Arpege

[graham]

I have read the May PBO article and had a quick look aboard an Arpege.I think one could suit us as a family cruiser with good performance and quite roomy for a n older boat.

The keel base is quite long to make drying out on legs or against a wall an option.

Any present or past owners have any comments?

They seem to offer a lot of boat for the money.

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[Capt_Marlinspike]

Graham
I used to regular sail and race an Arpege in the late 60s and early 70s. I think that the boat was the first Arpege in the UK. We sailed out of Beaumaris and regularly raced to Ireland. She was a very fine boat, very seaworthy and seakindly. The Arpege is pretty small inside compared with modern boats of the same length but was well laid out. I would be tempted to have one today but SWMBO insists on a deck salon so that she has a view when we are anchored up.

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[mhouse]

Have sent you a pm
Matthew

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[joeh]

i own one. have it for 4 years now. quite happy with it.

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[graham]

thanks for the replies, when the time comes we will put it down as a possible next boat.

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[jamesjermain]

Coincidentally, an Arpege was one of three boats in a secondhand group test I carried out for YM two weekends ago. The other two were a Twister and a Rival 32 - the idea being to look at contrasting designs from the sixties and early seventies and how they shaped up for modern coastal cruising.

The judges were very impressed by the interior of the Arpege which is brilliantly detailed and full of bright ideas. She was way ahead of her time in design and construction which means there are some idiosyncrasies but basically she's a good boat with good performance and plenty of room for a family of four - six at a pinch. One feature is that the saloon (Two berths and two pilot berths) can be completely isolated from the after part of the boat (two quarter berths, galley and nav table) which is good for watch keeping at night and also means children can be put to bed forward while adults enjoy a quite evening aft. There is no forecabin, just a big stowage area (originally sails, now general junk).

Problems include very poor headroom in the heads forward, a galley which will be difficult unless modernised and breakdown of the foam core of the decks (which can be repaired easily enough but at a price).

I have always like this design and, with good ones fetching as little as £12,000 to £14,000, they must be among the best value for money deals on the market.

The report on the trials is due to appear in the March issue of YM.

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[Aardee]

We were rafted up against one in Victoria Marina (St Peter Port) this summer, with a French family of SIX on board, at the start of their 7-week cruise. The kids ranged from 13 down to 3.

I can only assume the little 'uns slept in the cockpit lockers...

Graham.

<hr width=100% size=1>"I am a bear of very little brain and long words bother me" - A A Milne.

 

[Robin]

Standard French practice that, they were under crewed really. The Arpege BTW has 6 berths and all of them are sea berths if I remember rightly! Not too mny boats can boast that these days.

Note there was a Mk1 and a Mk2 version of the Arpege, from memory the original was just under 30' LOA and the Mk2 was 30'4". It was important to me at the time since I then belonged to a club with a 30ft limit on their moorings, the Mk2 was unacceptable, the Mk1 was OK. Stupidity isn't just a modern phenomenon is it.

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>