rustler787
New Member
Does anyone have any info or details of an owners club about this boat? Would be grateful for anything.
Express Pirate 19 or Pirate 19 trailer sailor
- Thread starter rustler787
- Start date
LittleSister
Well-Known Member
Can't help with an owners's club, i'm afraid, but I used to have one of these and was very impressed.
The original boat, as designed by Ian Proctor, of Wayfarer, Topper, and much else fame, was in fin keel and lifting keel versions, and built by Rydgeway yachts. It is the smaller sister to the almost identical 19 foot 'Prelude'. Later a bilge keel version of the Pirate was produced by someone else and promoted through the Daily Express (but don't let that put you off!) as the 'Express Pirate'. Many were home completed, mostly poorly but some beautifully.
It was the bilge keel version that I had, and though no doubt the performance of the fin or lifting keel would be better, it was no slouch, and was a very dry and capable sea boat. We were out a number of times in some fairly tough conditions and it looked after us, gave us confidence (unlike another similar sized boat I had previously had) and coped remarkably well, though in a short sea of any size it would, unsurprisingly for the length, get nearly stopped by each wave and struggle to really get going. We covered a lot of miles and were always the smallest boat in the anchorage wherever we went.
The up-side of the size was it could easily be trailled behind a smallish car, and the mast could be stepped/unstepped (with care and aforethought and preferably some assistance!) by hand. A 4hp outboard was plenty.
The accommodation was surprisingly good (at least for one or two people). Sitting headroom only, but a reasonable sized double berth (I'm over 6 foot), albeit with a mast support strut sticking out of it about elbow level between the two occupants.
Our version had the cooker under the companionway step, which was sometimes slightly in the way, but meant you had two good length settee berths for lounging. One of us would often doze or sleep on the 'downhill' one while on passage. When we came to 'trade up' for a bigger boat we struggled to find anything under 26 foor that had as much lounging space.
I've just mentioned to the First Mate that I was writing about the Pirate, and she said "Ahh. We had so many good times in that." What more can I say?
The original boat, as designed by Ian Proctor, of Wayfarer, Topper, and much else fame, was in fin keel and lifting keel versions, and built by Rydgeway yachts. It is the smaller sister to the almost identical 19 foot 'Prelude'. Later a bilge keel version of the Pirate was produced by someone else and promoted through the Daily Express (but don't let that put you off!) as the 'Express Pirate'. Many were home completed, mostly poorly but some beautifully.
It was the bilge keel version that I had, and though no doubt the performance of the fin or lifting keel would be better, it was no slouch, and was a very dry and capable sea boat. We were out a number of times in some fairly tough conditions and it looked after us, gave us confidence (unlike another similar sized boat I had previously had) and coped remarkably well, though in a short sea of any size it would, unsurprisingly for the length, get nearly stopped by each wave and struggle to really get going. We covered a lot of miles and were always the smallest boat in the anchorage wherever we went.
The up-side of the size was it could easily be trailled behind a smallish car, and the mast could be stepped/unstepped (with care and aforethought and preferably some assistance!) by hand. A 4hp outboard was plenty.
The accommodation was surprisingly good (at least for one or two people). Sitting headroom only, but a reasonable sized double berth (I'm over 6 foot), albeit with a mast support strut sticking out of it about elbow level between the two occupants.
Our version had the cooker under the companionway step, which was sometimes slightly in the way, but meant you had two good length settee berths for lounging. One of us would often doze or sleep on the 'downhill' one while on passage. When we came to 'trade up' for a bigger boat we struggled to find anything under 26 foor that had as much lounging space.
I've just mentioned to the First Mate that I was writing about the Pirate, and she said "Ahh. We had so many good times in that." What more can I say?
rustler787
New Member
Pirate 19
Many thanks for your informative and enthusiastic reply.
Regards,
Rustler 787
Many thanks for your informative and enthusiastic reply.
Regards,
Rustler 787
AJW
Well-Known Member
We had a Prelude back in the late 80's. Sailed in on the Norfolk Broads. Nice little boat. Only overwhelming memory of the trailer sailing aspect of it was launching on a slip and having the rope that hauled up the lifting keel snap so the keel dropped down and jammed in the trailer. Much semi-submerged pushing and pulling required to lift it up again so we could launch her!
MonniotC
Well-Known Member
Pirate
I used to have one of these (bilge-keeled Express Pirate). The Pirate is in fact 17' 3". It is the Prelude (almost indistinguishable apart from the length) which is 19'. In my opinion the Pirate is one of the very best small bilge-keelers - very fast, points well, robust, etc. etc. The same goes for the Prelude - just a bit bigger. Can't help with info about an owners club - surely Mr Google can help wth that?
I used to have one of these (bilge-keeled Express Pirate). The Pirate is in fact 17' 3". It is the Prelude (almost indistinguishable apart from the length) which is 19'. In my opinion the Pirate is one of the very best small bilge-keelers - very fast, points well, robust, etc. etc. The same goes for the Prelude - just a bit bigger. Can't help with info about an owners club - surely Mr Google can help wth that?
C
catalac08
Guest
We had the Rydgeway Pirate version with twin keels and a drop keel. The drop keel made of cast iron was perhaps 3 cwt and gave a total draft of around 4.5 ft. The boat sailed and pointed really well. We were total beginners then and trailer it enthusiastically around the country and had some super times.
I would think the version with the drop keel + twin keels would be the one to get (although I suspect there were not many of these made) - it had tremendous stability for a small boat and the keel was easy to lift with a multi part tackle through a hole in the cockpit floor.
The inner of the boat was an interior moulded liner which was pretty smart for a boat of that age when many other boats still had rough fibreglass inners/roof liners - not sure if the Express Pirates were finished to the same standards.
I would think the version with the drop keel + twin keels would be the one to get (although I suspect there were not many of these made) - it had tremendous stability for a small boat and the keel was easy to lift with a multi part tackle through a hole in the cockpit floor.
The inner of the boat was an interior moulded liner which was pretty smart for a boat of that age when many other boats still had rough fibreglass inners/roof liners - not sure if the Express Pirates were finished to the same standards.
LittleSister
Well-Known Member
As this thread is still apparently still getting views, I should add that both the Pirate and Express Pirate are 17' 3" LOA, not 19'. Its bigger sister the Prelude (same designer and builder as the original Pirate) was 19'.
The Express Pirate's bilge keels are encapsulated (i.e. formed in GRP as part of the hull and filled internally with ballast), and vertical and parallel (cheaper to build but poorer performance), unlike the splayed cast bilge keels on the Prelude.
I can't now remember for sure whether my Express Pirate had an inner liner. I certainly don't remember anything rough or shoddy about it (my particular boat was remarkably smart for its age, though, and had been unusually well cared for).
The Express Pirate's bilge keels are encapsulated (i.e. formed in GRP as part of the hull and filled internally with ballast), and vertical and parallel (cheaper to build but poorer performance), unlike the splayed cast bilge keels on the Prelude.
I can't now remember for sure whether my Express Pirate had an inner liner. I certainly don't remember anything rough or shoddy about it (my particular boat was remarkably smart for its age, though, and had been unusually well cared for).
