You know, I sort of skipped over the Atlantic Viking 28. But now that I know she has JRA provenance, perhaps I can get a look at some more photos. The photo on the Sunbird website looks a little stretched horizontally, I realise, now that I’ve googled the marque and looked at photos of other Vikings.

The Varne 850 looks the right price, but I’ll go for bilge keels if I can get them.

The She 31 in the ‘For Sale’ page of the JRA website is a lot of boat for the money, but I was hoping for smaller, and bilge keels as already mentioned.

Not sure how to make further enquiries about the Atlantic Viking 28. I’ve never bought a boat sight unseen before. Maybe Robin Blain would let me pay a sort of generic deposit, just to know I’m serious, but one that I could use on any boat he brokers.

I don’t know how much of a hurry to sell the owner is, but I’d be surprised if he/she was willing to wait seven months.

Hmmm, how to proceed…

Robin was very generous with his time when I was making enquiries some years ago. Even took me and my then girlfriend for a sail on the 2008 JRA Rally in Plymouth.

But parenthood got in the way of my junk cruising dreams, so I never actually became a paying customer. Robin would be justified in thinking me to be something of a tyre-kicker. I reckon I’d need to hand over some moola to prove I’m now genuine.

Naturally, if I bought the Atlantic Viking I'd change the name...

Hi Folks,

In Feb 2015 I’m coming to the UK for a year or three, and I’d like to buy a junk-rigged boat when I arrive.

 I’d be very grateful for some tips for buying a junker in the UK. I trawl the Sunbird Marine brokerage page frequently and was sad to see recently that the Westerly Nomad was sold – I had hoped she would still be available in Feb 2015, unrealistic I know.

 This is a massive change of plans for me – I had intended to convert my Compass 28 to a junk here in Melbourne, then go off sailing around South East Asia for a few years. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised that I’d rather go pottering around Europe than SE Asia. I crunched the numbers and I can indeed do it, so I’ve made the plans.

 I’ve been offered teaching work in both the UK and Spain, and I have enough saved to take at least a year off before having to take up the work offers.

 My budget will be about £8,000 for a boat, and I like small-ish bilge-keelers. Somewhere between about 22 feet and 29 feet. I don’t think I have Roger Taylor’s tolerance for such a small living space, but then I’m a big fan of his (I’m currently re-reading one of his books) and lean more to his end of the spectrum than the 40 foot condo-maran end.

 If I can buy ready-made so much the better. Otherwise, if the cost works out, it might be better to buy something and have Sunbird Marine convert her? I’ve read all of Arne’s articles and followed Annie’s conversion, but I’m still a little intimidated at the thought of doing a conversion all by myself. I’d rather have a conversion done by professionals, especially in a ‘foreign’ country. Besides, it would be silly to waste my sabbatical time working in a boat yard.

 I suspect that buying a boat already converted will be cheaper, and it will certainly be faster.

 The Compass is up for sale, the dog has had all the right vaccinations, and all the ducks are (almost) in a row.

 I was thinking I’d arrive in the UK, rent a car and a furnished flat for a month, and begin searching. Looking at the map of JRA members in the UK I think it might be wise to base myself around Southampton?

 Any advice JRA members can offer can offer me will be gratefully received. Anyone have a £8,000 junk-rigged boat they plan to sell next year?

 Cheers,

Matt

Melbourne (for now)