sailorman
Well-known member
Perhaps an A22 is the answer
A request for some East Coast wisdom
- Thread starter leathertan
- Start date
James W
Active member
My two penneth for what it’s worth. Take your time and assess exactly what you all want but with two teenagers and an under 10, almost all the boats mentioned seem a bit small to me!
I have the aforementioned Westerly Storm but unless the kids want to share a cabin (unlikely) you’ll struggle. Yes, you can always cram them in but they won’t love that. The Sigma might not be a bad shout, you can always make a fast boat slower, but less likely to be able to speed up a slow boat. They can be a bit nasty inside though after a life of racing crews.
Keep looking, something will come up. Also don’t underestimate the teenagers, they’ll be able to do loads once you’ve taught them.It sounds like you’ve plenty of experience, go as big as you can and you’ll keep everyone happy.
I have the aforementioned Westerly Storm but unless the kids want to share a cabin (unlikely) you’ll struggle. Yes, you can always cram them in but they won’t love that. The Sigma might not be a bad shout, you can always make a fast boat slower, but less likely to be able to speed up a slow boat. They can be a bit nasty inside though after a life of racing crews.
Keep looking, something will come up. Also don’t underestimate the teenagers, they’ll be able to do loads once you’ve taught them.It sounds like you’ve plenty of experience, go as big as you can and you’ll keep everyone happy.
johnalison
Well-known member
That is almost entirely dependent on waterline length. Design, rig, etc hardly comes into it. I'm not a great Westerly fan, in spite of having owned one, but it is something they appreciated.
benw
Member
Strangely enough we bought a Sigma 38 and have thoroughly enjoyed the ability to get places quickly and great upwind capability.
We sold the racing sails and focused on cruising upgrades. Initially we thought the draft may limit us but this has not been the case re places we have wanted to visit.
Reducing sail is relatively easy and we have maintained a twin luff as opposed to furling headsail. Wire Running backstays replaced with dyneema which has been a good upgrade.
I have enjoyed solo sailing, sailing 2 up and as a family with some assistance from my daughters.
Worth considering - a lot of boat a d very safe in a lively seaway.
Happy to talk through our experiences . Our daughters were 12, 14, 16 when we purchased Orcana and we are based on the Orwell.
We sold the racing sails and focused on cruising upgrades. Initially we thought the draft may limit us but this has not been the case re places we have wanted to visit.
Reducing sail is relatively easy and we have maintained a twin luff as opposed to furling headsail. Wire Running backstays replaced with dyneema which has been a good upgrade.
I have enjoyed solo sailing, sailing 2 up and as a family with some assistance from my daughters.
Worth considering - a lot of boat a d very safe in a lively seaway.
Happy to talk through our experiences . Our daughters were 12, 14, 16 when we purchased Orcana and we are based on the Orwell.
Concerto
Well-known member
You ignore the sensible question I suggest the OP should be asking before getting recommendations.
I am so surprised you have not recommended a Bavaria. You keep telling us how great yours is, but may be the Bavarias in his budget are not worth considering. Not too long ago I was on board an old Bavaria 36 and it had been well looked after, but when the owner came onboard my Westerly Fulmar he commented at how warm the woodwork was compared to his own boat.
It is always difficult for someone buying their first yacht and your earlier comment in post #31 does nothing to help the OP but shows your dislike of British built yachts. Yes there are many fine yachts produced outside the UK, but I have owned a French built yacht which I bought new in 1986 I can certainly comment the standard of construction had many flaws. Some of these only showed when she needed a major repair after the October 87 hurricane almost sunk her. The biggest fault was the hull flange was badly trimmed and when the deck moulding was rivetted through the alloy toe rail, large sections the bottom of the rivets did not grip the hull flange. From this point of view and when I have also inspected many other boats over the years you start to see cost cutting areas in the build. That did make many of the mass market imported yachts appear so much cheaper, not to mention the state support many of them were given. You can start to understand why we have such a poor yacht building industry in this country today. I and many yachtsmen still appreciate a well built boat. However you cannot compare boats from different decades as there have been many design changes and factory manufacturing processes. These all have been driving the cost of mass produced yachts down as a percentage of average incomes to make them more affordable. However not all of these changes benefit the owners of these boats. These factors have been discussed in other threads and I am not going to repeat them.
For once I doubt if I would recommend my own type of yacht and I can certainly recommend a number that might suit the OP. The OP asked for advice and I feel I have tried to do this in my original post.
Skellum
Well-known member
Elan 333s are lovely boats to sail and very practical down below. Shame about the teak deck though in fairness this one appears to have been renewed. Would the Sigma 362 be more user friendly for inexperienced family crew than the 38?
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doug748
Well-known member
Tomahawk
Well-known member
I wasn't going to say anything about a Prout's performance.
But getting back on Topic, I suggest a Tri. with folding outriggers Corsair, Farrier Etc
They are pretty damn fast (and from me that's saying something) and shallow draught..
Ones with folding outriggers are easy to get out the water etc..
RivalRedwing
Well-known member
There is a Westerly Conway for sale on C&C as I type, not quite what you seek but plenty of space including an aft cabin, quite a lot of boat for the money: £27.5k
1975 Westerly Conway 36 Levington, United Kingdom - Clarke and Carter
1975 Westerly Conway 36 Levington, United Kingdom - Clarke and Carter
DavidofMersea
Well-known member
Prout never made racing Cats, but slow Prouts, I don't think so, A cat is stable which is good for a nervous crew, and they have lots of room, which would seem ideal for the OP's requirements
PaulRainbow
Well-known member
No disrespect to the boat, but i had to laugh at the brokers ad':
"This boat is fully equipped for blue water cruising and has been prepared meticulously to depart. "
Fuel Tanks: 1
Fuel Tank Capacity: 35 L
Water Tanks: 1
Water Tank Capacity: 60 L
RivalRedwing
Well-known member
broker's optimism ;-)
johnalison
Well-known member
Sorry to spoil the fun but it must be a misprint for gallons, though still not generous for a boat of this size.
[178529]
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It's a lot of boat for the money though. Even if you did have to spend to bring it up to spec.
pvb
Well-known member
That's because it's 45 years old, and will need a lot of sorting.
PaulRainbow
Well-known member
RivalRedwing
Well-known member
In deference to the seller and the broker - unless you know something that is not stated in the advert I would recommend you detune the last part of your sentence; that's something for a potential buyer and their surveyor to reflect upon.
The spec looks promising to me for the price.
[178529]
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It looks to me like it's had a fair amount spent on it, new sails, electronics etc. I would be thinking about engine perhaps but I agree it still looks a hell of a lot of fun for the money to me.
pvb
Well-known member
Why should I change my post? It's true, the boat will need a lot of sorting. It's been around the local area for many years, but hardly used (the broker says the 2013 sails are "almost unused"). As far as I'm aware, the boat's been languishing on the hard for the last 2 or 3 years, so is almost certain to need work done. It's also over-priced.
pvb
Well-known member
Your suggestion is a good one. The OP's budget of £30K should buy a decent Bavaria 34 or 36 from around the year 2000. It would no doubt have better cockpit space, more modern electronics, more easily handled sails, much better cabin space, decent heads, etc. Above all, it would require minimal work before getting out on the water and enjoying it.
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