Small boats that sail well ?

[brownsox]

Trapper TS 240. Bit bigger, so v comfortable for overnights, we sailed to Brittany and done w coast France to the Gironde in ours as well as up the East Coast UK. Very good sailing. Our old one, Jessie, was recently up for sale by current owner not sure if she's gone yet. Superb value.

 

[colhel]

Leisure's seem to get a bit of a kicking on this forum We love ours and she seems to go along nicely too. Here's a pic of our 23SL taken a couple or three weeks back

 

[Slowtack]

Achilles 24

 

[w1ndwatcher]

My Vivacity 20 sails perfectly well, although is not AFAIK regarded as being any good to windward. I've sailed from Emsworth to Cowes and Lymington and had no problems, using the engine only for the marina bits and to fight the tide out of Chi harbour - the alternative if wind and tide are against you is to stay in Chi harbour, regardless of what boat you're in.
I would set a budget and look at the boats available locally then pick the one in best condition or that you like best. You'll probably find that if you're not planning to race then all of them sail fine, otherwise they would not have been produced in any quantity. If you are planning to race then ignore that and forget the twin keeler idea.
If you're ever in the marina come and say hi - I'm there most weekends unless I'm out sailing somewhere

Dear Lustyd

Thank you for your post. When you say "the alternative if wind and tide are against you is to stay in Chi harbour, regardless of what boat you're in." - I take it that the wind was not against you on your journey to Lymington ?

 

[w1ndwatcher]

Thanks to all contributors so far - all very interesting and thought-provoking. I am very pleased at the response.

 

[w1ndwatcher]

sailed a 21ft long keeler with bilge plates - (Debutante) - and she would do alright to windward with a lot attention - and was a great fun boat to sail - and with triple keels the worry of grounding was less

the key thing though with sailing boats this size is always the tide - having started cruising in the East Coast I am always surprised how many yachts on the South Coast/Solent go against the tide - but there again a lot if them motor -

if you are a committed sailor the key element in going to windward in a small boat is always going to be the strength and direction of the tide -

I never cease to be amazed at the number of yachts/sailing boats that I see motoring, with or without the sails up, with a good wind on the beam or aft of that. I just don't get it. Why don't they just buy a motor boat and have done with it ?

 

[w1ndwatcher]

...my boat lives on a mud mooring just across from Seajet's so I can confirm the wise words about needing to be able to take the mud to moor cheaply in Chi Harbour.. you'll also need a motor - outboard will do - for punching against the not inconsiderable tides, when the wind is blowing the wrong way down a tide constrained channel..

...in addition to the other boats mentioned I would add the Leisure 20 (which is on my list of "next" boats to look at), I would second the Vivacity, and the chap in the boatyard next to me last winter had a Westerly Jouster which was very nice.....

Hi Fantasie, thanks, yes we will have a motor, I just choose to use it as little as is reasonably possible (given the wife's patience etc). Looking at the pictures of the Viacity, I struggle to see how those keels are going to take it close to the wind etc, however, perhaps I am missing something. Jouster certainly very good.

 

[TimG]

Hawk 20 with the cuddy for overnighting?

Or the dayboat version and a B&B for overnighting! Proper bed, no chance of falling in on the way to bed from the pub, breakfast cooked for you, decent shower (maybe)................................

In terms of speed the Hawk is great (I regularly sail past much bigger boats), but I personally think the cabin version is "neither fish nor fowl". For me it's the Hawk dayboat or something a bit bigger which can properly go offshore.

 

[w1ndwatcher]

Missed so far are the Hunter Sonata and the Hunter Europa 19 perhaps a Corribee also,and a Snapdragon 23 all fine sailing yachts with good performance to windward and all reasonably PY handicapped for club racing, as is the Pandora.

ianat182

I take it you mean the fin/long keel version of the Corribee ?

Snapdragon 23 - that's a drop centreplate right ?

 

[w1ndwatcher]

The Hunter Sonata's been mentioned.

But also consider the lift keel version, she does sail well with the ability to take the mud.

With a trailer it's easy to take home for the winter, saving dosh.

Downside, no standing headroom.

