What To Do If I Can't Find An Adams 40?

[MLOI]

Yep - another 'wot bote' question.

The background is that my family plan to take a year off in two years time, and do the Queensland -> New Cal -> Vanuatu -> PNG -> Queensland loop. Then perhaps down to Tas for summer etc.
Mostly coastal day sailing with a few weeklong passages.

Family of 4 - will be Mum and Dad, 9 YO boy, 6 YO girl. I crew on a 52' yacht (and do christmas races and deliveries each year), Mum and the boy have some dingy sailing experience, and we will all have a year or two on whatever we buy. Nav, cooking, grease monkey, quartermaster, comms skills will be spread between us, should be OK.

So - what do we want?
Something around 40ft that has 3 seperate sleeping areas. Either V-Berth for parents and quarter berths for the kids, or CC with rear cabin for parents and V berth able to be divided for kids. Small V berths for each kid plus a decent pilot berth for the off watch parent, and the V berth while at anchor would be perfect. One largish head would be prefered, even better for seperate head and shower, with the shower used as a wet locker offshore. Good refridgeration and stores for a couple of weeks. Headroom not important as I'm the only one over 5'4" tall...

I like the Adams concept of longish waterline length for moderate displacement. Good performance without requiring a big rig. I also like the eighties beneteau firsts - like a first 42 etc. Not as big a fan of the Roberts designs - they seem a bit beamy to me, with the issue of large spaces below decks and poor performance. Even cruising, it'd be nice to have a bit of performance - 8 knots boat speed between 15 and 25 knots would be nice

Budget is ~$100k for the boat and ~$100k to pay for the year's sail. We pretty much have the money for the boat now, and would like to buy in the next 18 months so we have time to get to know our boat. Delaying a year is no big deal, but I don't want to wait forever. We're reasonably competant at fixing stuff, but will be time constrained with paid employment and general life, so don't want a project.

So, my question is, what other boats should I be considering? I've been tracking the Adams and Beneteau's already, seen some OK stuff, but nothing that I fell in love with. I'd like a couple of other options as well...
(Yes, I'd like a cat. No, I don't think we can afford one that meets our requirements. But if anyone wants to sell me a Seawind 1150 for $100k, I'd be forever grateful. Or lease me one for a year for ~$50k)

Mike

[Nauticatarcher]

Search for Ganley Pacemaker on YachtHub, theres one on there for $99000 now that looks OK

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, MLOI.

[MLOI]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, MLOI.

Thanks
Been reading for a while, but didn't have anything of interest to say.

Mike

[Dulcesuenos]

100k for the years sail? What are you eating and drinking??? Lol those must be some expensive cruising grounds.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

100k for the years sail? What are you eating and drinking??? Lol those must be some expensive cruising grounds.

I don't know how I'd spend a 100k cruising for a year!!

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

I don't know how I'd spend a 100k cruising for a year!!

It sounds like maybe if you were a Greek shipping magnate, however, you could do it in a morning ... but that's not boating to me. Even if I had a trawler, I'd still want to be at the helm.

[MLOI]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

I don't know how I'd spend a 100k cruising for a year!!

Really?
Family of four on a 25 year old 40ish foot boat? Not some brand new toy, but something that has possibly been ridden hard and put away wet at some point.
Remember that this is to cover all expenses for a year, not just to pay for food on the boat. The first $10k will probably be used up in paying to maintain our life on shore - we will still own a house and keep one car so we have a life to go back to. Council rates, house insurance, car rego and insurance, maintainance etc.
So let's call it $90k for the year.

Boat stuff
Yacht insurance - $4k
One haul + antifoul - $3k
Diesel major service / rebuild - $2k
Couple of jammers and a winch replacement - $2k
Standing rigging / lifelines / chainplate repairs $3k
Replace a halyard and one set of sheets - $1k
Replacement Jib and assy kite $8k
3 months worth of marinas / mooring fees $4k
New dink or outboard $4k
New bedding in yacht $1k
Electronics upgrades $2k
Stove / reefer / hot water etc repairs / upgrades $1k
Lost anchor / rode etc $1k
Life raft service / replacement $1k
New foulies / harness / life jackets $2k
Batteries / solar / alternator / generator repairs $2k
Autopilot repair / upgrade $2k
Watermaker / pressure water $1k
Diesel for 500 hours @ 4 litres/hour $3.5k
TOTAL ~$45k

Personal Stuff
Health insurance for 4 - $5k
clothes for 4 $2k
books / movies / toys / musical instruments $2k
wetsuits / dive gear replacement / $1k
Flights etc for 4 to visit grandparents once $4k
Education expenses for home schooling $3k
D
TOTAL ~$15k

So that leaves $30k to cover food /drinks and discretionary trips off the boat (like the volcano on Tanu etc). We currently spend around $600 a week on food and wine, (and we'd eat out once a month on average).

So to answer the question "what are you going to eat?"
Hopefully - as much fresh meat fruit and vegetables as we do now - ie whatever we want!

Mike
(Yes - I know that the allowances for stuff on the boat are hopefully high - probably influenced by me knowing what it costs to run a race boat - but I think think they are prudent figures to have in reserve. It's not just me out for a sail, this is an experience for the whole family. So if something breaks I want to be able to get it fixed quickly and efficiently, not have my kids sitting around in a working boatyard for a month as we repair something on the cheap)

[Dulcesuenos]

I was really joking about the food thing bt yes refitting a boat could burn thru quite a bit. Good for you guys! Itll be a heck of an adventure!!!

