A bigger boat for next year

[Seastoke]

Many thanks for the replies so far.

To answer a few of the points that have come up so far.

Bilge Keels - I am not set on them. I just like the ability to dry out. But other than when I am cleaning the boat, I do not do it that often.
Draft - I have to sail around work and dont want to be limited in some of the places I go too much at lower tides. Happy to have the option to lift a keel or have a shoal draft. My Horizon and Nimbus have a draft of around 1m and I can get most places at most low tides.
Bow Thruster - I think its best to take this out of the equation and retro fit it if needed. I have just found it super useful when turning in tight spaces.
Age of boat - Yes, I think it needs to be late 90's onwards really.

I have been looking at some of the suggestions, the one that really stands out is the Bavaria.

Can you say what nimbus it is , I know someone who is after one , PM if you want.

 

[Pete7]

Don’t take people’s dismissal of bilge keels at face value. If you want to explore and make full use of the myriad of rivers and creeks in our area then a fin keel won’t allow you to do that, however well it sails.

Agreed, for us its the ability to visit some of the shallower locations that those fin keeled yachts rarely venture to.

WE are not selling, but you might take a look at a Moody 31 with bilge keels. No 1 son is 6,4" and can just stand up just in the middle, but at 6ft you ought to be okay. Doddle to sail single handed as they are very well mannered.

 

[Refueler]

Agreed, for us its the ability to visit some of the shallower locations that those fin keeled yachts rarely venture to.

WE are not selling, but you might take a look at a Moody 31 with bilge keels. No 1 son is 6,4" and can just stand up just in the middle, but at 6ft you ought to be okay. Doddle to sail single handed as they are very well mannered.

Baltics is not a place to find Bilge Keelers ... but there odd one or two ... I for one - my 25ftr is BK. Fin keels are the norm here ... even lifting keels are rare ..

Its a real advantage here even without the tides ... I can creep up channels ... inlets .. short cuts that others cannot even think about ...

Swedish Archipelago ....

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Having sailed out of Wivenhoe on a lifting keel boat, I can say that in my opinion the east coast of UK is just the place for lifting or bilge keels. So many creeks and pubs to visit, so many shoal draft sandbanks to creep over.

With in reason a bigger boat is easier to sail than a smaller boat. However it is harder to berth or pick up trots single handed as one has to rush between ends and manage the greater weight. A mid point cleat helps very greatly with berthing but nothing helps with trots.

I prefer tiller for sailing as better feel and did not like the nonsense of a wheel stuck right in middle of cockpit. Our present boat has indoor wheel for wet weather but if weathers fine and wind fair I sail outside from tiller. If !

Probably dont have your kind of budget so not sure whats about, but good luck

 

[Refueler]

Interesting aboput Tiller vs Wheel ... I agree with Oldman .....

Too many boats of limited cockpit are ruined by a wheel ..... my 38 was offered as a Wheel or Tiller .. and you can see the 'gap' in benching at rear of cockpit to accommodate the wheel .....

The photo illustrates very well the advantage in port of the tiller ... I can get 6+ people sitting in cockpit in reasonable comfort ... the table swivels to align as necessary. No way could a wheel version of that boat do same.
I also prefer a tiller for 'feel' ....

 

[Grith]

Throwing in a controversial option out of left field. I have a 28 foot, cross over between a yacht and power boat with wheel steering, 6 foot standing headroom at the galley, enclosed shower/toilet, super low draft 1 foot with flat bottom ( via fully retracting swing keel ) trailerable yacht converted into a semi liveaboard cruiser.
It is a Polish built Imexus 28 now available with a bow thruster ( not on mine) and a superb one person mast raising/lowering system that can also be used whilst onwater to dip bridges and powerlines.
Whilst challenged directly upwind especially into a chop it sails adequately on all other points managing 6-7.5knots downwind in 10-12knots under asymmetrical spinnaker then the same under main and Genoa as the wind filled in to 15-18knots. Staying with the asymmetrical would have turned the fun sled ride into a wild planning rush that I decided against at the end of a five day cruise with my daughter last weekend.
My previously non sailing partner of now 3.5 years and I have just completed living on board for over 8 weeks out in the Whitsundays here in Australia then came home in four days of daylight hours only travel covering a couple of thousand mile in that time.
My chosen craft works well as a compromise between the thrill, challenge, economy and tranquility of sailing with the convenience, ease of use and quick passage times under motor of a powerboat combined with the ability to tow it and store it on land beside my house.
Whilst we primarily sail the fast run available under power has allowed us to achieve destinations generally out of range of small lightweight yachts and to outrun weather and time for safety.
The added benefit over many other yachts mentioned here is the ease and speed of reaching distant and unique cruising grounds behind a larger suv and storing and doing maintenance and upgrades at home.

