Suggestions for a bilge keel yacht with good headroom

[Shearwater1]

I'm looking for a twin keel boat for east coast sailing. I often spend extended time aboard, sometimes several weeks at a time and being 6ft tall I hate having to stoop. My search so far has narrowed down to a Cobra 870, Sabre 27 and Mirage 28. I've owned a Mirage 28 in the past and found that its' claimed headroom fell way short of 1.83, something which I suspect may also be the case with the Sabre and the Cobra. Given a budget of £12K, are there any others I should be looking at? TIA ps a Westerly Centaur isn't a consideration

 

[fredrussell]

How about one of the smaller Moodys? Perhaps someone on here will know what headroom they offer. Or a Westerly Griffon maybe?
Stag 28 and Seal 28 both have good headroom I seem to recall. Both are lifting keel boats.

 

[B27]

I spend very little time stood up, when below decks on a boat.
Greatest amount of time is in front of the stove perhaps?
I recall being on a small boat where you could sit on the engine box to cook, but I don't recall the details of the boat.

 

[ProDave]

Hunter Horizon 27TK / 272 / 273 might suit. Though I can't find the actual claimed headroom. All I know is is it more than our smaller HH23

Hunter Horizon 273 archive details - Yachtsnet Ltd. online UK yacht brokers - yacht brokerage and boat sales

 

[Tranona]

Westerly Konsort if you are happy with the original engine Example here apolloduck.co.uk/boat/westerly-konsort-for-sale/751518

 

[seumask]

Second the westerly Konsort, and the smaller Griffon. Examples are often available in your price range.

 

[Refueler]

Headroom in older boats is always an issue ... but some such as mine have had the main cabin 'floor' lowered by reducing the height of the support formers across the bilge. So you really need to go look. Many older boats had these in wood .. so easy matter to reduce. Later boats these were often in GRP or encapsulated - making it more difficult.

At end of day - near all boats tend to not be quite headroom as quoted !!

I would just put in the 12K to Boat Sales sites online and see what comes up ... I can suggest a bot - as many have and will ... but at end of day - its based on bias and personal. I'm a great believer in viewing and whether you get the YES or NO gut feeling ... in those first few minutes on board.
If I was to spend longer and have the thought - Oh well I can live with that .. maybe sort that ... then Boat is a NO for me ... as those will be niggly thoughts every time you go on board.

 

[Gixer]

Hunter Horizon 27TK / 272 / 273 might suit. Though I can't find the actual claimed headroom. All I know is is it more than our smaller HH23

Hunter Horizon 273 archive details - Yachtsnet Ltd. online UK yacht brokers - yacht brokerage and boat sales

I measure it for the OP if they would like but I'm pretty sure its 6 foot in the galley area and head, one of the reasons I picked the HH27 is for standing headroom.

 

[Yorkshire Exile]

Sadler 29? But I think 6ft only amidships.

 

[Sailing steve]

Hunter Ranger 245 or 265. Both over 6' headroom

 

[Lucky Duck]

Hunter Horizon 27TK / 272 / 273 might suit. Though I can't find the actual claimed headroom. All I know is is it more than our smaller HH23

Hunter Horizon 273 archive details - Yachtsnet Ltd. online UK yacht brokers - yacht brokerage and boat sales

I measure it for the OP if they would like but I'm pretty sure its 6 foot in the galley area and head, one of the reasons I picked the HH27 is for standing headroom.

Hunter Ranger 245 or 265. Both over 6' headroom

The 265 carries it's headroom a lot further forward than the 26/27/272/273 - I found the amount of additional space as a result immediately noticeable

 

[Gixer]

The 265 carries it's headroom a lot further forward than the 26/27/272/273 - I found the amount of additional space as a result immediately noticeable

I think there is a Hunter Channel 27 also which has better headroom forward.

 

[Bristolfashion]

Sadler 29? But I think 6ft only amidships.

I'm m 6'2" and I find the Sadler 29 very comfortable - and it's otherwise a good all rounder and sails well.

