Classic Day Boats

Judders

Judders

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Okay, today might not be as quiet in the office but here I am at the moment.

IF Feeling Rough goes, and frankly I am fed up of being skint (I have a very big pay cut coming up in six months too, for reasons I wont go into), anyway, if she does, then I'll need something to fill in the gaps between crewing for other people. I could never not have a boat at all. I could never stand at the coffee machine on Thursday afternoon and tell people I was 'hoping to get an invite to go sailing' at the weekend.

So amongst dinghies, I am thinking about a cheap and cheerful classic dayboat. Something like a small Heard. I'd love a Memory 19 of course but that would defeat the object.

Any ideas?
 
Surely 'classic' implies wooden and a wooden boat in good nick is never going to be cheap & cheerful (either but not both).

A few classics from the past - YW Dayboat (14'), National 18 or variants (I had a beautiful Chichester Harbour OD) and loads of local classes e.g. Emsworth OD, Bembridge Redwing, Salcombe/Devon yawl and so on. There are lots of classic keelboats e.g. Dragon, X boat etc.

Or you could go for plastic old-style, e.g. Cornish Shrimper, Drascombe.
 
Well I am just kicking around ideas.

My current thinking is that it needs to be light enough to drysail inexpensively, and indeed to beach. Plenty of soul. Big enough for SWMBO and I to picnic at East Head, possibly with a guest or two.

I've noted that there is a Classic Dayboat Fleet at her old sailing club and we would perhaps like to go back there, so something challenging to race, albeit slowly, would be fun.

I'm looking at everything from Osprey's to Laurent Giles' Jollyboats. Personally I love the old Fairey dinghies like Albacore's but without a spinnaker, the thinking is the straight forward bermuden sloop would bore me.
 
I'm kind of sure that I will own an XOD one day... but not this time. It's just too much money at the moment. If it was not for scaling down the costs then I would not be letting my tuppaware cruiser/racer go!
 
Judders said:
I'm kind of sure that I will own an XOD one day... but not this time. It's just too much money at the moment. If it was not for scaling down the costs then I would not be letting my tuppaware cruiser/racer go!
Click to expand...

What about a squib? You could probably pick one up for a few thousand. Bit cheaper than an XOD.
 
Again, an excellant call and I love squibs. They are around the right price too but they are not beachable and with the fixed keel might be more of a faff.

Plus they are tough to find a handicap fleet for. So far as I can tell, the only active Solent fleet is Royal Vic which is too far away. The Southern claims to have one but I do not think it's active and as I say, they really would not fit in with a handicap fleet, so far as I can tell?
 
clonaspin.jpg


better than a day boat, 4 berths, transatlantic capabilities (not for me), 2ft 9 inches draught, just a couple of grand for a head turner ..
 
Classic dayboats

As mentioned below the Devon/Salcombe yawl has the stability and is speedy and some versions a small cuddy forward; its a pretty dry boat and overnighting possible.Not too difficult to trail but a half-tide mooring would be cheaper.
Or else else the Drascombe Dabber,Drifter,Longboats.Good association and regular rallies too,ideal for the occasional fishing trip if you like it and also a good turn of speed under sail or outboard.
 
Judders said:
Again, an excellant call and I love squibs. They are around the right price too but they are not beachable and with the fixed keel might be more of a faff.
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You can put legs on just about anything..........not to say one could beach anywhere, but.......

1631171_1.jpg


http://www.ciboatsales.com/

But if you are thinking wood and want to trade character for perhaps not so much speed what about looking for something that can have a working / fishing boat finish - rather than requiring lots of brightworrk?
 
Hmm, at those sorts of prices, the Flying 15 and Squib would both be tempting, though neither fit the criteria. There is a Flying 15 fleet but it's a while since I saw one at that sort of price.
 
I had a Wayfarer before. Too heavy. Too slow.

But maybe now is the time for another go. My back is a lot stronger than it used to be.
 
Judders said:
Hmm, at those sorts of prices, the Flying 15 and Squib would both be tempting, though neither fit the criteria. There is a Flying 15 fleet but it's a while since I saw one at that sort of price.
Click to expand...

That Squib has been for sale for at least 2 years (maybe 3)......I did think about it at one point as a low maintanence "around the baysailer" :), but as most of our harbours are built on dry land :rolleyes: with that draft I would be ashore most of the time :rolleyes:
 
Judders said:
I had a Wayfarer before. Too heavy. Too slow.

But maybe now is the time for another go. My back is a lot stronger than it used to be.
Click to expand...
A classic day sailer lighter and faster than a Wayfarer? I think we're talking unicorns here (mythical beasts that is, not the singlehanded cat).
 
No one has mentioned a Hawk 20... uk built.. plenty about... on a trailer...??
 
You often see Kestrels advertised for a few hundred. Big, capable boats, easily handled but with very decent performance for their type. Very comparable to the Wayfarer.
 
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