Csail
N/A
Has anyone got any comments on quality,sailing performance etc.
Southerly yachts
- Thread starter Csail
- Start date
Poignard
Well-Known Member
Dunno, but I know a man who is keen to sell one.
sailorman
Well-Known Member
so do i
Csail
N/A
send some pics???
sailorman
Well-Known Member
what class / lenght are you after
Tidewaiter2
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Has anyone got any comments on quality,sailing performance etc.
[/ QUOTE ]
We got a 1993 S115 Series 2 last year. No complaints so far- it was well cherished by previous owners (10yr). We got more foresails for it, and much prefer single rudder option behind the deadwood for cruising, than newer twin rudder versions.
Sails well- Nab to Cherbourg, 12hours, in mixed winds. Bit of a tubby boat + all cruising kit, so very gentil in light winds. High winds (been out in 41kts) ok, if you reef to suit.
Compared to our previous boats; Wayfarer and Redfox 200e; we have cruised extensively in, a bit of a stodgy sailor, but accommodation palatial and well preserved.
Downside- definately berthing fees and visitors rates /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
The owners of the newer Southerlies seem happy enough when we meet them and the Yard has new build orders nearly 18 month ahead in Jan08, and sold double figs at both London Shows.
Owners do tend to trade up and down in the marque, or stick with their boats for long periods.
May not be everyone's cup of tea, but we wanted to stay with variable draft, so it was this or a Feeling, and this one popped up first, two years earlier than planned(bit like kids! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif) but there you go.
Has anyone got any comments on quality,sailing performance etc.
[/ QUOTE ]
We got a 1993 S115 Series 2 last year. No complaints so far- it was well cherished by previous owners (10yr). We got more foresails for it, and much prefer single rudder option behind the deadwood for cruising, than newer twin rudder versions.
Sails well- Nab to Cherbourg, 12hours, in mixed winds. Bit of a tubby boat + all cruising kit, so very gentil in light winds. High winds (been out in 41kts) ok, if you reef to suit.
Compared to our previous boats; Wayfarer and Redfox 200e; we have cruised extensively in, a bit of a stodgy sailor, but accommodation palatial and well preserved.
Downside- definately berthing fees and visitors rates /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
The owners of the newer Southerlies seem happy enough when we meet them and the Yard has new build orders nearly 18 month ahead in Jan08, and sold double figs at both London Shows.
Owners do tend to trade up and down in the marque, or stick with their boats for long periods.
May not be everyone's cup of tea, but we wanted to stay with variable draft, so it was this or a Feeling, and this one popped up first, two years earlier than planned(bit like kids! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif) but there you go.
boatmike
Well-Known Member
If you are looking for a lift keel, they are extremely robust and take the ground well on a nice big cast iron flat grounding plate. Be aware though that they are not intended to be blue water cruisers. Perfectly adequate for offshore IMHO but I wouldn't go transat with one.... They are also not terribly close winded if thats important to you and best classed as a motor sailor. If I was intending to go through the French canals though its a great boat!
Tidewaiter2
Well-Known Member
Here's the link to the Owners Assn website home page, in case you have not got. Lot of tech help there.
http://build-a.com/ts/southerlyownersassociation/index.html
http://build-a.com/ts/southerlyownersassociation/index.html
rwoofer
Well-Known Member
Curious as to why you think they are not blue water cruisers?
They seem to have one of the best stability ratios of boats on the market. Together with the robustness, decent weight and good accomodation I would have thought that would make them pretty good cruisers. I believe some have also competed in the AZAB ocean race.
They seem to have one of the best stability ratios of boats on the market. Together with the robustness, decent weight and good accomodation I would have thought that would make them pretty good cruisers. I believe some have also competed in the AZAB ocean race.
