These guys seem to have done ok in a small boat. I have a few reasons for preferring a

smaller vessel. Cost not the least. Any thoughts re folkboats.

Folkboats are good small crusing yachts well designed with good righting moment and proven history of passage making on a budget. My Flokboat is in good nick and I bought it 10 years ago and have lived on-board for the past 3 years full time I have improved it in this time by:
1. strengthening the mast and fitting larger stays, all halyards replaced as well.
2. replacing rudder gudgeons and pintles, soda blasting the hull and re-epoxy to the waterline only 5 cent piece sized osmossis found.
3. replacing all berth foams and covers.
4. install solar panel and regulator, three new batteries, shore power outlet and elcb board, new switchboard and a re-wire of all lights and navigation lights.
5. re-paint inside and out.
6. GPS and depth sounder and new compass.
7. new cooking stove installed.
8. new front hatch.
The contessa 26 is similar to a M26 Folkboat like mine my yacht I bought it for $8,000 and I love it thats why I have spent alot more on it to get to Mackay and sail in this lovely neck of the woods.
best of luck with your search and i will watch this forum for any further comments with interest.
9. new tiller.
My boat was a sad sight when i bought it and from a lot of hard work and preserverance you get what you want in the end every person has an opinion on the good crusing yacht but it is up to the individual taste to achieve your goals.

elbeau said...

Thank you Whiteout for the photos and your input. You confirm what I suspected

that it s feasible to live comfortably in a small space.

Not trying to rain on any one's parade here but the minimum requirement to live aboard is full standing headroom. Folkboats are wonderful sailing boats but they were designed as day sailers and for the occasional weekend. The Clansman has full headroom but is still a snug interior.

The idea is not to join all those lonely men living as hermits on their small cruisers. Let your wife decide what is the minimum size she could live with.

elbeau said...

These guys seem to have done ok in a small boat. I have a few reasons for preferring a

smaller vessel. Cost not the least. Any thoughts re folkboats.

Just a point on this topic. The vessel in the clip is actually a Contessa 26. This is actually a British revamp of the traditional folkboat designed by Jeremy Rogers. Its the same length as a folk boat but is actually much larger, more freeboard, higher deckhouse, deeper cabin sole so you have almost headroom for most people. Its also a mast head rig and if I recall correctly, lead ballast compared to cast iron with International folkboats and Australian made M26's.

The editor of Practical Boating and Yachting has one and its rare to have many issues without a Contessa 26 being mentioned. Popular with a lot of singlehanded sailors. Young Australian bloke sailed one from England to Australia a while back and I think it was for sail recently.

Don't forget Tania Aebi's two circumnavigations in her Contessa.

There are two hose clamps on the cockpit drains and I do have timber bungs close by, and I am concerned that you choose a Nolex 30 for the rough passage on a Bass Straight and West Coast of Tassie Holiday you will need more righting moment than the Nolex 30 can give you as you will be bouncing around in that boat you will need strengthened mast and rigging. My boat is small but very seaworthy as I have sailed her many miles without any problems. The Batteries are secure and are sealed agm batteries I have dipped the spreaders in the water and they never moved. I have formal training in Naval Architecture and have been involved in many projects from large tankers to sailing yachts and I like this site as there are many different posts on interesting topics.

All the best in your travels.

well said!!!
here, here.!!!

Hi guys
Let me continue with discussion. I am not in boat building at all, but my yacht has all seacooks with valves./about 8/. But who connect all your batteries parallel, deserves big kick somewhere. Never - ever put chemical cells parallel, they discharge each other and loosing capacity. / there is only one exception / there is a constantan load. cheers

Well You perfectly correct about capacity and so on BUT reality is different.
I just wont a high light a seriousness of the problem.Common practise is dangerous short cut and absolutely not acceptable on the boat.
Obviously it requires better example to follow not just "bat. in parallel constantly discharging each other rate up to 20 % a month.".
You never experince faulty bat. do you, low voltage, lost capacity, maybe just one cell is dead.
What will happen next, all good batteries will balance the voltage. They try, all current from good batteries go to faulty one.
What you get in next few second - burning wires, fire, gas explosion. Happy sailing.

