bilge keeler to windward?

[silverdawn]

I am looking for a bilge keeler 24-26ft for cruising the east coast and beyond mostly single handed which is good to windward, are there any bilge keelers capable of this.
Budget is about £ 10000 all sugestions welcome /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[john_morris_uk]

In that price range, Sadler 25's don't sail too badly to windward in the bilge keel version and they are very capable little boats. I sure that others will have more suggestions.

 

[tyce]

got to be a hunter horizon 26, twin keel, good solid fast boat that you will also be able to do a bit of club racing in as well as being ideal for cruising.
you will have to barter hard tho and might struggle on your budget, but you may just be lucky

 

[graham]

Hurley 24 bilge keel version goes well to windward ,it has a fairly deep draught for a bilgekeel ,approximately 4 feet from memory,

You would get a good one with a diesel engine for less than your budget.

 

[richardabeattie]

Add a foot and go for a 27 ft Sabre?

 

[Rivers & creeks]

Deep keeled (3' 8") Macwester 27 or 28. Sails well and a hell of a lot of boat for your money. Don't even think about the shallow draft 26 footer if you like going to windward, they have other skills. But the deep draft and tall rig ones are superb. You'll struggle to get a really good one for £10,000 but you'll certainly get a fairly good one.

 

[DavidGrieves]

Hi

Cobra 750. It's 26' and bilge keel
There is one in the marina and it sails really well. Most were home completed so the standard can vary. You can even get the Cobra 850 for about 12,000 to 14,000

Dave

 

[ex-Gladys]

WHy not get the best of both worlds and look at lift keel? Great to windward, and shoal draft as well.

 

[Eccles]

Windward performance with Bilge keels will never really be that good but you could look at a Colvic. We had a Colvic 26 and would regulary outsail our friends in their Macwester.

 

[Benbow]

[ QUOTE ]
Windward performance with Bilge keels will never really be that good

[/ QUOTE ]

A not entirely unbiased observation is that Hunter bilge keelers do have a particularly good reputation for going well to windward. I never did a direct comparison but was always pleasantly surprised with mine.

As for lifting keels, it depends what you want. If you just need occasional shoal draft I agree that they would be a better choice than bilge keels. But for regularly drying-out, as is highly desirable to enjoy many sailing areas, I would go for b/k over lift keel every time. Bilge keelers sit nicely upright and are safe from the nasty lumps of scrap iron that you find on the bottom of many drying harbours. Certainly, none of the Southerly owners I knew would ever dry out in a strange harbour without first having a good look at the bottom. They also had constant problems with rocks and rubbish jamming up their lifting keels.

Did I mention I have a B/K Horizon for sale?

 

[DJE]

[ QUOTE ]
........Hunter bilge keelers do have a particularly good reputation for going well to windward...........

[/ QUOTE ]

As do the Sadler bilge keelers. Ask the rest of the club race fleet at HHSC. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Cloven]

Go for any of the Hunter 26/27/272 range - great boats.