US to Australia in One Year Starting February 2012

[dennisail]

Originally Posted by andyaye

In Brissy..call me on 0402-918006

Thanks mate. Email sent.

[felixqld66]

Hey Dennis

I am also from Bris or there abouts Sunshine coast cannot really add more to the debate than to say everything has the potential to take more time then you expect and your needs /wants balance will definately change when you get on the boat for a week or two.

I bought my boat in Thailand for A$57 k spent another A$12k on it...... nine of that upgrading electronics and radar.

Having spent time sailing it I probably have overspent on the electronics not because they aren't useful...and I intend to keep the boat for the long term but could have put diverted more money into the solar/battery system.

Be careful getting caught up in the new this new that thing find a couple of models you like....get on them in Oz if you can to check them out before you committ to one overseas.

Once you own it spend a couple of weeks sailing just to see what you need

Cheers Alex

[meyermm]

Originally Posted by felixqld66

Hey Dennis

I am also from Bris or there abouts Sunshine coast cannot really add more to the debate than to say everything has the potential to take more time then you expect and your needs /wants balance will definately change when you get on the boat for a week or two.

I bought my boat in Thailand for A$57 k spent another A$12k on it...... nine of that upgrading electronics and radar.

Having spent time sailing it I probably have overspent on the electronics not because they aren't useful...and I intend to keep the boat for the long term but could have put diverted more money into the solar/battery system.

Be careful getting caught up in the new this new that thing find a couple of models you like....get on them in Oz if you can to check them out before you committ to one overseas.

Once you own it spend a couple of weeks sailing just to see what you need

Cheers Alex

Some good advice there one of the problems with all those electricals is they take power to run, so the Solar wind generating area is the first port of call. Just look at how many hours you need to run the average charter boat engine to charge the batteries for fridge and little else.
In my opinion auto pilot is a must but after that most have their own list of essentials.

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by dennisail

Thanks for the advice. I will look around the marina at Manly to get an idea of the exact models. I see you decided on the Sun Odyssey 40. That is my favorite boat in the BVI at this time. What were your opinions of this model when compared to a equiv bav and ben? Are you happy with its sailing performance? What about to windward?

What first drew me to the SO40 was the lines, cabin & cockpit layout. None of the other yachts had exactly what I thought I wanted in this department, but in many ways lusting after the SO40 and the SO37 defined my requirements. When I first went on board it did not disappoint, so no other brands were ever really in the running.

So far I have only had limited sailing on my Jessabbe, but I was very happy about how fast she accelerated and how high she could point whilst maintaining 7 knots ( flat water). Have not sailed into chop yet. I had an instructor on board who has a Sweden 390 and he was impressed by the performance even with the original sails.

I will be back in Greece tonight, so in the next couple of weeks I should be more knowledgable

[dennisail]

What do you guys think of this? 1981 C&C 40. Too old? No tankage? Rod rigging?



http://au.yachtworld.com/core/listin...url=&imc=pg-fs

[Boracay]

A 30 year old boat with a good racing wardrobe?

The beam of the Oceanis 373 is comparable to the C & C 40 while the Oceanis has a longer (by 4'6"?) waterline length. They're newer (2005) and available ex charter in the Caribbean (closer) for under $95k. If you can stretch the extra its worth considering.

I'd recon an ex charter 343 would have to be a better candidate if cash is limited. Not that much smaller.

No age on the rod rigging and no photo of the engine suggests big bikkies there, and that'll be just the start...

[dennisail]

All true but you go have to admit that is one nice looking boat I also have my eye on BVI yacht sales too. My 2 favs are now sold. But who knows what is available by the time I can get there.

