Legend bashers

peteandthira

peteandthira

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I am slightly disturbed by the number of Legend bashers on these forums. Personally I find them to be the most comfy and easily handled 36 footers (not tried the other sizes) on the market today. Clearly I must be missing something vital, which is scary since I am planning to live on one.

Having tried every other affordable 36 footer, I can easily say that the competition (Bavs, Jens and Bens) were nowhere near in layout and organisation, sailing abilites seem very similar. I can only agree that a Legend will never be "up there" with the Nauticats and Malos, but I can't stretch to that sort of money.

If there are any SENSIBLE opinions based on fact out there, especially giving any reasons why I should not leave the marina in one, then I would love to hear from you. If the rather gash and ill-considered amongst you would kindly shut the [--word removed--] up and leave replies to those who know, then I would appreciate it very much!

Thanks

Pops
 
Er, could be, alhough some bashing on page 2 and quite a bit some months ago which Luhrs marine eventually responded to, can't quite remember when (it's me age, you know)

What's the "right forum"?

Pops
 
Wish you'd stop four eye abuse .. nuffink wrong with spectacles .. I used to have some myself. FWIW I chartered a Hunter 410 once and thought it was great.
 
If you think they bash Legends try talking about Macgreggor 26's. Ill informed irrelevant opinions will fall from the heavens.

Martin /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
I am slightly disturbed by the number of Legend bashers on these forums. Personally I find them to be the most comfy and easily handled 36 footers (not tried the other sizes) on the market today. Clearly I must be missing something vital, which is scary since I am planning to live on one.

Having tried every other affordable 36 footer, I can easily say that the competition (Bavs, Jens and Bens) were nowhere near in layout and organisation, sailing abilites seem very similar.


[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think any one could disagree on the volume of space one gets on the Hunters or indeed the layout for entertaining both above and below decks.

But most boats are a compromise. I found the side decks on the one Hunter I sailed were very narrow - creating difficulties when we moored up or needed to get around the boat. It's sailplan seemed to be well underpowered and was difficult to shape up. We may also have had an unusual issue with either engine or prop - as under power she was slow to get moving and hard to stop.

In events where I've seen Hunters compete with similar sized Jenneau's and Bavaria's - the Hunters have always been a long way behind. Not a little - a lot.

But it's horses for courses and one rarely gets everything in one design.

Hope you do not think of this as bashing - and trust you enjoy your life aboard her.

Cheers
JOHN
 
What amazes me are the number of Legends I see with in-mast furling mainsails. The one unique feature of a Legend is the backstay-less rig which allows for a huge roach on the main. This is the one thing that differentiates a legend from most other cruising boats. So why do most Legends I see sacrifice this one unique selling point for a flimsy in-mast furling main with no shape? No chance of getting any shape into one of these sails at all with no back stay. I reckon the Legend rig could work well if it was used as intended. I just cannot work out why on earth anyone would put a furling main on one.
Marcus
 
BatPratt owns a Halberg Rassy according to one of his previous posts. If you read that post you will see that his nose is so far up his own importance he cannot see beyond the immediate horizon which I doubt that he has yet reached, even with his engine running.

When and if BatPratt makes a sensible contribution to the forums he might begin to see that there are several different approaches to enjoying life afloat and that he doesn't have the one single answer any more than any of us here do.
 
Fact :Hunters employed interior designers in order to pursuade more women to go afloat with their partners. By removing the backstay and/or shifting the mainsheet to an-over-the-cockpit flying gantry arrangement,they uncluttered the cockpit entertaining area.The swept back spreader arrangements play hell on your mainsail when running down wind,obviously . They also use tried and trusted volume production techniques to keep the cost down,this can mean that while the hull have good integrity, access to pipe runs,electricals and throughhulls(dropped in to the hull before the interior and lid are bonded together)Can be in my experience, somewhat difficult .There are an awful lot of windows ,and ports on their range,which may or may not be a consideration when going hard at it offshore and the whole structure starts to ''work''(yes , all grp boats flex around at sea,even H-Rassys). Hunters are built to a price ,they have lots of electricals and plumbing ,all of which have been sourced competitively and will at some time need work. At the end of the day ,we mostly all go sailing in the boat that we own already ,most boats are far tougher than their crew,and a Hunter is a lot of bangs for your buck ,just depends what you want to do with it. Good luck !
 
The legend caters to a market - as all boats are intended to do .... but not same market ... if you get my point.

The Legend I do not believe was ever intended to compete with Bav / Jen / Ben etc. on level terms - it cannot. They are two different types completely. The Bav / Jen / Ben will leave the Legend ebhind in most points of sail.....

The accom's on a Legend are 'Legendary' .... designed to keep SWMBO happy and for her to press Hubby to buy it .... instead of the smaller volume alterantives.

