Etap 20

[surekandoo]

I'm thing of buying a 1984 Etap 20 trailer sailer. Any info from owners/previous owners of Etap 20's would be most helpful. Experiences, tips & tricks etc, etc.

I know the hatch/companionway is a bit unusual, but are there any other contraindicators. I mainly sail single-handed.

Thanks in anticipation.

 

[Guest]

I have an Etap 22i and cannot find any faults with it. It sails fast and safe. I have been out in a force six and still felt safe. I sail off the Normandy coast, which has tides of 10m plus and winds off the Atlantic. The boat copes with the waves and currents that are normal around here. I keep the boat on a trailor and can launch and retreive it single handed. Raising the mast single handed requires a rigging arm which allows me to use one of the halyard winches. Lauching is easier if you use a slipway with pontoon. The granville slipway which I use has a pontoon down the centre, this enables me to slip the boat off the trailor and let the wind take it to the pontoon. The best advice I could give anyone is to work slowly and don't panic. Last year I sailed single handed with an autopilot. I just held the tiller in the centre with shock cord and as the boat is so well balanced, just ajusted the sails to maintain course.
Good luck,
ALLAN

 

[dave_gibsea]

My dad had one of these in the 80's, bought from new. It's a super little sailing boat. My wife and I borrowed the Etap for a cruise from the Solent to Falmouth in the mid 80's. One day we left Weymouth about half an hour ahead of a Contessa 32 in 3 to 4 South Westerly. We arrived in Dartmouth only about an hour behind! Beat to windward in a force 5+ off Salcombe, did some creek-crawling in the Falmouth Estury and the little boat performed very well indeed. So, no critisism in sailing except that you need a spinnaker and a bigger jib than the standard in light conditions. The down-side? - the lack of head-room, lack of proper loo and lack of storage space down below. In launching and recovery it was a bit of pain winching up/down the keel which needs to be down all the time for stability at sea. The break-back trailer was excellent though, dad towed her with his MGB. She's very well made craft too so they should last well. As you mention the hatch is not the best design feature but I expect you could make a sliding one in wood fairly easily. You'll have to go a long way to find a better sailing trailer-sailer but you if accomodation and space are important then you may want to think again.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Dave,

I have had a good look at one that's been dry sailed, and have noted all the points that you've mentioned.

Sailing performance is the information I'm mainly concerned with, and you seem to have answered this OK.

Thanks again.