what boat to buy?

Birdseye

Birdseye

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contemplating selling my current boat but wondering what there is available that might replace it and having never owned a "european brand" I would appreciate some advice.
So a few details. I am old. I dont go long distance any longer. In fact my sailing is limited to local. My current boat is a bit small - I downsized to it and went a bit too small, so I am looking for something in the 30 to 35 ft range - steady handling but reasonably quick because I am a sail tweaker of decades standing. I enjoyed the nice big single wheel of my last boat with the mainsheet tract in front of the wheel. I like the easy sail handling of my single masted fractional rigged modern boat .

Budget> Less than £100k, newer than 2000.

I have pored over Apollo Duck but there seem to be lots of BenJenBav plus the likes of Hanse most of which seem to have chipboard interiors from MFI but am I wrong on this? Lots have tillers or main tracks in front of the sprayhood. Both those are a definite NO.
 
What are you looking to do with the boat? Just day sailing? Weekend cruising? Light racing?
Where do you sit on the performance vs interior comfort scale? Where J are at one end and Motorsailors at the other.
 
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You need my boat that's probably for sale soon as I've bought another for blue water cruising. She's a Dehler 35 CWS with wing keel 1.5m draft. Fractional rig with 100% jib, powered primary winches, points like a tourist, civilized interior. Lots of new stuff, autopilot, heater, new main and jib in radial hydranet, windlass, VHF, etc.
 
The Elan would be a good choice except that the main track runs across the bridge deck so not so good for single handing. also getting a bit long in the tooth now.
 
Hanse 345 Michael Schmidt & Partner – 2013 Hanse 345 for sale twin wheel but mainsheet control goes to winches/clutches in easy reach from wheels. Selftacking jib and supposed to be a sharp performer.

For obvious reasons I would add a 2014-2017 Bavaria 33. with standard deep keel and good sails will go well. Excellent single handing with main just in front of wheel although no traveller. Mine was good with shallow keel and in mast but if doing a bit of racing worth having good sails and deep keel.

Don't worry about "build quality" they are both very well put together. Mine was trouble free from new and was as good as new when I sold it after 6 seasons.
 
michael_w said:
You need my boat that's probably for sale soon as I've bought another for blue water cruising. She's a Dehler 35 CWS with wing keel 1.5m draft. Fractional rig with 100% jib, powered primary winches, points like a tourist, civilized interior. Lots of new stuff, autopilot, heater, new main and jib in radial hydranet, windlass, VHF, etc.
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That’s actually an excellent option for the OP.
 
Tranona said:
Hanse 345 Michael Schmidt & Partner – 2013 Hanse 345 for sale twin wheel but mainsheet control goes to winches/clutches in easy reach from wheels. Selftacking jib and supposed to be a sharp performer.

For obvious reasons I would add a 2014-2017 Bavaria 33. with standard deep keel and good sails will go well. Excellent single handing with main just in front of wheel although no traveller. Mine was good with shallow keel and in mast but if doing a bit of racing worth having good sails and deep keel.

Don't worry about "build quality" they are both very well put together. Mine was trouble free from new and was as good as new when I sold it after 6 seasons.
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It seems fashionable to have a go at Hanse on build quality. I can’t see that they are less good than other modern AWBs. And they do sail well.
 
Chiara’s slave said:
It seems fashionable to have a go at Hanse on build quality. I can’t see that they are less good than other modern AWBs. And they do sail well.
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They have had a chequered history from their beginnings as builders of Scandinavian cast offs and some of their early own designs were a bit rough round the edges but by the mid 2000s they were up there with the big 3 and have stayed that way. The 325 was second on my list when I bought the Bavaria in 2015 but it had too many compromises in layout for me.
 
My immediate thought was a Dehler CWS, so that's 3 of us suggesting that now. I suggest you go and look at one. Either a 35CWS or a 36CWS. The 34 is also a very capable boat.

Or......if you want to go a bit more "left field", go and have a look at a Pogo 30.
 
This makes 4 of us for Dehler...!

I looked at a couple of 36CWS's recently when boat hunting but the couple for sale were looking tired and unloved, they are quite old now and the main issue for me is the interior wear and as very little of it was wood it wouldn't be easy to refurb it. The central winch bit is very clunky too
The 37CWS is a better bet as they are slightly newer, have 2 electric primaries and nice wood interiors but they're rare, although there's a quite nice one in Eastbourne but it's somewhat optimistically priced

I too had a 35CWS some years ago and did wonder about another but it's too small for my requirement as my boat also serves as a French holiday cottage... that doesn't sound an issue for the OP - good performance too, we did come 5th in ISC class 2 of the 2004 RTI race out of 55 boats, albeit with a very recent new suit of Hyde sails and my trusty 707 crew

The pic below is from an RTI double handed race in which we also did well, passing St Cat's with gusto !

RTI_ORV small.jpg
 
Lightwave395 said:
This makes 4 of us for Dehler...!

I looked at a couple of 36CWS's recently when boat hunting but the couple for sale were looking tired and unloved, they are quite old now and the main issue for me is the interior wear and as very little of it was wood it wouldn't be easy to refurb it. The central winch bit is very clunky too
The 37CWS is a better bet as they are slightly newer, have 2 electric primaries and nice wood interiors but they're rare, although there's a quite nice one in Eastbourne but it's somewhat optimistically priced

I too had a 35CWS some years ago and did wonder about another but it's too small for my requirement as my boat also serves as a French holiday cottage... that doesn't sound an issue for the OP - good performance too, we did come 5th in ISC class 2 of the 2004 RTI race out of 55 boats, albeit with a very recent new suit of Hyde sails and my trusty 707 crew

The pic below is from an RTI double handed race in which we also did well, passing St Cat's with gusto !

View attachment 197748
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What year is that?
 
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