UFO 34 vrs She 36

Phideaux said:
Never looked at the Sadler 32, until now :o

Looks rather nice from the images on various brokers' websites and at an affordable price (sub £20k)
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Solid little boats, my fiancee and I have just come back from 3 months and 1600 miles from Gosport to Orkney and back to Largs. Very tough boats.

You can see images of our Sadler 32 here

Ours in a 1983 boat and was over £26k when we bought her, and she was in good condition. Older boats are less, but there are enough around to shop for a good one. If you want sailing performance go for the deep fin (1.68m draft) there's also a shallow, bilge and lifting keel options out there.

We had ours reaching in 38 knots (true) of breeze and beating in 30 odd knots (true). She doesn't like two metre breaking waves, but then again, neither do I! :D

In flat waters and 13-16 knots of breeze she'll sails like a witch up wind, 5.8-6.2 knots (with all our cruising gear on board!), light as a feather on the helm. Actually off the wind she sails like a witch as well!

Blog of our trip to Scotland
Negative points
Headroom forward goes down to around 5'6, and the ensuite heads might put some off. the galley lacks works space, but we just bought a long chopping board that sits on the steps. Off set prop makes reversing fun, as does our bukh engine.

If you want to know any more just ask
 
snooks said:
she'll sails like a witch up wind, 5.8-6.2 knots... Actually off the wind she sails like a witch as well!
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I must have a different idea of "sails like a witch" (see http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2624236#post2624236) I've used the term "twitchy as a witch" to describe a sudden and almost uncontrollable weather helm in gusts of 35 knots. This was almost certainly due to my inexperience with the boat and my unbalancing the sails when I called for reefs of main and genoa.

I advise reading Terry Pratchett if you are even thinking about trying to understand witches :D
 
snooks said:
Solid little boats, my fiancee and I have just come back from 3 months and 1600 miles from Gosport to Orkney and back to Largs. Very tough boats.

If you want to know any more just ask
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Snooks (Graham),
Having just read your and Kirsty's blog (as above) I feel really envious; not just that you've done the trip with its trials and tribulations, but that you've done it with a partner in the true sense of the word.
Much respect for you both,
Simon
 
Phideaux said:
I advise reading Terry Pratchett if you are even thinking about trying to understand witches :D
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I've always seen it as a complimentary term meaning she flies along.

Just did a quick search on the forum for the term "witch" and to see what context others use it and found these :D

"just like the She 36 (also an S & S design) she sails like a witch, beautifully balanced, "
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2615841&postcount=6

"She ticks all my requirements, sails like a witch, points beautifully (though not quite as high as my friends' sigma 33!), can plane downwind, and dries out beautifully."
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2224460&postcount=58

"Sea Rush is a much loved tubby old comfortable cruiser with baggy sails (a lot like her owner in many ways) and will never be required or expected to sail like a witch. "
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2548276&postcount=4

That's the way I've always understood it anyway :)

I advise reading Harry Potter if you are even thinking about trying to understand witches :rolleyes:

;)

and Thanx:)
 
snooks said:
she'll sails like a witch up wind, 5.8-6.2 knots (with all our cruising gear on board!), light as a feather on the helm. Actually off the wind she sails like a witch as well!
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Well, I like Sadler 32s as well but for all her virtues "sailing like a witch" is not one of them.


"A good sailor in terms of her age and type"........ is perhaps less likely to mislead the inexperienced
 
Ubergeekian said:
And how fast sideways?
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Sailing up West Kyle we were overhaulling a early 90's 38ft Jeanneau we were cross tacking with in a bit of friendly cruiser racing. :) So she can't be going sideways too badly ;)

When we get the data sorted out with teamsurv you'll be able to see our track. In the meantime you can see how she tacked from Gigha in a blow at the Teamsurv website you'll have to zoom in on the track north of Gigha and remember that was our ground track with wind against tide. For some reason our track stoops at Rhum, but it's being worked on.
 
zarathustra said:
whats the opinions of the She31, do they share the same sea-keeping qualities of the 36
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Bullet proof, and fast in their day, esp upwind, but wet, and can be a bit hard mouthed off the wind, but generally very easy to handle with no vices. Well built, as were all South Hants Engineering products.
Will take you anywhere.
Cramped interior by modern standards.
 