Csail
N/A
Basic criteria is SWMBO wants a race yacht and i want a motorsailor (what i have now) so really after something 38 ft ish, twin aft cabins but a second steering position inside.
sailorman
Well-Known Member
would you concider swapping SWMBO /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
boatmike
Well-Known Member
Shane Acton went around the world in a 24ft(?) plywood boat. That doesn't make it a seaworthy blue water boat. Frankly most boats with offshore capability will be capable of doing the AZAB. I have done it twice. Being on board in open ocean conditions is different from a channel crossing however and these are, without insulting them, built to dry out and operate in shoal waters. They are not designed to cross oceans. Personally I dont like beamy round soft bilge designs anyway. They don't hold course well, roll like a pig, and don't steer very well to windward. They DO have extremely copious accommodation, big engines, and wheelhouse steering though. It's horses for courses. What makes a boat good for one thing makes it crap for another. There is no such thing as a bad boat or a good boat, it's impossible to design the perfect boat. Depends what you want it for. Also don't be deluded that high ballast ratio makes a boat stable. Look at the angle of vanishing stability on a beamy boat. There is no way any boat built like the southerly would easily right itself in a capsize in the same way a narrow long keeler would with lower ballast ratio .
NBDS
New Member
Agree that the motor sailor remark would have been fair comment a few years ago but the newer boats, especially the 110 which I have some experience of, are the result of a newer design and they sail well.
Marmalade
Well-Known Member
I've never heard anything but praise for these boats. A friend has one and swears by it. I get the impression, however, that few southerly owners really use the lifting keel to its full potential - ie going where the rest of us can't go and drying out in hard to reach places.
They're pricey for what they are, so if what you really need is shoal draft there's a lot more options.
They're pricey for what they are, so if what you really need is shoal draft there's a lot more options.
Grehan
Well-Known Member
They are great boats . . and, very regretfully after 8 years ownership, Grehan is for sale.
www.tagweb.co.uk/grehan/forsale
Having spent 3-4 years in the Med (Spain and Gibraltar) we're now back in France on the inland waterways. She's an excellent sailing yacht, an excellent boat to be on, and (for a yacht) brilliant inland. But in the longer term a motor boat now makes more sense (for us).
What can I say? All enquiries welcome! /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
BTW (edit) They don't "roll like pigs" . . . maybe you're thinking about some other marque? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
www.tagweb.co.uk/grehan/forsale
Having spent 3-4 years in the Med (Spain and Gibraltar) we're now back in France on the inland waterways. She's an excellent sailing yacht, an excellent boat to be on, and (for a yacht) brilliant inland. But in the longer term a motor boat now makes more sense (for us).
What can I say? All enquiries welcome! /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
BTW (edit) They don't "roll like pigs" . . . maybe you're thinking about some other marque? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
jwilson
Well-Known Member
re:
"Curious as to why you think they are not blue water cruisers?
They seem to have one of the best stability ratios of boats on the market."
Ultimate tability of Southerlies shows as high on theoretical calculations, but is based on the air volume in the big coachroof deckhouse contributing to righting. In conditions bad enough to wave-knockdown a boat this size, the impact stresses on those big windows are immense, and could lead to breakage, dramatically reducing righting moment. Also, can you imagine the stresses a weighted centreboard would exert on slamming back up if the hull inverted.
Southerlies are certainly more seaworthy than hundreds of other boats that have gone round the world, including Shane Actons 19 ft ply Caprice bilge-keeler. but that does not make them the right boat to CHOOSE for long ocean passages. For ordinary coastal cruising however in certain areas, they have major advantages..
"Curious as to why you think they are not blue water cruisers?
They seem to have one of the best stability ratios of boats on the market."
Ultimate tability of Southerlies shows as high on theoretical calculations, but is based on the air volume in the big coachroof deckhouse contributing to righting. In conditions bad enough to wave-knockdown a boat this size, the impact stresses on those big windows are immense, and could lead to breakage, dramatically reducing righting moment. Also, can you imagine the stresses a weighted centreboard would exert on slamming back up if the hull inverted.
