List of bilge keel boats, 27 to 33ft or so?

[12 Year Plan B-)]

My beautiful fin keel 1980 Westerly 33 Ketch is for sale. Well equipped for extended offshore cruising but in need of TLC i.e. a good scrubbing...inside and out!

 

[sniffyjenkins]

Golden Hind 31, lovely boat. My 6' 5" husband had no trouble with berth length on ours.

 

[oldharry]

Swing keel is a thought, but it would need to be the kind of thing where the hull body stays well clear of the ground, as the mooring available isn't something I'd want to dry out a flat bottom boat on IYSWIM.
A long keeler with legs might work.

If a 'family boat' is one with lots of berths for small people, in multiple claustrophobic cabins, that's exactly what isn't wanted. Particularly lower down the size range.

Not a good idea to risk a single keeler with legs on a drying mooring even a long keel, specially if the bottom is rough or unstable. The popularity of bilge keelers is the fact they can take the ground safely on every tide which equals much cheaper moorings, hence their [popularity in the 70's 80's when the smaller boats we sailed in those days didnt cost a second mortgage. A 30 footer in those days was regarded as a 'big' boat. My Trident 24 first appeared at the London Boat Show advertised as a roomy family cruiser! Nowadays most boats that size are regarded as weekenders at best, though afficionados of the Trident 24 still go on extended cruises in them.!

 

[Crisby]

We had a few Hunters, Horizon 27 and Channel 31, but also looked seriously at the Ranger 27 and Horizon 32/323. They were spacious for their day and sailed very well despite the ‘extra’ keel. At the time (early 2000s) the Hunters were expensive for their size but today their prices seem more in line with the foreign competition.

Try the owners associations for boat listings, the Moody owners association always has plenty of listings and information and no requirement to join to view boat listings.

Chris

 

[MontyMariner]

Colvic Countess 33 - encapsulated keels, skeg hung rudder, more space than a Tardis.
I've had mine for coming up 25 years.

 

[Stemar]

Not a good idea to risk a single keeler with legs on a drying mooring even a long keel, specially if the bottom is rough or unstable. The popularity of bilge keelers is the fact they can take the ground safely on every tide which equals much cheaper moorings, hence their [popularity in the 70's 80's when the smaller boats we sailed in those days didnt cost a second mortgage. A 30 footer in those days was regarded as a 'big' boat. My Trident 24 first appeared at the London Boat Show advertised as a roomy family cruiser! Nowadays most boats that size are regarded as weekenders at best, though afficionados of the Trident 24 still go on extended cruises in them.!

With my Snapdragon 24 came a photocopy of a review that described them as capable family cruisers. Well, mine certainly was, provided the wind was in the right direction, taking the previous owners around Brittany and S Ireland, and us across the Channel.

 

[Keith 66]

Sabre 27, good boats & there are some good ones out there. Excellent class association back up too.