Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Gary Pick wrote:

A look around online and it looks like a Tophat 25 would suit me just fine. 4ft 6 draft and long keel.

Yes, Gary, and there have been a number for sale very cheap, though you'd have to truck them home.  One I remember in recent months was about $800, (in Sydney from memory), and one was free (central Qld?).  Both I saw on Gumtree under the category 'sail boats'.  That is mostly where the cheapies are as the ads are free.  Your sail would be plenty big enough.  Mine is only 22 sq m, a bit conservative (I was stuck with an existing mast) but Blue Moon sails ok.

It's the trucking that is expensive I believe.

What about rigging it down south and sailing home?

Gary Pick wrote:

A look around online and it looks like a Tophat 25 would suit me just fine. 4ft 6 draft and long keel.

Yes, Gary, and there have been a number for sale very cheap, though you'd have to truck them home.  One I remember in recent months was about $800, (in Sydney from memory), and one was free (central Qld?).  Both I saw on Gumtree under the category 'sail boats'.  That is mostly where the cheapies are as the ads are free.  Your sail would be plenty big enough.  Mine is only 22 sq m, a bit conservative (I was stuck with an existing mast) but Blue Moon sails ok.

This is a drawing of the TopHat 25.

Anonymous wrote:

Is that 7.4knts on the log or GPS?   My Coromandel managed over 9knts......on the GPS!

Missed this post, that was GPS.

Call me biased. :)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Just completed another haulout for antifoul and rot repair. Needless to say I found more than expected or for that matter deal with properly.  The time has come to make the hard decision to retire Redwing next year.

Sorry to hear that, Gary.  I assume the rot has got into the structural timbers, rather than just in the ply.  I assume you still have budgetary restraints, but you may find a suitable basic glass boat for a grand or so, sometimes less, one day if you are lucky, onto which you can transplant all the good gear from Redwing.  I see them come up from time to time.  Usually very run down and stripped out, but you have the rig, anchors etc.  If I see one I will let you know.  My new boat, Blue Moon, is a bit rough around the edges, but my bunk is dry and it sails.  Good enough for Moreton Bay anyway.  I'd rather not ride out a gale in the open ocean in this boat.  But then my old bones wouldn't like that either.  I am semi-retired from sailing now, spend a lot of time just anchored in Bums Bay, or mooching up the channels inside the Stradbroke Islands.  Wishing you good fortune. 

Hi Graham, if past experience is any judge the rot may be into the outer chine layer. I think most of it is just ply planking that needs replacing and possibly not huge amounts. However past experience has also taught me it's usually worse than you think. :)

Kerry is not keen on me investing in another keel boat given the limited budget we live on. Sadly I think it's time to enjoy Redwing for a bit and then cut my losses. With luck I might be able to sell the rig and mast complete for a couple of thousand next year. I might get myself a small trailerable sailboat at some stage.