If I was changing my boat

[tjm]

Although I love my Hurley 22 to bits SHMBO has expressed a desire for more creature comforts and as I have difficulty getting her on the boat at the best of times I was slightly gobsmacked.
However if I do decide to change what do I go for?
here is my list of requirements
1 Headroom of min 5/8
2 A saloon table for meals,great if demountable for berth or transfer to cockpit
2 No longer than 24 ft to maintain current berth cost.
5 Less than 10k
6 Lighter and faster than my beloved barge (I only sail on Windermere so dont need great sea keeping ability)
7 Easy to sail single handed

Have no idea of other boats as mine was the first one I looked at!!
However how about for starters
Leisure 23
Jaguar22/23
Hunter Horizon?
Any thoughts welcome
Thanks

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[Neal]

Hirondelle catamaran worth listing...

loads of room, shallow draft, great performer......

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[Peppermint]

If you like your 22 you'd love a Hurley 24.

It depends how much you'd like to spend.

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[yondcassius]

The Hurley 22 or 24/70 looked to be my ideal first boat until last week when my wife came face to face with possibly the worst H22 in existence (see posting: perils of swmbo) and now refuses to look at another. However, as she was already a reluctant 'would be' sailor, I'm not sure whether to carry on regardless with my search for a H22. But that's another story and not why I've posted this.

Reason for posting is to say that my reluctant wife has only ever praised one boat - a Hunter Horizon. In fact her damning indictment of last weeks' H22 was "It's nothing like the Hunter we saw". I've no idea how the Horizon compares sailing wise to a Hurley all I can say is that my wife was most impressed with the Hunter's interior and felt safe sitting in the cockpit; but then it was moored at the time. And she's never been aboard a Hurley 22 mores the pity.

As things stand it looks as though I'll have to dig deeper in my pockets for a Hunter Horizon if I want wifey to come sailing. So I'd also appreciate comments on the Horizon.

Re the other boats you mentioned I think, but may be wrong, that the Jaguar's interior is smaller than the Hurley; it certainly looks it to me. There was a very sad looking Leisure 23 standing next to the dire H22 last week. Personally, I'd choose the Hurley if asked which make was better to sail. Again, someone please correct me If I'm wrong cos I'm still looking for a boat!

That's my twopennyworth for what it's worth. Hope you get some better informed replies than mine.

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[Twister_Ken]

Hunter Sonata? nm

`

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[Peppermint]

Re: Hunters sail OK

I've just never taken to the interior. Was yours a home built one? Well to me they all look home built but it's a personal thing.

Beware buying a boat for the wife. I bought one for my wife and kids once. When we went to see it they loved it. On the test sail they loved it. After that I think they came on it for two day sails in two years. I didn't really like it and when I sold it I lost £4k.

You are setting out on the most complex stage of boating trying to find the right boat. The boat that is all things to all people. If you get it right let me know. It took me about 5 boats to get near.

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[ruff_n_tumble]

Hunter (Horizons) are quick (in the right hands of course), solidly built, good in a blow, easy to sail, manoeuverable in tight corners, bright and airy below. See recent thread on merits of Hunters.

<hr width=100% size=1>Steve Marsh
Hunter 27 OOD "Ruff-n-Tumble"
Gosport

 

[Jeremy_W]

The only 23-footer with near-standing headroom for your budget I can think of is the Westerly Pageant (think a mini-Centaur), but I doubt if there would be much performance improvement. The 23-24 footers which represent a performance improvement are all sitting-headroom, like the Achilles or Sonata.

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[LadyInBed]

Newbridge Virgo Voyager
6 ft headroom
Natty saloon table
Maybe not faster though.

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[Neal]

Only 5?

After 20 years of cruiser ownership, I'm on my 10th boat (if we include another 15 years of owning dinghies, it gets even more embarrassing), and I still don't know exactly what I want.


I just like boats, and can see good in all sorts of styles (including motor boats, although I've not owned one - yet).

