Folkboats and their derivatives

Judders

Judders

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As mentioned in another thread, SWMBO is rather taken with her father's new Folkboat. I've always quite fancied a Nordic but cant afford one but do fancy something a bit more 'go anywhwere'. At the end of the day, I will probably not go for it because the accomodation would get me down, but what are the thoughts of the panel on Nordics, Mariholmes, Contessa 26s, Invicta's and which ones have I missed?
 
Judders said:
but do fancy something a bit more 'go anywhwere'. At the end of the day, I will probably not go for it because the accomodation would get me down, but what are the thoughts of the panel on Nordics, Mariholmes, Contessa 26s, Invicta's and which ones have I missed?
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You could add the Halcyon 27, our boats previous owner did a 3 year Atlantic cruise, USA, West Indies, so accomodation is not that bad.

Also do not assume all boats are the same, ours has large chart table, bigger galley, gimbled cooker, more headroom, large lazzerette, but only two berths and pilot berth. Very little matches a standard Halcyon 27, following it's rebuild by previous owner long range cruising, so do not assume a spec.

Might be even be prepared to sell you one.

Brian
 
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I sail an Invicta 26

I have just returned from a North Sea circuit, the Forth, Norway, Shetland, Fair Isle, Orkney and back down the east coast of Scotland to the Forth: five weeks with three on board.

The boat is a sturdy, safe and predictable.

It was cramped, damp, and slow but very very good fun. We visited some beautiful places, did some good sailing and generally had a really good time.

And all this on an GBP 8K boat.

IMGP0817.jpg
 
See, now if you are thinking along those lines, a very capable boat that was influenced in its design by the Folkboat is the Sadler 26. Good accomodation, sails well and a respectable pedigree.
 
Judders said:
Nordics, Mariholmes, Contessa 26s, Invicta's and which ones have I missed?
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Stella built in UK is also a folkboat look-alike.

Folkboats in Sweden are inexpensive compared to UK. Also very cheap to keep a boat here. The GRP International Folkboat costs between £2500 and £4000 and there are at least a dozen to choose from at any time. At my club, I pay £150 for the summer £34 for the winter with £36 for the crane.

In fact the costs are so low, I am seriously considering keeping my IF at the club and buying a larger boat for the Mediterranean.

Boat Web sites are blocket.se and batnet.se 12 sek to GBP. Drool away.
 
halcyon said:
You could add the Halcyon 27, our boats previous owner did a 3 year Atlantic cruise, USA, West Indies, so accomodation is not that bad.

Also do not assume all boats are the same, ours has large chart table, bigger galley, gimbled cooker, more headroom, large lazzerette, but only two berths and pilot berth. Very little matches a standard Halcyon 27, following it's rebuild by previous owner long range cruising, so do not assume a spec.

Might be even be prepared to sell you one.

Brian
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Seconded, Halcyon 27 is the best plastic, folkboat, derivative for the money.

Mine's got two 6'2 pilot berths which are actually the main cabin seating, a double 6'2 berth in the forepeake, seperate (admittedly cramped) proper heads, but a usefuly sized wet locker, a chart table and a galley. 6' headroom by the chart table/galley. All in an easily driven, seakindly and attractive hull and coachroof.

There's what looks like a really nice one for sale at the mo in Milford Haven, is that yours?

I was chatting with a chap in Padstow last year who has/had a lovely wooden 36' Buccannan sloop, and apparently he would regularly see 4-5 navy lads appear from below a navy H27's decks on a morning after a night at anchor. Five big strapping lads cruising in a H27!

My personal experiences are good too. I've run before big winds just off the Atlantic shelf, towing warps in my little H27 for 24+ hours, with the boat broaching on two or three occasions to remind me to reduce sail, she took it easily and I never felt she couldn't cope. She has inspired absolute confidence on other occasions too and I just wanted to kiss her for being such a great little boat. The design is nigh on perfection for manageable singlehanded sailing, probably because it's to a tried and tested formula, and not bad for short-handed couples weekend cruising, but a larger boat would be better for couples cruising for longer who wished to avoid marinas for personal hygiene reasons.
 
Invicta 26

My first boat
Very similar to the Co26 but has more sheer and as a result is prettier IMHO
Tough as old boots, performance under sail was equal to the Co26
Can't think of a bad word to say
Very fond memories of her
Excellent £value
I made a few modifications including a good size double bunk in the main saloon
 
Quiet day at the office

George me old cocker. Gosh what a lot of posts today, things a bit quiet at work????? A beer on the 19th perhaps??
rgds
 
It is indeed old chap, a quiet day. The arsonists of the UK are going easy on us for a change but they'll be back.

