40ft Container yacht?

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dllcooper

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We are looking to purchase a yacht to sail around the Ascension island for day sail teaching, perhaps beyond to Saint Helena on occasion (I have asked previously about a 20ft container yacht and pretty much decided thanks to advice from here on the Hunter Europa. There is now a chance we might be able to use a 40ft container up from Capetown so need to start looking at something a little larger).

Appreciate this is how long is a piece of string question. Need suggestions on a boat model which is tough as old boots, common in that is will be easy to get spare sails and parts. Boat will need to be easily hauled on and off pier head for maintenance and of course fit into 40ft container dimensions below in imperial and metric.

Any ideas? I was thinking of the Jaguar 27 as seems common. Budget is between 5-7K.

length = 39ft 4ins - 11.98m
width = 7ft 6ins - 2.28m
height = 7ft 5ins - 2.26m

Any ideas welcome - Happy nearly New year everyone
 
You are severely limiting choice by the tight beam. But if you could put it in at an angle, then you could get something with 8' or even 9' beam, and ideally a detachable keel. A Halcyon 27 or Sabre 27 might work. Very possibly a Contessa 26, but a 32 will be a bit beamy and too much wonga for your budget.
 
superheat6k said:
You are severely limiting choice by the tight beam. But if you could put it in at an angle, then you could get something with 8' or even 9' beam, and ideally a detachable keel. A Halcyon 27 or Sabre 27 might work. Very possibly a Contessa 26, but a 32 will be a bit beamy and too much wonga for your budget.
Click to expand...

Something like this 7'8" beam. The Joint Service Sailing Centre used these for many years and they were cracking sea boats - I learnt the basics on those, Comp crew and Dayskipper.. At £7,500 asking price in your price bracket too. That long keel shows a real heavy built boat.

http://www.kingsyachts.com/used-boats/boat-details.php?BoatID=4452729

HNY
 
A Vega might fit. Oodles of them about, cheap and cheerful. Quite low weight which is probably a consideration for getting it in and out of the container.

Can't help thinking that, especially now you're thinking of a larger boat, it would make more sense to sail it to the destination!
 
The 40' long is irrelevant when restricted to 7'6" beam; my 22' boat has a beam of 7'7" !

The height will need keeping tabs on too.

The Halcyon 27 is a good seaworthy boat, but it must be said that's rather old for grp; if she'll fit probably the best idea so far though.

BTW with the Halcyon, while she'd be palatial compared to a Europa don't expect her to be remotely as roomy as a modern 27'.
 
Was intending to try and get the boat in on road trailer (then height would probably only allow the anchor through the door) slings / packing - now becoming absurdly expensive prospect.

Starting to think a couple of much smaller boats in 40ft container might be better, perhaps a couple of hunter Europas as previously recomended for 20ft container, on respective road trailers might be better to get us started and on the water. Once we are more skilled sailors then perhps we can look at sailing something up from Cape Town eventually, start small I am thinking more now and sail together.

I think finding a friendly sailing person in Cape Town will be crucial to help out with sourcing and oversee packing - any contacts anyone? There dont seem to be many smaller yachts on the Internet through Apolloduck, maybe people use something else over there?
 
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Hi dllcooper, Happy New Year.

I think looking at South African boats may well be a better idea, not just because of being handy but because one would expect / hope they operate tough seaworthy boats, considering the conditions there.

If you go back to the Europa idea I believe they are popular there !

I have to say some of the boats mentioned would not to my mind be suitable for sailing around the Falklands, Shane Acton might have managed it but I don't think it's a model to follow long term...

Maybe a grp Folkboat derivative like the Varne, IF ( International Folkboat ) Boat, Invicta, that sort of thing might be the answer; usually 25', very seaworthy or capable of being made so.

Personally I'd avoid a wooden boat for your purposes, Folkboats in particular as the wooden ones were sometimes not built with long life in mind.

These are long keelers; just wondering now if another approach to your transport restrictions, at least the height, might be a boat with a bolt on keel, which could be removed and stashed alongside in the container ?

Bearing in mind that removing and refitting a bolted keel, especially one that's been on for decades, is not as simple as it sounds.

You could always go for a lift keeler, but you'd have to be very choosey as a lot of these are lightly ballasted.

I would suggest a boat like mine - a larger 22' sister of the Europa by the same designer Oliver Lee, 3 have raced across the North Atlantic - , but 1" too wide; there is a rubbing strake one could remove ( a right pain to put back ! ) but I don't know if that would do it.

The earlier version, the Hunter 701 is a bit narrower and can be made very seaworthy, I know a very experienced sailor who is refitting one very deeply with all sorts of interesting modifications.

The lift keel version of the Hunter 701 is hydraulically actuated, while my boat - basically a revised updated 701 - has a simple manual winch; with the hydraulic job I'd be wary of pipe corrosion and seals etc after all this time, but it's simple stuff.

Here's some images of the 701, the two window pattern is normal not the one big dark perspex which must have been a particular kit.

Beam ' 2.6 metres ' - what's that in real money ?! 701 means 7.01 metres, 23' to me.

You might be able to fit a fin keel example which would be simpler, slightly better performance and maybe cheaper to buy, depends if a lift keel might be handy for your getting the boat on and off the jetty.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=h...AfS4IGwDg&sqi=2&ved=0CC0QsAQ&biw=1016&bih=529

Here's some images of the grp Varne Folkboat; beware there are some spurious shots of other boats mixed in for some reason, so go by the majority;

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=v...QfA_YDIAQ&sqi=2&ved=0CC0QsAQ&biw=1016&bih=529

--- Looking through the whole lot, there certainly are some ' other boats ' - there are at least 3 shots I took of my Carter 30, I'd love to know how they got there !
 
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I remember reading an article in one of the yachting mags about a yacht specifically designed to fit in a container.
That was a few years ago (before I became senile!!) so I cannot tell you how long ago I saw the article but I usually only read
PBO and Yachting Monthly. Maybe IPC can help you find the article.
 
Container door height is a major issue. Any yacht without a lifting/swing keel will be marginal.

There is one 26 foot boat that will easily fit in a container.


container_small.jpg



Yep. The Macgregor26


Even the trailer would fit

SB1C804_s.JPG
 
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Lakesailor, what has dllcooper ever done to you ?!

I'd consider myself in line for the Victoria Cross if I got a Macgregor across the Solent without a RIB & helicopter escort, do you fancy it around the Falklands ?! :)
 
That second shot proves my point - look what happened to that one in a marina, and that was just a few blokes standing on it...

A fate even worse than foundering in the Southern Ocean would be actually beeing seen on the thing.
 
Seajet said:
Lakesailor, what has dllcooper ever done to you ?!

I'd consider myself in line for the Victoria Cross if I got a Macgregor across the Solent without a RIB & helicopter escort, do you fancy it around the Falklands ?! :)
Click to expand...
He isn't in the Falklands, he is on Ascension Island 4000 miles away.

Falklands is probably a better place to sail, lots of small islands to explore. From what I saw of Ascension I would want something much bigger than 27ft to sail on.
 
Well it's forever mixed in with the Falklands to me ( no I didn't go ) and the point is a jolly rough place to sail as you say.

One has to admire anyone considering it but as dllcooper has been there a while he must know the place in all its' moods - this is why I suggested boats like the Europa, A22 / 701, Folkboat etc, which while probably smaller than ideal can be made almost into submarines in terms of seaworthiness - the other feature required being able to lift the boat ashore if bad weather is incoming.
 
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