Mottle 820 - experience/opinions?

I have had no experience of a Mottle 27. They are another yacht that was re invented from an old design like the Manitous. Not sure what the original boat design was but Mr Mottle modified the molds, raised the topsides and changed the cabin line slightly. As long as they have full headroom and an inboard diesel I would say they would suit your needs.

I have a feeling the original was a Queensland design from the 60's.

Mate, as a previous Compass owner I don't think a 'Mottle 27 would be a step forward.

I agree that the Mottle would be a fraction faster but I doubt that it would match the seakeeping abilities or relative comfort of your previous Compass. The Mottle is also a little bit tender compared to the Compass.

I'm not knocking the Mottle, I just think the Compass or similar would be a much better boat for coastal cruising.

There is a huge number of quite decent boats on the market at the moment that fit the category of "pocket cruiser" and many of them are reasonably priced and surprisingly well equipped.

A point to remeber is that the Mottles you recall from mid-week races would most likely be set up for mid-week racing. They would no doubt be a little slower in cruising trim with food, fuel, grog, water and other cruising comforts aboard.

I recently unloaded my boat after and extended cruise and all of a sudden I had three inches more freeboard. The cruising gear adds weight and slows you down.

As Ramona says, the Mottle was an extended version of an older Queensland design - the Quest 23 by Bluey Williams (see
boatbrat.com/boat-sales-australia/ads/1975-quest-23-sail-boat/). The Mottle also has a different cabin top, of course.

Nice boat, but it's only a couple of percent quicker than a Compass from what I've seen.

Thats easy worth a plane ride Ramona Might sell the misses any need one ?

wont sail anywhere as good as the mottle .

but could still be a bargain, as a slow cruiser !!!!!


the mottle had a reco engine , and four self tailing winches , so that may tip the scales ! .

I really appreciate everyone's responses and comments - its given me a good bit of food for thought. Probably the design is somewhat dated, and being fairly tender is a big negative. I just saw an offer that looked attractive at face value.

That Mottle 33 in Darwin looks to be amazing value, just located in the wrong spot!

Hi HGO2,
I think your H28 would be at least equal to my Roberts. They are great boats.
Im not sure how I can help.
My Roberts has 400l of water in two tanks in the center of th boat. It has 240l of fuel in three tanks, two are under the quarter berths and one is in the keel, under the motor, all can be isolated and used independently. There is a line attached to the keel tank that is two inches below the engine pick up line. With full tanks you can open this line and bleed (by gravity) all the crap from the bottom of the tank. If you do this after a day in quiet water you would be surprised what comes out. Saves a lot in fuel filters.
I have three solar panels mounted above my targa, Two are sixty watts and one is eighty watts. I also have a small output wind generator that is coupled directly to my start battery. It puts out 2.5 amps at 25 knots wind speed so isn't something you rely on to keep your batteries charged.
I have a 120 amp starter battery and three 120 amp AGM house batteries. I also have a Bulmar high output alternator with a smart charger.
I have a Danfros fridge/freezer of 100/60 liter capacity. I have never turned it off in the last ten months other than to de-ice the freezer plates.
My engine is a 4.108 Perkins that has obviously been detuned and returns 2.5 liters and hour at 5.5 knots and about 2.2 liters an hour if motor sailing. The good thing about this motor is that you can maintain 5 knots in almost any conditions, they are really easily serviced and would, if serviced correctly give many thousands of engine hours.
With the generous beam combined with the weight of fuel and water (I carry 80 liters of spare fuel on longer trips along with 40 liters of eater) the boat sits very solidly in the water but of course at a cost in speed. Having said that, I regularly see speeds on the GPS of between seven and nine knots but that is probably because of my sail area and my past experience in racing.
Not sure if this was any help,
Cheers,
Rick

I think she is a beautiful yacht. Certainly a lot prettier than mine in her current state (under refit at anchor). I have posted the link to this ad a couple of times before and I am at a bit of a loss to understand why it has not sold yet. Most likely because the Lotus 9.2s are not very well known in Australia. Yachting's best kept secret maybe??

The Lotus 9.2 designed by the legendary Alan Wright is a no compromise fast cruising yacht. Racing rules were totally disregarded when Alan drew her. The rules at the time were in a shambles with designers coming out with "rule cheater" designs. Not so with the Lotus 9.2.

MorningBird and HaveFun sailed (motored) up with me from Lake Macquarie to Bundaberg and can attest to the comfort level of this design of yacht. With all things be it yacht, car, house or a piece of kit, I always consider design first and for a 30 foot yacht the Lotus 9.2 is really hard to beat.

As for "Tintola", the only thing I don't like is that she has a sail drive (personal preference only). My "Second Wind" is a very strongly built production yacht by Lotus Yachts, New Zealand. "Tintola" is timber built by Gavin Kerr on the Gold Coast and if I lost "Second Wind" tomorrow I would be on the Gold Coast on Tuesday buying "Tintola".

She has everything there and nothing to fix up. If you are in the market for a fast 30 foot cruising yacht that is ready to go, this one fits the bill. I think the guy is serious about selling so go cut yourself a deal.

I hope this helps. Cheers Cisco.

Edit:- If you need help getting her to Sydney, there are plenty here who could assist.