Feeling 286

[LDM]

My wife and I thinking of buying our first sale boat and are quite taken with the Feeling 286. The size is right and we like the interior space / layout. We live near SE London / North Kent and thought it might be nice to keep it within around an hours drive and therefore thought somewhere around the Medway / Thames might be an ideal location.

The feeling 286 appears to come with various keel options but the two most common are the fin or winged, obviously I can see benefits to the idea of the shallower draft of the winged keel but is there anything else I should be considering regarding keels. Also there are plenty of places to base the boat which would mean the boat could stay afloat but the nature of the area means that there are also areas that dry out, would this be a problem for a boat like this? Either as a full time mooring or when visiting locations.

Many Thanks for any advice
LDM

 

[Tranona]

Welcome to the forum

The winged keel is not particularly good at drying out, main benefit is shallow draft. The boat was originally designed for the charter market - hence the number of berths in a smallish boat.

Statistics suggest quite a lively boat with a big sail area for its displacement. all getting on a bit now so will need careful survey.

 

[cid]

The Kelt 8.50 is similar and comes with a lifting keel,so could dry out easily staying upright.

 

[Bav34]

We used to dry out alongside walls in our wing-keeled 286.

We knew we had touched down by the increasing creaking and groaning that went on, followed by all the interior modules lifting clear of the cabin sole.

View attachment 58396


In any rough weather so much water came in I'm sure we spent more each year on Captain Creakys Creeping Crack cure than on antifoul

Suggest a really good surveyor.

 

[LDM]

Thanks for the replies!

I had thought of the Kelt too as well as the Feeling 850, I guess it will come down to the right boat / price. My wife quite likes the idea of Conyer Creek as a base rather than a proper Marina, which would probably be better for price and better access over a swinging mooring.

Being new to the idea of drying berths I was worried about damage that could be caused, either by pressure / forces on the keel or rudded. I am guessing the wings might be prone to damage as the boat sinks in mud (and pulls out). On the face of it the lifting keel probably makes sense but seem to remember reading that the Kelt / Feeling didnt sail so well with them.

Would certainly go for a survey as despite not mindind doing some work / making it our own it would need to be sound.

 

[roblpm]

Hi there. I considered one of these a few years ago before buying my Parker 275. Probably a bit more expensive but mine doesn't leak! Lift keel.

Good owners club.

http://www.parkerseal.org.uk/about.aspx

One for sale on there http://www.parkerseal.org.uk/forsale/aquilla.aspx

There wasn't much info available on Feelings when I was looking. There was one forumite who was extremely helpful that i will try and look up if you want some magazine reviews.

Feeling were obviously French. Parker were British which means more information around I think.

 

[roblpm]

Ps Parker lift keel probably not good for drying mooring but great for getting in shallow areas. Draws 60cm with the keel up.

 

[LDM]

Thanks for the replies!
I had been aware of the Kelt 850 and also the Feeling 850, I guess it will come down to the right boat / right cost. I had also thought about a lifting keel, although I read that there was a bit of performance loss (not that i'm looking for ultimate spped) but mor importantly it may not be ideal for mud.

My wife has been taken with swale / conyer creek which is obviously mud / drying rather than a locked marina or swinging mooring, which despite the tidal limitations does mean cost saving and easy access.

Although the boat would be a hobby and therefore we are perfectly happy to do a bit to make it our own, it would need to be sound, so a survey would be a good call.

I had always thought I would want a traditional looking boat but have to say there is something about the feeling I like both externally as well as the layout internally. Although the idea of flexing / creaking as the tide goes out could be a bit worrying!

I was also concerned about potential rudder damage in the mud?

Sorry about the (almost) double post but first didn't appear for a day!

Many thanks

 

[Benbound1617]

This is a timely thread for me at least. I'm new to the forum and have just put a deposit down on a Feeling 286 special. My survey is being conducted this week so fingers crossed nothing too grave will emerge.
We will be spending a good deal of time in and around Poole harbour, hopefully the wing keel will give us the shallow draft to get to the places we like to stay.
As the OP points out there seems to be a lot to these boats for the money.
Time will tell!

