Im living in Singapore and thinking of buying an Island Packet 42 to ship over here. Would this be a good choice for ocean sailing in this area?
Dave.
Tom Wood responds:
Your letter prompted more questions than answers. First, SailNet does not recommend individual boats for individual sailorsjust too many variables to give you honest advice.
You said you want to sail around Singapore, and yet you are looking at a boat made in Florida (a very nice boat, mind you). But certainly, with the boats manufactured in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, and other Asian locations, you could save some money thanks to the currently high-flying American dollar (September, 2000), save on transport, and possibly take advantage of tax and duty differences. There are so many new and used boats on the market in that size range, many perfectly capable of making long ocean passages, it is often a hard choice to make. If we can help with specific information on individual boats, don't hesitate to drop us a line. But do look at the BoatCheck section for owners reviews, or BoatSearch for used vessels actively for sale.