[savoir]

This is an ex racer so are you OK with all the gear and money needed for a cruising refit ? A few items that leap out, there will be more, there always is

- all safety gear including life jackets, life raft, jacklines, flares, first aid kit, EPIRB. There goes 10k.
- keep the cruising spinnaker and sell the rest. Bundle them up and sell for $1000 the lot. Either that or trash them.
- are you OK with only 20 gals diesel tankage? Many jerry cans will have to be carried.
- dinghy and outboard, 5k unless you are happy with el cheapo
- refrigerator?
- bimini ?
- long range communication ?
- in the mildly fancy department - radar, AIS, watermaker
- that'll do, but I'm sure there's more, dinner beckons. What can I say ?

Regardless of your choice of boat, buying any boat in California will save you around 10k over anywhere on the US East Coast. If only 6 months is available then you must skip the Caribbean and you put yourself under huge time pressure. I could quite happily spend 6 months in French Polynesia alone.

[savoir]

Among the older C & Cs out there I would pick this one. The choice of California means a straight up saving of around 10k over the one in RI.

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...g_id=77900&url=

[dennisail]

A lot of that list would not be included on a newish ex charter boat either. I am still looking at newish ex charters in BVI etc though, but I am keeping an open mind an all alternatives.

That 41 was also my pick, what a beautiful yacht that is. But a 7 foot draft is prob the max I would be happy with. The 41 has close to 8 foot draft. I know the Bahamas will be out, but I am not to concerned about that. Would a big draft matter when navigating coral atolls? 8 foot would be cutting it thin for many harbour entrances in Aus too. They want $160K for this 41 here in Aus. But it is the center board version more suited to cruising http://yachthub.com/list/yachts-for-...ls/c-c41/94013

Also I knew buying from the east coast would be more expensive, but could you please give a quick rundown on how it is 10K more expensive?

[savoir]

Draft is good. Way superior working and reaching. A little twitchy DDW but there are ways to reduce that such as wing and wing.

There are over 500 islands in the Pacific that can handle an 8ft draft yacht at low tide. Isn't that enough ? 6 months isn't enough time to be exploring badly charted atolls in the Tuamotus. If you want to cruise from Australia you have PNG, NC, Vanuatu, Solomons - all volcanic and all deep - all up 200 islands maybe ? ? ? Vanuatu alone has 80.

Sailing from RI to Panama you will be punching into both current and wind. Lots of time and lots of diesel. Fees through the canal are about 2k including handlers and lines and a gift for the pilot, plus agent plus money spent in Colon over the 3 weeks or so that you wait for clearance. It all adds up.

Leave California and you have both current and wind behind you and no pressure to stop anywhere spending money. You could do Marquesas in one hop if you chose.

[meyermm]

Originally Posted by savoir

Draft is good. Way superior working and Leave California and you have both current and wind behind you and no pressure to stop anywhere spending money. You could do Marquesas in one hop if you chose.

California/West Coast yachts are not that cheap unless you are after junk which most old style cruising boats are after about twenty five years. Junk as in needing lots of money spent repairing before you add some new cruising equipment.

[dennisail]

Yeah savoir. I like the performance and stability aspect of draft too. Just a bit worried about some Aussie harbour entrances should we want to cruise on when we get home.

meyermm, when you say "cheap" how much money are you talking. There are hundreds of 40ish foot boats for around 30k. Most that obviously need avoiding.

Is this cheap? $109K, 44" C&C centerboard, almost all cruising gear needed, 2 year old rod rigging but in Nova Scotia 1986 C&C Centerboard Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by dennisail

Yeah savoir. I like the performance and stability aspect of draft too. Just a bit worried about some Aussie harbour entrances should we want to cruise on when we get home.

]

G'Day Dennis,

FWIW, we've done thousands of miles on the Aussie east coast (Lizard to Port Davey) with 7'2" draft, and have had few problems due to depth. One needs to watch tides transiting the Broadwater and Sandy Straights, but we've done both many times. Sure, we have gone aground a few times, but so have our friends with much shallower boats.

IMO a few inches difference in draft are not deal breakers in these cruising grounds, and the improvement in sailing performance is significant.

Cheers,

Jim

[savoir]

I've taken 9ft draft into the Broadwater and down to the yacht club. Only went aground once.