Entry Level Motor Sailors

[Judders]

The weekend weather in the Solent left SWMBO and I joking about our next boat being a Fisher 35 but sadly it will remain a joke for some time to come as even the 25 doesn't come cheap.

It got me thinking, apart from the Island Plastics 24, I can't think of any entry level wheelhouse motorsailors. There must be some? Surely?

 

[Bergman]

The Fisher 30 can come in at a less offensive price, as can the smaller Colvic Watsons.

Don't know the IP24.

In weather like this they seem a really good idea.

 

[mikejames]

Err. Island Plastics 24 .

My sailing club uses the motor/fishing boat variant of this hull as a committee boat. You get to find out what 30 degree rolling is like when a big MB goes past while at it is at anchor. Going onto the foredeck involves hanging out over the sea on the rolls.

Trouble is it costs too much to replace it with something more stable.

Maybe the masts and sails of a motor sailer variant would reduce the rolling.

I think a Westerly Centaur with a 60hp diesel represents a better compromise small motor sailer (as used by a friend's family in the tides of the Bristol Channel)
Several have had the wheelhouse added to them ....

 

[webcraft]

Colvic Watson 23?

THey are a cheap, tough little tub . . . I once took one from the Medway to Peterhead, and its owners took it from there to Brittany the next year.

- W

 

[LadyInBed]

Swin Ranger

This one is for sale

 

[Lakesailor]

Lot of boat for £8995 but it doesn't protect you from the weather as it's still an open steering position.

http://www.kentwildfowlers.co.uk/swinranger.htm

Or Build Your Own

Or a Hardy 18ft with outboard. This sold for £5000

 

[ditchcrawler]

The Hunter Pilot 27 with a tiller in the cockpit & a wheel(hydraulic) down below sails well & can be picked up secondhand for circa £35k

 

[Judders]

[ QUOTE ]
The Hunter Pilot 27 with a tiller in the cockpit & a wheel(hydraulic) down below sails well & can be picked up secondhand for circa £35k

[/ QUOTE ]

One man's pipedream is another mans entry level... clearly.

 

[LadyInBed]

"open steering position"
Lots of them have duel steering, wheel inside plus tiller.

 

[Lakesailor]

My point was that particular boat doesn't have, so didn't satisfy Juddders requirements.

 

[FullCircle]

Beneteau Evasion 22.
Well I liked them.

 

[misterg]

I'm not sure it fits your definition, but I did see this recently (perhaps add an umbrella?). According to the brokerage page its a Nidelv 24.

Not sure I'd want one, though, despite the attractive curtains.

Andy

 

[burgundyben]

Fairey Fisherman?

 

[Lakesailor]

You can tell them.....

 

[LymingtonPugwash]

A number of years ago I was asked to deliver a motorsailer, a Fjord 28CS from Lymington to the Channel Islands.
Being a traditional type of sailor, I was mentally pouring scorn on the strange craft the first time I saw it in the marina. After no more than an hour of looking her over to familiarise myself with her, I must say I was quite impressed with her layout and the fact that the Norweigens had fitted so much into a 28 footer..... but was still unsure of how she would perform, particularly with the mast so far aft, almost in the cockpit! So, out we went for a quick sail into the Solent to get a feel of her..... and amazingly I was impressed! Though not half as impressed as I was when I delivered her, singlehanded, in conditions which began with almost no wind for the first 6 hours, to a steadily increasing wind which culminated in a force 6 which had me scurrying into Alderney for what remained of the night and on through the continuing storm the following day in daylight..... she handled magnificently!

Then around 6 months later, somebody asked me to sail with them on another Fjord motorsailer.... the much more classic Fjord MS33.... that is a much more traditional motorsailer, which is quite beautiful to look at and very well made..... she sailed incredibly well with just 2 of us from Lymington to Plymouth and back again!

Both these are truly superb motorsailers which also sail really well and are very solidly built...... anybody looking to purchase a motorsailer between 28 to 33 feet would be crazy not to at least consider them!
FJORD 28 CS
FJORD 33 MS

From what I understand, Fjord the manufacturer no longer exists themselves, but I think that they have been taken over by some other Norweigen boat builder? Perhaps somebody else knows more about them...... but there certainly are a few 28 and 33 around for sale....