 

[andyb28]

Gosh, its been almost a year since I started this discussion. As with all threads on here, it went a bit off the rails about Bav boats!

Current state of play is that we still have the Nimbus. We took it off the market and have been using it through out the summer.
It's going back on the market in Oct, so I have been looking again at sail boats.

Perhaps just to remind the forum, I really am not interested in a 2m draft fin keel boat. I am happy plodding around the east coast doing my thing.

I think I have my list down to a few.

Hunter 32/323/31
I like Hunters, I have owned a Pilot and Horizon) This probably seems the logical choice for me. Not wheel steering, but thats perhaps not the end of the world in a larger cockpit. I really like the HA community too.

Parker 325/335 lift keel.
I have been looking at these for a long time. Something about the design really appeals to me. They tick all my boxes. I am just a bit worried about an electric lift keel going wrong.
There is a 325 called Dancer thats been up for sale since I started looking.

Sadler 290
Have only ever heard good things about this boat. Rare, but one just recently came on the market.

Moody 31 BK
Although they are the older boat from this list. They do still appeal to me.

I get very confused about models of Ben/Jen and which ones have lift keels that you can dry out on, to the point I just stopped looking at them.

 

[RogerJolly]

Have seen a Hunter Channel (cousin of my Pilot 27) where the tiller has been modified so it stays upright on its own to free up cockpit space.

Could be left like that under way on autopilot I guess (which is most of the time for us).

 

[Graham_Wright]

Countess 33. Few where you are.

 

[Daydream believer]

Wait until you have to re do the antifoul painting & then decide if a bilge keeler is for you

 

[davidej]

We have a Bene 361 with shoal keel for sale in West Mersea.

 

[Refueler]

Wait until you have to re do the antifoul painting & then decide if a bilge keeler is for you

True - I know it - BUT if you play the game of blocking the boat up - its not so bad.

This is extreme of course - but it allows guy to complete GRP repairs to keel joint and then paint. >

 

[Daydream believer]

True - I know it - BUT if you play the game of blocking the boat up - its not so bad.

This is extreme of course - but it allows guy to complete GRP repairs to keel joint and then paint. >

Our yard would probably not allow a boat to be stored like that, so be prepared to pay a large premium for specialised propping

 

[fredrussell]

I think I have my list down to a few…

I have a Parker 31 so I’m biased, obviously, but I reckon from your list the Parker gives you the best of both worlds: Proper fin keel performance, the ability to float in 2ft of water and to dry out if necessary. The keels on Parker boats do not have a reputation for being costly to maintain - these were expensive boats in their day and are very well engineered.

 

[Graham_Wright]

Interesting aboput Tiller vs Wheel ... I agree with Oldman .....

Too many boats of limited cockpit are ruined by a wheel ..... my 38 was offered as a Wheel or Tiller .. and you can see the 'gap' in benching at rear of cockpit to accommodate the wheel .....

The photo illustrates very well the advantage in port of the tiller ... I can get 6+ people sitting in cockpit in reasonable comfort ... the table swivels to align as necessary. No way could a wheel version of that boat do same.
I also prefer a tiller for 'feel' ....

Some wheels can lift off and some can fold.
Big advantage of the bilge keelers is when your prop starts spinning on the shaft and you can dry out, whip out the angle grinder, cut a groove, fashion a key, tap the whole lot together and problem solved
(Don't ask!).

 

[andyb28]

I have a Parker 31 so I’m biased, obviously, but I reckon from your list the Parker gives you the best of both worlds: Proper fin keel performance, the ability to float in 2ft of water and to dry out if necessary. The keels on Parker boats do not have a reputation for being costly to maintain - these were expensive boats in their day and are very well engineered.

Does the 31 have a lifting wing keel like the 325/335?

Can you sail with it half down to cross a shallow bar?

 

[Refueler]

Our yard would probably not allow a boat to be stored like that, so be prepared to pay a large premium for specialised propping

Its not 'stored' ... its lifted so guy can get under to complete repairs ...

Problem out here - yards only cater for single keel boats - so cradles don't fit ... Next days she will be trucked home to complete furniture inside ...

 

[fredrussell]

Does the 31 have a lifting wing keel like the 325/335?

Can you sail with it half down to cross a shallow bar?

Yes and yes. However, all the 31s are tiller steered, only the 325/335 have wheel steering.