Iain C
Active member
Morning all...
I've been quiet on here for a while...not been doing much sailing due to birth of small child and construction of new house. Both are all sorted now, son is nearly 2 and has said "I love boats" (good lad) and having had one weekend away with him on my Sabre, it's time for the inevitable "upsizing due to family" thing.
So what I've liked about my Sabre 27? Fin keel, decent sailplan, brick outhouse build quality (or easily DIY sorted where there have been issues), reasonable accomodation for her size, very seaworthy, and as I am a dinghy sailor she now has all kinds of go faster tweaks and a few downwind sails (symm and asymm) to keep me entertained and with a clean bottom she goes OK...I saw over 7kts out of her reaching last weekend. I like the fact that I can very easily singlehand her, with the asymm and snuffer too, and upwind I can hang on to full sail a little higher up the wind range as the mainsheet is always to hand (and everything else is led back too) What I don't like is she is a bit small and a bit basic in places, but overall she has been a great little ship. Oh, and the retrofitted Eberspacher is just bloody marvellous.
So here's the wish list for her replacement. Budget of somewhere between 20 and 30 grand.
Around 32' give or take
GRP
Honestly, I'm a cruiser not a racer, however I still want good performance and the ability to tweak. I also sail a 49er dinghy so I'm really not expecting the boat to "look after me" however if in "family mode" sailing I don't want something ready to bite at a moment's notice, or something really tender.
Fin keel...I want upwind performance (not bilge) and no single handed squeaky bum marina maneuvering moments (not long)
For antifouling, I tend to just dry out against the piles at my club, so I want something that is happy to take the ground (concrete) and sit happily on it's keel.
Wheel steering with an a/p that will steer upwind in a F4 happily (assuming boat trimmed/balanced)
Sloop rig, conventional (ie not self tacking) headsail. Slab reefing main, roller genoa (I realise individual fit out may vary and changes can be made)
Decent storage for gear. I realise that at 32' ish not all of this will be hidden away, however there needs to be space for dinghy, outboard, warps, fenders, liferaft, kite, kedge, foulies, lifejackets, tools, and hopefully still have some left for food, clothes, and general gear.
Double fo'c'sle, at least one double aft cabin behind a door, separate heads, saloon that can be converted if needed.
A proper chart table/navstation
Decent galley, double gimballed cooker, fridge, h+c pressured water
Basic shower in heads
Good headroom throughout for 6' person and decent amount of space throughout for a family. With a young'un a lot of time will be spent just on board rather than sailing, so space is key!
Decent build quality. I won't be crossing oceans but I need something that can handle UK weather properly. I don't want deck cores collapsing, or seacocks hidden away out of sight like a ticking time bomb.
Decent engine access so I can DIY service
Aesthetically, she needs a bit or "row away factor"
I realise this is a crowded space at that size, and my list will be common to many people. But are there any hidden gems or avoid at all costs boats?
My two current faves are probably the Westerly Storm 33, and the Bavaria 32. I suspect the Storm will have the Bav licked on performance, build quality and depreciation, however as a family boat the Bav is a very attractive proposition...ruined only by that daft coachroof mainsheet system which I really don't like.
Thoughts please...thanks in advance!!
I've been quiet on here for a while...not been doing much sailing due to birth of small child and construction of new house. Both are all sorted now, son is nearly 2 and has said "I love boats" (good lad) and having had one weekend away with him on my Sabre, it's time for the inevitable "upsizing due to family" thing.
So what I've liked about my Sabre 27? Fin keel, decent sailplan, brick outhouse build quality (or easily DIY sorted where there have been issues), reasonable accomodation for her size, very seaworthy, and as I am a dinghy sailor she now has all kinds of go faster tweaks and a few downwind sails (symm and asymm) to keep me entertained and with a clean bottom she goes OK...I saw over 7kts out of her reaching last weekend. I like the fact that I can very easily singlehand her, with the asymm and snuffer too, and upwind I can hang on to full sail a little higher up the wind range as the mainsheet is always to hand (and everything else is led back too) What I don't like is she is a bit small and a bit basic in places, but overall she has been a great little ship. Oh, and the retrofitted Eberspacher is just bloody marvellous.
So here's the wish list for her replacement. Budget of somewhere between 20 and 30 grand.
Around 32' give or take
GRP
Honestly, I'm a cruiser not a racer, however I still want good performance and the ability to tweak. I also sail a 49er dinghy so I'm really not expecting the boat to "look after me" however if in "family mode" sailing I don't want something ready to bite at a moment's notice, or something really tender.
Fin keel...I want upwind performance (not bilge) and no single handed squeaky bum marina maneuvering moments (not long)
For antifouling, I tend to just dry out against the piles at my club, so I want something that is happy to take the ground (concrete) and sit happily on it's keel.
Wheel steering with an a/p that will steer upwind in a F4 happily (assuming boat trimmed/balanced)
Sloop rig, conventional (ie not self tacking) headsail. Slab reefing main, roller genoa (I realise individual fit out may vary and changes can be made)
Decent storage for gear. I realise that at 32' ish not all of this will be hidden away, however there needs to be space for dinghy, outboard, warps, fenders, liferaft, kite, kedge, foulies, lifejackets, tools, and hopefully still have some left for food, clothes, and general gear.
Double fo'c'sle, at least one double aft cabin behind a door, separate heads, saloon that can be converted if needed.
A proper chart table/navstation
Decent galley, double gimballed cooker, fridge, h+c pressured water
Basic shower in heads
Good headroom throughout for 6' person and decent amount of space throughout for a family. With a young'un a lot of time will be spent just on board rather than sailing, so space is key!
Decent build quality. I won't be crossing oceans but I need something that can handle UK weather properly. I don't want deck cores collapsing, or seacocks hidden away out of sight like a ticking time bomb.
Decent engine access so I can DIY service
Aesthetically, she needs a bit or "row away factor"
I realise this is a crowded space at that size, and my list will be common to many people. But are there any hidden gems or avoid at all costs boats?
My two current faves are probably the Westerly Storm 33, and the Bavaria 32. I suspect the Storm will have the Bav licked on performance, build quality and depreciation, however as a family boat the Bav is a very attractive proposition...ruined only by that daft coachroof mainsheet system which I really don't like.
Thoughts please...thanks in advance!!
