I'm just looking at getting a small cheap yacht for summer.. Mainly just for some overnight trips around Pittwater and some twilight racing maybe..
Seeing lots of Cole, Too Hat, Hoods and Endeavours insider the price range I'm looking at.. Saw a Santana22 as well which I quite liked cause it seemed to have a bigger cockpit area..
Anyone have any recommendations?? Or things to look out for.. It would be appreciated..
Select to expand quotepatto1987 said..
I'm just looking at getting a small cheap yacht for summer.. Mainly just for some overnight trips around Pittwater and some twilight racing maybe..
Seeing lots of Cole, Too Hat, Hoods and Endeavours insider the price range I'm looking at.. Saw a Santana22 as well which I quite liked cause it seemed to have a bigger cockpit area..
Anyone have any recommendations?? Or things to look out for.. It would be appreciated..
For room inside foot head room and a place to sleep id go for a top hat if you can find one with a diesel all the better
www.tophatyachts.com/
The top hat forum is very helpful and there is always things for sale
But remember you need a mooring
Alternative would be a trailer sailor
HI Patto
I'm on Pittwater too
my vote is for the top hat the others don't compare
I would stay away from endeavors and hoods unless your after something under $1000
also consider space sailors both the 22 and the 24
this top hat is local http://yachthub.com/list/yachts-for-sale/used/sail-monohulls/top-hat-25/175840
also this one to and is cheaper www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/st-ives/sail-boats/top-hat-mark-2-yacht-moored-on-pittwater-scotland-island-/1092889259
also it might be worth checking out trailer sailors as well and save on mooring cost and maintenance ect. boomaroo 22 , sunmaid 25 ,compass careels and spacesailor 20 are some to look at .
keep and eye on eBay there are always cheapy's going to auction but they usually need lots of work definitely inspect before you bid
Tophat mark 1 baker build all day long. I just got 1. Cant believe how stable and roomy she is. Ready for coastal trips
Select to expand quoteHG02 said..
Ive seen a few good looking ladies in top hats cockpits Cisco 
Seems to be a , or a ' missing there HG.
You have seen a few good looking ladies in Top Hats only, or in cockpits only, or both??
The vision of ladies in Top Hats only in my cockpit is boggling my mind. That followed logically by the vision of the said ladies in Top Hats only reclining on the red velvet lounges in my saloon is blowing all my fuses. 
The only top hats I've seen so far all have outboards mounted in a rather silly position right in the footwell... I'll keep an eye out for the diesel variant.. Although I would prefer an outboard..
I'm not so worried about the interior space although the top hat seems miles ahead of the others..
I like Tophats but they are a small 25 footer if we are honest. For the sailing you envisage an older quarter tonner might be more suitable or a Santana 22. Something with a roomy cockpit and basic accommodation, basically a day sailer. Couple of Hutton 24's for sale on eBay. Check out this blokes listing for a Bluebird. These are good starter boats and he sells a lot of boats like you are after. Recently sold a Santana 22 that I was even tempted by!http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Blue-bird-22-fiberglass-fixed-keel-production-yacht-nice-fit-sydney-No-reserve-/161869085170?hash=item25b02639f2:g:hrMAAOSwo6lWGiqf
Keep tabs on what Maxiyacht lists, he has some excellent boats at times.
If the Santana 22's are built as good as my Santana 28, then they'll be a damn good boat.
When I was researching small 25ft-ish yacht I got down to between the Top Hat25 & the SpaceSailor24.
The Top Hats were/are better value and more prolific so I went that way & never looked back.
Doesn't really matter what you get for Pittwater & weekends, whatever has a decent speed & an interior/exterior you can live with.
You don't want a fixer upperer, you'll quickly over-capitalise, at the price decent yachts are going for, your better off getting a decent one & go sailing, along with the usual maintenance, avoid ones that need lots of repairs.
I'd look for things like lead ballast, a decent rudder set-up, decent sails & standing rigging. Cushions seem to be expensive so something with good cushions would be better.
cheers
What appears to me is Top Hat turn around when you want to sell it gone with in a year or less as long as its not over priced
There a good value 25 foot keeler
there's nothing inherently wrong with them they are just small and I would say uncomfortable as a weekender there is a 24 moored next to my boat and the cockpit is cramped with 2 people they are cheap boats and often sell around $1000 on ebay hence my comment .
there is a endeavor 26 on ebay for $1000 it needs work no one has bided yet
some do sell for much more but you could by a top hat or a nice trailer sailor for that cash
I do like the spacesailor 20 and 22 for a little boat
check out simon's youtube page
They are nicely produced videos. What is amazing is being able to cohabitate on such a small vessel. He is a particularly lucky bloke, I presume it's his family.