To go back quite a few posts, but I think it worth it, the She 36 which did so well ( thanks to her obviously top crew ) in the '79 Fastnet was ' Lorelei '.

In the friendly little Redcliff S.C. on the River Frome near Poole, there's a painting of the incident, and an inscription by her owner ( presumably a member ) to the effect of " She would never let me down, I'd always trust her no matter what I asked ".

I'd reckon that says a huge amount.

The UFO 34 is a good boat, the She a classic.

I noticed mention of a Sigma 33, I hope that was just posting fatigue !

A late friend crewed one in a lot of racing including Fastnets and wasn't terribly impressed, not an over-built boat.

I met a couple of young idiot Sunsail 'instructors' who'd taken one on a transatlantic delivery; by a combination of their cluelesness and the boat's build, they lifted 6' of the windward deck clear of the hull !

I must admit I do agree with all the pro-tiller comments though; and another advantage with this is that if singlehanded one could emulate the early wind vane singlehanders & trail a strong thin line, which if grabbed by a MOB would disengage a tiller autopilot - difficult to arrange with a wheel.
 
Hi,

Read with interest some of the thread.

Perhaps I can add an opinion based on about 35000 miles single handed sailing in 70's racing boats.

Somone posted this..
"is unreasonable to expect a boat that was designed for hard racing with a big crew to be easily converted to a long distance singlehander."

I'm afraid this is simply uninformed, is not necessarily true and should not put you off. Global Chalenge 70 footers, designed for a crew of 14, have been single handed, so have Open 60's etc - anything can be single handed if you have the right kit (self steering and furling headsails etc). And depending on what you want it for..

In fact 70's racers make extremely good single handers. They have good performance but are not extreme. I sailed a 1971 nicholson 43 (IOR racer), 2 up across all major oceans and now own a UFO 34. Both excellent boats for the job.

Why?
1. The most critical issue when single handing is helming. The boat must be able to be controlled by self steering/auto helm so that the crew can sleep, eat, change sails, maintainance etc etc. In all conditions.
A moderate hull like those of the 70's will track well, not carve up or bouce around and therefore work well under wind self steering and/or use less power under mechanical auto pilot. This will save your life, or at least mean you get plenty of sleep and enjoy your sailing.

2. 70's racing boats are fast and point well. Yet are moderate in behaviour and strong. This is a great combo.

3. Large foretriangle can be an advantage. especially if you contemplate lots of downwind sailing. You can fly plenty of sail, without the main. No jibe risk, good directional stability = safety, speed and more sleep on passage.

4) a 70s racing boat (eg UFO 34) will probably have better light wnd performance than a 70s or more recent cruising boat. Worth having.

FYI I sail a ufo 34 with wife and 3 kids under 8. So single handed esentially. Can't recommend it enough. Left Alderney at night in a rough F7, kids tucked up in cosy pilot berths, and couldn't stop grinning becasue she handled the seas so well. And fast with just a scap of sail. But she's good in light airs too.

Obviously I am biased!

Best of luck with your deliberations...
 
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Seajet said:
The UFO 34 is a good boat, the She a classic.

I noticed mention of a Sigma 33, I hope that was just posting fatigue !

A late friend crewed one in a lot of racing including Fastnets and wasn't terribly impressed, not an over-built boat.

I met a couple of young idiot Sunsail 'instructors' who'd taken one on a transatlantic delivery; by a combination of their cluelesness and the boat's build, they lifted 6' of the windward deck clear of the hull !.
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Having owned and hard raced a Sigma 33 in the OOD fleet for 7 years (and a Sigma 38 for 12) I find your hearsay information very close to unbelievable. ( I really mean that its rubbish) For example to have lifted the deck the shrouds would have to have been removed from the chainplates and fixed to the toe rail, not very likely? Your comments about the build quality are certainly untrue, if it was not they would not all be still sailing after thirty years.
Why not post facts, too boring?
 
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Quandary said:
I find your hearsay information very close to unbelievable. ( I really mean that its rubbish) For example to have lifted the deck the shrouds would have to have been removed from the chainplates and fixed to the toe rail, not very likely? Your comments about the build quality are certainly untrue, if it was not they would not all be still sailing after thirty years.
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I'd be interested in a lot more detail as well.

What was the name of the boat? Exactly what happened? How did the crew contribute to the damage?
 
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