Tri Or Mono - E. Coast Australia

[BillAU]

G'day mates,
To those members who know the East Cost of Australia. In your opinion, would this mono be suitable for live aboard in the waters between the Hawkesbury River, NSW and the Top End of QLD?

1987 Davide Folkes Sailboat 40ft

I have been reserching Tri's when I found this Mono and like the look of her, she sounds like a strong vessel built of steel in Canada and now in Malaysia.
I like the idea of owning a Tri but perhaps this Mono, or one similar, would be just as suitable, or more suitable, for one or two full time residents sailing these waters and, from what I'm told, a Mono would cost less to slip, paint and upkeep in general.

I have "no" experience with sailboats but if I were to find a suitable vessel in Malaysia, I would travel to Malaysia, hire a crew of three to bring her to Australia and learn a bit about sailing during the three weeks trip home...well that would be the plan...if I won the auction.

Thanking you in advance for your views.

Bill AU

[Maren]

Originally Posted by BillAU

... from what I'm told, a Mono would cost less to slip, paint and upkeep in general.

I have "no" experience with sailboats but if I were to find a suitable vessel in Malaysia, I would travel to Malaysia, hire a crew of three to bring her to Australia and learn a bit about sailing during the three weeks trip home...well that would be the plan...if I won the auction

Bill,

The link didn't work but it's generally a bad idea to buy a boat without knowing if she is in good condition first. Beyond the cosmetics, that is.

My best advice is this:

Know your budget which needs to include for taxes, regular maintenance, repairs and upgrades. All sorts of folks get hurt on this.

Look locally first assuming you are on the coast

Get to know marina owners/managers and surveyors - they have more contacts and tend to know when a boat is up for sale without being advertised as such. It will also help you know who you want to work with.

Realize there will be good deals later too - You don't want to find a boat or even the perfect boat; you need to find the right boat.

Learn everything you can about the pros & cons of the various hull materials and the repair of systems. This will help you pre-survey a boat prior to the survey.

[Pblais]

Maren,

That is what I would agree to be the best set of rules for boat buying I've seen posted on CF. It is the basics more than complexity. When decisons involve a whole lot of money the basics matter more than the details.

[beau]

I would agree with Maren, never ever buy a boat without doing lots of research and looking at the boat first.
For the east coast of Australia, particularly Queensland I would go for a multihull because of the shallow draft and more deck space which is cooler in the summers when it gets hot.
I personally prefer trimarans because it is difficult to get the best use of internal space in a catamaran under 40 ft. Plus with small cats the bridgedeck is usually too low.
I moved aboard full time for a year and a half in brisbane and I love it.

[BillAU]

Originally Posted by beau

I would agree with Maren, never ever buy a boat without doing lots of research and looking at the boat first.
For the east coast of Australia, particularly Queensland I would go for a multihull because of the shallow draft and more deck space which is cooler in the summers when it gets hot.
I personally prefer trimarans because it is difficult to get the best use of internal space in a catamaran under 40 ft. Plus with small cats the bridgedeck is usually too low.
I moved aboard full time for a year and a half in brisbane and I love it.

G'day mates,

Thanks for your views, they are much apprecated. Don't know why the link is not working now, it worked when I first posted and it still works on Cruisers Log Anyway, I can't see this yacht selling as it has a reserve and so-far bidders are offering less than what the vessel would be worth as scrap, so I don't see the seller being crazy enough to accept those bids!

Maren, I quite agree with your advice, specially:

Realize there will be good deals later too - You don't want to find a boat or even the perfect boat; you need to find the right boat.

I'm in no mad rush to jump-in to anything but...It looks to be such a nice yacht and good value for money...I think

As for: Look locally first assuming you are on the coast...I am on the coast, Geelong, and from my research, yachts in Australia cost a heck of a lot more than those on offer offshore. There is even a yachtie/broker in Melbourne who has set-up a "business" specifically for buyers of yachts in the States, bringing/sailing the vessels back to Australia...As a fleet of owners doing their own delivery via Mexico then across the Pacific!

beau, I had been informed about reef waters in the Whitsundays, that was another reason I was researching Tri's...besides liking the look of a nice Tri For some reason, Cats just don't apeal to me.