 

[Yorkshire Exile]

I'm m 6'2" and I find the Sadler 29 very comfortable - and it's otherwise a good all rounder and sails well.

My S29 is also very comfortable but as I'm only a miniscule 5' 8" I had to guess at the height!

 

[peteK]

Leisure 27

 

[Lucky Duck]

I think there is a Hunter Channel 27 also which has better headroom forward.

I think that is so but I haven’t been aboard one.

Always thought the amount of headroom was rather high for an 8m boat, my current boat more than 2m longer may well have less

 

[Refueler]

Lets be honest .... many boats in the up to 30ft class for years catered for the 5ft 10in classic person. 6ft'rs so often had problem of finding a boat with headroom.

Pilot house boats offer the advantage in way of the step up to pilot house - but can often sacrifice a part below. Older more tubby boats such as the Macwester Wight etc tried to give more .. As designs evolved and boats lost that bilge space volume ... along with losing coachroof ... the headroom problem persisted.... causing designers to increase hull height to compensate and regain.

I see recc'd boats above and I am not sure any actually meet OP's height req'd ... but they are closer at least.

 

[Tranona]

That is correct, and often if there is a notional1.85m it is only in a small area and quickly drops as you go forward. However I am 1.9m and was comfortable when I sailed regularly in a Sabre. I have also been on a Konsort and felt it was very spacious with not only good headroom from the companionway forward to the forecabin, but the extra beam and wide coachroof meant the headroom was over a greater area of the main cabin. One of the reasons for buying my GH31 was the headroom which is 2m from the galley forward to the forecabin.

As the OP is planning to spend long periods of time aboard it is perhaps just as important to look at berth lengths, particularly for sleeping, usable storage space, lounging space and toilet facilities. You don't actually spend much time standing up and many layouts are poor from a seating point of view. Short waterlines and narrow beams on boats that might be on the OPs list don't help in this respect when the market required at least 5 berths! A comparison between 2 front runners highlights the difference that greater LWL and beam can make.

Sadler 29 LOA 28'5" LWL 22'10" B 9'6"
Konsort LOA 28'10" LWL 25'6" B 10'9"

These 2 were sort of competitors but the difference in usable interior space is massive. The Konsort has more interior space than my GH

It may help the OP to trawl through here yachtsnet.co.uk/archives.htm as although he won't directly get headroom data it will give a good idea of what each design offers.

 

[Bristolfashion]

That is correct, and often if there is a notional1.85m it is only in a small area and quickly drops as you go forward. However I am 1.9m and was comfortable when I sailed regularly in a Sabre. I have also been on a Konsort and felt it was very spacious with not only good headroom from the companionway forward to the forecabin, but the extra beam and wide coachroof meant the headroom was over a greater area of the main cabin. One of the reasons for buying my GH31 was the headroom which is 2m from the galley forward to the forecabin.

As the OP is planning to spend long periods of time aboard it is perhaps just as important to look at berth lengths, particularly for sleeping, usable storage space, lounging space and toilet facilities. You don't actually spend much time standing up and many layouts are poor from a seating point of view. Short waterlines and narrow beams on boats that might be on the OPs list don't help in this respect when the market required at least 5 berths! A comparison between 2 front runners highlights the difference that greater LWL and beam can make.

Sadler 29 LOA 28'5" LWL 22'10" B 9'6"
Konsort LOA 28'10" LWL 25'6" B 10'9"

These 2 were sort of competitors but the difference in usable interior space is massive. The Konsort has more interior space than my GH

It may help the OP to trawl through here yachtsnet.co.uk/archives.htm as although he won't directly get headroom data it will give a good idea of what each design offers.

Yeah, but I'll be in the pub (with masses of headroom) while the Konsort is still wallowing around the headland.

 

[Tranona]

Yeah, but I'll be in the pub (with masses of headroom) while the Konsort is still wallowing around the headland.

The OP is planning to creek crawl around the east coast. Note I said "sort of competitors" and I just used it to illustrate that there is a choice within his price range.