neptis
Active Member
For the purposes of this, imagine I’m sailing round the UK in stages over a season.
Retired and fit - looking for a boat. Advice?
- Thread starter neptis
- Start date
neptis
Active Member
Now I really like the idea of a Vancouver. What’s the difference?
neptis
Active Member
God that beautiful. I want! But possibly impractical. - now I’m going to have to shake my head a bit to get that out of my mind.
neptis
Active Member
Say this: would be interested in the Netherlands and Baltic. 3-4 weeks passage. £50k budget.
neptis
Active Member
That’s good. Don’t know Sigma, Have seen some beautiful Westerly Storms. I like the type and will do some hunting. Thanks.
Kukri
Well-Known Member
Attachments
neptis
Active Member
Yes I like Dylan - something of a genius.
Slowboat35
Well-Known Member
If you want a beautiful looking boat to provide beautiful performance with total practicality look no further than a Sadler 29 or 32.
neptis
Active Member
Go away.. I’m retiring,
Chae_73
Well-Known Member
Yes, the Storm is a nice boat. I bought one last year
Kukri
Well-Known Member
Don’t forget the Golden Oldies:
Good well cared for examples of these do pop up:
Nicholson 32 and (better) 31
S&S 34
Contessa 32
Rival 32 and 34 (same boat really)
Twister and Rustler 31
Etc
Good well cared for examples of these do pop up:
Nicholson 32 and (better) 31
S&S 34
Contessa 32
Rival 32 and 34 (same boat really)
Twister and Rustler 31
Etc
Chae_73
Well-Known Member
Nicholson 31 or 32 Mk10 was what I started looking for before I bought the Storm.
In many ways, the Storm is a "better" boat but a tiny part of me regrets not holding out for a Nic.
ashtead
Well-Known Member
Now we are narrowing choices to older UK type boats no doubt rustlers, Barbican’s and bowmans will be on your list . You might find with some research that some existing Storm owners have cruised round the Uk in manner proposed -might be worth a post on westerly owners website to see if any are members.
neptis
Active Member
I have to confess to being a designer, a Nicholson is a fantastic thing. I would be very proud.
Chae_73
Well-Known Member
I seem to recall that there's a blog of someone going around in a Tempest.
Kukri
Well-Known Member
There was a reason why Camper and Nicholson chose Ray Wall as their first in house designer in two centuries not called Nicholson. And there was a reason why he kept his profile low after they had done so. ?
Very, very good designs, very well built.
Babylon
Well-Known Member
The original Vancouver 27 is three-berth (two saloon plus quarter), the 274 shifts things aft slightly (and loses the quarter-berth in the process) so the forepeak can be used as a separate sleeping space for two pygmies. In my V27 (which I've had for fourteen years) the forepeak bins are ideal for stowage - but I contrived a side-extension to the port saloon-berth to make it a small double, also had a cockpit enclosure made which almost doubles the 'interior' volume in harbour or at anchor.
Both are tough, excellent sea-boats with full standing headroom in the doghouse and very well fitted out with lots of stowage, proper chart-table, galley, fridge, etc, but fairly small down below compared to something similar in the 30-32ft range or something lightweight and more modern in the 28-30ft range. Three adults gets a bit busy, but ideal for a couple or single-hander over longer distances. Being cutter-rigged you get to add the stays'l to the high-cut (yankee) heads'l - a very flexible rig all told. Track very well indeed, never broach, but need a reasonable breeze to get going.
Lots here: Vancouver Yachts Association
Hunterlees
Well-Known Member
Concerto
Well-Known Member
With a budget of £50K, you should definitely get a good Fulmar and have plenty of money to improve it further. As a Fulmar owner who has been getting Concerto just right over the past 6 years and nearly completed, I suggest you have a look at the PowerPoint presentation I made to a RYA conferencein January year.
https://wiki.westerly-owners.co.uk/images/3/3f/Concerto.pdf
This video may give you an idea of how a Fulmar sails.
Then check out the other videos I have on YouTube.
The best advice I can give is to buy a boat, possibly not a Fulmar, in the best condition you can find, even if it costs more, and avoid a fixer upper as this will cost you a lot more in money and time in the long run besides it reduces your sailing. Your first year of ownership should be mainly sailing locally with a few longer trips. You will find what needs to be changed or improved, along with learning better sailing skills. It is a steep learning curve running a boat.
If you decide that a Fulmar is your choice of boat, I would be happy to advise privately on which Fulmar to buy. If you are near Chatham I am happy to show you Concerto and possibly take you out for a sail.
My plans for this year include a 2 week cruise on the East Coast and then later down to the Solent to be the Westerly Owners Association boat at the Southampton Boat Show - all provided Covid does not disrupt things. Next year I am sailing singlehanded round the UK including the Orkneys and Shetland. This is a major trip and the boat must be ready to for all weathers.
https://wiki.westerly-owners.co.uk/images/3/3f/Concerto.pdf
This video may give you an idea of how a Fulmar sails.
The best advice I can give is to buy a boat, possibly not a Fulmar, in the best condition you can find, even if it costs more, and avoid a fixer upper as this will cost you a lot more in money and time in the long run besides it reduces your sailing. Your first year of ownership should be mainly sailing locally with a few longer trips. You will find what needs to be changed or improved, along with learning better sailing skills. It is a steep learning curve running a boat.
If you decide that a Fulmar is your choice of boat, I would be happy to advise privately on which Fulmar to buy. If you are near Chatham I am happy to show you Concerto and possibly take you out for a sail.
My plans for this year include a 2 week cruise on the East Coast and then later down to the Solent to be the Westerly Owners Association boat at the Southampton Boat Show - all provided Covid does not disrupt things. Next year I am sailing singlehanded round the UK including the Orkneys and Shetland. This is a major trip and the boat must be ready to for all weathers.
Concerto
Well-Known Member
My parents had a new Nicholson 30 designed by Raymond Wall which we raced hard. Also we had lots of discussion with him as he miscalculated the RORC rating and it was too low for a half tonner which it was supposed to be. He then increased the mast by 2ft 6" and it still was too low. He then added extra weight on the keel, which we did not do. The boat was too directionally stable and the skeg had to be cut off. This meant we had to make a new rudder and he want us to try a different shape. First time we sailed, the loading was too high and most of the blade broke off. Then we made a rudder to the original design and it was fine. The tension when the backstay was tensioned meant he boat flexed and the main hatch could not be moved so it was always a question of hatch open or closed upwind. On the other side I forget how many times we had this boat on the plane. Great fun.