New Member

Hi my name is Allan and I live in Queensland Australia. I am a semi retired ship's master / marine engineer
I am in the process of hopefully purchasing a Clipper 34 or similar trawler yacht any day now
There seems to be a lot of great information here on this site so hopefully I will get a good insight into these vessels

Allan

Welcome aboard Allan, I too am in Queensland, and happen to own a Clipper 34, kept down at Meridian Horizon Shores at Woongoolba, just North of Jacob's Well. Where abouts are you based, and where do you propose to moor the vessel?

Hi Peter
I live near Kingaroy and hope to moor at Tin Can Bay

Allan

Well, good luck with that, hope it works out. I'm familiar with the Tin Can Bay Marina, and have considered sailing up to Fraser Island at some stage and seeing if we could leave the boat there on a temporary birth so we can spend some weekends up there exploring before we brought her (Lotus, our Clipper), back down to Moreton Bay again. Are you aiming at a recent model - ie one of the newer Evolution Series, as they call them, or one of the earlier vintage, from late 70s to mid 80s?

Peter

One of the earlier ones I am looking at from mid 80s

Allan

AllanY wrote:

Peter

One of the earlier ones I am looking at from mid 80s

Allan

Click to expand...

Ah, well, if you haven't settled on one yet, there are a couple of those for sale at our marina, I think.* Certainly there were a short time ago anyway.* I suggest you look up Trade-a-boat and have a look.* There would be more choice down here than up there, I would think.* Mine as you can see is a sedan, but they are very rare of that vintage.* Most from the pre-90s are aft cabins.* But you would know that.


*

Peter

I am looking at the aft cabin model
I looked at 2 at Rabey Bay yesterday

Allan

Good luck, and please keep us informed - post a pic or two from your cameraphone as able.

Guys,
It looks like there a few of we Queenslanders who frequent this site.
Peter and I have touched base before.
Allan welcome aboard.
My boat and I live in Mooloolaba at the yacht club marina.
I have a 48' timber motor cruiser and mainly cruise the Qld Coast and fish the Swains and wide GBR.
I hope to head north again in a couple of months after a small refit.
At the end of the year the plan is to head south and hopefully end up in Hobart for the wooden boat festival next Feb.
That's the plan but always subject to change.

I am a retired Chief Engineer but still do a bit of work on rig tenders over in WA.
Mainly to get cruising and refit dollars.

There are a few clippers around and other similar boats.
If ever I can be of help down the coast way don't hesitate to give me a call.
PM from here if you want or send me an e-mail.

All the best
Benn

-- Edited by Tidahapah on Tuesday 13th of April 2010 06:55:25 AM

Yes - good to touch base with you again Benn. We actually did a total circumnavigation of the bay at Xmas to New Year, taking in Tangalooma, as we discussed once before, and across to Bribie, then down the bay and up the river for the NY Eve fireworks, and thence on down back to Horizon Shores. Great trip, but I agree with you, always rocking at Tangalooma - I think the 'sandhills' a bit further south is better as a Moreton Island anchorage for overnight.
We should keep in touch. Maybe rekindle some action on the CHB site here and over at PMM, as your vessel is whatever you want to call it, so can fit in anywhere, and as we live within cooee, we might be able to arrange a get-together. There is a bunch of us here who try to do that once a year, coordinated thus far via the PMM CHB group. I think I've seen you on there? We could also do that via the CHB group here as well. It has not moved for quite a bit so easy for stuff to get missed.* Worth keeping a look out.

Let's know how you are making out Allan, and if you decide to look at any boats down this way, (as I said, there is at least one - possibly two, of the type you are looking at*at our marina on sale), I'm more than happy to tag along, show you round, and give you a second set of eyes.

-- Edited by Peter B on Thursday 15th of April 2010 01:25:09 AM

Hi Peter

Thanks for the offer i'll keep it in mind if I end up down your way
I'll have to chase up the boats at your marina

Allan

Peter,Allan,
Good to see us getting a real Aussie flavour on this site.
Peter, it looks like I may not go north this year but there is serious consideration of heading south at the end of the year and hopefully ending up in Hobart for the Wooden Boat Festival in Feb 2011.

There are* a few timber boat owners from here and Gladstone considering the trip, if it comes off it will be a terrific trip.
If at any time I am comming down the bay or the Goldie I will let you know before hand.

Presently having a bit of a refit so not going any where.
Benn

Hey, Allan, have a look at this. http://www.yachtworld.com/core/list...lim=broker&&hosturl=magnusson&&ywo=magnusson&
This boat where it is in the pic, is at a berth literally just a few along from me, and I happen to know the owner spent thousands on it totally replacing the interior lining and doing lot of other refurbishing/reconditioning as well. Inside it's like new, and he built the fibreglass hard-top over the aft cab/cockpit himself - did a really neat job too. He showed me thru while he was doing it.

Hi Benn. You'd enjoy that immensely if you could get down to that event at Tassie. I was lucky enough to be down there once when it was on. Fantastic ! They are really into timber boat building there because of the great Huon Pine resource they had virtually exclusively in years gone by in the sailing ship hey-day. The best boat-building timber in the world. Unfortunately, so over-harvested, the only stuff you can use now is from old felled trees from before the moratorium was instituted, most of it cut down and left discarded as not straight enough in the 1800s. The fact logs are still be dragged out of the water and milled and in perfect condition after > 100 yrs is testament to the quality of the wood.
There are certain workshops dotted here and there even now which teach nothing but wooden boat-building techniques. I had a look at most of them.
Yes, if ever heading down to these parts by road or sea, give me a call. See personal message for contact details.

http://au.yachtworld.com/boats/1979/Clipper-Aft-Cabin-1355417/Australia

Peter , Allan, this link should take you straight there.
This is the boat isn't it Peter.
Nice lookin little unit.


