fisher motor sailor

[cagey]

I currently have a Sigma 362 with all the toys and she is a fabulous boat in all respects .....but i am 62 and and am developing arthritis and these last few years have been a bit to much,I am to old to be cold. Children and grand children make emigration a non starter and as i am single i only have myself to worry about. So
would a fisher type boat be a good move. Done the internet bit but cant find an honest living with opinion. I will still keep my home in England but fancy being warmer and drier whilst aboard, also a big ambition is English and French canals.
My question is what boat should i start looking at for around £50,000.
I am not after a live aboard I want to travel and cruise but not in the way I have for the last 40 years.
If i am in the wrong forum just tell me and I'll move it.
Many thanks
Keith

 

[pvb]

I will still keep my home in England but fancy being warmer and drier whilst aboard, also a big ambition is English and French canals.

Wouldn't a mobo be more suitable?

 

[Quandary]

Fisher owners always tell me how much they sail them and how well they go but how often do you actually see them with the sails up? I once cruised in company with one and in a week he only put a sail up once ' to steady her' crossing the North channel.
In good order they look very cosy though, trouble is that 'yachties' mobos like the Nimbus etc. are really silly money, and then there is the price of fuel if you are going to use it a lot.

 

[pvb]

... trouble is that 'yachties' mobos like the Nimbus etc. are really silly money, and then there is the price of fuel if you are going to use it a lot.

I reckon he could get a well-equipped Nimbus 280 Coupe or an Aquador 25/26 for his budget.

 

[jetwake]

I know its not the same, but my experience of living on a Colvic Watson last year was that in less than a F3+ the sails were pointless. When a real sailing boat would have sailed we had to burn diesel.

Never been near a Fisher though!

D

 

[[2574]]

Nauticat?

Keith,

Have a look here: http://www.nauticatassociation.co.uk/forsale.htm at the Nauticat 33 as an alternative. One seems under budget and one over budget.

We're biased in that we have a Nauticat (the 39 pilothouse) but for sure they're great boats and built for conditions where the climate can be wet and cold (Finland!) so are great for Northern European waters. Has to be worth a look.

Rob

 

[pvb]

Have a look here: http://www.nauticatassociation.co.uk/forsale.htm at the Nauticat 33 as an alternative.

How practical would a Nauticat 33 be for exploring the English and French canals?

 

[Little Five]

You don't say which size of fisher you are interested in. Imo, avoid teak decks.
As an alternative to a fisher, ( expensive and slow) look at LM 30 which sails much better and there is fin or bilge. Very top price 50,000 so you could get one without having to spend money doing it up. Google yachtsnet, go to archive
you can see photos of one there. Moody eclipse 33, bit bigger, also fin or bilge and about your budget area, and lastly a southerly, lifting keel, sails well.
Good luck

 

[Courageous]

My Dad had a freeward 30 (forerunner to the fisher 30) and he and my Ma took it through the french canals. Had a great time. Sure it sailed like a bucket but it IS a bucket!

 

[DorsetPete]

Fishers???

Forget fishers - I want thru what you are going thru a few years ago.

Buy yourself a Nauticat 33 and you will never regret it - the build quallity is much highter but you must go for the Mk 2 models with fibreglass wheelhouse ...

Fishers roll like bast**ds and sail like buckets...
Nauticats have a proper keel and everything about them is so much better than a fisher.

Good owners association too.

They have built 400 odd nauticat 33's alone
I am pretty sure fishers don't even get into three figures for their complete range...

Speaks for itself really....

Good luck...

 

[[2574]]

How practical would a Nauticat 33 be for exploring the English and French canals?

Well the current spec 33 has a draft of 1.48m; which I think is within the realms of possibility for the french canals I believe.

As for other factors, Nauticats have the advantage of being good shade providers in that you can steer from within the pilot house. People seem to believe that the pilot house would be very hot but that's not my experience with our N39. Generally it's cooler inside than out.

A big engine for punching the current when necessary.

Pilot house doors both sides for access out on to the decks.

Good water and diesel capacity for motoring.

Tough boat; she'll keep you safe.

Steer from outside when the weather suits

Aft deck for relaxing/entertaining outside when the weather suits.

Gate in handrail giving gentlemanly step-through access to the deck; great for the less nimble.

Solid teak handrail to hold on to when going forward on deck; by my experience much safer to hold on to than wires.