Friend looking at Sadler 290,

johnalison

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I have only visited them, with a degree of curiosity, having earlier owned a Sadler 29. I was immensely impressed with the internal layout and both their appearance and pedigree suggests that they are excellent sailing boats. If you want the accomodation of a 32-footer in a smaller boat, they are probably the best of all choices, in spite of having bilge keels. The one thing I couldn't live with is the mainsheet arrangement, involving a return across the coachroof in the 'modern' manner, but it might be possible to change this.
 

jwilson

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Never owned or sailed one, but very impressed with the two I've been aboard. How rarely they come up for sale seems to be an indication of how happy their owners are with them - both for performance and practical accommodation in a short overall length.
 

doris

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Any experience with this yacht?
Stephen Jones has drawn an update, a GT30 and is trying with Conrad Cockburn of GT yachts to get enough interest to build some.
Having seen the drawings, it will be terrific, here's hoping.......
 

Slipperman

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Well I have had mine from new (nearly 14 years) and still love it to bits. It sails well and has great accommodation for a 29 footer. My boat was the subject of a '10 year boat test' by Duncan Kent from Yachting Monthly - see the June 2016 edition.
 

Habebty

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Had mine 16 years from new (hull number 3) and have no plans to change her. Still sails brilliantly and haven't felt the need to alter anything (including the mainsheet bridle) The headlining in the aft cabin is starting to drop as does all foam backed vinyl after a while. Otherwise, has stood the passage of time well I think. The only thing I did change was the folding prop pitch when the prop became corroded as when motoring seemed under-propped, and the raw water inlet size to get a greater flow. Beta 20 still going well, and original AGMs show no sign of capacity issues.
 

Poecheng

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I think ours is number 8 and from 2005. By then the headlining in fore and aft cabins was grp and panels in the saloon so no headlining problems on our.
As Habebty says, they sail brilliantly - they are fast (sometimes very fast) and very stable. Accommodation layout is excellent and the facilities (H/w, heating, fridge, shower, and we run 3 x 85ah domestic and Red Flash for the engine, 240v, electric windlass, blackwater system, decent anchor locker and very generous internal storage) are great for a 29' boat. Cockpit is large and works well and the cockpit locker is massive (Tinker Tramp and outboard slotted in without problem and room for lots more stuff).
Following Habebty's lead, we increased the blade size on the folding prop and that has really improved matters; we have yet to increase the seawater intake size but we do want to do that.
We have been very pleased with ours and, if this matters, it 'feels' like a Sadler (I know they are a different company) but having sailed a S34 in heavy weather and owned two S26s, it has that same feeling of willingness and strength - just quite a bit more willing :)
 

Wansworth

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Thanks to all who replied ,it sounds like a great bilge keeler!When circumstances allow my mate will be keen to have a look at one in the flesh.
 

fredrussell

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How do these compare to a Moody S31? I only ask because the latter are half the price (though older obviously) and would seem to offer the same characteristics, ie fast bilge keeler with loads of internal volume, aft cabin and so on. Bilge keel S31 seem to come up for sale less than the fin keel - less built I guess.
 

Habebty

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From what I can gather (I have never been on one), the S31 is half a ton lighter with a smaller ballast ratio and correspondingly smaller sail area and slightly shorter LWL.
i could be wrong about this, but the 290 is the only RCD cat A 29-0 bilge keeler.
 

fredrussell

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From what I can gather (I have never been on one), the S31 is half a ton lighter with a smaller ballast ratio and correspondingly smaller sail area and slightly shorter LWL.
i could be wrong about this, but the 290 is the only RCD cat A 29-0 bilge keeler.

Quite dissimilar then. Hadn’t heard of the 290 till this thread - intriguing boat. I once had the S31 pegged as ‘the next boat’ but I couldn’t overcome my lifting keel addiction and got a Parker.
 
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