Benn

Yep - that's it.

Thanks Guys

That's a new one.
It is getting a bit pricey compared to others on the market got to be careful i don't over capitalise
I have put in an offer on one in Brisbane so we'll see what comes of it
It is in very good condition inside and out
It still has a laid main deck so a bit concerned about that ATM
I had a timber boat with a laid deck some years ago and ended up replacing the lot so we'll see if we get to survey stage

Allan

I have come across a 30ft Clipper
Has anyone knowledge of these??
Are they a good seaboat at that size??
Is the 11'6" beam correct??

Allan

Hi again Allan. I have been on one of these when I was 'lookin'. I didn't like the cramped, pinched-off cockpit. Otherwise the dimensions and layout are much like mine, inside and out, cabin possibly a little shorter, which means the beam is more like 3.5 metres - so yes, about 11.6ft. It is really a Clipper 34 with about 3-4 feet less in the cockpit, and that's really noticeable from a space point of view. As to their sea-keeping...should be ok...essentially same proven CHB type hull, just a bit shorter, so would probably pitch a bit more, but no personal knowledge, and I've never spoken to anyone who has one.

Thanks Peter
I am checking it out tomorrow

Allan

-- Edited by AllanY on Thursday 22nd of April 2010 03:00:13 PM

Hi Allan,
Just bought a 30 ft clipper ..... know nothing about them ... will let you know how it goes in due course. Am at Qld Lamb Island.
Erik

Hi Erik

Welcome to the forum
I had a look at that boat a couple of weeks ago.
Was impressed with it's condition however I wanted a stern cabin
I am just going through the final throws of survey to a Cheoy Lee 32

Allan

Hi allan,

Good to hear you were impressed ..... gives me some confidence .... hope all goes well with it.
Good luck with yours .. let us know how you go.


Erik

Well my boat settles this Saturday
Then I will be looking for some good weather to bring it up the coast to Tin Can Bay and I'll be looking for the best way from Coomera River up Moreton Bay heading north.

Allan

Allan,
I suppose you can do it in one day or break the trip at Mooloolaba.
Depends on the tides and when you cross the bar at Tin Can.
Really good at the moment with high lows and highs and very small swell.
Sun High 16.16 hrs
Mon 03.54 and 17. 13 hrs
Tues 04.53 and 18.04 hrs
Wed 05. 50 and 18.50 hrs
I usually like to cross about 1/2 tide on wards to high, plenty of water comming in and the underflow is usually over.
If you do stop in Mooloolaba give me a call Mob 0428980610 or berth D30 at the Yacht Club. First marina on the way up the river.
4 th finger after the commercial berths.
Sunday up here is going to bedlam as it is the home comming for young Jess after her round the world trip.

Benn

Hi Benn

I will go straight through when I leave
I have to come home and pick up my crew as wife is working

just got to find my way up the bay as new territory at Coomera but I'll just follow the signs

Allan

-- Edited by AllanY on Monday 31st of May 2010 05:42:33 AM

It's interesting to "eavesdrop" on the Aussie trawler-men here. I am amazed at the boat prices you experience down under. The Clipper 34 in the link above is asking $135au, or about $110K in US$. My virtually identical Marine Trader, also '70s vintage, would likely only fetch a little more than third of that if it were on the market.

Allan,
For doing the bay the best thing is "Beacon to Beacon"
You probably know the Straights like the back of your hand. I always reccomend this for those traveling north for the first or second time.
As they say in the Straights or the Bay if you say you have never run aground your are either lying or don't have a boat.

ARoss,
Your are dead right, boat prices in Aus compared to USA are high, much smaller market so prices hold up for longer periods, old boats still bring a premium,we probably appreciate older boats more because of this and timber boats still bring a very good price and no problems with insurance.

This is also why a lot of people are buying boats in the US and bringing them out to Aus with Dockwise or as deck cargo.
One can still land a good boat such as a 10 year old 40' Eagle trawler in Aus much cheaper than one could buy an equivalent.
The same applies for smaller boats such as flats or bay boats 17 to 20 '.
Buy boats only a couple of years old stick 2 in a container and ship them out, you can normally sell one to cover the costs of the one you keep.

Benn

Well the good ship "NEVIA" is home
After 26 hours steaming @ 7.3 litres / hour

Moreton Bay was a challenge with 25 knot westerlies and beam seas for a lot of it and following and quarter seas up the coast

The trip over the Wide Bay Bar proving uneventful

The boat handled extremely well and I will have no worries taking it coastal cruising

The only down side was the fridge was not working on 12 volts but I found a couple of blown fuses and all fixed now and the beer is once again cold

Thanks to all those with travel advice

Allan

Nice one Allan.
Must be good to have her home in your home port.
Are you in the Tin Can
arina.
I hopefully will be comming up to Fraser approx Sept. so may get to meet up.
Not going all the way north this year but hopefully heading south to Tassie in Nov.
Benn