Tradewind 35 - info please!

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laser45

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Hi all,

I've been looking at the Tradewind 35 as a potential candidate in my long quest for The Perfect Yacht, and like what I see! However, the current manufacturer (http://www.lionclassicboats.com/index.php?lang=en) gives scanty information on the history of the design, which I'm interested in (apparently they used to be built in the UK). If anyone knows anything about them, has sailed one, has formed an opinion etc. etc. it would be great to hear it. In particular, if anyone knows anything about the hull layup (a personal obsession!) it would be good to find out. A D/L ratio of 513 (wow!) should indicate a strong hull, but not necessarily... Be interesting to find out about sailing characteristics too...

Thanks!
 
Tradewind 35 is a development of the earlier 33. Main differences are slightly extended bow and stern, longer keel and different rudder, all designed to improve balance and reduce weather helm. Centre part of the boat is the same. Designed by John Rock in Poole and originally built by Mitchells, also in Poole. John designed it originally to do his own RTW, which he did successfully. Later designed and built a 39, but not so successful.

The mouldings were done by Blondecell in Lymington and after Mitchells gave up building them other builders completed them - some in Salcombe and then Blondecell did them themselves. All along you could buy hulls and kits so many were home completed. MB Yachts in Poole completed a few and tried to expand the brand with a 25 and 30 of entirely different design, without much success. Rights now owned by a Dutch company.

The basic design is virtually unchanged throughout its life and most are cutter rigged, some with bowsprit/platform. Interior layout varies little, but style of finish can vary depending on when it was built and who built it. Early ones were very "teaky" but later builders often went for white bulkheads and wood trim. Early engines Bukh - either 20 (bit weak) or 36 and later mostly Yanmar 3 cylinder. Long production run means lots of detail variation and wide price range.
 
laser45 said:
A D/L ratio of 513 (wow!) should indicate a strong hull, but not necessarily... Be interesting to find out about sailing characteristics too...

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Or simply a heavy hull? What that weight is likely to indicate is sluggish sailing performance, and from my one experience of sailing alongside a new Tradewind, I believe thats the case.

But then if you want the sailing equivalent of a Land Rover Defender, its a good choice. Slow steady but you will eventually get there.
 
Bosun Higgs said:
Or simply a heavy hull? What that weight is likely to indicate is sluggish sailing performance, and from my one experience of sailing alongside a new Tradewind, I believe thats the case.

But then if you want the sailing equivalent of a Land Rover Defender, its a good choice. Slow steady but you will eventually get there.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Flighty they ain't. Confidence-inspiring except nerve-wracking when reversing, like all long keelers. Comfortable, but probably short on ventilation in warm climates. Pretty well bomb-proof rig.
 
Bosun Higgs said:
Or simply a heavy hull? What that weight is likely to indicate is sluggish sailing performance, and from my one experience of sailing alongside a new Tradewind, I believe thats the case.

But then if you want the sailing equivalent of a Land Rover Defender, its a good choice. Slow steady but you will eventually get there.
Click to expand...

A bit like the tortoise and the hare then !
 
Thanks everyone, especially Tranona. I realise she won't be fast, but speed isn't really my priority! If there are any owners out there, I would still be interested to hear a little more about the hull layup/construction.

Also does anyone know anything about this lot? http://www.traditionalsail.co.uk/tr...ilfiles/traditionalsailfiles/Tradewind 35.htm (worst website ever!!)
Confusing as the Dutch company also claim they are the only builders. I would email them, but would hate to waste their time as I have no intention of buying a brand new boat.

Cheers!
 
laser45 said:
Hi all,

I've been looking at the Tradewind 35 as a potential candidate in my long quest for The Perfect Yacht, and like what I see! However, the current manufacturer (http://www.lionclassicboats.com/index.php?lang=en) gives scanty information on the history of the design, which I'm interested in (apparently they used to be built in the UK). If anyone knows anything about them, has sailed one, has formed an opinion etc. etc. it would be great to hear it. In particular, if anyone knows anything about the hull layup (a personal obsession!) it would be good to find out. A D/L ratio of 513 (wow!) should indicate a strong hull, but not necessarily... Be interesting to find out about sailing characteristics too...

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Spoke to a Tradewind 35 owner alongside Lymington Town Quay earlier this year - nice guy from Ireland (North I think).

He agreed, that they were slow & mentioned that passage planning depended very much on how long food supplies would last, due to length of even 'short' passages.

I like the look of them (35), but often wondered what the 39' version would be like.
http://www.tradewind39.com/
 
Last edited:
laser45 said:
Thanks everyone, especially Tranona. I realise she won't be fast, but speed isn't really my priority! If there are any owners out there, I would still be interested to hear a little more about the hull layup/construction.

Also does anyone know anything about this lot? http://www.traditionalsail.co.uk/tr...ilfiles/traditionalsailfiles/Tradewind 35.htm (worst website ever!!)
Confusing as the Dutch company also claim they are the only builders. I would email them, but would hate to waste their time as I have no intention of buying a brand new boat.

Cheers!
Click to expand...

They are the only builder, they bought the hull moulds from Blondecell.

£250,000 for a new one but they do have one that was a cancelled order ( so they say) in a ? State of finish at £200,000 approx !
I quote from a recent conversation with them.
 
laser45 said:
Thanks everyone, especially Tranona. I realise she won't be fast, but speed isn't really my priority! If there are any owners out there, I would still be interested to hear a little more about the hull layup/construction.

Also does anyone know anything about this lot? http://www.traditionalsail.co.uk/tr...ilfiles/traditionalsailfiles/Tradewind 35.htm (worst website ever!!)
Confusing as the Dutch company also claim they are the only builders. I would email them, but would hate to waste their time as I have no intention of buying a brand new boat.

Cheers!
Click to expand...
Standard pile in the GRP as much as you can type hull with internal ballast. Blondecell were a very high class GRP moulder, so properly done, but heavy as overall weight was not a problem. Fit out varies - I used to watch them being built at Mitchells when I kept my boat there. Many have teak decks which are likely to be giving problems now. Scottytradewind who posts here has an earlier 33 and has recorded replacing his deck (or rather removing the teak completely) here in the last year. The 35 has an all GRP deck and coachroof and teak was not always used, whereas the 33 had a timber deckhouse.

Don't think there are any particular weaknesses - although a 33 in our club is just having osmosis dealt with, and its rudder fell apart because mild steel fittings were used inside the moulding. Interior fitout will vary because of the different builders, the number of home builders and some boats were built for the forces so fitted out very plainly.

Blondecell stopped building them when demand fell to a trickle. Partly because that style fell out of fashion as new designs came on the market, partly because of the difficulty of complying with the RCD when home completed, but mainly because they had become just too expensive. When the price premium over a similar size production boat was 30% or so it was attractive, when it rose to 70%+ and you could get, say an HR for the same or less money, demand dried up. As you see a new one is still in HR price territory.

This all makes them a good buy if that is what you want. I have seen a very good 33 go for less than £25k. Trouble is, there are so few (think around 120 35s built) that they don't come on the market very often as owners tend to hold onto them, perhaps because there are very few similar boats around.
 
Cheers.

Sounds like a good option! Methinks when (if!) the money finally comes together I'll be looking for one of these, or perhaps the 39 which I imagine is similar, just a bit stretched.

Really appreciated the information everyone.
 
Bosun Higgs said:
In which case go home built steel. Tyres as fenders. Or even, as I once saw with a froggie boat , with cleats welded to the outside of the hull.
Click to expand...

I once had a couple of weeks crewing on a very grungy steel boat. It was amazing how quickly extra fenders were put out by boats that saw us coming into marinas.
 
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