Snapdragon 24

A pal of mine in Gosport used to have a 24' Snappie called Sarala - she was a comfortable wee liveaboard, even in mid-winter.
Here is a photo of her in Clarence Marina, Gosport, and a photo looking inside - she is very comfy really.
They moved up in the world a few years ago to a Rallberg Hussy 36, and are now on a slow potter around the UK.

Sarala alongside.jpg


Sarala saloon.jpg
 
Bajansailor said:
Wansie, I still think that you should go for that Sea Cracker if she is still available.
She would be a veritable Cracker for sure.
A pal of a pal used to have one at Marchwood Sailing Club, and one turned up here about 15 years ago after crossing the Atlantic. Sadly drugs were found on board her, and the boat was impounded at the Coastguard station - she is still there now, lying on her side and looking very sorry for herself, after falling over in Hurricane Beryl (or maybe she fell over in Elsa a few years earlier).

Re the galleon mentioned earlier in this thread, that would have been the Buckler 24 - here is some info on her. There is an impressive 'great cabin' aft, complete with two settees which should meet with the approval of Wansworth for comfort, and they should also function well as passage berths at sea, so long as you are not in a hurry.
BUCKLER 24 MS - sailboatdata

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Failed to buy one of those advertixed very cheap (with a faulty engine IIRC) somewhere near Erith when I lived in London. Went to look but couldn't find it, but maybe I didn't try very hard. Think the ones I've seen were rigged the other way around, schooner stylee, with the foremast the smaller of the two.

Gaff rigged, with a micro pilot-house, might have been ok. IIRC my main worry/excuse was it wouldn't have been possible to use an outboard if I couldn't sort the engine
johnalison said:
I remember when, new to cruising but not to sailing, I was trying to overhaul a Snapdragon that was somewhat larger than my Cirrus, both close-hauled. Although gaining, I wasn’t doing as well as I hoped, until I realised I was trying too hard. I just held the tiller in one position and let my boat find its own way, when we just shot past them.

I have read somewhere that Snapdragons had bilge keels that were toed-in slightly, which probably accounts for their sparkling performance.
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Dylan Winter has said / says the same thing about the Westerly Centaur, so it would perhaps apply to other Westerly's like the more directly comparable Pageant, which mostly seem to have similar hulls. With the splayed bilge keels this allegedly produces a downforce, which wouldn't intutively seem to be an obviusly good thing, but was claimed to make it more stable "like a bigger boat" in extremish conditions. This might not apply with more vertical keels.
 
Re a gaff rigged Buckler (perhaps even a Brig Buckler?) I am reminded of the Little Brigs that were in operation with the Little Brig Sailing Trust - sadly the organisation is no longer in existence, and I wonder where the Little Brigs are now?

Maybe Wansworth could acquire one and establish himself as a pirate in Galicia?


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Bajansailor said:
A pal of mine in Gosport used to have a 24' Snappie called Sarala - she was a comfortable wee liveaboard, even in mid-winter.
Here is a photo of her in Clarence Marina, Gosport, and a photo looking inside - she is very comfy really.
They moved up in the world a few years ago to a Rallberg Hussy 36, and are now on a slow potter around the UK.

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View attachment 194276
Click to expand...
A Sprayhood wouldseem to be a good addition
 
Bajansailor said:
Re a gaff rigged Buckler (perhaps even a Brig Buckler?) I am reminded of the Little Brigs that were in operation with the Little Brig Sailing Trust - sadly the organisation is no longer in existence, and I wonder where the Little Brigs are now?

Maybe Wansworth could acquire one and establish himself as a pirate in Galicia?


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Think pirates in those waters would traditionally have been mostly lateen, plus lots of oars. Maybe the odd English visitor, but they'd be privateers, much more genteel

Re Minibrig, wot no ratlines? Based on my one trip Lieth - Krisiansand on a square rigger, I thought putting the frighteners on the crew by putting them out on the spars was the main point.

OTOH I suppose scaled down that much the boat might fall over.
 
Wansworth said:
A Sprayhood wouldseem to be a good addition
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For a liveaboard, I'd say a full cockpit tent would be essential - it's an extra room, and one with view, which a lot of boats don't have.

Ours cost far too big a proportion of the boat's value to be sensible, but we both reckon that it was one of the best investments we ever made in her.
 
Stemar said:
For a liveaboard, I'd say a full cockpit tent would be essential - it's an extra room, and one with view, which a lot of boats don't have.

Ours cost far too big a proportion of the boat's value to be sensible, but we both reckon that it was one of the best investments we ever made in her.
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I’d love a full cockpit cover for my 24’er, but think the frame would be a burden when not in use. How did you cope with yours while sailing?
 
Stemar said:
We couldn't use it under sail. It zipped to the sprayhood, and had two hoops that folded together. To furl the tent, we'd push the hoops aft and wrap the tent around them, tying everything in place to the backstay. It sounds like a faff, but it only took a couple of minutes.
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Thanks, I know I couldn’t leave one up while sailing my boat, but I wondered how other small boat owners managed to stow them underway, folded back on the pushpit or dismantled and awkwardly stowed in lockers or pilot berths.
I have a Habitent and it’s a rarely used faff to set up, but it stows away very small under a bunk.
 
