Suggestions for pocket cruiser

[colhel]

Our leisure 23sl is up for sale at a vey reasonable 4.5k search Appollo Duck or Harbour Yachts in Poole.

 

[ClaireDuet]

Hurley 22 again but I'm very biased...

I passed this one in Plymouth the other afternoon. Looks very tidy and is under £3k!
http://yachts.apolloduck.co.uk/display.phtml?aid=348272

Claire

 

[Neil]

The Sadler 25 has been mentioned amongst several other small boats, with the latter often being qualified by comments relating to lack of speed and pointing ability. I think that to go back to the original post, which looks for suggestions for a 'pocket cruiser', one needs to look at one's priorities. I've gradually, over the last couple of years, come to realise that my Sadler 25 acts very much like a more substantial cruiser, in terms of it's sailing attributes. It points well and is surprisingly fast. I've clocked 6.5 knots reefed in F6 on a reach at right angles to the tidal stream (my GPS says my max speed was once 10.5 kts - I don't know where or when that happened!). One factor that becomes more critical the smaller the boat, is the topsides profile, with a larger cabin presenting, proportionally, a much larger windage, to the detriment of sailing ability. The Sadler 25 has quite a low profile which benefits sailing ability. The downside, if course is accommodation: there is no standing headroom at all. Quasimodo might be at home there, but certainly not the 5 people for which there's supposed to be berths for! Two adults are fine, but unless you are talking about small children, any more would be difficult.

As always, boats are a compromise and for a 'pocket cruiser', this is especially true. Do you want it to sail like a bigger boat or be able to stand up in it?

 

[nedr]

Very good point. My old Vivacity was so low on headspace that even Quasimodo would have been on his knees! I didn't mind however because the lower profile definitely helped with sailing ability - my better half however hated it. I can't remember which top boat designer it was who famously stated that "headroom is for caravans", but I personally feel that a small boat that puts accommodation first is going to disappoint on the water.

 

[ronsurf]

If seaworthiness and nice to look at are amongst your criteria then a bilge keel Corribee is good value. Very cheap to own as well. And most importantly, easy to sell! Ahem, I mean, sail.

 

[Corribee Boy]

+1 (of course)

 

[Bobc]

This is a lot of boat for the money http://yachts.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=366503

Also have a look at Jag25s, they perform reasonably well and are spacious inside.