I could even imagine it might be fun to have a jet ski or a BenBavJen.

No, hold on, I've gone a step too far there!

Maybe I should charter (but BenBavJens are THE thing there aren't they?).

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[Peppermint]

Re: Yes Only 5?

Until recently I owned a Laurent Giles Jolly boat. A wooden dayboat with a gaff yawl rig. I loved it because at that time in my life, 10 years with the kids growing up, it was perfect. I think thats the secret. It's having the right boat for the time your in. I bought an E-Boat mini tonner at the wrong time. All my sailing mates were having kids and getting career orientated so were lost to sailing. An E-Boat is a poor singlehander as crew weight is a major factor in it not sinking.

My new boat is a 25ft Compromis cruiser from Holland. I started out looking to spend up to £75k and spent £24k. Because it felt right and it suites my lifestyle now. A bigger boat and price would have required more commitment than I can give it right now.

My other rule of boat ownership is "Pay Cash". I find it hard to enjoy the sailing if it's ripping holes in my bank account every month. Lord knows boats have new and suprising ways of draining your resource without giving it to the bank as well.

As to chartering I agree that if you like trying different boats, big boats small boats multihulls and racers, & cruising grounds it is the way forward. I skipper charters about 12 times a year and yes you do have to sail Bav's but they're OK when you get the hang of them.

I rafted up along side a couple on a 35ft powerboat in Yarmouth last year and one thing they said I found appealing. Yarmouth to Dartmouth rarely took them 6 hours. They often had Friday Cherbourg for dinner Saturday Alderney for dinner and Sunday Guernsey for lunch weekends. Now after a hard week thats appealing.


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[Evadne]

Re: Yes Only 5?

The best advice I was given when buying a boat was to get the biggest I could afford because changing boats is as easy, simple and cheap as changing houses.
I bought a 29 footer in 1985 and wouldn't change her for anything now. If you don't sell a boat within the first few years it becomes like selling the family pet. The difference between a fault and a loveable quirk is whether you like the boat in the first place.

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[Aeolus_IV]

Re: Yes Only 5?

Have to agree, although this is our first "big" boat - we eventually chose to go for the biggest boat we thought we could afford (both to buy, keep and run). At 32 feet, she is not big, but big enough to handle anything we are likely to face.

On the otherhand, we are not based on a lake, so the primary requirements are likely to be different to ours. But I still feel that - to a point - aiming for a larger boat brings benefits worth considering.

Jeff.

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[Peppermint]

Re: Amen to that

The dayboat was ours for 10 years and I kept it when I bought the new one but it wasn't fair on it. Wooden boats need attention and it's tricky enough looking after one boat GRP without coming home to a load of scraping and varnishing.

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[tjm]

Re: Amen to that

Er gents I dont mean to intrude on your whimsical tales of boats youve loved and lost but I was after some suggestions!!!!!

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[billmacfarlane]

Try the Foxhound 24. Built by Copland boats - good accommodation and nice to sail.

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[maris]

Westerly Cirrus: fin keel, fairly fast, standing headroom, easly sailed single handed and reasonably priced.


Quite often the bigger the boat the more time it will spend on its mooring.

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[homa]

Not many boats of less than 24 ft will have that amount of headroom but,
Try the following:
Europa 730 - 6'3" headroom, but limited sailing ability
Trapper TS 240 - 5'6" headroom, sails well and is well within your price range



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[jamesjermain]

The Hunter Horizon 23 has always had my vote as the best all-round small cruising boat. If you can't afford one go for the Sonata which is basically the same hull but with a simpler, older interior (but still up to five berths and generous, near-standing headroom). It is, or was, a national one design, racing keel boat with rig, keel and performance to match but still stable. The Horizon with twin keels and over 50 per cent ballast ratio is one of the stiffest small boats about.
My lifting keel Sonata was sold to Lake Windermere, I wonder is she is still there - name of Madrigal?

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