Best solid, safe, sea-going boat for the West of Scotland?

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ash2020

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I've just moved up to the West of Scotland and used my Hunter Legend 235 as a removal vehicle (on the trailer). She tows beautifully, is very simple to launch and recover, but not really solid enough for these waters. It blows up without warning and you can find yourself one minute wondering whether to motor, then suddenly you're trying to lash a reef in. I would like to find a really robust and safe boat, with a bit of speed, maybe around 30', not necessarily with a lifting keel, for a budget of about 12K. The Hunter is wonderful in calm conditions but you have to be darn sure you're not going to run into anything over a F4 otherwise its like sailing a dinghy (with the added novelty of all the pots & pans falling on the floor!)
I don't mind a bit of a project, as long as it's seaworthy. What ideas?
Thanks
Andy
 
ash2020 said:
I've just moved up to the West of Scotland and used my Hunter Legend 235 as a removal vehicle (on the trailer). She tows beautifully, is very simple to launch and recover, but not really solid enough for these waters. It blows up without warning and you can find yourself one minute wondering whether to motor, then suddenly you're trying to lash a reef in. I would like to find a really robust and safe boat, with a bit of speed, maybe around 30', not necessarily with a lifting keel, for a budget of about 12K. The Hunter is wonderful in calm conditions but you have to be darn sure you're not going to run into anything over a F4 otherwise its like sailing a dinghy (with the added novelty of all the pots & pans falling on the floor!)
I don't mind a bit of a project, as long as it's seaworthy. What ideas?
Thanks
Andy
Click to expand...

Centaur

it has the accomodation of a 30 footer

marvelous boat

never felt so safe in a boat before

hard to find good ones though

D

harmony-photo.jpg
 
Albin Comfort 30. 29.5 foot, very safe when wind and waves get up. and decent speed in most conditions. Can be hard to find - some were built in Scotland. Albin Vega is a 27 footer that most ownes also seem to really like.
 
Your boat does sound a bit tender but we have found the waters off the west coast to be usually quite benign. There is (with the exception of the Minch) shelter to be found everywhere. There can be a good sailing breeze but relatively flat waters in many places. There are exception but sometimes these are localised. Near our base the nasty bits are between Fladda and Easdale, south and west of Duart point, top of the Sound of Islay, east of Eigg and the famous ones, the Great Race, Ardnamurchan etc. I am sure others can add a lot. Usually these are caused by tide so by timing your passage at slack the worse can be avoided.

Sorry, cannot help with your choice of boat. I think there is a boat show coming up shortly on the Clyde which may be worth a visit.

Enjoy your sailing in these wonderful waters - where are you based ?
 
Thanks Storyline. The Hunter has half a ton of water ballast and a lightweight keel. Great for sailing on lakes and launching quickly, I can get the mast up in 20 mins. But, we were sailing off the southern end of Kerrera at the weekend and suddenly the water was over the gunwhales! Luckily we had just been in the company of about 15 dolphins and a couple of very inquisitive seals, which made up for it. My partner Maggie gets very nervous when she's helming and it heels dramatically. I keep explaining that boats don't capsize by being blown over but it sounds less and less convincing each time! Also, the 6HP outboard isn't very comforting in a big swell, it could take a long time to get to shelter.
I've always had trailer sailers to try and keep the winter storage costs down, but I think I'll bite the bullet and pay up. I've just been looking at the Ardfern brokers list.
We're based at Dunstaffnage, on a swinging mooring, although we get to use all the marina facilities.
Cheers
 
ash2020 said:
.....
But, we were sailing off the southern end of Kerrera at the weekend and suddenly the water was over the gunwhales! Luckily we had just been in the company of about 15 dolphins and a couple of very inquisitive seals, which made up for it.
.....
Click to expand...
Umm, that area of water is not one of the 'bad' bits so it sounds as though the boat is not suitable. If it was bad there then over on the other side of the Sound, under Mull would be very unpleasant. Lucky with the dolphins, there is often a pod around there.

