25-26 foot sailing boat without a dinette.

[johnalison]

Trapper 500; not the most handsome craft but they sail decently and are cavernous. demerits; it's 27' and has a dinette. What's the hatred for dinettes, other than being unfashionable?

I had a friend with a Trapper 501. It was bilge keel and stodgy to sail but the galley sink was next to the top companionway step and that alone would have ruled it out for me.

I have had a dinette, which has its uses but settee berths are much more floppable, providing the back is angled enough.

 

[doug748]

In the modern idiom, Hunter Horizon 26. There seems to be one available here asking £11,500:

Hunter Horizon 26 Used Boat for Sale 1985

A few features missing like the mast but could be a good buy to the right handyperson.

.

 

[MikeCC]

Beneteau First models, vintage depending on budget?
Seawolf 26, Mk II or III for better headroom. Cobra 750 from same stable.

 

[Sumara of Weymouth]

Lovely
My last boat was built of wood. She was beautiful and I actually do think that wooden boats are better than GRP in almost every way (Class, discuss in 1000 words. Essays in by Monday please). But I can no longer afford the time or the money to keep a wooden boat up; I have some other things to keep me busy now. So if I’m going to go sailing in a boat of my own it needs to be GRP.

FFwd 18 months he heheh lets see. But I’m trying to be sensible and realistic. What I really want is this

There are GRP Vertues, although they are slightly different. Your dream boat looks very sleek but you will be sitting on it so only the boats passing by will appreciate those lovely lines!

 

[bitbaltic]

MG Spring (already mentioned) going to take everything else on this list to the cleaners as a sail boat. Maybe needs a bit more steer on budget and other requirements

 

[penfold]

I had a friend with a Trapper 501. It was bilge keel and stodgy to sail but the galley sink was next to the top companionway step and that alone would have ruled it out for me.

I have had a dinette, which has its uses but settee berths are much more floppable, providing the back is angled enough.

The fin keel version is pretty decent and the performance belies its somewhat pudgy outline.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Contessa 26?

Or an Invicta 26, a Van Der Stadt design very similar to the Contessa, with bunks either side .
Had an Invicta for 2 or more years, sailed U.K. to Spain happily in it, now have a Sadler 25 with dinette which I have to admit I prefer.

 

[DoubleEnder]

MG Spring (already mentioned) going to take everything else on this list to the cleaners as a sail boat. Maybe needs a bit more steer on budget and other requirements

Yes Other requirements: I’d like reasonable mod cons for me and the missus, as much in harbour as at sea. We would just be cruising the Solent, maybe a little further west, probably no more than coastal jaunts. Maybe the very occasional overnight but mostly day sails from port to port.

So an enclosed, useable heads.
As much headroom as possible, I am about 5’10” though shrinking hahaha. Close to that would be great.
Room for a cooker with grill, ideally an oven too.
A saloon table.
Two nice settee berths.
An engine that has good access, not squeezed in to a horrible hole.
No dinette.
This is all speculative! I won’t be doing anything for 6 or more likely 12 months, not before I am offered a mooring. And I have some other stuff to deal with too - even if I got the mooring now I would have to wait. But it’s fun to look at what might be around.

The Hunter and the MG Spring are interesting. There is also a Hunter Ranger 245 that looks as though it might be comfortable. I believe the British Hunter yachts are well thought of. But older boats could be good too.
£20k all in? Including upgrades eg new sails. I do like decent sails, but for a smaller, cruising boat shouldn’t be horrifically expensive. And quite likely some new upholstery, but I’d probably only replace the settee cushions that we would use. No point putting posh stuff in the quarterberth. So with inflation that means £50k in 2024. I guess

 

[AndrewB]

Kingfisher 26? Old bilge-keeler, but with a decent reputation and meets your spec. They do seem to sell fast, around £5-6k. See K26 Pictures (one of them is me, many, many years ago!)

 

[Bajansailor]

There are some yachts that might fit your requirements in the Yachtsnet archives -
Archive boat data from Yachtsnet Ltd. online UK yacht brokers - yacht brokerage and boat sales

This sharpie is for sale in their classifieds - she has two nice settee berths, but she is rather lacking in headroom -
Norwalk Island Sharpie for sale

You could also keep an eye out to windward for a Frances 26 - this advert mentions that they have 6' headroom -
Frances 26 ARCHIVE | Topsail Marine Yacht Brokers

You mention the Hunter Ranger 245 - these certainly seem to offer a lot of 'bang for the buck' and I think one of these would be on my short list if I was in your wellies.
2003 Hunter Ranger 245 Cruiser for sale - YachtWorld

 

[ianat182]

Re the Westerly Tiger- Mine was formerly on the Hamble and a 26ft mooring off the Hamble hard; it was one of a trot of 4 which had plenty of scope even at Spring tide and probably could have supported a 29 footer - the problem then might have been at Low tide I guess .
Last time I looked it was occupied by a 26ft of the Lotsa power design.

ianat182

 

[Topcat47]

Nic '26. Sails like a witch, full standing headroom, solidly built. 6'6' berths (two in saloon, two quarter berths). The only problem is draught and as a long keeler, it's not too good in reverse.

 

[Bajansailor]

Nic '26. Sails like a witch, full standing headroom, solidly built. 6'6' berths (two in saloon, two quarter berths). The only problem is draught and as a long keeler, it's not too good in reverse.

Nicholson 26's are very fine yachts indeed.
SailboatData.com - NICHOLSON 26 Sailboat

If you google Susan Smillie you will find more articles that she has written about her adventures with her Nicholson.
Setting sail: one woman's year alone at sea

 

[Topcat47]

I'll endorse everything she says. I've not ventured so far in mine but she's a really solid and safe wee boat. Since replacing a barely used and hard to manage single handed spinnaker with a Parasail, she's also much more stable and a bit faster downwind.

 

[FWB]

I enjoyed reading that but a pity that she’s a lefty.

 

[DoubleEnder]

This has been great. Thank you everyone for some really useful thoughts and suggestions. Now, back to rebuilding that wall…..

 

[Bajansailor]

I enjoyed reading that but a pity that she’s a lefty.

Politics does not matter one iota when you come across somebody like Susan who is such a wonderful writer and sailor.

 

[FWB]

Politics does not matter one iota when you come across somebody like Susan who is such a wonderful writer and sailor.

I’m sure that you are right. It’s just a pity that she makes her left wing views known in her writing, not everyone will appreciate that.

 

[mrming]

I’m sure that you are right. It’s just a pity that she makes her left wing views known in her writing, not everyone will appreciate that.

It’s a bit like when an otherwise good writer makes their right wing views known in their writing.

 

[Topcat47]

It's good there's someone prepared to stand up for us serfs.