"Top ten turkeys" any takers?

[Seagreen]

\"Top ten turkeys\" any takers?

Drifting through the ads and the glossy brochures, a lot of brands of craft are described as "classics" or "modern classics" and suchlike.

What I'd really like to see are a review of the top ten turkeys - really awful production yachts which, for one reason or another, we would only recommend to the Navy as targets for target practice!

The Magazines won't do a list, but I really think we ought to compile one. Which boats have we been on, and loath, not for the state they are in, but for construction and design howlers that would make anyone who looked beyond the brochures laugh.

My own choice? Jeanneau Sun Odessey. Why? For letting the floor supporting the aft end of the keel be sacrificed - hence massive increase in point loading behind the keel, just so the shower door could be full size... Not a problem, unless your keel hits a rock. Any other boat, this would be annoying but a small bump and it cracked the hull.

Do these boats get inspected?

 

[Gunfleet]

Re: \"Top ten turkeys\" any takers?

Wayfarer. The galley is exposed to the elements and there is no double berth.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Re: \"Top ten turkeys\" any takers?

I've seen a few homebuilt ferro boats that could be nominated.

The trouble with suggesting other boats is that all the 'bad ones' I can think of are OK for some activity on the water - even if its only fishing in the estuary.

I am trying to think of a boat that was advertised as an offshore yacht but isn't...

 

[photodog]

Re: \"Top ten turkeys\" any takers?

Hmm

While I can think of a couple of boats which I have hated, for a number of reasons, I cant hep but think that in this case I will stick with the " if you havnet got anything nice to say, dont say anything at all" for the simple reason that If I slag off someone elses pride and joy, (Unintentionally) then someone else will probably end up slaggin of my pride and joy!
And thats bad for a couple of reasons.... 1) It would make me feel like a muppet for buying it , (And I dont need reminding thank you) and 2) some other muppet will try to drive down the price when I come to sell it based upon the review posted here!

Someones turkey is someonelses xmas dinner!

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Dyflin]

Re: \"Top ten turkeys\" any takers?

[ QUOTE ]


I am trying to think of a boat that was advertised as an offshore yacht but isn't...

[/ QUOTE ]

Titanic? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[fireball]

Re: \"Top ten turkeys\" any takers?

Which Sun Odyssey though? Our keel is no where near the door to the heads .. no sacrificing on our boat ... (it would stain the upholstery!)

 

[Searush]

Re: \"Top ten turkeys\" any takers?

I chartered an Atlanta Alacrity 24 once with a 2-bladed variable pitch prop and it was awfull! Grossly underpowered & unable to motor into a strong wind, it was also a poor sailer with high freeboard. The interior was roomy, but the loss of sailing ability was catastrophic compared to Westerly designs with similar aims.

 

[Norman_E]

Re: \"Top ten turkeys\" any takers?

Nothing wrong with my Sun Odyssey's keel attachment either. Keel bolts are well below saloon floor level, so that the positions of interior fittings have no bearing on the matter.
Whilst I consider my older boat to be better built and a better design than the current 45, which lacks the big forward lazarette, I have sailed on a current S.O. 35, which was a very nice boat and sailed very well. It was only let down by being fitted with the 19hp Volvo engine which was running very roughly with a lot of vibration at certain engine speeds. A Yanmar or the bigger Volvo option would have been better.

 

[Marsupial]

Re: \"Top ten turkeys\" any takers?

construction and design howlers that would make anyone who looked beyond the brochures laugh

Absolutely agree, there are many candidates out there for the Darwin awards for boat construction. As previously suggested ferro comes close but by far the strongest contender is anything made from strips of porous cellulose material. Sensibly, most of the builders of these ancient designs now manufacture in a stable (ish) material like GRP. They at least realise how daft is it to build a device that is supposed to float then have to fill it with water before its put in the sea and hope the components expand and “fit” together they leak and rot and on top of that need constant attention to prevent them from sinking. But by design, they don’t steer cause havoc in marinas and trip over their keels in a seaway. Overall they are pointless except perhaps as a reminder of how far yacht design has progressed, be honest if they were any good all boats would be made that way and look like them – but they’re not. So I nominate old wooden stuff.

