Arion, Tom Thumb 24 junk sloop, for sale, $17,000 open to offers

  • 05 Apr 2017 01:38
    Message # 4712467

    Update to original message:  Arion is now in Mooloolaba, SE Queensland, and is listed with a local broker for $17,000.  I am open to offers but will not sell for less than $14,000 after I slip and repaint the boat in 2-3 months (as soon as the weather cools down).  I'd accept $10,000 before slipping.  Any prospective purchaser will have to accept the boat in an as is where is condition.  I am unable to assist with delivering Arion due to my heath.  The plan at this stage is to live aboard in this marina and potter along, hopefully keeping abreast of major maintenance issues.  If my health bounces back (like a famous Australian Prime Minister, I have had more comebacks than Lazarus) I may even do another cruise, but then i won't want to sell.


    You can see photos of the boat in my member profile albums.  I've been thinking of selling for some time due to age and health issues.  Arion is a 20 year old steel boat and requires regular maintenance, which is becoming more of a challenge for me every year, as my health declines.  I am also beginning to find long solo passages less fun than they previously were and the time is coming when a small fibreglass daysailer in sheltered waters will suit my purposes better.  Arion, as readers of the JRA magazine will know, has cruised extensively along the east coast of Australia for the last 20 years, between Sydney and Cairns, and is fully equipped for tradewind passages anywhere, including a 14hp Kubota diesel, Jordan Series Drogue, Chartplotter, charts of the east coast of Australia, autopilot, and mechanical windvane.  This summer I have replaced the anchor chain (70 metres of 8mm short-link) and the house battery (200amp AGM).  The 35sq metre sail is 7 oz Dacron, triple stitched, and was new in March, 2016.  Mast and spars are alloy.  The steel hull is sound, though ongoing maintenance can be expected.  There has been some rust in the ballast keel area but this has been stabilized by welding steel plates over the ballast and filling the area with vegetable oil.  

    This represents a good opportunity for an energetic sailor (chasing that rust) to acquire a beautiful, strong, well-equipped offshore cruiser for a minimal investment.  I've been canvassing replacement boats and know there is little out there worth looking at under $20,000.  You do need to be prepared to continue a vigorous maintenance schedule and I will direct you to all areas of the boat that need ongoing attention.

    Last modified: 26 Dec 2017 11:04 | Anonymous member
  • 07 Apr 2017 17:38
    Reply # 4730581 on 4712467
    Deleted user

    Having troubles finding the pictures could you just post a link when you get some time please. 

  • 07 Apr 2017 18:11
    Reply # 4730698 on 4712467
    Anonymous

    John

    Click on Graham's name to go to his member's profile. Scroll to the bottom and you'll find his photo albums.

    Chris

    Last modified: 07 Apr 2017 18:12 | Anonymous
  • 08 Apr 2017 07:29
    Reply # 4736029 on 4730698
    Webmaster JRA wrote:

    John

    Click on Graham's name to go to his member's profile. Scroll to the bottom and you'll find his photo albums.

    Chris


    Thanks for that Chris.  I did not provide a link as there are several albums, each of which would require an individual link.  It is easier just to access them via my member profile. 

    I am feeling a little less desperately ill in the last couple of days, and, as usual, I'm thinking of where I might sail to this winter (being in the tropics, winter is my cruising season), but if a member of the JRA does offer me $10,000 I'll take it.  Sometime in the next 10 years it will be inevitable that I come ashore.  The boat is not listed with a broker and at this stage will not be.  I'll just keep on mooching around and see what happens.  My friends are laying bets that I have at least one more cruise under the keel yet!

  • 21 Mar 2018 23:55
    Reply # 5991961 on 4712467

    Just a note to say that Arion is still on the market.  I am reluctant to sell my little ship but am struggling with the maintenance due to health issues.  The boat is a very capable offshore cruiser but, like any 20 year old steel boat, needs someone with lots of energy.  I am willing to consider all offers.  I just cannot see myself chasing rust in another decade.  If Arion was fibreglass I'd never sell.

  • 04 Nov 2018 00:16
    Reply # 6887374 on 4712467

    Not too many junk rig enthusiasts in Australia it would seem!  At least none that are interested in my Tom Thumb 24.  I am out cruising again, currently in Southport, and if I don't sell beforehand, will head back to the tropics early in 2019.  I spent another $5000 earlier this year, slipping and taking the head off the engine.  Everything is shipshape and seaworthy at the moment.  If I don't find a buyer, I guess we will have to just rust away slowly together.  The time will come in the next decade when the maintenance of a steel boat will be too much for me.

    For someone who is capable of working with metal, a steel boat has to be the easiest and most economical to maintain and repair, though it gets expensive if you call in the professionals.  And for someone who seriously wants to cruise in the open sea, whether 20 miles or 2000 miles offshore, it has to be the strongest and safest.  The Tom Thumb is also a very seaworthy design.  My junk-rigged sistership, Minke, sailed from Australia to Fiji in 2015, and another I know has made several Atlantic crossings.

    I'd accept $10,000, which is a bargain for a boat that is well tested and is loaded with cruising gear, from chartplotters and self steering systems to a Jordan Series Drogue.  I am not at this stage willing to accept less. 

    The interior is not immaculate (I am a scruffy sort of guy) and you will inherit the ongoing maintenance schedule, but is is seaworthy boat and an absolute bargain for a genuine adventurer.  Go to my profile to check out my photo albums (I have just added a new album of interior shots) and read past copes if the JRA magazine for stories of our travels.

    For my old age I'd like to get a micro multihull to mooch along the Queensland coast, so if you have got one we could consider terms of trade!

    Last modified: 04 Nov 2018 09:35 | Anonymous member
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