Foxcub 18

[Bladerunner]

Does anybody have anything to say about this boat ( positive or negative ) as I'm thinking of buying one as my first venture into the world of sailing.

It's a fin keel version and comes with 5hp Seagull o/b, Log, Echo sounder, anchor, fenders, warps and trailer. It looks to me to be in good condition although I have very limited experience and might be wrong. It appears to be a very good price at £950.

Would this boat be good to gain experience of coastal sailing or would I be better off looking elsewhere ?

Am I right in thinking that a bilge keel boat would be a better choice for a complete beginner.

Most of my sailing would be done in the Severn Estuary and the Bristol Channel.

I'm desperate to get on the water this season and now find myself with very limited funds.

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[MADFISH]

A friend of mine has a fin version. The Fin version is very rare. Very fast boat for her size and easy to sail. Would highly reccomend one to anyone. Uffa Fox (The designer) got it absolutly right.

Minus point is that it tends to loose rudder grip early due to its wide transom. This same wide transom makes it go well downwind and on a power reach.

You will probrably want to budget for a replacement engine though. The Yamaha 4hp longshaft would be ideal as it has an internal fuel tank and the option for a larger external one.

Happy sailing!

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[sailbadthesinner]

i would try for a fin keel version as they will point better with less effort and experience.

our bilge keeler is very bad at pointing and combine that with our tides in N wales it can be very frustrating combining poor poiting with lee way and set down by tide. but we do know its limitations and with experience can get there.
the great advantage is we can dry her out in places fins cannot get to. just donot be surprised if you try to follow other boats but cannot.

Seagulls can be brilliant engines i would give it a shot with that before going to expense of a new one. partic if budget is tight. there is a company called saving old seagulls that will provide knowledge repairs parts and general expertise. search for details on this site under under saving old seagulls or google the web. i have returned a dunked seagull to the land of the living and i regard myself as mechanically inept.


the fox i have not sailed but we have sailed around the anglesey coast in a silhouette mkII for years. your area i am not familiar with other than the bristol channell has some fierce tides in places. good luck!

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[smee]

I had A Foxcub 18 as my first boat and was very pleased with it. She was bilge keel.

The first time we went out she would'nt tack, but this proved to be that the rigging was not tightened enough.

She seemed like she needed very little wind to get her going, and wasn't too flighty once she was off.

The only thing I heard about that was a little worrying with the FOXCUB was the tendancy of the later ones to have very flexible hull sections under the stern, and on the 3 or 4 that I looked at it proved to be true. My surveyor said avoid them. The ones with the flatter coachroof seemed stronger, trouble is they have less headroom. At the price you have quoted, it sounds like an older tougher one, and also sounds good value, as they are often £1500 ish!

Good luck.

I had bilge keel but never went aground, so as long as you' re careful fin should not cause much grief! Indeed it may be easy to get off a grounding with fin that bilge as you just get wedged with bilge!

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[Guest]

I don't know much about the Foxcub but I've got a Prelude 19 and she is a fin keeler. All I would say is they do sail alot better that a bilge keeler but it all depends on whether you have a mooring for your boat or not.
I was on windermere for a number of years and never had a problem with tides ect, However I would love to get on the coast this year and having a bilge keeler would be ideal as I'm trying to get a mooring on the north wales coast. It seems that unless you can afford a marina or don't mind a bit of choppy water options are limited due to the length of the boat and the depth it requires. If your not going to tow her anywhere and you have a mooring she sounds like a bargain!

Good luck, There's nothing better than buying a boat!!

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[Bladerunner]

Missed out on this due to my procrastination ! Oh well. Better luck next time.

Thanks for the replies.

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