.

Best of luck with the hunt, and keep us posted on how you get along!!

i guess so much depends on where your going to sail and what type of sailing your going to do ,if your going to cruise around without spilling the tea and fancy exploring shallows then a bilge keel like a westerly centaur takes a lot of beating in my opinion , bomb proof easy to sail and i believe the best selling yacht at one time, i reckon you could get one well inside your budget in really good condition with all the toys.
good luck anyway
Richard

Sound advice there. I bought a Centaur

I once had a Ford Escort . . .

Seajay wrote:I once had a Ford Escort . . .

PMSL

What exactly is your point?

Ford Escourt ?????? Cant see the point either

I think perhaps he's making some comedy reference to the age of a Westerly Centaur?

Hmm i think you could be right, poking fun at someones pride and joy ..... is this in the traditions of good seamanship and fellowship ?

Good point. No, it's not. Besides, Westerlys are excellent tubs!

Quite agree, i understand the centaur was one of the best selling models of any yacht, i sailed one for a few years so am perhaps biased, whatever i raise a repectful glass to anyone who takes to the sea whatever his /her craft

Go for 2nd hand, much cheaper, all the snags will have been ironed out and extra equipment will have been added by previous owners. Go to a local broker and look at LOTS of boats, not just what the broker wants to sell. If you have 20k, aim for a boat costing about 17k, then you will have something for any essential repairs etc. Always make an offer - never offer the asking price, this is only a guide! Most 2nd hand boats sell for much less than asking price, typically up to 20% less or more. If your initial offer is rejected, you can always raise it a little, but don't go for the first boat you see, see as many as you can. You should be able to get a decent 27' to 30' boat for 16/17k, perhaps up to 20years old. An older well equipped boat will often be a better buy than a newer boat with little equipment. Budget about 10-15% of the boat value for annual maintenance and replacements etc.
Make sure you know the cost of mooring at the local marina or mooring area you intend to use - some marinas are horrendously expensive, especially on the south coast - much cheaper on the east coast. Good Luck and happy boating.

A Centaur may be an old tub, but one has just completed the Jester challenge and is on his way back now. Great boats, just not as good as a Debutante

would the centaur cope ol on the crossing from south west wales to Dublin, say (I'm told it's a day's sail from Carmarthen)? Other regular journeys I'm thinking about (on my fantasy plan) involve pootling close to shore in wales with the occasional long trip to the west of scotland. I also like the look (and sound) of a Contessa 26, though might be a bit snug for living aboard.

And in your experience (I'm not sure who I'm addressing here, so apologies) can both of these boats be sailed single-handed? Or is that the stuff for real experts only?

Cheers,
Keith