UK circum capable <27ft yacht?

Seegull

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If you buy the wrong boat for your sailing before that you will never gain confidence needed for such a trip, or avoid using it because it’s not comfortable etc. and so never set off. Would buying a boat that gave many weekends of pleasure but you decided was not the ideal boat for sailing round Britain be a disaster? Would buying a boat that had enough comfort and modern design that your wife enjoyed it be a disaster - even if that meant you would prefer crew on a round Britain trip in the future?
My question was for yacht suggestions for a specific trip I am interested in doing.
 

Seegull

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Must admit that as a sail person - I prefer the lines of the normal Konsort instead of the Duo ... but as a boat for weather etc - the Duo ticks the box.
Yes it wouldn't win any beauty prizes!

I prefer the Fisher, Coaster, Colvic style. We had a look at a few last year.
 

Refueler

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My question was for yacht suggestions for a specific trip I am interested in doing.

That's fine - but you also said that it was to be in the future ... so why look at a boat for a circum instead of a boat that can provide comfort / experience and time to really get to know what you want.

Most people work up to the boat they eventually want ... as they change boats - the factors deciding the boat alter. We all evolve and adjust.
 

Refueler

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Yes it wouldn't win any beauty prizes!

I prefer the Fisher, Coaster, Colvic style. We had a look at a few last year.

This is my pride and joy :

38ft of pure adrenaline !

8SEKXULl.jpg


But I have to admit - I know that its not my '100%' boat ... but today it ticks all boxes.
 

Seegull

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Because "if" a boat that is suggested can also provide the comfort / experience I require now then great!
Those type of boats were suggested early on in this thread: Hunters / Sadlers.

My last boat was a 20ft trailer sailor. So stepping up to 26ft is logical.
The single handed aspect is very important.

If I want to go sailing in comfort with the wife and family then we will do a charter somewhere warm. They like that ;)
 

RunAgroundHard

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mrming

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Because "if" a boat that is suggested can also provide the comfort / experience I require now then great!
Those type of boats were suggested early on in this thread: Hunters / Sadlers.

My last boat was a 20ft trailer sailor. So stepping up to 26ft is logical.
The single handed aspect is very important.

If I want to go sailing in comfort with the wife and family then we will do a charter somewhere warm. They like that ;)
It’s honestly just as easy to single hand something around the 32’ mark if it’s a design with good manners. A heavier boat doesn’t blow around as much, and if you have good rudder authority and prop wash over the rudder, they are surprisingly obedient under power. There are also some good berthing tricks to learn as a single hander which can get you in and out of tight spaces.
 

Egret

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Connecting with another thread, keeping within 27ft, suitable for single handed, comfortable quickish and not to old, what about the Hunter Ranger 265 - Edit - Pilot 27 below looks good squeezes a lot into the length - Hunter Association website gives good report on their capabilities
 
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mrming

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Some nice kit and recent maintenance, but you’d have to really want a small pilot house boat as the asking price would get you into a bigger boat. On the plus side it looks like you could just jump in this one and go sailing.

Edit - this Dufour 30 of the same vintage and with a similar level of updates / spec is asking just £2k more.
 
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Tranona

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The Pilot 27 has always commanded a price premium as it is a pretty unique boat. Inevitably sold in small numbers when new because of the price premium (like the Channel 32 equivalent). However it really is too much of a quart into a pint pot in terms of accommodation unless you are slightly built. Also from the ones I looked at the finish is below what one might expect for the price.
 

Gixer

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The Pilot 27 has always commanded a price premium as it is a pretty unique boat. Inevitably sold in small numbers when new because of the price premium (like the Channel 32 equivalent). However it really is too much of a quart into a pint pot in terms of accommodation unless you are slightly built. Also from the ones I looked at the finish is below what one might expect for the price.
Agree, this boat is quite quirky and fits a very specific requirement. I've been a member of the Hunter Owners Association for 15 years have listened to many owners of the Pilot. I would say they are predominantly solo sailors who are looking to spend time on the water year round. I do think they are the most active group on the Association and spend a lot of time out sailing. Sheltered cockpit, below steering position, lines run aft, self tacking jib, larger engine, bilge keel, 27f, ticks all the boxes for a solo UK sail for me :)

The build can vary as a number were home finished from a 'sail away kit' but the structure is sound. Many owners keep on modifying them as they go along and some have a very high spec, like an instaboil tap!. I helped a guy home finish one a few years ago, he was planning to sail across the channel and spend time in the canals popping out the other side in the Med. With a draft of 1m, its very versatile and could be the reasons they hold their value very well.

I used to know the guy who built many of the moulds for the Hunter Range. He didn't like the Pilot, he said 'they took a great hull and stuck a block of flats on top of it'. He was a racer so I'll let him off :)
 
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