Looking to downsize. Quicksilver 855?

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Cathy*

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We've been looking at a Quicksilver 855 weekend which ticks all the boxes. Weekender for 2 adults; Good vis for berthing; nice seating area aft; seemed stable with 3 adults walking around. However, someone with experience of the particular model has said they didn't feel safe taking one from The Hamble to Port Solent, they aborted the trip for another day, and again from Port Solent to Chichester. That it wouldn't steer in a straight line in the bumpy Solent. Can anyone share their experience?
 
I have no experience with the Quicksilver, but our Sealine S28 took us all over the place in varying conditions: Solent, Cross-Channel, Weymouth, Plymouth etc.
 
Cathy* said:
We've been looking at a Quicksilver 855 weekend which ticks all the boxes. Weekender for 2 adults; Good vis for berthing; nice seating area aft; seemed stable with 3 adults walking around. However, someone with experience of the particular model has said they didn't feel safe taking one from The Hamble to Port Solent, they aborted the trip for another day, and again from Port Solent to Chichester. That it wouldn't steer in a straight line in the bumpy Solent. Can anyone share their experience?
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Perhaps they were not shown how to deal with the conditions
 
There is one for sale in our yard, maybe the one your looking at. It seems very narrow in the beam which i would think would mean its a bit unstable. Also like all these lightweight outboard driven boats (Merry fisher etc) they slam like mad in any seaway ....
 
In 2012 I downsized from a semi displacement 31ft boat (inboard) to a Merry Fisher Marlin 755 outboard. I regretted it and ended up selling the MF a couple of years later. It was great when calm, but uncomfortable in a sea or swell. You continually had to drive it to the conditions and there seems to be no sweet spot - either displacement speed or planning speed. I really missed the way my old Mitchel 31 just cruised along at around 14kts, stable and planted even in reasonable sea and swell.

Make sure you have a really good test (not just on a calm day) b4 you buy
 
robmchugh said:
In 2012 I downsized from a semi displacement 31ft boat (inboard) to a Merry Fisher Marlin 755 outboard. I regretted it and ended up selling the MF a couple of years later. It was great when calm, but uncomfortable in a sea or swell. You continually had to drive it to the conditions and there seems to be no sweet spot - either displacement speed or planning speed. I really missed the way my old Mitchel 31 just cruised along at around 14kts, stable and planted even in reasonable sea and swell.

Make sure you have a really good test (not just on a calm day) b4 you buy
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Thank you that's very useful. We really love our current semi displacement, twin engine 38ft. We've been out in the swell and big waves of the west country and the Solent chop and have also cruised along comfortably close to shore. Health and house move means it makes sense now to get something smaller.
 
Are you ever going to find a small boat like the Quicksilver which matches what you have in a 31foot semi displacement boat? I guess an Aquastar type might be less top heavy but are you not really looking for another semi displacement ? A little Orkney type maybe ? I suspect a Targa is out of budget /size but nice boats I’m told.
 
We're moving down from a 38ft semi displacement so it will be a big change but over the years we moved up in stages from a 6m planing so we have a fair idea of what's acceptable. Rodman 31 looks very nice but not with outboards. And the bed in the front cabin isn't ideal but wouldn't be a deal breaker. I don't like the Targas
 
Around here when all the other boats are tied up, the 855’s (QS and MF) are always out…not been in one but they were extremely popular
peterjaw of this parish had one in Taiwan..pm him
 
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