Nina and Henrick look like they're having a fantastic time in their Contessa. A Contessa and a Folkboat were on my short list, but I wanted something I could sail straight away, so were a little outside my budget. That left me with a Top Hat 25.

Full standing headroom for a 6 footer and a similar layout and hull design to the Contessa.

The Top Hats also have a distinguished reputation for global circumnavigation.

http://homepage.mac.com/clatimer/TopHatYachts/FileSharing12.html
homepage.mac.com/clatimer/TopHatYachts/FileSharing11.html
These are the only known electronic copies of two circumnavigations by two generations of the same family, both on Top Hats.

So if you're budget doesn't run to the Folkboat or Contessa, check out a Top Hat, you'll be pleasantly surprised about value for money and performance considering their size and design.

Love your Folkboat Whiteout!

Mick

lots of fun and boat for your buck there alright!!

MichaelR said...

Nina and Henrick look like they're having a fantastic time in their Contessa. A Contessa and a Folkboat were on my short list, but I wanted something I could sail straight away, so were a little outside my budget. That left me with a Top Hat 25.

Full standing headroom for a 6 footer and a similar layout and hull design to the Contessa.

The Top Hats also have a distinguished reputation for global circumnavigation.

http://homepage.mac.com/clatimer/TopHatYachts/FileSharing12.html
homepage.mac.com/clatimer/TopHatYachts/FileSharing11.html
These are the only known electronic copies of two circumnavigations by two generations of the same family, both on Top Hats.

So if you're budget doesn't run to the Folkboat or Contessa, check out a Top Hat, you'll be pleasantly surprised about value for money and performance considering their size and design.

Love your Folkboat Whiteout!

Mick

Thanks Mick. Very interesting. I will have a good look at these as well.

yes , in that 25 ft range my vote goes with the top hat! great sea boat!!

See if you can get to spend a couple of days on a Van De Stadt 34 or a VDS Vita 30. I am sure you will be impressed with the comfort and room and they sail well too.

Something else to consider is the Santana 30 which is a Doug Peterson design.

I assume Anthony that when you say "upgrade from your Folkboat" you are referring to more room and comfort.

One should not make assumptions. Maybe what you actually want is more speed and excitement, in which case I suggest you consider a "Yachting World Diamond" converted for cruising.

Six of us spent a riotous weekend on such a yacht cruising out from Auckland Harbour to Waiheke Island and back some years ago.

That boat actually started a "humming sound" when it got rooting and the rig would shudder occasionally on a beam reach. I also read an article a long time ago which suggested they are one of the best boats for crossing bars. This is probably because there is no room to have a bar onboard one.

My friend's boat did have a great fox hole that served threesomes Admirably plus a Honeymoon suite aft that was very friendly but limited to Missionary positions.

whiteout said...

TI am concerned that you choose a Nolex 30 for the rough passage on a Bass Straight and West Coast of Tassie Holiday you will need more righting moment than the Nolex 30 can give you as you will be bouncing around in that boat you will need strengthened mast and rigging.

Old post, but there's at least Noelex 30 that has done two or more Bass Strait crossings and many other offshore miles, with two Sydney-Hobart finishes and not a single issue as far as I know. Last time I sailed on it it didn't have a strengthened mast or rigging, nor was it low in righting moment at high angles of heel. Having laid a Noelex down and done the Strait a few times, I'd have no issue with doing it in a Noelex.

The Noelex may be a more proven Bass Strait performer than the Folkboat; probably FBs have crossed the Strait but I've not heard of it. Not that this is knocking Folkboats, but they were designed as a short-term weekend cruiser according to most of the stuff I've read, and yet they have proven very seaworthy. Maybe they are in fact proof that a boat designed for local cruiser/racing (like the FB and Noelex) can do a lot more than that.

I really like this yacht, I hope Santa wi

ll bring it to me