Suggestions please for lifting keel yacht with reasonable performance

Zippysigma

Zippysigma

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River Orwell, Suffolk
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We are looking for a yacht for the East coast. Mainly as a day/weekend sailor. 80% sailing in river Orwell and the coast, 20% creek crawling, so looking for something family of 4 (inc 2 yr old) can sleep in, reasonable performance, but able to take the ground occasionally.

Very keen on the new Legend 27x due to it's performance, huge rear cabin and tiller, but it is deep keel. Money up to about £45k. Assuming 27 to 33 ft.

What can you all recommend from experience?

Looking forward to replies!
 
Parker.

45k should get you a reasonable 31 if one comes up for sale - not many were built.

Great boats - fast, stable carry family of 4 easily.

Mine did for 13 years.

PM me if you want more. - you may have gathered I like the Parker.
 
Re: Suggestions please for lifting keel yacht with reasonable performa

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 32 available as a lift keel.

But why not go for the bilge keel Legend?
 
Beneteau First 285 - ours has given us reliable lifting keel, huge aft double cabin, decent-sized loo, comfortable main saloon and space for the kids in the forward double cabin. Twin rudders and keel stub enable drying out (with care about the nature of the seabed) and sparkling performance under fully-battened main etc. Perfect east-coaster - 6'6" draught keel down, 2'2" keel up. Makes the Thames Estuary much simpler! Good hunting .....
 
Re: Suggestions please for lifting keel yacht with reasonable performa

Thanks for all the suggestions, I know nothing about the Parkers, so will investigate. What is so good about them?

I still feel that bilge keels have the stigma of poor performance, has that changed?

Regarding cats, their turning circle in tight rivers puts me off, otherwise they fit the bill, I nearly bought one last year!
 
Re: Suggestions please for lifting keel yacht with reasonable performa

Hard on the wind at 8 - 8.5 kts with 4yo daughter steering.

Dublin to Holyhead in 9.5 hours with SWMBO and daughter as crew.

Most come with Copperclad finish below the waterline no anti-fouling to do - just rub down with wet n dry.

Long water line 28' 9" for speed and internal volume

Wing keel concentrates a ton of lead 6ft below waterline giving enormous righting moment

Z-Spars rig with large sail area for power

The wing is about 5ft span - the boat taking the ground sits on the wing, its weight being taked on 2 "bumps" in the hullover the wing and by a stainless mini-wing on the skeg which houses the propshaft. the prop is held clear of the ground. Rough, uneven or stony ground is no problem, the glass hull does not touch.

Built by a proper boatbuilder who takes a pride in his product.

They really are lovely boats, I only sold mine because I need a motorsailer to keep out of the weather.
There isn't a bilge keeler built that will come near a Parker.
 
Re: Suggestions please for lifting keel yacht with reasonable performa

I had the pleasure a few years back of having a peek around the Parker yard, and I have to agree, their product is beautifully put together, and they do seem to have a real pride in their boats!
 
Re: Suggestions please for lifting keel yacht with reasonable performa

They also come with optimistic logs .

Haven't heard a bad word about Parkers. Really well built yachts - and British to boot.
 
Re: Suggestions please for lifting keel yacht with reasonable performa

Perhaps you would be so kind as to say precisely which part of my post you claim to be a lie.
 
Have a look at the Delphia 29, it's available with a lifting keel with about 2' draft with the keel up so should suit east coast sailing....
I looked at one at the boat show in January and it looked really well built and certainly better than the jenneau's I looked at. There was also a boat test in 'Boat Trader' magazine which said the same thing written by Peter Poland (Who used to own Hunter Boats)and he should know what he's talking about.
The boat at the show also had a neat mast lowering system so you could explor the norfolk broads easily if you wanted...
If I had the dosh I'd be beating a path to their door!
 
i swapped last year from a hunter horizon twin keel 272 which sailed really well to a parker 27 and i am shocked at how good a sail boat they are and are very well balanced.
i would have liked the 31 but budget would not cover it but no complaints with the 27.
 
Re: Suggestions please for lifting keel yacht with reasonable performa

Lifting keels (prehistorical iron sheets not considered here) are either sabre (Etap, Parker) or swinging ones (Jeanneau, Beneteau, Hanse). If you intend to explore mouse holes, you may experience some "touch and go", potentially hazardous with the sabre configuration. The swinging keel upper position is usually inside a shallow draught sturdy wing keel which allows comfortable sailing so far you are not taut close-hauled. Sabre and swinging profiles are comparable but the latter's complicated geometry involves a slightly lesser efficiency (cf. handicap tables), but that is even debatable for strong breeze or downwind conditions... You'll have to identify your main requirements, and run some multicriteria analysis...
 
If performance is your main criteria then you'd be daft not tp look at Parker yachts, either the Parker 26/27 or the 31. Not bad accommodation either. An older French boat is the Kelt 29 which can take the bottom beautifully and had an excellent aft cabin.
 
Re: Suggestions please for lifting keel yacht with reasonable performa

Right, but some experiences proved the kelt 29 prop could take the bottom beautifully too...
 
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