Ideal boat for the east coast?

IAmCharlieC said:
Obviously a twister 28 - very much a boat at home in east coast waters!
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I certainly like the Twister but also looking at the Cutlass 27 which seems to offer pretty much the same but for a lot less (an ok Twister is £15k, a top Cutlass £7k) - what's the difference? Both look a little small though - a mate has a Cutlass and I've been on board hers, it's a fine boat to sail but I would like something with a quarterberth as well as the saloon and forward cabin as I think it will be useful to have three different parts of the boat where people can sleep, even if they're not that far apart given the hull dimensions.
 
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Vid said:
I certainly like the Twister but also looking at the Cutlass 27 which seems to offer pretty much the same but for a lot less (an ok Twister is £15k, a top Cutlass £7k) - what's the difference? Both look a little small though - a mate has a Cutlass and I've been on board hers, it's a fine boat to sail but I would like something with a quarterberth as well as the saloon and forward cabin as I think it will be useful to have three different parts of the boat where people can sleep, even if they're not that far apart given the hull dimensions.
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Most twisters had quarter berths originally (Our one, Samuru, certainly did) but over the years these got removed.

I cannot speak for Cutlases - but many folks who get twisters enjoy the active Owners association and so on - yes they are older boats now and have less volume inside than a modern boat - but actively sailed and supported. We chose a twister over a modern design because she sails so well, has those classic lines, and has that classic British heritage.

They also seem to hold their value over the decades... in the end the annual costs of mooring and maintaining a 7k boat and a 15k boat is the same...

I notice you mentioned bilge keelers - we used to sail a moody 36 bilge keeler a few times a year - and did enjoy drying out at the tops of rivers but only ‘because we could’ - most others who had access to that boat don’t ever dry out, and it’s replacement will be fin. You can do cool stuff in a bilge keeler - we once dried out at Maitress Ille - you prob wouldn’t dare do that in a deep keeled boat... but again For Me, that was ‘because we could’ not a reason to choose a boat...
 
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We have people with shoal draft boats in our club who mess around in creeks and have a lot of fun, but they seldom go much further afield. You can explore the Walton Backwaters in one of their boats, but it is almost as easy, if not easier, to do so with a dinghy from your boat anchored nearby, or better still, a sailing dinghy such as a number of people have. It depends on what kind of sailing you intend to do. If you want to take in the whole Estuary, including regular trips up and down the Wallet, then sailing performance will take priority, but if you want to stay mainly in one river, then shoal draft may suit you as well. Personally, I am too old to contemplate crawling under a boat to antifoul it.
 
johnalison said:
It depends on what kind of sailing you intend to do. If you want to take in the whole Estuary, including regular trips up and down the Wallet, then sailing performance will take priority, but if you want to stay mainly in one river, then shoal draft may suit you as well.
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This is a useful point being made by several responses here: I will be based in the Medway or Thames and certainly plan to cover the whole estuary, and possibly further afield.
 
Vid said:
This is a useful point being made by several responses here: I will be based in the Medway or Thames and certainly plan to cover the whole estuary, and possibly further afield.
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The Medway is a better place to sail from than the Thames. Are you planning to use a marina or a mooring? If you need any advice about where to moor on the Medway then ask away.
 
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Vid said:
I had been thinking of a Trimaran actually, but not a Cat, though I do like the Catalac I really want a monohull. I like the heel.
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Have you ever tried a cat ( or tri ) once tried a cat there is no going back ,,, but not a Catalac , be a bit more imaginative , Woods is a good start
 
So, the boats I have on my long list at the moment, in no particular order are:
- Parker 27 / SuperSeal 26 - for its lifting keel and sailing ability
- Twister/ Cutlass 27 - long-keel classic good looks but small interior
- Etap 26i - much more modern, though there's an older lift-keel version which looks interesting
- Sadler 29 - fin or bilge keel choice to consider
- Maxi 84 - cool Swedish appeal, like my old Saab 900, lovely interior space for its size.

There's a mix of keels and styles there, and costs (but I assume I'll need to spend a bit on a cheaper boat so maybe not so much). I think the common theme of the ones that appeal to me, having looked at the broker sites and archives, is that they all sail very well, which I think is the overriding factor for me: I can forgive a lot of downsides if the boat sails well.
 
