Chamberlin Cirro Stratus 33 VS Crowther Impala

[DennisRB]

I'm not sure if this should go here or in the general chat section. I'm looking for a boat to cruise asia via the Aus east coast. Would either of be a suitable cruising tri for Australian east coast and asia? Would it be cramped with 2 people and the occasional 3 or 4? Tankage is a joke. Looks very fast. Does anyone know more on these boats?

http://www.multihulls.net.au/index.php?page=ed&de=59235

According to multihullmaven it is designed for offshore racing, but is a 10M tri ever going to be safe far offshore? I thought when it came to multihulls, size matters. My trip would be coastal hops from Brisbane to Asia. (not an add just an review)

http://www.multihull-maven.com/Boats/Cirrostratus_10

What about this crowther? It says it has 3.5 foot draft. Seems a lot for a multi. Guess you cant raise the boards. Looks like a lot of boat for the money. Its 38 foot and has 22hp diesel. Is this too heavy? Is an Impala a good performing tri?

http://www.multihulls.net.au/index.php?page=ed&de=72126

I particularly like the Cirro, but I'm not sure about the cockpits. The boat also has to be woman friendly.

[catsketcher]

Two great boats

Shaponda is the best Impala 38 around. She was built in New Zealand by a guy who rang Lock Crowther and said "I want a new tri design" Lock told him how much it would cost so he updated the Impala for him. The floats are a different shape to the normal Impala. There are only two others I know of and Shaponda is asking the same money. If I didn't have a boat Shaponda would be incredibly tempting.

Almost as tempting would be a Cirro. Personally I would take a Cirro anywhere. They are great boats. Your link isn't working so I don't know the boat but there is a Cirro around Townsville that has been for sale for years and years. It looked really sad back in 2002. The Cirro cockpits would be a problem. I had an idea for making the deck between the cockpits a deckhouse but I like building.

Both designs are great boats. Shaponda doesn't use the room in her that well but she has plenty of payload and would be a great sea boat. I would lean towards her more than the Townsville Cirro. As for cruising 4 - no worries in either. You will romp it in. As for tankage - don't worry. 20 litre plastic jugs are great and you can plop them in the dinghy as well. The under floor storage in the Impala is incredible - you could make some ply tanks against the hull if you like - easy.

Tris are so cheap for what you get. As capable cruiser in a cat would be three times the price.

cheers

Phil

[DennisRB]

Thanks Phil. Where are you located? Go check the links again. I fixed them. The Cirro is from Manly, but it may have been sailed down here to sell. As for the other Impala that sold, is this the one? I liked the interior accommodation and airy feel to the cabin with those big windows. But it doest look all that sea worthy. Not much clearance.

http://www.boatpoint.com.au/boats-fo...aspx?R=7985868

Do tell me more on the cockpit deckhouse mods for the cirro I don't mind building either. I like the cirro more if the comfort outside could be overcome.

What might these boats be worth?

[catsketcher]

I don't know what they are worth - the Cirro has been for sale for ages - years so there could be something very wrong with it. I only ever went past it but it looked badly in need of work.

I thought that the area between the cockpits could be converted into a dodger. Then you would get more light inside and you could have a raised step at the aft end inside the boat. You would keep headroom under the dodger but have an enclosed pilot house for nasty weather. The raised floor would be just below the berth level aft. It would make getting into the aft bed a little harder but would make the boat much easier to use.

I would go for Shaponda out of these two. She has a huge payload and vast volume in the floats for light bulky gear. You also don't need to do anything on her of she is in good nick.

I live in Newcastle

cheers

Phil

[DennisRB]

Thanks Phil. Did you check my links is that the same cirro? I found out Shaponda is a deceased estate sale by the daughter. My mate checked it out yesterday. He said it appeared to be in OK but not great condition. I bit of work to be done here and there. But that is to be expected on any boat I think. Paint is getting on a bit, but looks to have been done well etc.. I got him to take heaps of pics and I will be looking at them this weekend. Would you recommend a haul out survey? And how much might I expect to pay for this?

Re the cirro mods. Do you mean you would cut out the raised deck section between both cockpits and make a hard dodger than opens up to the inside of the boat, so if you are standing inside you can look out into the dodger? Then there would be a loss of interior space below the rear of the newer center cockpit? How would you seal this off from water pouring in from the side cockpits? Or would you keep the side hatches as standard?

[catsketcher]

Yeah I would keep the side hatches below and lose a bit of room inside - then again I haven't spent a lot of time in a Cirro. It is just a way of getting light inside and increasing cockpit space. I don't know if it really would work.

Thinking about it now you may be able to do a helm chair or some such which is up in the air a bit so you can see out and that means you don't have to do the floor. Put the chair on the side opposite to the dinette so you can helm under cover and out of the rain. Maybe just inside the companionway on the right.

Paint is fine if that is all on Shaponda. I would be looking at the basic structure - beams, decks, motor, rig, deck gear. You can do a cheapish paint job later on of you do the work yourself.

As for surveys - yes. especially on a wood boat. Most surveyors would want the boat out of the water to check for under hull damage. Shawn Arber was one of the best around. I have no idea on costs.

Where is Shaponda?

cheers

Phil

[DennisRB]

Cheers Phil did you take a look at my links in the first post? They work now. Shaponda is in Coffs Harbor. Is the cirro in my links the one you saw sitting for ages?

The prob is I cant really afford either boat with my savings in total (almost though). I can mostly afford it but then again I have equity in my home. I imagine stamp duties and survey costs would add considerably to the purchase price too. So 20K less is a fair bit. Paint isn't too much of a worry, but the items you mentioned are. I guess these things need to be checked out by a pro. The engine looks old and crusty but my mate said it sounded healthy.

Does a anyone know what hauling and survey costs for a boat like this might cost?

[DennisRB]

I had a look and the chaimberlain. It was rough needing a lot of work and money and one of the amas had snapped off and been replaced with a new one!!! No thanks.

[DennisRB]

What model 42 foot Crowther is this? And would you sail it across the pacific.

I wonder what happened to Shaponda. The impala 38. I really hated the interior space and layout of that impala. Would the interior space and layout in this 42 be any better? Its impossible to tell from the photos.



http://au.yachtworld.com/boats/1987/.../United-States

[Corley]

What a beautiful boat, looks like a fairly conventional wing berth style layout with galley and nav table behind and a double v berth forward hard to tell if it has an aft cabin or not. I'd sail that boat back in a heartbeat if it passed survey. Sounds like they are keen to sell it doesnt look like a kraken, tempest or a bucaneer the cold moulded construction suggests its some type of one off impala.

[DennisRB]

Yeah I trust you looked at the pics in the for sale add. It has to be one of the best restored Crowthers I have seen. I cant tell how the centerboard works? I assume it has a board and what looks like a kick up rudder? I love shallow draft boats for beaching ability.

[redreuben]

Centre case is next to bulkhead opening in photo 10, looks in awesome condition and at less than 50kAus its a gift !

RR

[redreuben]

Sorry photo 10/11

RR

[DennisRB]

Thanks, I see now, but I can not make sense of it from the pics. How does this system work? It looks like half way between a dagger board case and a centerboard case, in that it appears vertical like a dagger case, but it does not exit at the top of the boat. But it does not appear to be long enough to swing a center board up into?