Yachting Monthly – March 2018

Picking the wheat from the chaff is a difficult

task within this price range, as what first seems

like a bargain might not be; a survey is a must

to avoid a heartbreaker, especially with older

boats where the risk of osmosis is ever present.

The first boat I’ve picked for Sarah and

Andy comes from the board of Contessa

32 designer David Sadler, the Sadler 29.

She is still the excellent starter boat she

was when she was first launched and

has much to offer a young couple

looking for a good, solid coastal

cruiser. Her accommodation

is similar to her big sister the

Sadler 3 2. Indeed, down below

it would be hard to tell them

apart, unless you were familiar

with both boats. There’s a good-

sized vee berth forward, with

a heads compartment directly

aft. Ideally, a partition of some

sort between the two would

be necessary for when guests

are visiting; a modification many owners

would have made already.

The saloon is roomy, and good for

the size of yacht, it provides ample seating

around a central fixed table – the seating

to port is C-shaped and an infill could be

crafted without too much imagination if

there isn’t one already. The starboard seat

makes a good sea berth (with the addition

of a lee cloth) and has a trotter box that

takes up space under the

decent-sized chart table.

Aft of this half admiralty-

sized table is a quarter

berth; good for singleton

sleeping or extra stowage.

Stowage below is a little

reduced due to the unsinkable

buoyancy located all around

the boat, but on the plus side,

all that foam adds to the hull’s

insulation. Her galley is small,

and the companionway steps

 A

ndy and Sarah are both

experienced sailors, having

sailed with family and

friends and undertaken

some lengthy coastal

passages. There’s only one problem – this

has always been on other people’s boats,

and now they want a first yacht of their own.

The joy of being, young, married and

child-free cannot be underrated, so it makes

sense for Sarah (3 0 ) and her husband Andy

(3 1 ) to make the most of their free time

before mortgages, kids and responsibilities

come on to the scene – and what better

way than to buy a boat? Okay, there are

many ways, but we’re a yachting magazine

after all.

Andy’s a doctor, Sarah, a teacher, which

gives them the freedom to move around

the country, so

concrete roots

aren’t what the

couple want

or need at the

moment. Therefore,

while it could be

argued that a house

should come before

a boat, the couple

want to take

holidays, and

possibly sail

around the UK

before committing

to bricks and mortar

in a place they

really want to be.

Having come

from dinghy sailing,

they want a boat to enjoy sailing, rather

than drifting with control, and will happily

pay more for a swinging mooring for a fin

keel. They also want to encourage their

friends into sailing, so a separate heads

and cabin is preferable; the latter would

be a boon if a child came on the scene.

The couple’s budget of £14,000 gives

them plenty of options, however as it’s their

first boat, they may have underestimated

cost of ownership, and although they say

they are happy to do some maintenance,

leaving £2,000 to one side will help them

in their first year of yacht ownership.

Sadler 29

As a first cruising boat,

you can’t go far wrong

with a Sadler 29

SPECIFICATIONS

LOA 8.67m (28ft 5in)

LWL 6.95m (22ft 10in)

BEAM 2.90m (9ft 6in)

DRAUGHT 1.52m (5ft)

DISPLACEMENT

3,720kg (8,200lb)

DESIGNER David Sadler

BUILDER Sadler Yachts

OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION

http://www.sadlerandstarlight.co.uk

Graham Snook, a

boat tester of 20

years, scours the

market to help you

find your next yacht

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£14,000 fi rst boat

PRICE £12,000-£29,000 YEAR 1981-1988

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