fredrussell
Well-known member
Last edited:
The RM880 is what I eventually chose when also looking at the Sadler 290. A quite different aesthetic design philosophy that brought performance with even more space in a twin keeler.The S290 was a genius design in terms of performance vs accomadation. Take a good hard look at the build as they were of variable quality. Some came out of the mould with gel coat missing and its pretty easy to see where they were repaired. I've seen them for sale at £35 - £45K. The one above may not have cost much more than that new and would need to be exceptional. The S31 is slower for sure … On the upside, it's easier on the eye (IMO), has a 'best in class' aft berth and a great owners association. I doubt you would be disappointed.
I was torn between a S290 and RM880 (love the no nonsense interior) and desperately wish we had gone down the RM880 route (but that's another story) Ended up with a S31 which we enjoyed for nearly 10 years.The RM880 is what I eventually chose when also looking at the Sadler 290. A quite different aesthetic design philosophy that brought performance with even more space in a twin keeler.
I was torn between a S290 and RM880 (love the no nonsense interior) and desperately wish we had gone down the RM880 route (but that's another story)
Any pics of the table?Hello, we've owned Mr Blue Sky (was Gina Anne) since April 2016, having previously owned a Sadler 29 for 9 yrs. I'm obviously biased, but they are the best sub 9 m yacht you can buy. All yachts are a compromise, but the 290 hits a real sweet spot of sailing extremely well and being a comfortable and practical sailing boat with lots of space downstairs. Add to that the ability to take the ground, and you're on to a winner, if you can keep the price sensible...
Ours is hull no 043, and was the penultimate boat completed by Rampart before they went bust in 2008. When they went bust, there were 5 under construction, 3 or 4 of which were completed by different yards - the one for sale with Mike Lucas is one of those. In fact, if you fancy a (big and almost certainly expensive) project, there is an unfinished hull still available here
Sadler 290 Used Boat for Sale 2008 | TheYachtMarket
Notes / things to consider:
Engine - the standard was a Beta 20 (good engines, we put a Beta 25 in our old Sadler 29), but many upgraded to a Yanmar 3YM30, which is what we have, and it has been faultless. In both cases, the engine drives via a sail drive, so you have a sail drive diaphragm to change at regular intervals.
Main sheet. Standard is a bridal arrangement just in front of the companion way, with the sheet coming back to a clutch and dedicated winch and jammer on the coach roof. The dedicated winch works very well - there is a substantial tiller, and so you can steer with this between your legs while easily reaching the main sheet to tweak. It also means that you keep control of the main sheet while reefing etc with the other winch. Some people have fitted a traveler in front of the companion way, rather than a bridal, to give better control of the main. This is a change I'd like to make if money were no object, but she sails very well as standard.
Internal fit out. Sadler 290s were essentially hand built, and as such the quality of interior fit out is not quite at the fully computer controlled Bavaria standards of the same time. Having said that, there is no chipboard anywhere, and the overall quality is good. The standard saloon table design is very poor - I've built a new one for ours, which works much better, but I must get round to completing it... Prior to buying Mr Blue Sky we looked at a boat finished by another yard after Rampart went bust, and the quality of interior fit was very poor; it wasn't the one Mike Lucas is currently selling.
Accommodation. The forepeak is very tight for 2 adults, but is great for 1. The bunks in the Saloon are both quite narrow, and would benefit from lee cloths being fitted (on my to do list). The back cabin is huge, but a little claustrophobic for the one under the cockpit sole.
Wansworth, if your mate is a) serious and b) anywhere near the River Hamble, pls drop me a PM. They are welcome to come for a look / sail, once the Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
Just looked, and I don't have any on the computer or phone. I'll try and remember to take some on Saturday, when we're next down at the boat...Any pics of the table?
cheers
Excellent choice! Can I commend PSSA > Home to your attention if you haven't already found it.
No, it was the 290 that was having the bad dayThe Sadler 290 is undoubtedly a fast boat. Sue and I sail a 39 footer of respectable performance and tend to notice those boats which we cross tacks with when beating in the Solent. Most boats of that size we only see once and then they drop behind but on a couple of occasions we've found a small boat which takes a bit of catching and it has turned out to be a 290. But maybe we were having a bad day! ?
Your observation is precisely why i went for the RM880 on the accommodation front. I'm always surprised when people describe boats as spacious when berths are simply not big enough for the job. The RM compromise was that you lost the traditional concept of a forecabin/aftcabin, but you gained in proper usable berths. At small sizes, cabins in boats dont really give you any privacy in terms of sound, so aren't really any better than the curtains we had instead.Accommodation. The forepeak is very tight for 2 adults, but is great for 1. The bunks in the Saloon are both quite narrow, and would benefit from lee cloths being fitted (on my to do list). The back cabin is huge, but a little claustrophobic for the one under the cockpit sole.