LM 27 or 28

[LittleSister]

‘The LM27 uses a traditionally lined hull to great effect and proved to be a swift sailer.’ (Photo caption)

‘In common with all the observers, John [Teale] was impressed with the swift sailing performance of the LM, especially when it comes from such a traditionally-lined hull. . . Bill Beavis waxed eloquent her sailing prowess . . .

The LM particularly seemed to baffle [the observers regarding sailing performance] with its chunky, traditional - fishing boat was the term often used - hull which nevertheless slipped through the water with efficiency.’

James Jermain wrote - ‘The [LM27] in particular might appeal to the serious passage-maker as she shows all the signs of being a powerful all-weather boat with an interior suited to night-time at sea.’

Bruce Macdonald wrote - ‘The LM . . . performed far better under sail than I would have imagined: responsive and relatively fast. . . Overall she is my personal choice [of the group test boats], but only by a whisker [over the Southerly]. ’

John Teale wrote - ‘The LM . . . went well under sail and power. For value for money she would be my choice.’

All the above from a Motor Boats and Yachting 1980 group review of motor-sailers (broadly defined!) - LM27, Southerly 95, Fjord 28CS, Voyager 30, and Dartsailer 27 - undertaken by 5 journalists plus helpers They spent a day sailing in the Solent, overnighted on board in Yarmouth, raced to Poole, then ran back to Lymington..

Nominal SA/displacement of LM27 ios same as Westerly Pentland. Our Pentland would do 6kt easily in good winds and maybe 6.5 in thevrare goodwind/flat sea situation. Running down an F6 in big rollers our LM27 failed to touch 6kt and stayed about 5.6 which is max what it does under power. The bluff bow limits speed

I'm very surprised you didn't get better than that.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

I wonder what the comparative WL entry angles are for the Pentland and the LM? I kinda doubt they are that far apart. The Pentland does have a longer effective WL. A blunt nose will o course slow you down to weather. But, downwind? As far as blunt bows go, it does not get any blunter than the traditional Dutch models and they have been known to kick the stuffing out of much more pointy modern designs.

I cant really explain it either. Hull speed being related to square route of waterline length 23.29ft for LM (sqrt=4.825) and 25ft for Pentland (sqrt=5), using factor 1.3 the difference should from 6.3 to 6.5 and its certainly greater

 

[oldmanofthehills]

---
I'm very surprised you didn't get better than that.

Both did bit better on beam reach in flat water but the Westerly did 6.8 to 7 in flatish waters or sometimes a bit more, but the only time our LM27 got near 7kt was coming down a big wave when gravity was lending a hand.

The Pentaland might justify a hull speed factor of 1.414 giving 7.07kts max but the LM27 does not

 

[ChromeDome]

Vey different hulls so will be different to sail:

Did you know, that Danish LM (from the name of a small town 'Lunderskov' and "Moebelfabrik" (=furniturefactory)) originally made furniture and ventured into caravan production in 1948, later into GRP and boat production, in 1991 made wings to the first large windmills and still do so as "LM Windpower"?

Bunch of pictures

 

[dancrane]

There's also the LM 26 in exactly the same style as the 28...

To my eyes, the 26 and 28 (below) have a much more modern appearance, very like the 30 and 32...

The 27 always looks quite different - recognisably an earlier generation, and somewhat tubbier and less yacht-like.

The style of the windscreen always makes me think of a diesel locomotive...

...but it's noticeable that the asking price for the 27 is usually £10,000 less than for the later 26 or 28.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Which is why I could afford an LM27

 

[Laminar Flow]

Both did bit better on beam reach in flat water but the Westerly did 6.8 to 7 in flatish waters or sometimes a bit more, but the only time our LM27 got near 7kt was coming down a big wave when gravity was lending a hand.

The Pentaland might justify a hull speed factor of 1.414 giving 7.07kts max but the LM27 does not

For effective WL the Pentland might be able to squeeze out another foot and a half from her stern overhang. Whereas double enders have a tendency to suck up their quarter wave, which can curtail much above 1,34.
Interesting Info.

 

[ChromeDome]

The mentioned owners club in Denmark (LM Klubben) has an informative document on selecting a model, even containing a comparison of the 27 and 28.

Issued in 2020, attached for you as translated by DeepL (with the odd error here and there but better than Google).

The portal scanboat.com currently has several for sale over there, asking from € 19810 (year 1977 nicely equipped and with a newer 33 hp Vetus engine, done 900 hours):
LM 27 m/Nyere Motor, 1977 DKK 148,000 | Denmark | Motor sailor for sale

 

[oldmanofthehills]

For effective WL the Pentland might be able to squeeze out another foot and a half from her stern overhang. Whereas double enders have a tendency to suck up their quarter wave, which can curtail much above 1,34.
Interesting Info.

On that basis lm27 max is 6.5 and pentland is 7.2kt, which feel about right, at least in flat water not channel chop.

 

[LittleSister]

The mentioned owners club in Denmark (LM Klubben) has an informative document on selecting a model, even containing a comparison of the 27 and 28.

Issued in 2020, attached for you as translated by DeepL (with the odd error here and there but better than Google).

The portal scanboat.com currently has several for sale over there, asking from € 19810 (year 1977 nicely equipped and with a newer 33 hp Vetus engine, done 900 hours):
LM 27 m/Nyere Motor, 1977 DKK 148,000 | Denmark | Motor sailor for sale

A useful summary (and an impressively problem free translation - the few errors are obvious). Thanks for posting that.

 

[LittleSister]

Someone just posted links on the LM Owners forum to these 'corporate' videos featuring one of the later 38ft LM yachts, the LM Mermaid 380 (under sail in the second vid) and a bit about the company's history, tales from the shop floor, etc.

'A piece of LM Windpower's heritage comes home'
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXXaYExOuVM

'Look to the past and future on the LM Heritage Boat'
www.youtube.com/watch?v=572yqs69xj8

 

[ChromeDome]

Someone just posted links on the LM Owners forum to these 'corporate' videos featuring one of the later 38ft LM yachts, the LM Mermaid 380 (under sail in the second vid) and a bit about the company's history, tales from the shop floor, etc.

'A piece of LM Windpower's heritage comes home'
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXXaYExOuVM

'Look to the past and future on the LM Heritage Boat'
www.youtube.com/watch?v=572yqs69xj8

Very cool. Nice that old school values are still alive somewhere and an admirable initiative.

 

[LittleSister]

Very cool. Nice that old school values are still alive somewhere and an admirable initiative.

Indeed. I'm not sure how long those values will last successive corporate restructuring and the like, though. LM had already been taken over by General Electric at the time of those vids (2017). I think I may have read they've been bought out by someone else again since then.

LM are, or were until recently, the largest wind turbine blade manufacturer in the world, with plants around the globe, including China. Last I heard the Danish plant had become some sort of special models and development branch of the wider group, with the bulk of production elsewhere, but wind turbines have now become so big there was a major logistical challenge at the Danish end in getting a large blade they brought there, for some reason, from another plant (China ?). At some point they'll want bigger and dockside premises even for the current Danish role, and then the question will be is Denmark their best place for that from a corporate perspective.

It's come a long way from a small privately owned company, light on its feet, and making the most of its skills and emerging materials and markets!