Southerly 100...it can float in a pond, but can it cross the pond?

Seajet

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Dan,

the one at Emsworth Marina I described - might be a 135 thinking about it, I'm afraid Southerlys look much the same to me - would be lucky to do a straight swap for your Osprey, unless something drastic happens soon it won't be long before the berthing lines are vertical ! :rolleyes:
 

Greenheart

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Aren't you a Southerly fan, Andy? I know they're not the last word in performance - certainly the old ones weren't - but they always looked superbly suited to changeable weather in shallow places like Chichester. Granted, a really sadly neglected one mightn't sell itself very proudly, but a day with a jet-washer can do wonders.

The 135 was a big boat, you'd know it straight away. Quite rare I think. The 115 were popular, still to be seen wherever there's 2'6" to float 'em in; I think the 145 was the flagship of the 1980s, and still looks good. I lost interest when the interior steering position gave way to just being a bigger, brighter saloon. I'd like to have seen the old 'phantom' 155, though.
 

Seajet

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Dan,

take a look at even the latest Southerly when it's dried out so you can see the underwater shape inc rudder, then you'll see why they don't ring my bell !

I agree the format - lift keel, steer from inside or out - sounds good for the UK, but then again I find it hard work seeing what's going on even on my chums' Centaur with a good sprayhood, I fear my chances of spotting anything from a Southerly interior bunker are slim - this is why I insist on top quality waterproofs.

The holy grail for real sailors of larger lift keel boats is the French Ovni; but with a price to match the Grail or Excalibur !

Just gone bust but may be saved, not sure of the latest news.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=o...AaL0ID4BQ&sqi=2&ved=0CEAQsAQ&biw=1015&bih=520

Andy
 
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MagicIsland

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keel105.jpg
Bought a Southerly 105 last year complete with cradle, previous owner had it sat on the cradle and the keel lowered to have it shot blasted y done in a yard in Wadebridge, will post a pic tomorrow so you can all see the keel and the cradle. At Wells we have a large slipway trolley that the fishing boats use to antifoul plan to try that this year :encouragement:

Added pic, the cradle is quite narrow but is around 4m long with two sections that connect at the side giving a large foot print.
 

Greenheart

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Clever, looks nice and simple. As long as it's safe.

I reckon I'll always admire centreboarders for the same reason I bought a big dinghy rather than an old Flying Fifteen...versatility.

The fact that Southerly added an inside helm added more versatility. Performance may take a dip, but in return for a rainproof helm and access to shallows, I could live with that!
 

MagicIsland

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The view from inside helm stood or sat on the bridge (as I like to call it .....) is fantastic, really clear view ahead and to the sides and a look over your shoulder through the companionway allows for really 360 deg view, you also high enough to spot the lobster pots popping up on the nose !
The lifting keel allows for a wider time band for entering those harbour's with a bar, so what you might sacrafice in sail speed you gain a little on flexibility of arrival times, this really helped us when we arrived at Littlehampton 1 hr later than planned.....keel up and fought our way up the ebbing tide.

We're never going to win any races (not that I would with a racing yacht anyway, that's what dinghies are for) but we can sail all year round and stay warm and dry !
 

Greenheart

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We're never going to win any races (not that I would with a racing yacht anyway, that's what dinghies are for) but we can sail all year round and stay warm and dry !

That really sums up my whole approach to sailing! Very happy with a racing dinghy, but when I can afford a yacht, I'll want comfort and versatility. Good choice MagicIsland, enjoy!
 

Seajet

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Hmmm !

People sometimes say I must be able to ' ditch crawl ' with my boats' lift keel; my thought is that in anything apart from crystal clear water with a crew halfway up the mast ( or maybe using a forward looking sonar ) there's not much difference in hitting the seabed or something nasty protruding from it with 2' or 4'6" draught.

Same goes for harbour bars, any significant wave could instantly render 2' with the keel up to a hull crunching zero !

I would never normally* try to judge things so finely that raising the keel might get me over the bar, there's usually swell or surf at any harbour bar...

* In a medical emergency sure, and if necessary bounce her across...

I always smile / cringe when I see people calculate depths down to the last decimal point from tables, in real life the last gale could have shoved shingle around and changed all the contours, or for that matter Wayne in his Subaru may have parked on the nice sandy beach at low tide !

The real benefit with lift keels is using shallower cheaper more sheltered and accessible moorings, or getting in and out of tidally restricted marinas with more hours available either side of HW.
 

Greenheart

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All true. I think my enthusiasm for lifting keels comes in part from dinghy experience - even though I know heaving up a ballasted board isn't as happily spontaneous as it is in dinghies. The restriction of narrow harbour channels at less than high water, always seemed to me to make draft-reduction one of those choices I'll never want to lose. And so many beautiful anchorages and beaches are prohibitive to fin-keeled 37-footers...while something like the Southerly 115 will float comfortably in calm waste-deep water.

It must all depend on one's usage, and how honest one is about the probability of inshore/offshore sailing. I like the idea of offshore ability, but I believe I'd be very frustrated by even a medium fin when trying to visit favourite muddy beauty spots. Granted one needs to know how smooth the bottom is; though I remember centreboard yachts being parked far up the drying creeks at Chichester in the 'eighties; presumably they were confident the mud was clean. I bet they paid minimally for those moorings.

I suppose part of the Southerly's appeal is that once the sails are down and the keel is up, and you're steering indoors with the engine and heater on, you're effectively in a motor-boat because as well as a warm dry place to sit, you don't have deep draft to worry about. Not a lot of wheelhouse motorsailers can change their underwater profiles.
 

Boo2

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Its flying a red duster so the likelyhood is that she was sailed across and is still UK registered.
RCD might not be a problem, therefore, but a sale in Guatemala would mean she would be liable for VAT on re-entry to the EU.
Unless you complete the purchase after arriving back in the UK...

Boo2
 

MagicIsland

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Hmmm !

People sometimes say I must be able to ' ditch crawl ' with my boats' lift keel; my thought is that in anything apart from crystal clear water with a crew halfway up the mast ( or maybe using a forward looking sonar ) there's not much difference in hitting the seabed or something nasty protruding from it with 2' or 4'6" draught.

Same goes for harbour bars, any significant wave could instantly render 2' with the keel up to a hull crunching zero !

I would never normally* try to judge things so finely that raising the keel might get me over the bar, there's usually swell or surf at any harbour bar...

* In a medical emergency sure, and if necessary bounce her across...

I always smile / cringe when I see people calculate depths down to the last decimal point from tables, in real life the last gale could have shoved shingle around and changed all the contours, or for that matter Wayne in his Subaru may have parked on the nice sandy beach at low tide !

The real benefit with lift keels is using shallower cheaper more sheltered and accessible moorings, or getting in and out of tidally restricted marinas with more hours available either side of HW.

Quite right, the reason we arrived late was due to fog and very light wind which slowed our progress, we also lost a little time assisting the coast guard with some rader fixes as they were responding to the report of a flare been seen on the approaches. With calm seas and a few meters beloe us we in theory were fine, but as you say, bars move and heavy rainfall can alter the seabed around an estuary, so been able to take 2m of your draw gives you a little more room for manover, the steel grounding plate give lost of ballast in the right place and if we do nudge the bottom there is no protrusion to get stuck deep in the mud.
When we arrived at Wells, a bar we know well we were also able to enter 3hrs before HT following the fishing boats in they looked in amazement as we followed, Wells has a nice Sandy bottom so the worst that could happen is we would have had to wait a few minutes to refloat(something we often see the fishing boats doing) so for us a around our home waters the lifting keel is fantastic :)
 
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