Good luck with your hunt.
 
ash2020 said:
I've just moved up to the West of Scotland and used my Hunter Legend 235 as a removal vehicle (on the trailer). She tows beautifully, is very simple to launch and recover, but not really solid enough for these waters. It blows up without warning and you can find yourself one minute wondering whether to motor, then suddenly you're trying to lash a reef in. I would like to find a really robust and safe boat, with a bit of speed, maybe around 30', not necessarily with a lifting keel, for a budget of about 12K. The Hunter is wonderful in calm conditions but you have to be darn sure you're not going to run into anything over a F4 otherwise its like sailing a dinghy (with the added novelty of all the pots & pans falling on the floor!)
I don't mind a bit of a project, as long as it's seaworthy. What ideas?
Thanks
Andy
Click to expand...
The problem with Scottish waters is that the wind is messed about by all the pretty hilly bits: particularly in the lee of hills you get gusts coming down, and sometimes the air in these gusts is actually going downwards not sideways, hence heeling doesn't spill as much as you'd expect.

An infinite variety of options for you, but as a start look at Sadler 25s/26s - eg http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/boats/f651011/f651011.htm - though you'd be better off in all honesty buying one already in Scotland, much as I'd like to sell it to you! Also any of the Folkboat variants, ie Contessa 26, Invicta, etc. And not much more steady and safe than a small Vancouver - eg http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/boats/w85812/w85812.htm
 
Quite a bit under your budget, and maybe a bit small, but a Cutlass 27 is a fine looking long-keeler that will take (almost!) anything the West Coast has to throw at it and laugh. Absolute joy to sail (less-so to motor astern), very reassuring and a lovely gentle motion - no slamming.
 
Thanks jwilson. I think that's part of the problem. You never see it coming! The Hunter does feel like she will fall over sometimes, despite having read all the theory about water ballast!
I love the Vancouver, although with any boat of that age you have to live with the orange coloured woodwork! I'm sure a long keel is going to be the thing, although we won't win any races. I used to have a long keeled Beneteau Evasion, which was nice. We actually got an award in the 2005 Round The Island race for the last Beneteau home! Thanks for the links. If you don't mind me asking, why are you selling her?
 
ash2020 said:
Thanks jwilson. I think that's part of the problem. You never see it coming! The Hunter does feel like she will fall over sometimes, despite having read all the theory about water ballast!
I love the Vancouver, although with any boat of that age you have to live with the orange coloured woodwork! I'm sure a long keel is going to be the thing, although we won't win any races. I used to have a long keeled Beneteau Evasion, which was nice. We actually got an award in the 2005 Round The Island race for the last Beneteau home! Thanks for the links. If you don't mind me asking, why are you selling her?
Click to expand...

We are the broker - owner is giving up sailing after many years fairly widespread cruising...
 
Most of the old half ton class yachts should do the job,ie Scampi's, Arpege, Nic's. Pal has a Westerly Longbow on the Clyde,pretty good in the rough stuff and it's bilge keel cousins and ketch rig versions should all be within a 12grand budget.
 
Echo the recommendation for one of the Westerly 31 footers. Had a Pentland (bilge keels) on the west coast and she was perfect. Shallow draft for some of the trickier places eg West Loch Tarbert and great for anchoring in inches on places like Gigha. Not too many places to dry out though due to the relatively small tidal ranges. Very seaworthy and we could plough through all sorts of nasty seas in her without any worry.
Also not the prettiest of boats and as you will have noticed there are a lot of pretty boats around.
They also make a great family boat as the children can have the cosy (& separate) aft cabin. If there are no children then a very useful place to chuck all the junk.
Think you will struggle to get a realy good one on budget.
 
We cruised around the Western Isles in my fathers boat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeBPzE-MByA and bumped into (metaphorically) an Albin Ballad (my boat, which is certainly not for sale!) going across Loch Fyne, again, sturdy boats and you can pick one up in your budget. A great family boat and super safe and secure. We've been out in her in 40 plus knots and felt safe as houses whilst all the modern stuff gets laid flat.
 
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