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Searush]

Re: \"Top ten turkeys\" any takers?

[ QUOTE ]
construction and design howlers that would make anyone who looked beyond the brochures laugh

Absolutely agree, there are many candidates out there for the Darwin awards for boat construction. As previously suggested ferro comes close but by far the strongest contender is anything made from strips of porous cellulose material. Sensibly, most of the builders of these ancient designs now manufacture in a stable (ish) material like GRP. They at least realise how daft is it to build a device that is supposed to float then have to fill it with water before its put in the sea and hope the components expand and “fit” together they leak and rot and on top of that need constant attention to prevent them from sinking. But by design, they don’t steer cause havoc in marinas and trip over their keels in a seaway. Overall they are pointless except perhaps as a reminder of how far yacht design has progressed, be honest if they were any good all boats would be made that way and look like them – but they’re not. So I nominate old wooden stuff.

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Sniff, Sniff, smells like a Troll to me this one! Thought about cross posting a link from the Classic forum?

 

[penultimate]

Re: \"Top ten turkeys\" any takers?

I was thinking of posting a photo of a club member's boat that is known by others as "The Shed". On second thoughts that would have been a bit cruel.
I leave you with the thought that that boat gives it owner great pleasure and is used every weekend when most of the other members' boats never leave their moorings.

 

[cerro]

Re: \"Top ten turkeys\" any takers?

Only my wife sees my pride and joy

 

[graham]

Re: \"Top ten turkeys\" any takers?

I think your standing into danger here....With umpteen thousand registered users on these forums even the ugliest ,slowest most unseaworthy old shed will have some loyal owners lurking here who will defend it to the last man...... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Seagreen]

Re: \"Top ten turkeys\" any takers?

Thing this was a sun odessy 35? Dunno the range very well at all, as it was a charter boat. This had a luvverly oval table, with a nice big wheel aft, but the only thing stopping me falling backwards out of the boat and into the midnight channel, were two flimsy wires.

 

[Seagreen]

Re: \"Top ten turkeys\" any takers?

Not a troll!

Not poking fun at anyone's pride and joy either, but just seeing if there's a consistent couple of over-marketed and under-performing production yachts that people can point to, and laugh.

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[DJE]

Re: \"Top ten turkeys\" any takers?

[ QUOTE ]
Wayfarer. The galley is exposed to the elements and there is no double berth.

[/ QUOTE ] But I seem to remember a Wayfarer with a boom tent providing perfectly adequate facilities (in all areas /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif) for an enthusiastic couple in their twenties.

 

[FullCircle]

Re: \"Top ten turkeys\" any takers?

Ground mine regularly and deliberately.
:Lots of boats with 2 wires. Why do you think they are flimsy? I lean on mine all the time.
Best you get back to sailing your bombproof brick.
And my keel is nowhere near the shower door either. The sole level determines the door heright, and mine has a structural reinforcing beam just forard of the heads, and another one just aft, which is the forard engine support beam.

Are you a structural engineeer then?

 

[Lakesailor]

Re: \"Top ten turkeys\" any takers?

These people should have one




How about the first one on their site?

 

[jamesjermain]

Re: \"Top ten turkeys\" any takers?

OK! I'll have a go, but I'll be a wimp and pick only boats whifch are not longer in production and add teh disclaimer that this is an entirely personal list and does not imply that these boats aren't good for someone, somewhere.

Macwester Seaforth 36
Seal 28
Buckler Mk1 and 2
Buckler Islander
Halmatic 880
B-26
Kelt 800
Atlantic Clipper
Mirror Offshore
Newbridge Virgo

 

[Lizzie_B]

Re: \"Top ten turkeys\" any takers?

Strange. I seem to remember reading some very positive boat reviews of the Seal 28 in IPC magazines.

It would be interesting to see if there are any reviews of the others you mention. /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif