Selection

Hi All.
Would appreciate all advice and opinion on 3 boats i have in mind.
First is Top Hat than Buchanan 30 (steel) and finally Compass 28.
Accommodation for single person, planning to cruse and live aboard.
Would steel be more prefer than GRP, and which of those is more suitable for blue water and possible
crossing ?
Regards - John

id stay away from steel myself also. grp for me but really a personal preference thing. the compass are known for osmosis in the hull so just keep an eye on that. not all doom and gloom if it has it but too much is not good. well my 2 bob anyway.
28ft is small for blue water crossing for me.

I don't know to much about Ferro, however I understand that its tricky to get insurance for them (if you needed it).

Steel needs a whole lot of love (like all boats) to avoid one large bucket of rust. In terms of maintenance, I equate steel to timber but more work!

Depends on the design, Hartley RORC 38's and 32s sail well for example. Corrosion of the reinforcing does occur but professionally built boats its not that common.

I have just taken up residence on a new mooring and the two closest yachts are ferro and there is another about 100 metres away. Apart from the owners no one else seems to believe they are ferro!

I would recommend sticking with Fibreglass. Make a list of suitable sized yachts say 25 foot to 34 foot. Divide them up into two columns, long keel/short keel, then further divide into enclosed keel or add on, and further divide into lead or cast iron. Also note whether they are solid glass or foam and whether the foam goes past the waterline. The size of the vessel is going to depend on your age more than anything. Once yachts get to 34 feet the weight and costs are a bit much if your over 35! Yachts are very cheap now so you may as well buy the best.
My pick at the moment
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/mosman-park/sail-boats/yacht-ufo-34/1016346294

Add some details to your Bio, might find a fellow lister close by.

I owned a Compass 28 for 4 years. They are a great starter boat; a little on the slow side and need the mainsail reefed if the wind is 14kts plus as prone to weather helm. Compass 29 would be better for live aboard as more space. If you buy a Compass make sure it has a decent engine size as the YSE8 motor was way under powered. Find one with 14hp or more. My boat was a 1974 C28 and did have some osmosis in the keel area. Negotiated down the price on this and simply fixed with west system epoxy repair system.
Google 'World of Ferro Boats'. Heaps of good info on this site if considering Ferro. I like the RORC 32 RORC 39 designs. The NZ built boats had to be well built and certified. The ones built by the Sayer Familily seem the best. Ferro hulls are well insulated and quite; may be a good liveaboard proposal if well constructed. Insurance difficult to get.
Steel boats can be a good strong cruising yachts. Only problem is many of the cheap 30 plus year old boats are getting close to the end of their servicable lives if not refitted. Many rust from inside out, some are not welded together very well.