Finding the right boat for me!
Yes, there is a lot to consider and it is not easy.
After the courses I see clearly that I need more practice, especially for me who plans to sail alone “single handed”.
Starting with a big boat, which I want to make my new home, is not a good thing – I understand that.
That’s why I started looking for a 40-50ft sailboat that has most of what I need for local waters – maybe 1-3 weeks at a time. It does not need to have the space and equipment that I will be looking for in the “final” boat.
There is a lot to choose from, at different prices and with different equipment.
I want in-mast furling sails and a rolling genoa. I also want a bow thruster – just to practise using it. For the big boat it will be a must. One or two sailboat rudders – I’m open to this, but I’ve looked at some boats with just one rudder – it’s so big that it’s very difficult to get around when you need to move quickly around the rudder.
I think I want a boat with 2 wheels and lots of room to move around.
Another thing on my wish list is at least an electric winch. This will take some of the physical strain out of handling the sails.
And you have to think about the “draft” of the boat (the distance between the waterline and the deepest point of the boat) – as many places in Croatia are relatively shallow.
So far, a 40-50ft Bavaria is at the top of my wish list for a training boat.
I know less about what I will end up with afterwards, but there is a Hallberg Rassy 57 sailing yacht – or a Hallberg Rassy 50 – high on the wish list – we will see.
My experience so far is that there is a huge difference in the amount of wear and tear on these used boats and also in the quality of maintenance. Some 10-15 year old boats look like they are 30 years old and others look almost new. Many have sweating engines with oil residue in the bilge, old rubber hoses and electrical cables with irr and many quick fixes along the way. Lots to look out for. Worn shackles and lines.
Inside the cabin – hinges and cupboard doors hanging and dangling, loose and missing screws – all very bad.
One thinks quickly – about how the actual hull and rigg are maintained or not. Most engines have from 3-5000 hours – which is not a deterrent if they are well looked after, but when the engine looks like a lump of rust and the oil is black as tar, well then you can wonder if this is really a good buy.
And YES – I know – this look and feel thing of the interior etc is not the most important thing to think about when looking at a boat, there are 100’s of other more important things (I have a long list I use), but if I don’t feel good inside a boat, well then this is not to be my boat – I will spend so many hours on board that it has to be the one I like.
22 May 2022
Well, it’s not easy to find what you want – I’m in the final stages of getting a Bavaria 2006 42ft Match.
This one has no bow thruster and no in-mast furling – as I originally wanted.
But it’s in relatively good condition, and it’s available now – most of the others I found interesting won’t be available until October – too late for this season.
This “old” (2006) Bavaria is a basic boat, and everything looks “basic”, but the woodwork is not bad, and having my first dinner on board – felt ok – I got the feeling “I can live here” 🙂 .
I will continue to update this page as I see more boats – so stay tuned!
June 2022
Ok – she is mine now – the Bavaria 2006 42 ft Match.
Contract written and keys in the bag.
She has had the keel modification done, and extra main and genoa sails, and not forgetting a good spinnaker and gennaker – including all the necessary lines etc etc.
She had the cleaning and anti-fouling done before delivery to me and generally looks good.
Some internal cleaning to be done and some lines to be changed. But in general – looks ok for being so old.
An Icom MA-510TR Class B AIS and a new ICOM IC-M330GE VHF radio to be installed. Lots of little things that need to be renewed or added, but that’s ok.
All the instruments work, so nothing needs to be changed.
I will be using my 12.9-inch iPad pro as a navigation aid in a waterproof cower in front of the steering wheel.
I also ordered a portable air conditioner, as 30c++ is a bit warm for me at night.
There are brand new batteries on board (gel), but no solar charging.
So far happy with the boat and its performance.
More to come …….
I would like to thank the Adriatic Sailing Academy for all their help in finding a boat and not least with the inspection of the boats – as well as all the help with the contracts and all the paperwork.
They know the system and without their help this would have been more than a challenge for me to manage alone – if not impossible.
We have also hired a reputable solicitor to check all the documents relating to the boat etc. and to draw up the contracts and get all the paperwork registered in all the necessary systems.
I was a little surprised that the Adriatic Sailing Academy could also help with this type of work – as I did not read anything about it on their website, but it is an important part of their assistance and they do it in a good and professional way.
Another great thing is that it came with a berth in Marina Novi (a few miles south of Rijeka, Croatia) – already paid for for a year. This is another marina I can recommend, easy to get to from anywhere, by car or boat. Incredibly clean and nice, and with great and helpful staff.
Some updates: 10/2022
Things are changing all the time and maybe that is a good thing -lol
I like this boat more and more and after some nice trips in different weather and waters – I find that I can handle this boat.
So now my sails are at the sailmaker for a full check and fixing what needs fixing.
I have decided to replace my plotter, all the instruments and also a new autopilot.
I like RayMarine products so I have ordered everything I need to do the upgrade.
An Axiom+ 12 plotter, Evolution EV-1 (EV-200 Sail) and ACU, new lot/log transducers ++++
Have also had a full engine check and report that the engine is in great condition.
All rubber hoses changed, all filters etc etc – in general a complete check.
Found it interesting to learn about all the different instrument “busses” and how the different manufacturers handle the interconnection of instruments, plotters and autopilots.
Decided to add a converter from SeaTalk1 to SeaTalkng – so I can continue to use some of my “old” instruments as a backup, and it works well.
More on this later on ….