Help! buying a bilge keel motor sailor

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clembo

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Hi
I am looking to buy a bilge keel motor sailor about 26Ft. The type of boat I have been looking at are the Colvic style and the Island Plastic.
It seems to be that all the boats of this style are long / finn keel. Is this generally the case or are there bilge keel versions of these motor sailors around.
Any advise would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Clembo:confused:
 
Last edited:
clembo said:
Hi
Any advise would be much appreciated.Thanks
Clembo:confused:
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Hi Clembo

For your information there is a Colvic Watson 23'-6" & 25'-6" motorsailer and if you want to see the history of them see my paper on the History of the Colvic Watson Motorsailer parts 1 & 2 at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cwowners/
Click on 'file', click on 'History' and you will find parts 1 & 2, more details of the individual boats designs can be found in my part 2.

The Colvic Watson and the IP 24 are completly two differant boat designs (also as explained in my part 2 paper) and both sail completly differant with the Colvic Watson being the better offshore sailer due to size/weight and hull design.

There are many Colvic Watsons with bilge keels fitted by owners although they were designed with a long finn keel and from my own experiance the finn keel version sails best, but you may want a one with bilge keels due to where you want to keep it and your planned cruising area.

You should also be carefull if you go for the 23'-6" Colvic Watson and make sure it is a 'real Colvic Watson', not as some people 'think' they have purchased and have bought a Colvic 23' motorsailer (designed by John Scott) which again is an entirely differant boat, as unfortunately some brokers don't know the differance!.

If I can help further PM mail me.
Regards
Mike
Archivist for the Colvic Watson Owners Group
 
Thank you Mike, I look forward to reading your papers, and looking at the other information on the web site you mentioned. You are obviousely very passionate about these little ships. They seem to be exactly what I am looking for, the only problem I have is my mud mooring, hence the reason for a bilge keel.
Kind regards
Clembo
 
A Snapdragon would be worth a look. They're getting a bit long in the tooth, now, but are build like the proverbial brick privy. so it doesn't matter too much. Loads of room inside, sail well enough off the wind and do OK close hauled if you don't pinch.

They aren't the fastest of boats, but they're tough and seaworthy. I got caught out in 30 knots off St Albans Head last year in my 24 and felt entirely safe. (It did upset SWMBO, though, so not really to be recommended!)
 
Thank you Stemar & Searush. I have noticed that Snapdragon, Westerly Centuar and Pageant all seem to come up in the searches I do when looking for bilge keel boats of that lenth, so I will have a closer look at them.
Ideally I would like something with a wheel. Well when I say I would like something with a wheel, what I mean is the wife would like one with a wheel, you know turn it this way and the boat turns this way; turn it that way and the boat turns that way. Simple things.
Cheers Clembo.
 
Wheel vs Tiller;
With respect, it isn't that obvious. A tiller is connected directly to the rudder & the response is instant. Get her sailing a dinghy, like riding a bike, it becomes instinctive. My Missus struggles with the wheel on our Pentland - and so do I if I am standing in front of it!!

Wheels give you a "big boat" feel, but the connection to the steering, via cables or hydraulics is greatly dampened. It can be usefull to leave the wheel for a few seconds before it wanders off, but a "bungy" on the tiller can be even better. With quartering seas (from one side & behind) steering via a wheel can be quite difficult as you tend to react late or over compensate. A tiller makes these issues irrelevant.

A tiller pilot with remote can be used to good effect with a sprayhood to give some protection, especially when motoring.
 
Depending on your budget and how much you want to go over 26' there's always an LM28.

Genuine motor-sailor with inside wheel and tiller too. Sails better than most motor-sailors of that size and generation from my very limited experience of it and is very solid and roomy for the size. Fine to windward in a breeze and surprisingly good in light winds if you don't want to point too high (that's why there's an engine...). Expensive but I'd expect her to keep her value and all LM's seem to be very well looked after.

Even more expensive is the Hunter Pilot 27 which you're unlikely to find for less then £30K but it's a true yacht to sail - fast for it's size, including to windward, and very roomy below. I've sailed a couple fitted out by their owners and the quality of work was at least as good as any yard.

There's a small Beneteau Evasion - only seen one once and it's definitely form over function but I would imagine it's pretty roomy.

There's also the Newbridge Pioneer Pilot - I would suspect it's not the best at beating off a lee shore but it ticks all the boxes and there's always the engine.
 
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