I was looking at around $5k max for the boat itself to leave a little bit to get a morning sorted etc... I'd rather something that's ready to go more or less. I can fix ropes and rigging easily but I'm not really interested in major repair work like rot/decay etc..
I'm still thinking the Santana is the right boat for me.. But lots of every interesting alternatives been mentioned. Most of which I had missed so far..
The hunt continues..
No experience owning a boomaroo although I have considered buying one at times I believe they are the same as a catalina 22
they look like a good boat with lots of space below for a trailer sailor you can lift the swing centerboard to get in to shallow anchorages and take them home for maintenance on the trailer if it has one
I think there one of the best bang for buck trailer sailor's around
here's one sailing on broken bay in a stiff nor'easter
Select to expand quotepatto1987 said..
Does anyone have any experience with a Boomaroo 22 or a Columbia 22??
Columbia 22 built by International Marine Melb. In the seventies. International Marine was back then ,at least, one of the top quality boat builders in Aust. and built the Bertram and Caribbean motor cruisers as well as the Columbia 27 and 34 yachts. There are a lot of their boats around still.I took delivery of a 27 in 1978 and can vouch for the quality build .
There were no short cuts and they were quite expensive relatively speaking. I would expect their boats to have held up pretty well if cared for. IMO all of the Columbias built by them were under rigged hence very easy to sail single handed or by a family. I used to sail in the RMYC wag races single handed pretty easly
The 22 was built by Columbia Yachts USA in the 60's and had a solid reputation with a fair turn of speed.
Worth a look
My pick at the moment would be the Hutton 24 in Eden. [EBay] Rip off that hideous cabin top! Has a good little diesel. It has all the good stuff required for normal sailing, lazyjacks and a good mainsail cover.
The Hutton 24 is a quarter tonner hull from the 70's. The hull is a Dufour 24 which won the world titles at the time in Europe. The local company Hutton just plonked a locally designed deck on it. The keel I think is cast iron like lots of the cheaper vessels of the period.
Best thing at the moment is all those weird boats are hitting the market in time for summer. Just sit around and be patient and something will appear that suits.
jeezus that cabin is hideous on that Hutton... why didn't they do a pop top like some others.. At the moment im leaning to something that doesn't really require any major work as I just don't have the time.. There is a couple of absolute shockers hitting the market.. can hardly believe someone actually paid money to build them at some point they are that bad...
Theres a few ones that are fitting the bill that if I can get for the right price would be good.. looking at 4-6 this weekend and hopefully will make an offer next week on something.
Boomaroo 22 I think it was made in Geelong many years ago I did hear of a bit of a disaster with one cant remember the details
Select to expand quoteh28kurt said...
The Sea gulls think it's a good boat
They have probably spent a lot of time going over every detail of that boat 
Select to expand quoteHG02 said...
Boomaroo 22 I think it was made in Geelong many years ago I did hear of a bit of a disaster with one cant remember the details
I heard some have/had problems with dissimilar metals in the swing keel..
Select to expand quotepatto1987 said..HG02 said...
Boomaroo 22 I think it was made in Geelong many years ago I did hear of a bit of a disaster with one cant remember the details
I heard some have/had problems with dissimilar metals in the swing keel..
It might have been that and the boat feel over so to speak it rings a bell ( well I can hear the Echo in there some where)
Wow, I can see the price of those Top Hats soaring. Nevertheless, a boatbuilder recommended then to me as a solid little coastal cruiser.
Gotta admit I really like the Cole 23. If you had somewhere safe to park it one would be awesome in a trailer sailor. They look like one solid little seaworthy boat?
Great thing about a trailer sailor is you dont have to worry about all the wear and other issues you have leaving a yacht on a mooring.
It's also sad to see all those nice little yachts rotting their moorings. If it is "in your face" you are going to be more likely to keep it prepared and maintained?
Great cheap accommodation too if you want to go have a look around places as beautiful as Port Stephens?
Surfershane the thing with trailor sailers is the effort involved when you wanna go out. Sometimes its more effort than time will allow. I had a hobie before my bluebird. Now onto a tophat. Loved the hobie. Trailored it around the country. Sailed grampians lakes. Port philip bay. Wilsons prom. York peninsular. That was the beauty of it. Go anywhere. I could set the hobie up myself and launch off beaches but after 2 years of soing this alot i decided a mooring would get me sailing more and this is the case. A trailor sailor would require a few hands. A boat ramp and a bit of time to set up everytime.