I think for a Snappie and the sort of sailing I imagine Wansy doing, a bimini/sun canopy might be more use than a sprayhood.

The cockpit canopy on my LM27 (an original fitting) can have the the sides and/or rolled up leaving a sort of bimini. I've motored with the canopy up, and if I remember correctly, just the back open. (With the canopy up, you'd get on deck via the rear opening, it would require a bit of athleticism to get out of the sides, Alternatively, you could get out of the forecabin hatch or the hatch on top of the wheelhouse, again, a little (though less) athleticism would be required.

The rear frame arrangement which the canopy fits over might perhaps offer a model for other boats. It is a rectangular-ish inverted U shape, and sits on top of the cockpit coaming if the canopy is removed completely. The lateral part of the frame sits just forward of the back of the cockpit, and the frame pivots from the near the front of the cockpit. In use, the canopy, including frame, folds away very quickly forward against the top of the back of the wheelhouse with a couple of straps to bundle up the canopy and hold the frame against the wheelhouse. With the canopy deployed the frame is angled backwards at maybe 45 degrees, held in place by the canopy (just the rear corner bits if the back and sides are rolled up), the frame 'captured' by a zipped flap across the width of the canopy interior.

I can imagine a 'bimini' sort of thing (i.e. without the sides and rear panels) on such a frame, suspended at the rear by lift-the-dot studs at the rear corners, and a sprayhood type frame at the front, with or without sprayhood.

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Below an LM27 with cockpit canopy up, sides and rear rolled up (though not very neatly) and side of frame visible (at about 45 degrees).

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Below LM27 with canopy up and sides & rear down, frame side visible through canopy side window..

1749071146048.png

Below with canopy (including frame) folded up against wheelhouse.

1749071709463.png

LM27 with canopy deployed and (contrasting coloured) sides down but rear panel rolled up.

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LittleSister said:
I think for a Snappie and the sort of sailing I imagine Wansy doing, a bimini/sun canopy might be more use than a sprayhood.

The cockpit canopy on my LM27 (an original fitting) can have the the sides and/or rolled up leaving a sort of bimini. I've motored with the canopy up, and if I remember correctly, just the back open. (With the canopy up, you'd get on deck via the rear opening, it would require a bit of athleticism to get out of the sides, Alternatively, you could get out of the forecabin hatch or the hatch on top of the wheelhouse, again, a little (though less) athleticism would be required.

The rear frame arrangement which the canopy fits over might perhaps offer a model for other boats. It is a rectangular-ish inverted U shape, and sits on top of the cockpit coaming if the canopy is removed completely. The lateral part of the frame sits just forward of the back of the cockpit, and the frame pivots from the near the front of the cockpit. In use, the canopy, including frame, folds away very quickly forward against the top of the back of the wheelhouse with a couple of straps to bundle up the canopy and hold the frame against the wheelhouse. With the canopy deployed the frame is angled backwards at maybe 45 degrees, held in place by the canopy (just the rear corner bits if the back and sides are rolled up), the frame 'captured' by a zipped flap across the width of the canopy interior. (I'll try to find some relevant pics.)

I can imagine a 'bimini' sort of thing on such a frame, suspended at the rear by lift-the-dot studs at the rear corners, and a sprayhood type frame at the front, with or without sprayhood.
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Butthe sprayhood allows the hatch to be open in inclement weather.Certainlythe sun is pretty powerful herein Spain andasmall Bimini is quite common
 
Wansworth said:
Butthe sprayhood allows the hatch to be open in inclement weather.Certainlythe sun is pretty powerful herein Spain andasmall Bimini is quite common
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Well a sprayhood would make the installation of a bimini-ette all the easier (whether along the lines I suggested above or on a fixed rear frame).
 
I remembered that PBO restored a Snapdragon and gave it away in a free prize draw. A quick google turned up it was a Snapdragon 23. I did have a look at it at a boat show.

Restored Snapdragon 23 yacht - free prize draw - Practical Boat Owner

Video: PBO Project Boat Hantu Biru sets sail - Practical Boat Owner

This might encourage Wansworth to go and have a look at the Snappy 24 and realise he could restore it to a similar standard. This would allow him to be around to cut the grass and never bother to go sailing on the ria's.
 
Concerto said:
I remembered that PBO restored a Snapdragon and gave it away in a free prize draw. A quick google turned up it was a Snapdragon 23. I did have a look at it at a boat show.

Restored Snapdragon 23 yacht - free prize draw - Practical Boat Owner

Video: PBO Project Boat Hantu Biru sets sail - Practical Boat Owner

This might encourage Wansworth to go and have a look at the Snappy 24 and realise he could restore it to a similar standard. This would allow him to be around to cut the grass and never bother to go sailing on the ria's.
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Certainly upbeat music!…the 24 looks to be more spacious.Will certainly be interesting to see.Part of getting a boat is to have somewhere to go a change of scenery get out of the house and meet new people..Going on previous boat “doing up” as long as they are not too costly it’s a pleasant way to pass the time and engage the brain in problem solving and of course tea drinking .The thing to avoid is the sudden rush to the head and expenditure on new stuff .Unfortunately in Galicia there is not a vast stock of secondhand gear to choose from.Probably the engine will be the biggest challenge if repairs are required but I would not hesitate to call in a qualified person .If all fails in the Snapdragon size an outboard can be employed.
 
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