buying a 32' timber cruiser advice needed pls

[o_total]

Hi all,

I have been bitten by the timber classic bug, and am on the hunt for a descent size timber cruiser to be used mainy for lake cruising as I am fortunate enought to live near lake maquarie, and possibly the occasional outside cruise to nelson bay.

I want to get something in the 30ft range that can sleep 4 adults, has a good sized deck and plenty of cabin room.

I have a budget of about 30k. I have been searching the net for the past few months and have seen some really nice old cruisers for sale.

My only concern is that buying an old timber boat may be more trouble than its worth. I have been reading through the post here(all of them) and have noticed that there are a few experienced regulars here who offer great advice to young wanna-be's such as myself.

I really like the idea of owning an old timber cruiser, is this something that is going to be a costly bad descision on my behalf? can anyone offer me some advice on what to look for, or lookout for when purchasing and old timber vessel?

My brother is a marine engineer and is currently working at a dockyard/slip here in newcastle and he has been able to offer me some good advice, but it is always good to to get some other opinions from the experience boat owners/builders/experts.

Thanks in advance.
Brett.

[bloggs1968]

Hi Brett,

Sorry to dash your dreams mate but unless you find an absolute bargain, most boats in the 30' range in timber for the price you are asking are old, worn down, stink and basically need another $30-50K thrown at them to make them a good cruiser. There are some exceptions out there but they are very few and far between. For $30K, I reckon you would get much more value out of a second hand glass boat. If you went up in price to about mid 40's, you could start to look at some Ok boats but most of the cheaper ones will need a good deal of work.

That said, what about his one?http://www.boatpoint.com.au/boats-fo...aspx?R=2704205

If you do find something that you like, engage a certified marine surveyor e.g. http://www.marinesurveyors.com.au/ who specialises in timber vessels to have a look at the boat for you and give you some advice.

FWIW

AD

[Boatmik]

Double that and add three for the surveyor advice Bloggsy!

I wouldn't be quite as negative about it as Bloggsy - but what he says is true in most cases. Maybe if you are not careful during the buying process then you might be up for a lot more than 30 to 50K to get the boat into nice condition.

And if you are really careful you might get something that is basically workable that you can use as you gradually fix it up.

But the main thing is start to have a look around possible boats and start to learn the market. Read everything you can about surveying so you can eliminate the real duds - BUT GET A SURVEYOR WHEN YOU THINK YOU HAVE FOUND THE RIGHT BOAT.

In other words, Brett, it is your job to eliminate the dud boats and the Surveyors job to eliminate the ones that you think are good.

But not all of them!!!

Good Luck too - we need more blokes like you I reckon!

MIK

[o_total]

Hi bloggs and boatmik,

Thankyou very much for your input, while it has been a dream of mine to become the proud owner of a timber classic, I am not going to let my dreams cloud over reality.

I suppose if I do my homework and take your advice on getting a potential boat surveyed then I may be able to find myself a real old classic. I will keep the dream for now, and maybe have to come back to a 20 odd footer in good condition over a 30 footer that needs work.

Reading through the posts here and on other sites has definately opened my eyes to some of the problems with these old timber vessels, but I will persist, I have allot of time to look into different boats, and maybe one will come along that will become my dream boat.

Thanks again, if anyone else would like to offer and advice please keep it comming, I am just a newby to the boating world, but I love to read and enjoy this forum allot.

Thanks
Brett

[AV Elec]

You will get more boat for your $$$ if you buy it right in the middle of winter.

[cjm_22sq]

If you want a wooden boat, get one, but make sure your eyes are wide open when you enter the relationship. You should note that you have asked for advice from a very biased audience .....

This one on eBay looks OK, and its on Lake Macq.

EBay Cruiser 30'

[Nifty1]

Don't give up, Brett! I got the same affliction a few years ago and it has been a fascinating trip since. You can buy fine craft on your budget (you can get some absolute duds too).

Be realistic about what sort of boat you want and what you want to use it for. Know your abilities as far as maintenance and repairs go. Figure out if you want to learn new skills or just use the boat as is.

We bought a 1949 30 footer with a bit of cabin rot, but it serves us well and has become a great family boat. Have done some work, and have a project to occupy me for the rest of my life if I want it to. Also bought a 26 Lacco for the kids, at about $20,000, and that is teaching them all sorts of things, from seamanship, to maintenance, to living outdoors, and general tolerance and resilience.

There are great boats available in Tassie, and in other parts of the country. You have to look around. The Gippsland Lakes in Victoria seems to have more good wooden boats than say Melbourne or Sydney. Some places like the Gold Coast have lots of plastic boats, but few wooden ones.

It would be very easy to end up with a boat that will cost you heaps, so you need good advice and you need to do your homework. Better to get something sound that needs some TLC, than something that looks good but is in need of major work.

I had plastic boats for about 30 years. A little less maintenance, but little character, and no way of easily adding your own touches. Much happier with timber. You know what they say - If God had meant us to have fibreglass boats, he would have made fibreglass trees.

[mark callaghan]

G`DAY 0 TOTAL
How did the cruiser hunting go? I to was bitten by the bug. It took my wife & I, 12 months & ended up finding a fairly sad but lots of class 34 Bracken. With lots of elbow grease, TIME, great family & friends ,she is back looking proud giving us all times to remember, well exceeding the pain & money. There is something about timber boats

[Boatmik]

Mark, Mark, Mark ...

Do you have any pics!!! Please!!!!!!!!!!!!

(You will make a lot of people happy)

Michael