). Indeed, both boats will self right even with the keel up. The Sailfish in particular sails amazingly well
. I once crewed a race on one in light but gusty conditions and was soundly beated by a Devon Yawl and a Sailfish. You are talking 2 to 3 times as much dosh for a less comfortable and slower boat
. Still, it has a few good points though -- a part from being a safe and seaworth little 18 footer -- is that it looks a bit like an EBoat Offshore One design which is without doubt a fabulous boat.
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Hmm. Must be nice to be so secure in ones knowledge, speaking personally I prefer to make sure of my facts before posting here. I am not sure how one defines 'proper' with reference to yachts. My personal definition is a sailing vessel used primarily for pleasure purposes. Still just goes to show my limited understanding of matters nautical. Having just got back from a wonderfull days sailing on the Blackwater, outsailing a few smaal cruisers and being soundly beaten by others, having cooked a fry-up and a cuppa on board, having tacked, gybed, reefed and NOT sunk, or even capsized, I for one would certainly regard my Seawych as a proper boat. At least I did 'till I read the post above. I stand corrected and will burn my boat at once and start looking around for a 'proper' boat.Yes, I would agree, the Sailfish 18 or Manta 19 are the best of all the boat mentioned on this thread. Both boats represent excellent value for money, are excellent sailing boats, and can be easily tucked away on your driveway dinghy fashion. On the sea I would opt for the Manta and on a lake I would opt for the Sailfish. Either way both boat have proven track records with no reported capsize incidents (over 35 years
In my view the larger boats mentioned on this thread are not proper trailer-sailers. With practice, you should be abe to day sail a true trailer-sailer. To sum up, a lot more expense/ownership hassle but no more sailing fun!
The Swift 18 was a disappointment for me
Drascombes are way, way, way over priced for what they are! And worst still, the 21' cabin versons will capsize, roll inverted and are impossible to recover if you're not fit and in your early twenties. Apart from general simplicity, the only clever design feature is that you can beach them stern on and jump out not getting your feet wet;
As for the Sea Wych, this boat was designed primarily to come out of a mould complete with bilge keels in one piece, but never to sail well. Ex Waywarer sailers won't be impressed with their move up to this boat. Splitting a 19' boats cabin into two halves and with cupboards and a layout to appeal the missus makes this boat very cramped when you add bodies on a rainy day! It's not the worst though, and with a spray hood almost looks like a proper yacht (which it certainly isn't).