Best offshore yacht 20 feet & under

Griffin

The Hunter 19 is basically a Squib keelboat with a lid. The yacht was called "Willing Grifffon" and the book of the trip, written by solo skipper David Blagdon, is called "Very Willing Griffon". He was racing in the Observer Single-Handed Transatlantic Race.

But remember that you, rather than the yacht, will be the weakest link. The Hunter 19 has been there, seen that, done that and got all the t-shirts while you haven't.... YET
 
I agree with the other people with regard to the Hurley, We have an Hurley 22 fin keel, you can get a good one for £4K, plenty of standing rigging, have proven record of ocean sailing, Atlantic and Pacific, very good in heavy weather . Serach on Hurley 22 on web loads of information
 
Thanks for all your posts! Didn't think I would get so many replies. Seems to be a lot out there in my budget range that could be suitable. I have a lot of happy hunting to do!
 
I have to add my vote to the Hurley 22.I only sailed mine in coastal waters but did enough to know she would keep going to windward when other larger boats were struggling.

Also had a reasonable turn of speed ,theres lots of them about in the UK secondhand in the £2000 - £5000 bracket.
 
I know of a Hurley 20 bilge keel boat, scruffy but sound which has been ashore in a barn for the past few years. Owner would part with her v cheap as he's paying £60 a month storage and isn't doing anything with her...

(Bilge keel version)
 
There doesn't seem to be a lower limit on size for long-distance sailing. A couple of people have crossed the atlantic in boats too small to lie down in i.e. 5 foot-ish.

This little chap is very stable with a weighted keel, can be steered and reefed while sitting in the bottom and if it was given a deck and dome would take you pretty well anywhere. It's 7'6" long

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But I think I'll stick to my 40 footer ;)
 
Kingfisher 20 plus without any doubt - been round the world and crossed the Atlantic many times. I've had five and would rather be in one in a blow than most larger boats. Come junk rigged also which is even better - Blondie Hasler had one.
 
OrangeRoughy said:
If you were suitably adventurous, had 4,000 in the Bank and wanted to buy a good seaworthy 2nd hand small yacht 20 feet and under to sail to either Med or W/Indies, which would it be?
Anyone from the toffee nosed "you can't go that small offshore" club - please do not reply.
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Ruffian 23 or Hurley 22 - why go under 20 ft when you can go just over for the money, neither would need major mods to make them properly offshore-capable and they will make the passage substantially faster. Load an 18-20 ft boat with all the stuff you need and they can become seriously slow. You can cross the Atlantic in anything, but bigger is almost always better.
 
Allowing for raising the dead, If any body is serious about small boats for long distances, they could look at John Welsford's designs. As a new build they would be way out of of the price stated, but several have been built.
Of course, the old chat about builders verses sailors....
A

http://www.jwboatdesigns.co.nz/
 
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I assume they find the thread by G++gle and join in without too much brain/finger interface?
A

I have started looking at the dates...before I read.

More to the point,it is still an interesting question, so worth a chat.
 
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Methinks that it is quite nice that folk do dredge up old threads like this - and then we can start again for anybody who is thinking now along similar lines, and see if opinions are similar to 8 years ago.

This must be one of the 'biggest' (in terms of displacement) 20 footers around - and they seem to have a pretty good track record re crossing oceans. There were two of them in the 1968 OSTAR.
http://barcelona.boatshed.com/havsfidra_20-boat-27254.html
No asking price though - she seems to have been removed from sale.
But lots of photos and other stories come up if you google Havsfidra 20.
 
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