albin vega 27 alternative any thoughts?

[Seajet]

I have only looked over one lift keel Fantasia - with a view to buying - but I recoiled in horror, maybe the one I saw had been owned by the SBS or something, but everything was falling apart, the worst example of that I've ever seen.

I do tend to think your intended dual use of offshore and lake is going to distort your selection; a much smaller boat would be more fun on the lake, and trailer laws make a 27' boat a challenge to tow legally.

I would seriously consider 2 different boats, but forget launching the offshore job by trailer, that way leads to madness !

If on a budget I might think about a Folkboat for offshore - they're huge fun and will go anywhere as long as you don't want 3 double aft cabins with hot & cold water & showers to each.

For the lake, are you really going to stay overnight ?

Something light like a Sailfish 18 springs to mind.

If you really want an offshore capable trailable boat, think about an Anderson 26 - lift keel and very able, but rare, only 16 or so were built and I don't know of any for sale, though have an inkling one might be.

You might do worse than look at my signature below, if you're not stuck on 27' the A22 will go anywhere and they have been known on Windermere, though it seems a bit of a waste of a boat which specialises in offshore.

There are details of the Anderson 26 lift keeler on the website.

 

[Mrnotming]

Super seal 26,now a parker 27.....etc.
Usually too expensive unless tatty.
Delta 26 v fast, bit wet inside although some owners may have improved this aspect.
Both usually lift/daggerboard types,some examples fixed keel.Boats for sailors.

 

[Iain C]

Poz

Sabre 27 is a great boat with pretty good upwind performance with a fin keel and decent sails, not as fast as a Vega but cheaper, better looking and more room. But seriously, forget trailering it unless you have an HGV license! I've towed a 20' daysailer with a fin keel back from Windermere to the Midlands with an old Disco Tdi and it was hard work...amazing how much time you spend in 3rd gear on a motorway. You'd need craneage each end, cradles, and even getting the mast up and down is realistically a derrick job (although I know it is possible with an A-frame) and a big job in terms of time.

Seriously, you might as well just buy a decent Sabre, keep that somewhere permanently, and buy a much lighter, faster. fun daysailer that's easily towed behind a normal car, with a mast you can step on your own and something you can slipway launch. You could get a GRP Flying Fifteen for about £500 and have some fun with that.

My F15 is only 7' longer than my Sabre but the difference in logistics, size, weight loads etc is absolutely colossal.

 

[LittleSister]

The boat you need is, of course, a Samphire 26! Faster than slower boats, steadier than faster boats; more capacious than skinnier, lower boats, but less caravan like than more spacious boats; traditional styling with modern(ish) construction; long keel but shoal draft; ocean capable but will float in a ditch. The ideal compromise, in fact! Bloody useless for towing, mind: a notional 3.4 tons but probably more, even without kit and clobber.

I agree with others the trailing bit is probably unlikely to be practical, and you either need two boats, or charter when you want to go to sea, or decide which type of sailing you most want to do. Good luck whichever route you decide to take.

PS I saw recently a Dehler 25 (I think it was), which is specifically designed to be towable and looked interesting.

 

[aquaplane]

Centaur

 

[Seajet]

Agree, it would be hard to beat a good Centaur - or my plan B suugestion of the beter looking, slightly better performing - but much less handier to work on and a frction of the backup info - Trapper 501.

If I wasin that market I'd probably go for the Trapper, but I'm used to boats & engines etc & OK at DIY; hard to beat the Centaur though from 20-200' !

 

[PetiteFleur]

Jaguar 27, good seaboat, spacious down below, fin, I had a trailer for mine and stored it on a friends farm over winter. Did have to get someone to tow it though. Bigger than a Halcyon 27 and faster than my friends Contessa 28! I had one and it was excellent.

 

[ctva]

I'd second the thoughts of the Saber 2. Lovely boat with an amazing amount of space down below for a 27 footer. We had one for 5 years and loved it.

 

[webcraft]

.
I find the Vega quite spacious for its size. What do you find restrictive about it?

Headroom is poor if you are a six-footer, but otherwise it is OK - long saloon berths and a roomy forepeak for its length.

- W

 

[Davy_S]

Just a bit of a thought for the OP, or for anyone considering a Vega ( I am on a bad tethered connection till I go back to Kef on Tuesday, hence the late reply)
The 2.3 ton weight of the Vega has to be viewed with caution! the hull was laminated with a clear resin, in its day it was considered good Swedish build quality, it certainly was! I had to drill a hole in the cockpit part of the hull, it was over 1 inch thickness of perfectly laid resin. If you wish to view the quality of a Vega hull on the hard, get someone outside, to shine a spotlight onto the antifoul area, you will be able to see any voids or delamination from the inside, there wont be any! There are possibly other hulls that have a similar layup, but I do not know of any personally.

 

[Kelpie]

Hmmm, as an ex-Vega owner I don't recall the layup being an inch thick anywhere. Well built boats, but not overbuilt.
Mine came in under 3t according to the crane driver.

 

[Mrnotming]

Does the Vega have an offset prop shaft? How does this affect handling?

 

[robertt]

Trapper 501.

+1

Might sell you mine

 

[Davy_S]

[QUODoes the Vega have an offset prop shaft? How does this affect handling?][/QUOTE]
Yes it does, you do not get propwash over the rudder on a Vega, the prop enters after the rudder, the Vega is very stable going ahead, both under motor and under sail, if it is set up right, sails etc, it steers and tracks very well, however reverse needs some getting used to, practice makes perfect! the same problem is prevalent in most long keelers as well. It is worth learning because the benefits outweigh its shortfalls in astern. myself, I found that giving a burst astern, then shutting off the power and using the rudder worked most of the time, most owners with practise can handle the reversing, with a bit of patience and practice.