Torn between 2 project boats

hi folks

ill try and add some pictures in another post.

I am am about to purchase my first project yacht. I have a life of experience on the water both sailing with parents as a kid / young adult and on ribs.

Currently i I have a 7m rib in Sydney harbour but looking for something a bit more family friendly. The plan would be to get home from work on a Friday throw the wife and kids onto the boat and head off somewhere to drop anchor and spend the weekend. Initially close by so within Sydney heads but eventually tracked a bit up and down the coast.

So the boat dilema.

I have have the choice of the following.

A 37ft Twin mast Carvel ketch, it's a Ferro cement hull and after taking a brief look last weekend it's clear that it needs a serious tidy up. There are spots on the hull that the rust is weeping through and also looks like it has had a repair to the Portside above the water line as there is a rough spot in the finish. The overall finish is not very smooth / fair and I'd be keen to get it smoothed out to try and get a nice clean finish. Beyond that the interior is pretty poor but that is. I big deal as this is a project. However it floats and has done for some time lol as I pass it regularily on the rib. The rest of details like condition of rigging etc is unknown and the engine needs reconditioned. The appeal on this one is the size and the interior space. The concerns are the obvious, I know nothing about Ferro cement and have big issues with what can't be seen. The price is $1K as is. That's right!

the second option

a compass northerner 28, the hull looks to be sound and has an ok finish, nothing a good coat of new paint couldn't sort and it would look like new. Needs new gunnels fitted but the previous owner already has the new wood ready and is included in the price. The interior is average but again not an issue as this is a project, nothing a few hundred dollars can't sort as it's mostly superficial. The rigging looks to be in ok condition apart from a snapped stay tensioner which he will replace before hand. The engine is also not running and would need replaced / re conditioned. The downsides on this one for me is obviously it's a smaller hull so less deck and interior space, definitely less beam so a bit more cramped inside but I'm not yet sure if that will annoy me. The upsides are the fact that I'm confident I can both spot and repair any issues with the glass work, the hull is nice and fair and ready to paint and I suppose contrary to the negative above maybe the smaller boat means easier to handle considering I would be the only confident sailer on board. The price on this one is $2k

id love some advice or opinions if any one has any. At the moment I'm steering more towards the compass because I feel like there is less uncertainty around it's hull.

Thanks in advance

I would run away from both of those boats as fast as I can.

In the future it will be almost impossible to get rid of the Ferro boat no matter how much work you put into it. You could put 3 years of work and $30K into it and it might still sell for $1K.

The compass will be too small for family coastal sailing. Again it will be a shame to put so much work into a boat unless you are absolutely sure your family of 4+ are happy to spend a weekend in a 28' boat.

We have seen a quite a few 30-35' less than $5K boats on this forum based in Sydney that would far better meet your needs. In particular that Brolga with no motor comes to mind.

If the mooring comes with the 37' boat I would take it and find another 37' boat

regards,

Andrew

Hey check out "free range sailing" on youtube they sailed a Clansman 30 Perth to Darwin and then onto Weipa very capable yacht worth a look.
Cheers

What??? There are worms that eat fibreglass are there?? I didn't know that Thanks for letting me know.

I will have to keep my boat permanently on the hard now!! At $135 per week, what the heck. It is a lot more affordable than that $190 per day slipway.

If you are going to be permanently on the war path you would be better off with one of these instead of a yacht.

We have a Northerner 28 and have lived on it (couple, no kids) for nearly 2 years and sailed Sydney - Bowen - Hobart.

You are right that it's a Compass 28 with a different configuration of the cabin. It has a sliding hatch rather than keyhole, teak coming rather than glass.

Here are a few thoughts

1. It's SMALL. Too small for most couples and with kids ...? However we have had 6 overnight once and a few friends (who are small boat types) to stay

2. Easy to sail, very dry & seaworthy.

3. Everything is cheap as chips to replace/maintain. As it is unlined, everything is easily accessible.

4. Surprisingly good headroom I'm just over 6'1" and can stand up.

5. Shallow "go anywhere" draft

6. Marinas can always fit you in & charge less

7. People think they are cute and will always chat/help you out (they are, indeed, cute)

8. If something breaks during a passage, you can do whatever it is by hand.

9. Active & helpful association

10. Very manoeuvrable forwards goes round in circles under power backwards.

11. Did I mention that it is small!

Cheers

Bristol

+1 on what Bristol said. Getting the engine to work will cost more than a similar boat with a working donk.

The Northerner/Compass is small, but back in the day they were considered quite a big boat and people haven't grown that much larger. We used to take four away in a 28'er for a weekend with no issues, both when I was growing up and when our kids were growing up. The 28'er is also dramatically lighter on the pocket and for handling.

I kept my 28'er (which is going to have a major renovation) for sentimental reasons, and although we now have a fairly light and fast 36'er, I'm actually looking forward to the light handling of the smaller boat when she returns to the water.

There are lots of boats with interior space and speed similar to that of the Compass 28 to choose from.

Hi folks

thanks again for all of the replies. So I'm convinced to steer clear of the Ferro. And will do a bit of looking at a few other options, I don't mind so much that the engine needs work or replacing as I'm happy to spend a few months tidying it up. And it's lighter on the pocket for now. I always have the rib for getting on the water. Pic attached for those that are curious.

What are are the thoughts on an outboard?

would removing the inboard be more beneficial for space in the cabin? I get outboards have their issues also but hey. Ideally most of the time the sails will be up. Thoughts?

the rib

Hi
I just finished putting a Nanni 14hp in my 28 had to replace the shaft and new fixed blade prop.
I did all the work skin fittings and re wire around $12 k. A lot more if some else does the work.
Outboard not an option yuk, spend a little more and get one you can sail. Cheers