Dilemma

[Achillesheel]

I need some advice/guidance.

We have had our Achilles 24 for four years now, and have come to appreciate her good points, namely she is cheap to run, great fun, and sails like a dinghy.

However, we are very aware of her drawbacks in order of magnitude (least important first):-

1)No separate heads
2)4'6" headroom
3)No inboard engine

The boat is worth about £4000. We could spend about £5k on top of this if we were to trade up.

We would like to be able to spend more than a couple of days at a time on a boat, pottering up the coast for a week or two, nothing particularly ambitious.

A major problem is that our mooring is restricted to 24' LOA. So any consideration of a bigger boat would have to involve mooring her somewhere else. Waiting lists of 2 years, or even seven years have been quoted, and we like where we are at the moment (top of Carrick Roads).

So is there a 24' boat out there for up to £9k, which has the separate heads, inboard engine, and standing headroom, which sails well?

Most boats in our price range seem to be bilge keel; how much does this affect performance, really? Drying out is not a necessity.

Or should we keep the Achilles, and spend a bit of money on her, perhaps fitting a sea toilet to replace the current bucket, and the big question, is it worth fitting an inboard engine? is this realistic? how much would it cost?

The present arrangement is an inboard/outboard, an 8hp Evinrude 2 stroke which sits in a well in the cockpit. It is heavy and awkward to lift in and out. Other Achilles have 4 or 5hp outboards, how much lighter would they be?

An inboard engine is probably the most desirable thing for a new boat to have.

All comments gratefully received!

 

[Channel Ribs]

Dilema indeed, I do not envy your decision. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

The Galion 22 has room for a sea toilet, inboard and 5'6 headroom. But finding one in good nick is hard work.

 

[PeteCooper]

I would guess that a Leisure 23, Seamaster 23 or the Westerly equivalent would fit most of your criteria. The only downside is that they sail OK, not well. Realistically you will have to compromise between the accomodation that you have specified and the sailing qualities that you want or go bigger.

 

[Topcat47]

I think there's a problem in that small boats have virtually dissappeared from the market over the last twenty years. I'd have said the Gallion (Galion?), myself as I've sailed one and can stand up in the cabin. It's a long keel too.

I've just helped deliver a Pegasus 700 to Inverness. It has an inboard engine, a sea tiolet in the forecabin (not seperate)and standing headroom under the hatch. It sails well for a bilge keeler, too. I was hugely inpressed with the quality. You'd probably get a good-un for your price, too.

Westerley did a smaller version of the Centaur (Cirrus?) but it sailed like a brick. (well the one I sailed did). Its owner liked the caravan comforts though, as well as the price of his berth, so it might be worth a look. Again the loo was in the forecabin.

 

[oleander2]

I would support the remarks made about the Leisure 23. If I had a choice I would go for the Leisure 23SL. I owned one in the 90's and regularly sailed it down to Northern Britttany. It was a joy to sail and in a blow certainly looked after you.

 

[FullCircle]

Big It Up for the Leisure 23SL..... Complete Tardis.
Most come with bilge keels, which is a BIT of a pain, but not much. You get everything else inc the inboard, and solid resale values. Expect to pay 9k for a really nice one, of which there are plenty.
Also agree with the Galion 22, really nice sailing boat, I know of a nice one for 3.5k at the moment.

I have a Seal 22 which is lift keel and separate loo up front, but no forecabin, just great stowage. This runs well on 4hp, could do with 5hp I guess, and sails well. I paid 1.5k for it.

Moving up the scale, the Hunter 23/24 foot range of boats are all worth looking at, but get a bit pricier.

 

[tarik]

I owned an Achilles for 5 years and sailed her up and down the SE Coast, I fitted a sea toilet, took the inboard engine out( I dont like Petrol engines inboard) utilised the extra space, and hung a 9 hp Yamaha ob off the stern. Fantastic little boat would recommend it to anyone. Don't be in a hurry to sell it.

 

[WoodyP]

Try a look at the Kingfisher K20.
Bombproof, and capable of trans atlantic. Small but prefectly formed ( and cheap).

 

[nordic_ranger]

Have a look at a Virgo Voyager, Westerly Cirus or a Seamaster 23. The first two have got standing headroom and the Seamaster about 5' 6". All good boats with inboards and heads.

 

[Greenwichman]

I'm with all those who have suggested the Leisure 23 SL - owned one for more than a dozen years. Sailed extensively in English Channel and N Sea, all weathers, wonderful seaboat. Only sold it when the kids left home and we could afford more loa. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Bat21]

Macwester Rowan Crown

 

[jamesjermain]

I'm surprised there have been no support for the British Hunter range so far.

In my view the best small cruiser ever is the Hunter Horizon 23. You would have to negotiate hard on an older model to get one for under £9,000 but in my view it would be worth it; separate heads, good headroom (for 23ft), solid build and some have inboards (not for under £12,000 though).

Alternatively, a Sonata sails brilliantly, has up to five berths, reasonable headroom, can have a marine loo under one of the forecabin berths. There is room for an inboard but I don't think many, if any, had one fitted. You could get a good one for under £9,000 aqnd have some money for refurbishment (beware stripped out racers). We had a kifting keel Sonata as a family cruiser for several years. The five of us cruised for a week at a time quite happily (our youngest loved the pipe cot in the saloon).

Alternatively... The Hunter Duette is a kind of twin keeled Sonata - sails well but not as well as a Sonata.

Another to consider is the Jaguar 23

 

[FullCircle]

Oi!!! JJ I did.....

 

[cindersailor]

Hurley 24, solid, bilge or fin keel, inboard, good head room, separate heads, and quite pretty too - unlike the Leisure IMHO. There is a Hurley owners Assoc. at http://www.hurleyownersassociation.co.uk/ which has full details.

 

[Achillesheel]

Thanks for all these ideas. The trouble is we do love the Achilles ( called "Blue") for what it does well.

No-one has commented on the cost/practicality of fitting an inboard engine to our Achilles?

This has the added advantage that we do not have to end up with either no boat or two boats while we sell Blue.

 

[misterg]

[ QUOTE ]
No-one has commented on the cost/practicality of fitting an inboard engine to our Achilles?

[/ QUOTE ]

I've thought about this in relation to our Newbridge Venturer (22' in/outboard but separate heads /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif) - I just can't imagine you'd get anything like your money back. What would be the difference in selling price between an Achilles with an inboard vs one with an outboard? I bet it wouldn't be much more than £500.

What's a new engine going to cost? £3.5k?? I'll bet there's another £1k of odds and sods on top of that (mounts, prop, shaft, tube, exhaust, coupling, fuel tank, controls, etc.) before you factor in the work involved.

For an idea of the work involved, this site gives a good write-up on fitting an inboard to a Corribee.

You may end up with a nice boat, but it doesn't seem to make economic sense (to me).

0.02p

Andy