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by MLOI

Really?
Family of four on a 25 year old 40ish foot boat? Not some brand new toy, but something that has possibly been ridden hard and put away wet at some point.
Remember that this is to cover all expenses for a year, not just to pay for food on the boat. The first $10k will probably be used up in paying to maintain our life on shore - we will still own a house and keep one car so we have a life to go back to. Council rates, house insurance, car rego and insurance, maintainance etc.
So let's call it $90k for the year.

Boat stuff
Yacht insurance - $4k
One haul + antifoul - $3k
Diesel major service / rebuild - $2k
Couple of jammers and a winch replacement - $2k
Standing rigging / lifelines / chainplate repairs $3k
Replace a halyard and one set of sheets - $1k
Replacement Jib and assy kite $8k
3 months worth of marinas / mooring fees $4k
New dink or outboard $4k
New bedding in yacht $1k
Electronics upgrades $2k
Stove / reefer / hot water etc repairs / upgrades $1k
Lost anchor / rode etc $1k
Life raft service / replacement $1k
New foulies / harness / life jackets $2k
Batteries / solar / alternator / generator repairs $2k
Autopilot repair / upgrade $2k
Watermaker / pressure water $1k
Diesel for 500 hours @ 4 litres/hour $3.5k
TOTAL ~$45k

Personal Stuff
Health insurance for 4 - $5k
clothes for 4 $2k
books / movies / toys / musical instruments $2k
wetsuits / dive gear replacement / $1k
Flights etc for 4 to visit grandparents once $4k
Education expenses for home schooling $3k
D
TOTAL ~$15k

So that leaves $30k to cover food /drinks and discretionary trips off the boat (like the volcano on Tanu etc). We currently spend around $600 a week on food and wine, (and we'd eat out once a month on average).

So to answer the question "what are you going to eat?"
Hopefully - as much fresh meat fruit and vegetables as we do now - ie whatever we want!

Mike
(Yes - I know that the allowances for stuff on the boat are hopefully high - probably influenced by me knowing what it costs to run a race boat - but I think think they are prudent figures to have in reserve. It's not just me out for a sail, this is an experience for the whole family. So if something breaks I want to be able to get it fixed quickly and efficiently, not have my kids sitting around in a working boatyard for a month as we repair something on the cheap)

Most of us wouldn't take all that on in one year.

[MLOI]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

Most of us wouldn't take all that on in one year.

I'd hope not too as well... but I've seen that sort of list for a year on a racing boat.
It was the first time I've ever tried to put down what we might expect - and it's a complete guess. But hopefully a safely conservative approach to what we want to do.
(Some things are more conservative that how I'd approach it if it was just me... but apparently a family is some kind of busted arse democracy and other people have opinions too)

Mike

[Weyalan]

In Australia, the chances of not finding an Adams 40 are very slim. There are hundreds of them, all over the place. They have been a very popular design, particularly for self-builders... so quality can vary between individual builds. My in-laws live on their home-built Adams 40 and its a beauty... of course he did have 25+ years as a boilermaker-welder before he started!

There are a few 80's Beneteau 40's around too... pretty sure there are a couple for sale in Hobart (but I might be wrong).

[MLOI]

Originally Posted by Weyalan

In Australia, the chances of not finding an Adams 40 are very slim.

Finding the right one, however, is harder.
You're right though, we'll probably end up in an adams 40, or 42, or 44.
The purpose of posting was to get an idea of anything similar that we should be looking at... and me saying that I'm also considering a first was to give an idea of what I consider similar.

Mike

[GypsyHawk]

A great buyers market on Australian east coast now. I have seen some terrific bargains selling for way below original advertised price. $100,000 for a performance bluewater cruiser possible, and you are right in leaving plenty of budget for repairs/upgrades. New electronics (autopilot/nav instruments/plotter/radar/AIS/HF radio/pactor modem or sat phone + installation) can easily eat up $20,000 plus).
Adams 40 or 42 good choices. YachtHub provides plenty of options. It took me a year to find my current boat. I had preconceived notion of what would be on and off the list, but wouldn't you know it, bought something completely outside the box. No regrets. Have sailed New Cal and Vanuatu and lots of east coast Oz.
For example: checklist said production boat of recognised quality ie solid fittings, strong rigging, solid GRP hull, fin keel, skeg hung rudder, wheel steering, mast head rig etc...So what did I buy, love at first sight (but backed up by sail test, marine survey and wife's love of the internal timber fitout) - owner built, wood epoxy (stripped planked cedar), spade rudder, double spreader with diamond cruising section fractional rig, extended boom, tiller .....
She will sail with a beautifully comfortable motion at 7.5 to 8 knots with the Monitor windvane or tiller pilot keeping course in 20-30 knots and big seas.
So, in my opinion, good to keep an open mind, and of course pay for a very competent marine surveyor to evaluate your choice. Also I think you will have plenty of change from your years $100,000 budget, so your family can eat out more. Good hunting.
Alan SV Gypsy Hawk

[Stu Jackson]

We bought a 12 year old 1986 boat in immaculate condition in 1998, 15+/- years ago. We've put in $40,000 over those 15 years, not including fuel, berthing, travel costs (visiting other marinas) or insurance. While I'm not an offshore cruiser, much of my replacement issues meet your list, since it's a boat and things need to be replaced/upgraded. Just some perspective.