River Dart, Singlehander for Newbie

[Channel Sailor]

I would suggest that an inboard is good in a small yacht that does not sail very well. Whereas an outboard is ideal for a small yacht that sails well upwind (and downwind).

 

[bpbpbp]

I’m surprised nobody’s mentioned a Sadler 25 bilge keel. (I note that there’s one for sale atm for £4k with a diesel inboard but I’ve no idea of it’s condition!). Proper little yacht with toilet etc that sails beautifully and would (in theory) take you most anywhere. Most Sadler 25’s command a little more capital outlay but they’re well worth the money IMHO.

Our daughter has a Pandora 700 bilge keel. Outboard is in a well but until I fitted a loo it was chemical toilet or bucket. It would also suit except no diesel…

Thanks, the Sadler looks ideal.

 

[dk]

Jaguar 25
Halcyon 23
Macwester Rowan 22
Leisure 22/23
Trapper 300
Hurley 22
Westerly Pageant 23

I'd join a club like Saltash or Cargreen on the Tamar. Save a fortune! Get a bilge keeler and you can haul it out almost anywhere too, or plonk it on a flatbed trailer.

 

[dk]

Seamaster Sailer 23
Tomahawk 25

 

[bpbpbp]

What about a Catalina 22 mk2 swing keel - will it be ok drying on mud multiple times a day?

 

[oldmanofthehills]

At £3K, pretty much any boat is going to need work. The trick is to find one where there's nothing about to sink you, so you can do it bit by bit. Tatty sails mean you won't get the best performance, but you're out on the water now, Leaky windows are annoying but not dangerous. You can fix both as and when. Grotty seacocks can't wait - they can sink you without warning.

What boat starts off with sorting out what you want to do with it. Are you out for the best performance, or is accommodation a higher priority? If the former, a lifting keel is likely to suit you better than twin keels. If the latter, definitely go bilge keels. We had a Snapdragon 24 for years. They're not the fastest by a long chalk - I used to joke that if we did the Round the Island race and finished before the cut-off time, we'd win on handicap, and going to windward is what the engine's for, but they'll look after you in a blow and are as roomy as you'll find in that length. A proper, albeit tiny, head is a big bonus if you have a friend of the opposite sex aboard. You should find one with an inboard engine in your budget.

I have had two lift keel boats with the intention of being able to trailor them. The sailfish 19 was too light and lack of ballast in the keel made it very tippy. It dried out on tidal moorings and a random housebrick moved by the tide punched a hole in the hull. The anderson 22 which sailed well but was cramped for cruising, had a heavy lifting bulb keel and thus much more stable but it was way too heavy to tow easily and too deep in the water to get back on trailer without wading chest deep. It tended to dry out at weird angles and eventually sank on its mooring in bad weather. When ashore kept on trailer but only lifted out twice in 10 years due to the palaver, so antifoulling was done tied up against wall. Current owner has failed to get it back in water since 2008 which annoys me but perhaps I wouldnt want it back.

Never again. Give me bilge or long keel and legs so I can just run up the beach for antifouling or pub, not fin keel or lift

And to the OP:- Join a club. Naturally i favour Cargreen but its a bit of a distance from Dartmouth where there is a good YC.

 

[bpbpbp]

I have had two lift keel boats with the intention of being able to trailor them. The sailfish 19 was too light and lack of ballast in the keel made it very tippy. It dried out on tidal moorings and a random housebrick moved by the tide punched a hole in the hull. The anderson 22 which sailed well but was cramped for cruising, had a heavy lifting bulb keel and thus much more stable but it was way too heavy to tow easily and too deep in the water to get back on trailer without wading chest deep. It tended to dry out at weird angles and eventually sank on its mooring in bad weather. When ashore kept on trailer but only lifted out twice in 10 years due to the palaver, so antifoulling was done tied up against wall. Current owner has failed to get it back in water since 2008 which annoys me but perhaps I wouldnt want it back.

Never again. Give me bilge or long keel and legs so I can just run up the beach for antifouling or pub, not fin keel or lift

Ah yes, the pub! Gosh sorry to hear about that early bad luck.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Ah yes, the pub! Gosh sorry to hear about that early bad luck.

We learn from misfortune. You will no doubt make your own errors but you can learn from ours so you make novel and as yet untried blunders.

 

[ProDave]

Ah yes, the pub! Gosh sorry to hear about that early bad luck.

My first boat had a lifting keel, and that retracted fully inside the hull. So to dry out you were settling a bare hull on the ground.

The only place I ever trusted that was my home berth in a harbour known to have a soft muddy bottom and no known rocks.

Anywhere else, and a single lone pointy rock sticking out of a sandy beach could spoil your day.

Speaking as a devoted bilge keel man.

 

[Fimacca]

Fair bit of tide in the dart, any engine needs some grunt. Small boat = less cost.

 

[Sandy]

Perhaps a bit over your budget but have you considered a Mirage 28?

Mirage Yachts Mirage 28 for sale UK, Mirage Yachts boats for sale, Mirage Yachts used boat sales, Mirage Yachts Sailing Yachts For Sale Mirage 28 mk2 - Apollo Duck

 

[Dellquay13]

Thanks for sharing, that's really good to know especially the bungs. It seems like a good option for me with my limited budget, and to get my confidence up, before thinking about anything bigger.

 

[Channel Sailor]

Fair bit of tide in the dart, any engine needs some grunt. Small boat = less cost.

Just a thought on this. Around my area in the Solent there are plenty of J80s, Folkboats and the like with just little outboard engines, which have some grunt but not a lot. The tides can be quite strong around here too, especially in river harbour entrances. The entrances over the bars can get lively too. These sailors seem to manage OK. I suspect one needs to plan the days you sail and choose the right tide time to get where you want to go. All fairly normal sailing stuff I would say. If one has a bigger budget the more tidal restrictions you can overcome. Small boat, small engine, then accept the limitations of the area you sail in, ensure it sails well upwind and down, has a workable anchoring solution . Maybe keep a sleeping bag, a jet boil and an Adventure meal pack onboard.

 

[oldbloke]

Not quite answering your question but.. You have South Devon as your location, if you are resident in one of the coastal councils you will be eligible to apply for a residents mooring in your local estuary. These are pretty cheap, but there is usually a waiting list. It might be worth getting your name down now. That may then inform your choice of boat. For example, you can get (eventually) a mooring for almost anything in the Salcombe/Kingsbridge estuary, but you might get an under 7m drying mooring in Kingsbridge much sooner

 

[bpbpbp]

Not quite answering your question but.. You have South Devon as your location, if you are resident in one of the coastal councils you will be eligible to apply for a residents mooring in your local estuary. These are pretty cheap, but there is usually a waiting list. It might be worth getting your name down now. That may then inform your choice of boat. For example, you can get (eventually) a mooring for almost anything in the Salcombe/Kingsbridge estuary, but you might get an under 7m drying mooring in Kingsbridge much sooner

This is in fact one of my dilemmas. I am open to a range of boats, but until I can get a mooring, I don't know which to buy.
I am hoping I can find a boat for sale with a mooring, but it's not common.