Volume building - reportedly altered to accommodate UK / N.Europe needs - has been knocked for examples that have shown faults in past .... I know of the 36 that backed onto a pontoon (new one just launched !!) and split open its sugar-scoop and flooded the hull...... Another 34 that was lifted in slings and the hull to deck joint burst with the flexing ....

There are occasions with all boats where faults occur .... Westerly had their problems with Griffons / Berwicks / Konsorts etc. etc.

Maybe its the expectation of modern life - that if you spend a tidy sum .... 95K or thereabouts for a 36 ft boat - you expect good quality and no problems .... blimey its a sum of money that buys a small house or flat .... so of course when a fault happens - it gets talked about.

There is another factor .... the "I haven't got one factor" !! Where bias due to own boat causes some to slag off anothers.

I don't like volume boats built for SWMBO ... that is known by many .... and a pal of mine who bought a Legend 36 funny enough !! I am a traditional cramped older style seaboat person .... but can appreciate why people buy other types ...

Finally - I ask ..... if there was no grounds for bashing - then why so many people do ? Legends are not only ones that get it .... Bavs get their fair share as well ... Ben's are nick-named Bendy-toys ... why ?? Is it that this has come about because of hearsay or fact ?

You do not hear many cracks / bashing of 'higher value / priced boats' ..... funny that ?? Also many do compare boats wsith the Swans / HR's / Malo's etc. of the world .... can I ask why ?? Is it that there IS a difference ????

If a Legend is what you want - then why worry - YOU make your own decision ..... or should we say SWMBO will !!!!

/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Take it easy .....
 
Erm...

I assume your post is not replying specifically to me because I don't own a Legend so your comments, which may be correct do not apply. I do however have a very nice Sun Legende (Jeanneau) that I would be very happy to sail anywhere!

The comment in my post is that we all have different priorities when we choose which boat to buy, not to mention different budgets. So for some a Legend is the best compromise, for others it might not be, that happens to include me but then MY choice will not suit all either.

What is really irritatiing is that a perfectly reasonable question in the original post, about storm sails on a Legend ie with the B&R rig set up and without a backstay, was sabotaged by BatPratt poking fun.

Robin
 
Just accept that all boats are a series of compromises and the one we choose is the one where the compromises suit us eg the comment that a legend is undercanvased means its not so affected by a gust that it scares the living daylights out of inexperienced people.

We often do seem to have a problem though accepting other peoples selection of the compromises (that suit them best) but perhaps that a human trait to think that only our own choice is the right one. Its not just boats though few car owners will be critical of their own choice of car!

The other human trait is to be defensive when someone challanges our own choice. Now I don't have a problem with anyone else's choice except in a boat when it sinks and possibly due to an inherent weakness and in a car when it does not go due to reliability problems!
 
Just as a small aside to all of this, some relevant, some not so, I would like to point out that not all Legends are not the same and tarring them all with the same brush is effectively the same as saying that all models of mercedes are the same.

I have a 93 legend 35.5 which does not have in mast furling or a flying bridge and has a backstay. I have a 50' mast and I do fly a large roached fully batterned main and not only can compete with the ben/bav/jens but often leave them and many other so called "proper boats" far behind.

For those of you who are in any way interested, the original 35' (on which the 35.5 is based) was designed and built in America, sailed across the pond, won its class in numerous regattas then sailed back to America to be put into production.

Yes the moulded fixtures and fittings make it hard to access some parts of the boat but I have successfully fitted an eberspacher and radar and various other bits and bobs during the time that I have had her and although difficult to route the ducting and cables it was eminently doable. (What job on a boat is ever easy ?)

The net result is a perfectly proven seaworthy boat that can be managed easily single handed and sails like a dream once you have got the correct forestay tension (which on any fractional rig is always difficult).

The other added bonus of course is that SWMBO feels a lot happier coming on longer voyages as she has the necessary creature comforts and this in turn gives us all a lot more pleasure.

I loved my Mystere which siled like a dream and when chosing my Legend the main paramater was the abitilty of the boat to sail well. The added bonus for SWMBO is that the boat had all the creature comforts as well and my 8yr old daughter loves it too.

Maybe the problem here is that the boats are now being made in the UK for the European market and maybe the good old British ability to "cut corners" is kicking in.
 
Maybe something to do with the mentality of the HR/Malo etc owners !! Most of them tend to sit in the cockpit in the marinas making sure the ol blue doesnt get too much salt on it before donning the blue blazer and heading for the bullshit session in the club. Nothing personal against the boats at all.
 
I'm told of one marina who will no longer crane Legends out after the hull-deck join split on one. If true, this would worry me. That apart, if the boat meets your needs then you couldn't ask for more.

Your comments about HR/Malo owners is inaccurate and a bit childish IMO.
 
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