19th's might be an issue.

Are you doing the Finn?
 
For looks alone it has to be the Invicta, IMHO.
However, the Albin Vega would be my choice, more spacious, and faster than Invicta, Contessa etc.
The Vega held the fastest atlantic crossing record for under 30ft for quite a while, reaching 13.5 knots under spinnaker.
 
All of the derivative designs watered down the original concept in the name of greater space below decks, nowt wrong with that but some sailed in a stately fashion and looked dreadful.
The Marieholm IF boat was designed by Sunden himself for GRP production and so is closer to the concept than most. This means the accomodation is limited, though in comparison to the Nordic Folkboat it is Tardis like below decks. It is a very fast boat in any company, and almost as handy as a dinghy. Sunden was asked once where the outboard should be stowed, his reply was: "In the garden shed". I used to regularly race without engine and tack back to my fore and aft mooring a mile up the river, no problem. Many boats still do that at St Mawes. Halcyon and the like are very different boats, not worse, but different.


Someone mentioned the Trintella. This is pretty far from a Folkboat but a very solid cruising boat. (I know of a good one asking £8,000 it may well go for a lot less. It has loads of gear and newish 3cyl Beta. PM me if you would like to know where she lies.)
 
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doug748 said:
The Marieholm IF boat was designed by Sunden himself for GRP production and so is closer to the concept than most. This means the accomodation is limited, though in comparison to the Nordic Folkboat it is Tardis like below decks.
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Almost right. The original folkboat was the result of a competition where the committee could not decide who was the winner. So they (a posh yacht club near Gothenburg) asked Tord Sunden to collect the best features of the submitted designs and amalgamate a design.

When the completed design was published there were howls of protest because the traditional Swedish yacht in those days was the Skargard cruiser with an enormous counter overhanging the stern. To Swedish boatowners in those days the Folkboat was considered ugly and looked like a Manx cat with no tail.

Tord Sunden did not earn anything from the Folkboat because it was an anthology of submitted designs. He therefore, made the IF boat slightly different in GRP to get some bread for his table. The Folkboat club got there own back by denying the IF the name Folkboat so it remained the IF the only legal name allowed for what everyone calls now the "International Folkboat".

Incidentally, the aphorism "a camel is a horse designed by a committee" is turned upside down by the IF which is considered by many to have the most pleasing lines of any production yacht.

Thought you would like to know that.
 
[QUOTE
19th's might be an issue.

Are you doing the Finn?[/QUOTE]


Cabin Boy getting married, poor dear, so wont make it. Am doing the Lutine Bell though.
 
Judders said:
and which ones have I missed?
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Pondering on this, you could add the Marieholm 26 which has even more accomodation and an inboard engine, same hull as the IF but extra headroom and longer coachroof.
Also on the theme of Sunden designs, a Kings Cruiser 29 might interest you. It is no Folkboat but a seaworthy long fin and skeg design. It has a rather narrow beam but at least you get a bit of headroom. Not many about in the UK though, they were expensive.
 
BlueTwo said:
Almost right. The original folkboat was the result of a competition where the committee could not decide who was the winner. So they (a posh yacht club near Gothenburg) asked Tord Sunden to collect the best features of the submitted designs and amalgamate a design.

When the completed design was published there were howls of protest because the traditional Swedish yacht in those days was the Skargard cruiser with an enormous counter overhanging the stern. To Swedish boatowners in those days the Folkboat was considered ugly and looked like a Manx cat with no tail.

Tord Sunden did not earn anything from the Folkboat because it was an anthology of submitted designs. He therefore, made the IF boat slightly different in GRP to get some bread for his table. The Folkboat club got there own back by denying the IF the name Folkboat so it remained the IF the only legal name allowed for what everyone calls now the "International Folkboat".

Incidentally, the aphorism "a camel is a horse designed by a committee" is turned upside down by the IF which is considered by many to have the most pleasing lines of any production yacht.

Thought you would like to know that.
Click to expand...

Very interesting post, thanks.
 
There's the Kim Holman designed Elizabethan 29 as well, based on the Stella but with a counter stern. Not unlike a Twister, another Holman folkboat derivative.

Pict0011.jpg
 
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