I will "not" be rushing in to anything, I'll take onboard all the good advice given and make a decission when I'm ready...somehow I think I'll end-up with a Tri... but who knows

Thanks again for your views, good sailing to you all.

Bill AU

[Jim Cate]

G'Day BillAU,

Just thought I'd put in some real-world data relating to cruising on the east coast of Oz: Conventional wisdom (read opinions without much experience to back them up) says that you gotta have a really shallow draft boat to successfully cruise these waters. Well, we've been doing just that for the past 16 years in our two Insatiables (I and II)... and both of them draw 2.2 metres! Is it a problem? Well, when we go through the Broadwater (between Moreton Bay and Southport) we need a 2 metre tide at Brisbane to avoid the shallowest spot, and when we go through the Great Sandy Straits we need about 2.3 metres at Boonlye (sp?) point, but these conditions are not uncommon.

Elsewhere it simply isn't a problem. Do we ever run aground? Sure we do, just slightly farther from shore than our shallow-draft friends (who do run aground too).

I'm not discouraging you from a multi-hull... I like multi's in many ways myself... but don't let the dreaded "deep draft for cruising in Qld" bugaboo be your deciding factor.

Cheers,

Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II lying Mooloolaba, Qld

[Spokes]

Hi Bill
We thought about multihulls also but found them too expensive in comparison to monos.We spent 4 months looking went through 2 surveys and pulled out before we found a Cavalier 37 (yes the same as Kay Cottee used) close to you in Port Phillip Bay.
Check out Boatpoint and when several brokers start listing and its been around for some time the price is more likely to be negotiable.Our buy price was 36% less than the first asking price.Having said that we have found there is more work required than we anticipated.
I can't really say if mono or multi is the best for the east coast but I believe than you get more value for your dollar with a mono and can have more confidence if you strike very heavy weather.
Good luck Spokes

[Weyalan]

Simple answer: If you prefer multihulls, you need a multihull. If you prefer monohulls, you need a mono. Monos and multis each have their own advantages and disadvantages, and individual models have their own idiosyncracies. Neither is inherenatly "better" or "worse".

[BillAU]

G'day mates,

Thanks for your views, they are most welcome and I guess the views of Multi sailors will always differ from Mono sailors but that's okay...It would be a boring world if we all followed the same course

As for the steel mono in Malayasia that started this post, forget it! Thanks to a mate who is berthed in the same harbor and had inspected the vessel over a year ago, yes, she's been on the market for a year or so, she would need to be gutted and re-built!
Aparently she was in such bad nick, the interested party would not even list her for sale on his books! So I told the seller I was not interested.

Just goes to prove...A picture "can" tell a thousand lies and...Thanks for having forums like the Cruisers Forum and the Crusiers Log, with members based all around the world, it's thanks to two sailing members that I'm not out of pocket in any way! They put me wise to the steel Mono "not" being all it was being promoted as!

I don't know if I'll end-up with a Tri or a Mono but you can bet your last bean...I won't be buying "anything" just from a picture

Cheers mates, calm waters and good winds to you all.

Bill AU

[Robertcateran]

Get a mono. Multis are unsafe pieces of crap. ( I am in the market for a multi and want to put people off multis, thus reducing their resale value to that of a mono)

[BillAU]

Originally Posted by Robertcateran

Get a mono. Multis are unsafe pieces of crap. ( I am in the market for a multi and want to put people off multis, thus reducing their resale value to that of a mono)

I think it's more than a bit unfair of you to state Tri's and Cats are unsafe ++, Sure they cost more but I believe part of the higher price ticket for Cats...and some Tri's, is the fact that it takes more materials, and time, to build a Multi than it does a Mono...Then there's the fact that just about every man and his dog want's to own....Don't ask me why... A Cat

Me, I would be happy with a nice little forty footer, Fiber over Ply Tri!
By the way, if you too would like an older "forty footer, Fiber over Ply Tri" There's one on offer for $29,900! At: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ale-26079.html

Unfortunatly for me, she's in the States, N E Coast and I'm in Australia but I would love to have a look over that old girl and, if she's true to her sales page ad'...I would put a good offer on her in a heartbeat. Go check her out matey...if you truely want a low priced Tri

As for myself, I'll keep searching for my yacht and...you never know, I "may" find a similar vessel at a similar price here in Australia but...I doubt it!

Cheers mate, calm waters and good winds to you all.

Bill AU