I sold mine in 1999, the buyer still owns and uses her, she's in Hill Head Harbour.

Also a Wayfarer will do all that you're asking.

Yes but the wife wont ! (go in a Wayfarer ).

 

[w1ndwatcher]

Just sold my Westerly 21 to a couple who took it from Chichester to Falmouth, taking Monday to Friday to do it. Been in touch with them since and they have been more than happy with the boat and said that,even in a blow, they feel safe and secure.

If you're not too tall standing headroom and 4 berth (well 3 1/2) and usually all the usual offices.

Hi Ostell, thanks for your post. Do you mind if I ask a couple of questions ?

"a couple who took it from Chichester to Falmouth, taking Monday to Friday to do it." - how much of that was sailing ? How much of it was sailing to windward ?

 

[w1ndwatcher]

Jag'22;

I do have to say something about this one; I have seen two lift keel examples where the hull was so weak it had actually sagged down around the keel, or to put it another way the keel had gone up into the hull...Not exactly a star performer in the speed or seaworthiness departments either.

Funnily enough, I once looked at a Jag 22, but found that the hull was buckling around the supplementary bilge keels / keels were going up into the hull.

 

[w1ndwatcher]

I've tried a Galleon (22) that was kept in a Langstone Harbour mud berth. It was a fin keel and sailed quite well. It also had standing headroom.


Hurleys have a good rep, but I found the 20 & 22 quite cramped. The 24/70 is more my cup of tea. JSASTC had halcyon 27s in the 60's and 70's; excellent wee seaboats but small inside. They tried to replace them with Victoria 28s which was NOT as a success and currently they (JSASTC) have nothing smaller than the 34's (which replaced the Contessa 32s at the same time).

There's a Van de Stadt 22 as well (the name escapes me) that came in bilge and fin versions and sailed rather well. They had standing headroom under part of the coachroof, but SWMBO vetoed it due to it's still being relatively claustrophobic.

The problem is, of course, that they are all long in the tooth now.

Splinter ? Pandora ?

 

[robertj]

Sadler 25 would be a great choice. She nowhere near 25' but still a true little ship.
Well made and sails like a demon. I had one for 12 years the only reason to sell was headroom all my kids over 6' now so we grew out of her.
I can't bestow how well these yachts sail.
The fin keeled 'starfire' even after rudder repairs etc crossed faster than quite a large number of bigger yachts.
You will not be disapointed with the sadler 25.

 

[Seajet]

The Sadler 25's a great boat; now we've shifted from a 'low cost boat up to 22' to a pricey boat at 25' and into the realms of inboard engines with associated costs...

 

[rickym]

Tomahawk 25? they do a bilge keel version as well as a fin, I think more bilge than fins were made. Sail pretty well although a bit plastic below. good sturdy seaworthy yacht. Took mine all over, previous owner sailed to the med and back via gibralter!

 

[Fantasie 19]

Leisure's seem to get a bit of a kicking on this forum We love ours and she seems to go along nicely too. Here's a pic of our 23SL taken a couple or three weeks back

Not from me... Leisure 20 is on my putative "next boat" list for a check.. ditto the Pandora (love this blog but the owner hasn't updated recently)....

 

[alahol2]

One that nobody has mentioned yet is the Hirondelle cat. No experience but they seem to get around a bit.

 

[lustyd]

Dear Lustyd

Thank you for your post. When you say "the alternative if wind and tide are against you is to stay in Chi harbour, regardless of what boat you're in." - I take it that the wind was not against you on your journey to Lymington ?

Wind and tide against getting out of Chichester - hence engine used.
Wind was then with me down to Lymington via Cowes and against from Lymington to Gosport. I averaged around 4 knots otg for the trip I think and felt I was making progress most of the time (apart from exiting Cowes, you'll see a dogleg across the Solent in the pic). If you're interested I have the tracking info for the whole trip and can fill in wind data roughly from memory.
The boat handled very well throughout and I'd thoroughly recommend it for cruising, although a 22 with a sea toilet would be preferable for longer journeys.

 

[Boomshanka]

Honest question - what stops it from tipping forward or aft when dried out, or does it???

It's got a 3m fin and bulb keel buried deep