Southerlies are certainly more seaworthy than hundreds of other boats that have gone round the world, including Shane Actons 19 ft ply Caprice bilge-keeler. but that does not make them the right boat to CHOOSE for long ocean passages. For ordinary coastal cruising however in certain areas, they have major advantages..
Sinbad2222
Well-Known Member
I have heard that it is inadvisable to buy an old single rudder type for ocean cruising. The rudder is not deep enough. In high following seas, when the stern lifts too much, the rudder can rise so much that steering is lost and the yacht broaches. Nothing to do with hull shape, form stability etc etc.
The latest twin rudder designs are supposed to be fine.
Northshore quality is variable depending on which team built the boat but on the whole is considered to be much better than your average production boat including the much hyped Scandinavians.
The latest twin rudder designs are supposed to be fine.
Northshore quality is variable depending on which team built the boat but on the whole is considered to be much better than your average production boat including the much hyped Scandinavians.
wotayottie
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Basic criteria is SWMBO wants a race yacht and i want a motorsailor (what i have now) so really after something 38 ft ish, twin aft cabins but a second steering position inside.
[/ QUOTE ]
Thats an unusual way round!
There are two generations of Southerly - those with twin rudders and those without. The latter are very definitely motor sailors which start to lose grip on the water when well heeled. The former, the more recent boats, sail OK but are cruisers not racers. And I dont think I would call them motor sailers in that they are deck saloon yachts not really designed for steering from inside. Yes they have the steering position but how useable is it?
I looked in detail at the latest offerings 2 years ago and was v impressed by the build quality. Definitely up there with the Swedes, thick solid layup, beautiful wood work, bit of a BMW approach to the spec ie everything is extra inc launching and commissioning at £5k believe it or not.
In the end I chickened out of the high cost involved and bought a 10 year old Moody bilge keeler which is at CBYC now. It was a good decision
P.S. If you buy (say) a Colvic motor sailer, tell your swmbo I'm always looking for crew to go racing
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Basic criteria is SWMBO wants a race yacht and i want a motorsailor (what i have now) so really after something 38 ft ish, twin aft cabins but a second steering position inside.
[/ QUOTE ]
Thats an unusual way round!
There are two generations of Southerly - those with twin rudders and those without. The latter are very definitely motor sailors which start to lose grip on the water when well heeled. The former, the more recent boats, sail OK but are cruisers not racers. And I dont think I would call them motor sailers in that they are deck saloon yachts not really designed for steering from inside. Yes they have the steering position but how useable is it?
I looked in detail at the latest offerings 2 years ago and was v impressed by the build quality. Definitely up there with the Swedes, thick solid layup, beautiful wood work, bit of a BMW approach to the spec ie everything is extra inc launching and commissioning at £5k believe it or not.
In the end I chickened out of the high cost involved and bought a 10 year old Moody bilge keeler which is at CBYC now. It was a good decision
P.S. If you buy (say) a Colvic motor sailer, tell your swmbo I'm always looking for crew to go racing
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
toad
Well-Known Member
I have a Southerly 95,sailing ability I would rate as good as most other cruisers certainly I was pleasantly surprised at how well it sailed when I purchased it. Build quality is exultant. The rudder problem was on late 80 to late 90 boats and Northshore bought out a mod for those boats which consisted of fitting winglets to the rudder, the earlier boats had deep lifting rudders and the later had twin rudders. If I was going deep sea I would modify the keel so it could be locked down like the newer boats. The keel and grounding plate is massively engineered weighing just over two tons. The wheelhouse windows at least on mine are 13mm toughened glass set in aluminum frames. Knowing you can reduce your draft by four feet certainly makes you more adventurous.
charles_reed
Well-Known Member
Sinbad
I think you'll find it's the other way round - the twin, fixed rudders weren't deep enough in the water.
I think you'll find it's the other way round - the twin, fixed rudders weren't deep enough in the water.
