12 Year Plan B-)
Member
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!
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.!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.
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.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.!
We reluctantly sold our twin keel LM30. Lovely boat, sailed well and looked after us no matter what the weather.I've been asked 'what bilge keel boats are there?'.
I think we're talking 'affordable', let's say under £30k, ideally under £20k
I'm aware of a lot of Hunters, Westerly, some Moody, some Sadler but not sure which models came in twin keel and/or fin.
The ideal would be spacious for two tall people to live on (for a week at a time say!), maybe day sail and dining aboard for four?
Other than ApolloDuck, where to look?