Don't want to open a can of worms, but.. .

[South coast sailer]

I'm on the South Coast UK. My harbour is shallow and almost drying, meaning nothing over 3ft draft. I'm looking for a 30ft ish cruiser for costal / Cross channel sailing. My choice is either lifting keel or bilge/twin keel.

In my situation, what would be your choice?

Thanks in advance

 

[fredrussell]

What’s your budget? Most 30ft bilge keelers will be over your 3ft draft limit so lifting keel will be likely solution. Many of the French mass produced boats can be found with a lifting keel version. Then there’s Southerly and Parker boats from the UK. The latter two marques will dry out upright, whereas the French boats often/usually have a stub keel so less suited to this.

 

[Graham376]

Westerly Berwick or Pentland.

 

[lustyd]

In my situation, what would be your choice?

Unless you own the harbour, move!

 

[dunedin]

Depends a lot on budget ? £100k buys very different boat from £5k

 

[South coast sailer]

Should've said, budget around 30k.

 

[fredrussell]

Westerly Berwick or Pentland.

Both greater draft than the op’s 3ft max, shirley?

 

[Minerva]

Probably something between an Eboat or a Southerly 42 depending on budget.

 

[seumask]

Parker 31 or her bigger sister

PSSA > For Sale > Parker 31 > Ngoma, £33,770

BIlge keels like the westerly Fulmar ( had one myself) usually draw 4 ft and wont meet your depth criteria

 

[stephen_h]

Catamaran!

 

[Concerto]

Parker 31 or her bigger sister

PSSA > For Sale > Parker 31 > Ngoma, £33,770

BIlge keels like the westerly Fulmar ( had one myself) usually draw 4 ft and wont meet your depth criteria

There were 6 lift keel Fulmars made, but draw 3' 6" with a long stub keel.

 

[Poignard]

If it was me I would go for a centreboard, as they can presuably be made not to leak nowadays.

It must be very pleasant to be able to explore shallow creeks and harbours à la Maurice Griffiths.

 

[[70521]]

Unless you own the harbour, move!

What he said.

Are we really talking one metre at HW neap or springs?

 

[fredrussell]

What he said.

Are we really talking one metre at HW neap or springs?

I assumed OP meant 3 foot at low water springs, i.e. wants something that’ll stay afloat at all times.

 

[[70521]]

I assumed OP meant 3 foot at low water springs, i.e. wants something that’ll stay afloat at all times.

I wanted clarification hence the question. If it is 1 metre at LW neaps then it's not really a problem as long as he is back on his mooring before he has no water.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

My bulb lift keel Anderson sat very poorly unless in very soft mud and foundered twice on drying moorings after nearly foundering once. Unless moorings never dry lifting bulb keel or indeed any lifting keel are not a good idea unless over soft mud with no stealth rocks or old barge timbers.

A southerly with its big flat plate at bottom of keel might suit a drying mooring though even they can have issues if keel scoops up debris to jam between keelplate and hull.

As fredrussel said much depends on what OP meant by 1 metre

 

[Yngmar]

A Heavenly Twins (27 ft cat).

 

[Greenheart]

In my situation, what would be your choice?

There are many options and many reasons to pursue or dismiss each option. It's rather hard to answer unless we know, what would you like?

It's amazingly unusual for an experienced sailor to ask what we recommend without stating his own strong preferences; equally, it's pretty rare for a novice to ask, without also showing either deep innocence or absurd ambition.

Tell us what you've sailed before, and where, and what you did and didn't like about it.

 

[South coast sailer]

Hi. To clarify:

Very shallow harbour. Around 2ft if water at LWS Around 5ft of water at mid tide so anything over 3ft draft is quite restricted. Virtually all of the sailing boats in the harbour are lifting keel or bilge as the chances are you'll be taking the ground at some point.

I know, not ideal yacht territory but we are where we are. Thanks for the replies so far.

 

[South coast sailer]

There are many options and many reasons to pursue or dismiss each option. It's rather hard to answer unless we know, what would you like?

It's amazingly unusual for an experienced sailor to ask what we recommend without stating his own strong preferences; equally, it's pretty rare for a novice to ask, without also showing either deep innocence or absurd ambition.

Tell us what you've sailed before, and where, and what you did and didn't like about it.

Hi.

So, I've spent most of my time on powerboats. Commercially endorsed skipper and instructor so I have YM theory, adv powerboat etc. I've sailed as crew to La Rochelle, channel islands and Ireland on a couple of different boats. My wife and I have decided to get a sailing boat for some time away etc. So, I have bags of experience at sea but not much under sail if you like. I'm really just trying to get an idea of what to look for. It's a bit trickier where I am as the only real options are bilge or lifting. I know its probably an impossible question but I seem to decide on bilge one day and lifting the next.