From landlubber to sailor
After spending a year visiting New Zealand, and falling under the spell of this country, I started looking for a sailboat to live aboard and discover, by sea, the New Zealand coastline and later the Pacific islands.
My criteria were as follows:
- A sailboat between 26 and 30 feet with a minimum headroom of 1m75 to be able to stand without having to bend down in the cabin
- Preferably fiberglass because, as this is my first boat, it would be low maintenance, and pretty solid.
- A budget of 10 000$ NZ or 5580euros.
So I started to scour the nautical classified ads. I contacted several agencies selling used sailboats and after 2 months of research, an agent called me. He offered me to visit a Herreshoff 28, launched in 1987 and moored in Gulf Harbour, a large harbor 45 kilometers north of Auckland.
A renowned sailing boat in the southern hemisphere
The Herreshoff 28, also known as the H28 or Compass 28, is a long-keel houseboat designed by the famous naval architect L.Francis Herreshoff (son of Nathanael Herreshoff) in 1942.
It has an overall length of 9.70 meters, 7.24 meters at the waterline, a beam of 2m54 and a draft of 1m23.
This mythical boat in Oceania is sometimes called the "Volkswagen of New Zealand yachting", because it is very affordable and robust. She was very popular as a family cruiser. Originally rigged as a ketch or sloop and built in wood, she was marketed by many shipyards around the world, then adapted to modern construction techniques. The first fiberglass and polyester resin hulls were introduced in the 1970s.
In 1987, the production stopped with the closure of Compass Yachts Ltd in Auckland, which was the last company to manufacture this model.
M'chana, a sailing boat at the quay for 6 years
M'chana was owned by a very elderly gentleman who was the first owner. He had ordered the yacht from an independent yard that had bought the last hulls during the closure of Compass Yachts. The latter made a few modifications for an offshore sailing program, such as the inshore rigging with a larger, staggered mast section. A delphinium was also added to the bow to increase the sail area and a 1.6T cast iron keel replaced the usual steel one.
The boat had not sailed for 6 years, and the last refit was more than 4 years old. The engine had been started a few weeks before the visit by the agent who also decided to change the alternator and the starting battery.
Arrived on the pontoon with the agent, I discover a boat maintained and organized, but which underwent the weather conditions (the north of New Zealand is temperate but very wet in winter), the running rigging is completely mouldy, as well as the fabrics of hood of mainsail cover.
The interior layout is in good condition despite some leaks in the roof and companionway. On the other hand, it is not very functional. There is neither fridge nor chart table. The upholstery of the saloon is old-fashioned and very damaged. The floor is covered with a thick white carpet -sheepskin type- which goes up to the deck joint giving a general impression of extreme dirtiness. The navigation instruments work, but can only be switched on when the engine is running, as there is no auxiliary battery.
Despite this, I am charmed by the boat. The sale is concluded and the work will start soon as we will present in a future article.
