Good boat in force 5 and above ?

P

paul salliss

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 Sep 2010
Messages
1,037
Location
Sevenoaks
Visit site
Has anyone purchased a NEW boat in the last few years and found themselves genuinely really happy with the way that their boat coped with dodgy sea conditions, i.e little or no slamming and all in all the boat felt very solid and sound. I would be most interested in which brands and models over 34 feet in length bought a sense of pride to the skipper at the end of a tough trip
 
mm

paul salliss said:
Has anyone purchased a NEW boat in the last few years and found themselves genuinely really happy with the way that their boat coped with dodgy sea conditions, i.e little or no slamming and all in all the boat felt very solid and sound. I would be most interested in which brands and models over 34 feet in length bought a sense of pride to the skipper at the end of a tough trip
Click to expand...

getting itchy feet again , Paul.
 
Just returned to Hamble from Guernsey/Torquay in a new Targa 38 through some pretty lumpy seas this week. Only slammed twice, around Portland Bill, otherwise went like a dream and can thoroughly recommend the brand
 
Not an owner, but the larger Hardys (Commodore 42 or 50) would motor through almost anything, and you could still make tea.
 
paul salliss said:
Has anyone purchased a NEW boat in the last few years and found themselves genuinely really happy with the way that their boat coped with dodgy sea conditions, i.e little or no slamming and all in all the boat felt very solid and sound. I would be most interested in which brands and models over 34 feet in length bought a sense of pride to the skipper at the end of a tough trip
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, can't afford one, but I suggest a Botnia 33 upwards would do it for you. Well atleast if our 25 is anything to go by.
 
paul salliss said:
Has anyone purchased a NEW boat in the last few years and found themselves genuinely really happy with the way that their boat coped with dodgy sea conditions, i.e little or no slamming and all in all the boat felt very solid and sound. I would be most interested in which brands and models over 34 feet in length bought a sense of pride to the skipper at the end of a tough trip
Click to expand...

Sounds like you are talking about our Trader 44:D

We could not have chosen better for our needs which is why we still have her after 13 years

May
Xx
 
I have been a fan of semidisplacement over thyears but I have also had planing boats.

Years ago i had a Halmatic 34 ( same as Weymouth 34) and it was a very good seaboat for its size.

Size ie length and weight mean everything in a boat.

I dont tend to go away in bad weather due to a severe whining noise in my left ear which gets worse with roll and pitch frequency ie the Mrs. But when we are away we tend to come back in whatever the weather is.

Wind force is not the defining factor its sea state , distance of fetch, duration of blow, tide direction, depth of water, height of waves, direction of waves and your direction and speed of transit. In other words without fitting an accelerometer and recording it on a pc which i have seen done on fast ferries its very difficult to compare.

I currently have an Aquastar 48 with a pair of VP 370 hp and cruise at about 19.5 knots wight 18.5 tons ( newer boats with pair of VP 575hp cruise at up to 25 knots and most have anti roll stabilisers I dont) it has certainly given us a much larger weather window than my old fairline 36 sedan.

Its a wet boat but then you dont use the fly bridge except in good weather and thats what good wipers, radar and a chart plotter are for. Depending on seastate you can still land with a bang not a crack like a planing boat but a softer bang, in bad weather6 and plus depending on wave direction relative to the boat I tend to slow down to 14 or 12 knots for a more comfortable ride and slug it out. But it is a very good sea boat for its size.

Not knowing what you have now or berth size or budget limitations or speed requirements , well all boats are a compromise but i will have a go.

Aquastar 38 or 48, Lochin, Nelson, Interceptor 38 and 42, Nordhaven etc
 
We have only had our Broom 41 for a month or so and have only been to sea twice......once with flat calm conditions and once with a little more chop with wind over tide with the wind being on our nose and blowing a 4 (just). Wouldn't describe it as being particularly lumpy but it was enough to give an indication of her capabilities and I wasn't disappointed.

She has a full planing hull with a skeg keel so not quite the same range of speed as a semi-displacement but she is a solid boat and the landings were certainly better than our last boat, a Fairline Targa 35. We cruise at around 16/17 knots (through the water) with twin Perkins M300ti's and whilst this isn't particularly fast she felt as though she would do that speed in anything.

I think that Broom generally build some very capable sea boats....good hulls combined with a solid fit out.
 
Hi Greg 2 and Bandit, those are very interesting comments, my Dad always had Aquastars so I can relate to those comments, I also love the Hardy range.

I have a Fairline Targa today, she is lovely and has a good hull, ( I am very happy with her) but I am just thinking things through and a slightly slower strong sea boat may be the way forward, as we really do want to do longer cruises when time permits.

I must admit I never had Broom or Haines down in this category, but I have no experience of them so that is very interesting feedback.
 
paul salliss said:
Hi Greg 2 and Bandit, those are very interesting comments, my Dad always had Aquastars so I can relate to those comments, I also love the Hardy range.

I have a Fairline Targa today, she is lovely and has a good hull, ( I am very happy with her) but I am just thinking things through and a slightly slower strong sea boat may be the way forward, as we really do want to do longer cruises when time permits.

I must admit I never had Broom or Haines down in this category, but I have no experience of them so that is very interesting feedback.
Click to expand...

Hi Paul,
Broom are well known for their semi-displacement boats over the years....primarily built with dual use at sea and on the inland waterways of Europe in mind. Many have been very good sea boats and they introduced an offshore range, mainly with planing hulls, some years ago. Their build quality has always been to a high standard and as such they can deal with a seaway. They also age well....ours is 20 years old but was mistaken by many (including SWMBO) for a new boat at LIBS this year.

We spent a lot of time looking for our current boat and the 41 seemed to represent fewer compromises than many other options with it's spacious accommodation (en suite cabins at each end of the boat), huge, sociable cockpit to rival any sports cruiser and a single raised but sheltered helm. Okay, so we won't win any races but I am thinking more of a mixture of displacement speed and planing cruising at sea depending upon conditions, weather windows etc.

I too love the Hardy range but a 42 is beyond my budget and the 36 is a little snug on the accommodation front.

Time will tell but we are well chuffed at the moment...:-)

PS We too loved our Targa and they do have a good hull. They are cracking boats but a different sort of boat to a Broom.
 
Last edited:
Brooms have an underwater profile that looks very "odd" to anyone used to medium-V hull shapes.

They have a very deep forefoot, flattening off to almost completely flat at the stern, which you would think wouldn't work well at all. But, the net result is that they will do 22kts into almost anything (on a couple of cruises in company, it was the Brooms and a Botnia Targa that seemed to be least affected by the conditions).

Only downside is that 30kts+ is not an option.
 
One of the main reasons for buying a Broom 42CL last year was it's ability to handle iffy conditions, as well as river cruising with low-ish bridges. Had previously read a write-up on a 230 mile trip from Great Yarmouth to Portsmouth in a force 5. The owner reported excellent seakeeping qualities and ride, and averaged 21 knots. Didn't think that was bad at all.
 
I used to own a halmatic Weymouth 32 called Kwester, the boat was nothing short of exceptional in rough seas, and would easily out perform larger more powerfull vessels, she was a 1973, they are all part of the nelson type design, I'm soon to purchasing a Weymouth 34.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

M
Galeon in the 50ft Class – Hoping to Borrow a Bit of Owner Wisdom
Replies
4
Views
362
Elessar
Elessar

Share this page

Top