 

[roblpm]

The user i mentioned above is laurie

http://forums.ybw.com/forums/member.php?47307-Laurie

He has a feeling 286 i think and is a very nice guy.

I would pm him as he is a font of knowledge on Feelings.

 

[LDM]

The user i mentioned above is laurie

http://forums.ybw.com/forums/member.php?47307-Laurie

He has a feeling 286 i think and is a very nice guy.

I would pm him as he is a font of knowledge on Feelings.

Have done, many thanks!

 

[bitbaltic]

Being new to the idea of drying berths I was worried about damage that could be caused, either by pressure / forces on the keel or rudded. I am guessing the wings might be prone to damage as the boat sinks in mud (and pulls out).

As the owner of a wing-keeled boat I will echo what Tranona says. Wings were designed to provide some of the benefits of the reduced draft of a bilge or lift keel boat (ie, shallow water access) whilst retaining most of the performance of the fin keel. At this, a well designed wing is very good. They are not particularly good for taking the ground- on a hard ground they will need legs or to lean against a wall, just as a fin will, and on mud, whereas a fin will sink straight in (and pull straight out) like a knife, they are more liable to settle unevenly or (always a concern of mine) get stuck or exert force on the keel bolts when pulling out. If you want to take the ground the lifting keel would be best, follwed by the fin.

Also worth adding that if you are new to handling boats generally, the wing also poses some potential pitfalls e.g. if you get an anchor chain or pot line wrapped around it you are in a world more trouble than you would be with a fin. Having said that, my wing keeled boat is and was was also my first boat so don't let me put you off! It's helpful to have things you might not have thought about pointed out though.

 

[LDM]

Hi,

How did the survey etc go?
Was this a particular model you were interested in or one you just came across?
Any info or pointers of things you discovered to keep an eye out for would be appreciated

Hope it all goes well and gives plenty of good sailing
Lee

 

[Benbound1617]

The survey went really well. The boat had been really well looked after and no expense spared by the previous owner. Only slight fly in the ointment was a badly corroded exhaust manifold and separator box. Both are being replaced but all in all really pleased.
Picked her up from Weymouth in a brisk F4 southwesterly gusting F7 as we passed Swanage. Overall the trip was 5 hours and reasonably dry!
Got some work to do resolving a few electrical issues but can't fault the accommodation and feeling of space.

 

[LDM]

Good news - I think its the boat we fancy so will just take our time and find the right one!

 

[Doineann]

AS to where to keep her, Conyer is (or at least was, it is 2 boats ago since I could get in there) nice, but it is very limited in the time you can get in and out, which means short trips are not really on. It is also very easy to run aground (Don’t ask me how I know this).

In that area I would look at one of the Yacht clubs on the Medway – MYC or Upnor, easy to get to from SE London, with relatively sheltered waters for first trips etc. . You will be on a buoy but Medway at least has an efficient Trot Boat service at weekends, but you may need a tender and outboard.

 

[LDM]

Thanks for that.

Although I really like Conyer and think it would be a great place to be, I am concernedabout the limited access time given that it is so tucked away.

One of the other locations we are considering is Gillingham as they offer both a tidal and locked area. With access 2 or 4 hours each side of high tide and given its location would make for easier use if not such a nice spot (in the country)

The bouy moorings are probably the most cost effective and can give you lots of access, I am just not sure we want to have the hassle of a tender or relying on a Trot boat at the moment.

 

[mrming]

+1 for MYC. Trot boat at the weekends - use a tender during the week. Not much hassle once you get used to it. Nip out in the tender and pick the family up from the pontoon. The club also has the best facilities in the area including travel hoist and scrubbing trolley.

 

[LDM]

Many thanks, certainly worth considering, especially in the long term.

 

[rgarside]

Ps Parker lift keel probably not good for drying mooring but great for getting in shallow areas. Draws 60cm with the keel up.

We have 6 Parkers at my club [including mine] - all live on drying moorings, but good Essex mud., so a forgiving landing. The local branch of the Parker association just had a rally in the Walton Backwaters that included a trip across the Wade inshore of Horsey Island with boats ranging from a Super Seal to a Parker 335 - minimum water depth about 1.2m at the time.