People’s choice of boat are often a mystery to me. You have a fair range of qualities in your list and each will have its devotees. In the end, it comes down to which one you actually like and where there is an example in good condition. When I go into a strange boat, often as a guest, my reaction is usually instant, in that I either like it or dislike it. Viewing a boat as a purchaser is similar; you will instantly know if you are going to be happy on board, whatever it’s possible sailing qualities.
 
johnalison said:
People’s choice of boat are often a mystery to me. You have a fair range of qualities in your list and each will have its devotees. In the end, it comes down to which one you actually like and where there is an example in good condition. When I go into a strange boat, often as a guest, my reaction is usually instant, in that I either like it or dislike it. Viewing a boat as a purchaser is similar; you will instantly know if you are going to be happy on board, whatever it’s possible sailing qualities.
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Your phrase there ‘In good condition’ is the key IMHO. Decision to be made do you want to sail away, or take on a major refit project. We chose the former :) by the sounds of it the OP has sailing plans and prob wants to buy a well found boat to enjoy those plans, not a fixer-upper, too.
 
My biased opinion, here it goes: long keeler, transom hung rudder that requires little attention on the tiller when single handing plus simplicity without a rudder stock, standing head room, if older boat preferably re-engined, set of good sails, boat for strong winds that isn’t too heavy either to also sail in light winds: Twister 28, Victoria/Frances 26, Heard 27, Rustler 31, Nicholson 31/32, Heard 27; realistically < £15K for a good example. I would look at buying in Holland as people are more house proud and have more disposable income than in the UK (--> better kept boats with less sailing on a shoe string)
 
Vid said:
I'd very much like a Southerly 32 but they're out of my budget for now, I should take a look at an early one.
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I had a Southerly 95 for 24 years, excellent boat and many trips from Scotland to German border, Holland and Belgium. We used to joke about keeping a bucket full of water in the cockpit in case we wanted to leave a drying harbour a little early (draft 1'10" with keel up). Avoid the 28, it is a completely different beast.

I suspect S95s will be avaiable for around £15-£20k. I could probably list things to look out for but they were pretty well built. However, keel and engines will be pretty long in the tooth by now. The BUKH DV20 we had just seemed to go on forever. Check condition of keel lifting bracket and that needs whole assembly to be dropped for renewal (I can give you chapter & verse on that, not actually difficult).
 
Hi Vid,

The last person to ask this sort of question on here ended up with a Westerly Storm:

Hoping to return to the East Coast; a question of draft

which is quite a lot more boat than your current one, but well within your budget. She's faster than a Fulmar, much more comfortable accommodation than a Fulmar with a cockpit layout to die for. Her sailing performance and sea keeping abilities are better than other Westerlies (except the Typhoon 37 and the Giant Killers) but she still has their solid build. Beware of the "Storm Cruiser" which had a smaller rig (from the smaller Tempest Class) and a bigger engine to make up for it.

A Storm will give you space, keep you safe and tempt you to extend your cruising horizons at a very reasonable price.

Peter
 
PeterWright said:
The last person to ask this sort of question on here ended up with a Westerly Storm:

A Storm will give you space, keep you safe and tempt you to extend your cruising horizons at a very reasonable price.
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To be honest I hadn't been thinking of something on this scale: I love them, would like one but am not sure whether it's what I should get as my next boat. It would also max out the budget, so little left for improvements. I think I can get something more modest that'll meet my needs for, say, the next five years, that may suit me better. Maybe I might look at one though...
 
IAmCharlieC said:
Your phrase there ‘In good condition’ is the key IMHO. Decision to be made do you want to sail away, or take on a major refit project. We chose the former :) by the sounds of it the OP has sailing plans and prob wants to buy a well found boat to enjoy those plans, not a fixer-upper, too.
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My preference is to buy a boat in a good condition and then improve it - recognising that any boat that is up for sale may not have had much recent investment, so I'd be prepared for new sails, modernise nav instruments, new running rigging etc. I wouldn't take one on that was a project boat.
 
STOL71 said:
My biased opinion, here it goes: long keeler, transom hung rudder that requires little attention on the tiller when single handing plus simplicity without a rudder stock, standing head room, if older boat preferably re-engined, set of good sails, boat for strong winds that isn’t too heavy either to also sail in light winds: Twister 28, Victoria/Frances 26, Heard 27, Rustler 31, Nicholson 31/32, Heard 27; realistically < £15K for a good example. I would look at buying in Holland as people are more house proud and have more disposable income than in the UK (--> better kept boats with less sailing on a shoe string)
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A lot of sense to your suggestions and some of those are on my list, but I think sailing performance and the desire for more interior space may push me in other directions.
 
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