Motor sailers RTW

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wytco0

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Hi does anyone know of any blogs or other accounts of people taking a motor sailer RTW or on other long distance voyages?

for example boats like LM30 (or 32), Colvic Watson 31.6, Naticat 33 etc.

I am particularily interested in the LM 30 with bilge Keels as it looks like a good boat to have based in East Anglia (not sure if there is a bilge keel LM32).

Thanks
 
wytco0 said:
Hi does anyone know of any blogs or other accounts of people taking a motor sailer RTW or on other long distance voyages?

for example boats like LM30 (or 32), Colvic Watson 31.6, Naticat 33 etc.

I am particularily interested in the LM 30 with bilge Keels as it looks like a good boat to have based in East Anglia (not sure if there is a bilge keel LM32).

Thanks
Click to expand...

Having sailed about halfway and looked at the engine log, I think it would be worth a look!
 
wytco0 said:
Hi does anyone know of any blogs or other accounts of people taking a motor sailer RTW or on other long distance voyages?

for example boats like LM30 (or 32), Colvic Watson 31.6, Naticat 33 etc.

I am particularily interested in the LM 30 with bilge Keels as it looks like a good boat to have based in East Anglia (not sure if there is a bilge keel LM32).

Thanks
Click to expand...

Interested as to why sailing round the world would be relevant to buying a boat for East Anglia.

You can do the RTW in a huge variety of boats as is demonstrated by those that do. However a small tubby motorsailer would probably not be high on anybody's list as a suitable type of boat. Nauticat 33s are perhaps an exception because they sail much better than they look and more than one have done it.
 
Most people find that no matter how much they like sailing they want passages to be as short as possible. Now while the boat you already have is often the best choice for a voyage if I was buying a boat for a RTW sail I would not choose a motor sailer. You'll be spending a lot of time in the trade winds where you can pretty much weigh anchor and sail as well.
 
Tranona said:
Interested as to why sailing round the world would be relevant to buying a boat for East Anglia.

You can do the RTW in a huge variety of boats as is demonstrated by those that do. However a small tubby motorsailer would probably not be high on anybody's list as a suitable type of boat. Nauticat 33s are perhaps an exception because they sail much better than they look and more than one have done it.
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Thanks Tranona, I am based in Norfolk and there are a lot of places where a boat that can sit on the ground is very useful, in addition I am a novice sailor and I will be spending some time learning how to sail properly before even attempting to go further. There is a definite possibility that I will just end up sailing round the UK and living on board for much of the time.

I am also getting on a bit and having looked at a few smaller boats I don't think I would be comfortable in anything smaller than about 30 foot. I know its a generalization but motor sailer's seem to make better use of the feet available.

Nauticats (33/331 etc) do seem to have very good reputations in terms of sailing but from what I have read (I haven't seen one) LMs are also highly thought of as sailors as well.
 
mixmaster said:
Most people find that no matter how much they like sailing they want passages to be as short as possible. Now while the boat you already have is often the best choice for a voyage if I was buying a boat for a RTW sail I would not choose a motor sailer. You'll be spending a lot of time in the trade winds where you can pretty much weigh anchor and sail as well.
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Hi Mixmaster, understood however I understand that some do actually sail very well even if they are a bit (lot!) slower. My reason for wanting to find out about others doing long voyages in them is to see if they are comfortable enough when crossing oceans or if the trawler like rolly shape is unbearable ;-)
 
At the risk of offending any other owners, a friend bought an LM30 and was very disappointed, sold it within a couple of months. His words were that it neither sailed nor motored well. The engine was too small to be relied upon in adverse conditions and its sailing performance was stately at best.
 
The Nauticats, particularly the 331 are in a different league from the others in terms of performance, quality and inevitably price. Not so good for taking the ground unless you have legs as they are quite deep.

Inevitable that most motorsailing types lose out on sailing performance and maybe more rolly because of their hull shape. However, there are other compromise boats that offer more "comfort" such as wheelhouses (Hunter Pilot and Westerly Konsort spring to mind), but at 30ft overall there is just not enough "boat" to get both good sailing performance and deckhouse accommodation. Once you get above that size things get better - Moody Eclipse 33 and Southerleys for example and towards 40ft a whole new world opens up, but few have shallow draft or can take the ground regularly.
 
Tranona said:
The Nauticats, particularly the 331 are in a different league from the others in terms of performance, quality and inevitably price. Not so good for taking the ground unless you have legs as they are quite deep.

Inevitable that most motorsailing types lose out on sailing performance and maybe more rolly because of their hull shape. However, there are other compromise boats that offer more "comfort" such as wheelhouses (Hunter Pilot and Westerly Konsort spring to mind), but at 30ft overall there is just not enough "boat" to get both good sailing performance and deckhouse accommodation. Once you get above that size things get better - Moody Eclipse 33 and Southerleys for example and towards 40ft a whole new world opens up, but few have shallow draft or can take the ground regularly.
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Thanks for this very useful info, I havnt seen any pilothouse boats but I have read about them on here.

I guess the other compromise type is catamarans but I have been put of considering them as a lot of people seem to hate them ! Must admit that as a novice they seem tick a lot of boxes and of course many are happy on the ground as well. However I know nothing about them at all and I have never been on one. I don't really understand why cats seem to draw such negative feelings from many poeple.
 
"Inevitable that most motorsailing types lose out on sailing performance and maybe more rolly because of their hull shape. However, there are other compromise boats that offer more "comfort" such as wheelhouses (Hunter Pilot and Westerly Konsort spring to mind), but at 30ft overall there is just not enough "boat" to get both good sailing performance and deckhouse accommodation. Once you get above that size things get better - Moody Eclipse 33 and Southerleys for example and towards 40ft a whole new world opens up, but few have shallow draft or can take the ground regularly. "

Have a look at p 75 of Feb's PBO.

I am biased, of course - who isn't? - but the Sirius is a perfect boat for what you are describing (except, probably, the price!).

We looked at some LMs, and have met plenty on our travels, and we have not been impressed.
 
AliM;3306218 Have a look at p 75 of Feb's PBO. I am biased said:
There have been many attempts at producing a boat like that over the years, but as you say, the compromise comes at a price. It is a very small niche market as witnessed by the tiny numbers that are built.

Attempts to build competitively priced boats of that type have only had fleeting "success", because the reality is that although people say they like them, they are not prepared to pay the premium. The lack of success of the two pilot house Hunters (compared with their conventional equivalents) illustrate the problem well.
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Tranona - true.... except Sirius have been building them for 40 years now, so although it is a niche market, it appears to be a stable niche market!
 
Depends on the OP's budget as to which boat is most suitable.

Surprised no-one has mentioned Fishers. Plenty of 30's, 34's and 37's all been round successfully over the last 40 years but probably prior to t'internet if searching for blogs!
 
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