Feeling Yachts, anyone have any experience of them?

[Judders]

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I believe mine was built in La Rochelle with production moving to Les Sables after Kirie took over.


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Hang on, I mean after Alluria (sic) took over.

 

[kindsail]

We own a 1984 Elite 30R/Feeling 850. We absolutely love it! FAST, agile, nice cabin space too! She is a great boat with few flaws. Nothing that can't be fixed for certain as I just finished a top of deck to bottom of keel paint job! Tender to sail but strongly built and did I mention she's fast?!?! Later models I hear somewhere around '87 the fiberglass layup changed and they are not quite as strong as the older ones. Ours is the 7th of it's year model made and tough!

 

[bob234]

Early boats had a a very good reputation, but since the amalgamation with Beneteau

No, they have not amalgamated with Beneteau.

Bob

 

[bob234]

Chartered one in the med a couple of years back. This was a feeling 326 with a lifting keel and a furling main. Worst boat I've ever sailed. Hard to handle in a marine due to enormous windage and not much fun to sail with its hugely underpowered rig.

However, the Feeling 326 with a fixed keel and a normal main sails beautifully - like a big dinghy - fast and responsive.

I'm not surprised you weren't impressed given the configuration of the boat you sailed (Why does anyone need an in mast furling main on a 32 foot boat?)!

The 1040 is a similar generation to the 326 and probably also sails well.

Cheers,

Bob

 

[Sybarite]

No experience of a 1040, but a friend has had a 920 since new (about 18yrs I think) which is PDQ, as well as in good nick and comfortable. (ahem, and it's up for sale /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif )

Are you referring to me, my friend?

 

[Sybarite]

A mate of mine is interested in a Feeling 10.4 but knows absolutely nothing about them. Has anyone owned or crewed on one. If so any pointers, good or bad, would be appreciated. TIA

I have owned a 920 since 1987 and I love it. However as I hope to move up soon, I am sadly putting it on the market. It has taken me to Corsica and Sardinia and twice to Strangford Lough in N. Ireland from Brittany and has slways inspired confidence, including when I had 60 knots in the Bay of Biscay.

I remember in the early publicity for the 10m40, a delivery skipper was caught in a hurricane in the Caribbean and the boat came through it unscathed. I have compared it with the Attalia; same size and same period but there is no way I would have swapped.

My ex-wife and her husband had a 1040 for a while and were satisfied with it.

 

[stevecray]

I am another fan of the 39. Took ownership of a 2005 boat this year and am delighted with it. Sails very well, has a great interior layout (off set saloon version). Previous boat was a 2001 Beneteau, the buid quality of the Feeling seems higher to me.

 

[Judders]

Yep! I own and sail a 1984 Feeling 720 and I absolutely love it. It's a real cut above the similiar sizes Ben, Jens and Hunter's of the same age. It goes like the proverbial rocket, tacks on a hapney and the accomodation is far better, far smarter and far more practical than the equivelents from the better known brands. The lay-up isn't nearly so thick and the keel mechanism on the lifting keel versions of that age was not perhaps as good as others but all in all, great boats and great value.

The new ones are gorgeous too. I should quite happilly always be a Feeling owner!

I can't believe I wrote that.

 

[Clive]

I sailed one 36 ft, fixed keel Feeling (don't know age) as part of my Yachtmaster Prep & Exam this August. As it was a sailing school boat some of the controlls needed some TLC, but generally sailed well, but know where near as well as my X-Yacht. Lots of space for storage etc, access to engine ok.

Main dislikes, step in saloon, dispite being on it for a week I still fell down or tripped up, but kicked like a mule. Need 45 degree off set to be able to reverse into any thing.

(ps But I did pass my Yachtmaster offshore in it, so can't be all that bad)

 

[Judders]

I still think that my Feeling 720 sailed nearly as well as any boat I've sailed (around thirty at the last count). It was quick, responsive and great fun. Different say to a Folkboat, a Swan 36 or a Centurion 32, but great fun in flat water. Life all modern boats, she was not so good ina chop.

The reason that I will be very unlikely to ever have another Feeling however is the sheer stupidity of many of the build techniques. The build quality per se is not bad, not as good at the equivelent Hunter, but far better than the Jeanneau equivilent and rather better than the Bendytoy. But some of the methods of doing things were very poorly thought out and woefully unfutureproof. I think this is a trend of French build more than anything (Waqueriez apart). The materials used were poor as well. Perhaps if one bought a Feeling that was in perfect condition then it would be fine, but if one has been damaged or neglected it is a devils own job to get it back to health due to the way they were built in the first place.

 

[Blueboatman]

Possibly the only lightweight French boat that ever tempted me. Good looker too