18ft skiffs

   Hi I am new to the forum, having looked back through old threads I see there was some old threads regarding 18ft skiffs and some people on the forum own some???
Basically in a position where I have found this on ebay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/18ft-Skiff-GBR-30-Murray-Hull-/271079651407?pt=UK_Sporting_Goods_Sailing_Boats_ET&hash=item3f1d9b384f#ht_651wt_1397

Was just wanting some advice from people who may know about these boats.  It looks like some cheap fun, I look forward to seeing what people have to say about these boats as having little knowledge I dont know what to expect!

Cheers

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381 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 13 Oct 12 Location: uk Online Status: Offline Posts: 2	Post Options Post Reply Quote 381 Report Post Quote Reply Topic: 18ft skiffs Posted: 13 Oct 12 at 6:22pm
	Hi I am new to the forum, having looked back through old threads I see there was some old threads regarding 18ft skiffs and some people on the forum own some??? Basically in a position where I have found this on ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/18ft-Skiff-GBR-30-Murray-Hull-/271079651407?pt=UK_Sporting_Goods_Sailing_Boats_ET&hash=item3f1d9b384f#ht_651wt_1397 Was just wanting some advice from people who may know about these boats. It looks like some cheap fun, I look forward to seeing what people have to say about these boats as having little knowledge I dont know what to expect! Cheers

JimC Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6662	Post Options Post Reply Quote JimC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 13 Oct 12 at 6:35pm
	They tend to be vicously expensive fun... Its not the purchase its the running costs and maintenance overhead plus the problems of finding a team of people who will put the same level of committment in you do... Figure on breaking something and having to fix it every time you take the boat out. Edited by JimC - 13 Oct 12 at 8:24pm

TomB Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 08 Jan 11 Location: Kent Online Status: Offline Posts: 26	Post Options Post Reply Quote TomB Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 13 Oct 12 at 6:54pm
	i know the guys selling the boat. 18ft skiffs are great fun( I did the JJ this year and a fair bit of the uk circuit), and they are expensive but remember the costs are split 3 ways so probably not a lot more expensive than any other high-performance boat. its a lot of bang for your buck
	49er 884 "its win or swim attitude boys" -awesome aussie skiff commentator

radixon Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 27 Oct 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2407	Post Options Post Reply Quote radixon Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 13 Oct 12 at 8:07pm
	The BLYM lot had one, team Ericsson if I recall.

Iain C Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 16 Mar 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1113	Post Options Post Reply Quote Iain C Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 14 Oct 12 at 12:32am
	Do it. At the lower end, they are not half as expensive as you might think. They are also not as fragile as Jim makes out...however you have to be fastidious with maintenance, and make no mistake, if you crash one hard, people get hurt and things do break. However at the top end it's a law of diminishing returns, a lot more money for a smidge more boatspeed and competitiveness. However the 18 guys are all great, and so very welcoming even if you turn up in a shed. Buy your boat, learn to sail it, book your event and you too can be sat on the startline wih messrs Greenhalgh, Winning and Hamlin going "whooooaaa, what they hell are we doing here?" Such fond memories of just about the best days's sailing in my life! http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/photo/40501
	RS700 GBR922 "Wirespeed" Fireball GBR14474 "Eleven Parsecs" Enterprise GBR21970 Bavaria 32 GBR4755L "Adastra"

GO Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 03 Jan 12 Online Status: Offline Posts: 4	Post Options Post Reply Quote GO Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 17 Oct 12 at 12:51pm
	Hi Yep, agree with Iain, these are the best boats in the world, simple. Have sailed 2 different boats with varying budgets... 1st - B18 many moons ago, low budget but we had a good maintainance programme which kept us close to the big boys enough to keep us interested. learned a lot and only did UK circuit but loved every second - best moment: beating Trevor Barnabas in a race at the Internationals in Fowey & racing in 20+kts off Sunderland against Robinson, Southy, Ovi etc, awesome 2nd - Full on campaign with much bigger budget, Euro tour & JJ's. Spent a bloody fortune, worked out it was £275 each time I stepped on the boat (granted we did spend £17k putting new deck, racks & sails on it [Gill]). Again a whole load of fun and nothing quite compares with doing 25kts down the middle of Sydeny Harbour with 30 other skiffs! Best moment: Winning the Sonderborg grand prix in epic conditions, still gives me goosebumps now! Moral of the story, do it, accept you ain't getting your money back and you are going to spend more time on the beach than you are sailing, accept the bruises, accept the travelling, accept that nothing will ever compare ever again....you will have an absolute blast and if you get to Garda, Carnac etc you will have memories that will blow your mind everytime you think about them! have fun
	Graeme

TomB Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 08 Jan 11 Location: Kent Online Status: Offline Posts: 26	Post Options Post Reply Quote TomB Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 17 Oct 12 at 3:28pm
	such a good post and probably the only way that you could own an 18. if you try to rationalise it, then youll talk yourself out of it.
	49er 884 "its win or swim attitude boys" -awesome aussie skiff commentator

pondmonkey Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 12 Aug 11 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2202	Post Options Post Reply Quote pondmonkey Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 17 Oct 12 at 3:52pm
	It's your money, do with it what you want. Older folks will tell you the only thing they regret is the things they didn't do.... sounds like justification to just go and buy it. However also consider the one thing you'll never get back. Time. If you want to spend your time sailing, not bimbling, with friends, old and new, in a competitive boat without astronomical running costs, will the 18ft Skiff deliver this? It's your choice, drink the kool-aid if you want to, but don't be surprised if it has a bitter after-taste.

Dougal Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 23 Sep 09 Location: England Online Status: Offline Posts: 556	Post Options Post Reply Quote Dougal Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 17 Oct 12 at 4:23pm
	If you can afford it, go for it. I would definitely do something like that if it wasn't for the kids. Even if it goes horribly wrong you'll still have something to talk about on forums like this in 20 years time! But seriously, give it a go and let us all know how it turns out. (Or buy a Solo and become Pondmonkey's new best friend...) Edited by Dougal - 17 Oct 12 at 4:24pm

pondmonkey Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 12 Aug 11 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2202	Post Options Post Reply Quote pondmonkey Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 17 Oct 12 at 4:39pm
	Dougal- I'm just acting as foil to the above over-enthusiastic postings encouraging it. It's a 1998 £25k 'all carbon' boat on ebay for five-hundred quid for a reason. The OP openly admits he doesn't know what to expect, and thinks it looks like 'cheap fun'. I was part of a consortium which bought something similar. I think I sailed it twice, which is two more times than some of the others who joined in. It spent far more weekends unused or in for repair than it ever got on the water. Not that it mattered - one of our consortium entry criteria was that it wasn't anyone's 'primary boat' and it only cost us each the same as a big night on the lash... But if you're buying one of these as a replacement to another boat 'just for a laugh' and 'a cheap bit of fun', then I reckon you could be in for a bumpy, potentially disappointing road. But of course, I know I shouldn't be 'negative', especially about a 'skiff' of genuine antipodean origin, hence why I have not said 'don't do it', quite the contrary, you only regret what you didn't do or what you've wasted your time on. I guess it would be better contextualised if the OP could cite where they plan to sail, if they have two regular crew members, what his/her sailing background is and what their intention is with regards the running costs/event costs etc. if we're to provide objective feedback. But this isn't available, so it's left to anecdotal responses only. As for buying a Solo- don't do it, not unless there's no other option. There are far nicer boats out there... if you can find some folks to race them against that is. Edited by pondmonkey - 17 Oct 12 at 4:45pm