What boat?

[SouthPark]

Looking for ideas for a boat to buy. Requirements are these:
- Can sleep 4 in comfort, 6 at a pinch
- Seaworthy boat, capable in foul weather
- Nice safe cockpit for children
- Can be handled comfortably by two people
- Can dry out (either legs or a bilge keel, I guess)
- Available for £35k

I really haven't much of a clue. I was thinking about something like a mid 80s Moody 31, but I'm not sure if they made a bilge keel variant. Any ideas gratefully received.

S.

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[burgundyben]

you'll have sailbad blathering on about moody's now, you could try a bilge keel westerly fulmar, although I think most of them were fine keel, there was some bilge keelers.

<hr width=100% size=1>Sod the Healey - I think I'll buy an E-Type.

 

[fjweaver]

Hunter Ranger 265. Is actually just over 28' - extremely roomy below, much more so than most 30-31 footers - have a look at this month's ST for report

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[mainshiptom]

Mirage 29 !

Bilge keels
Big roomy boat
Lots of room for 4 but will sleep 5 or friendly six
Good vollvo 2002 installed in all of them.

easy to sail (I can do it !)

you should find a nice one for 30k 1986 -1988 ?



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[Robin]

Bilge Keel Westerly 33 or Discus, 33 is centre cockpit and has aft cabin separate (ideal kids/guests). Big engine (42hp), sails well good heavy weather boat, 33 can be sloop but mostly ketch, Discus is sloop. Also Westerly Konsort 29 bilge, Fulmar bilge. Moody 31 already mentioned.

Why do you need to take the ground, is this for mooring or occasional?

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[gtmoore]

Moody did make a Bilge keel version of the 31 - details at http://www.moody.co.uk/archive/13_boat.htm

<hr width=100% size=1>Gavin

 

[paulplatts]

Re: What boat? - Sadlers

You could look at something from the Sadler range. They feature deep safe cockpits & many had bilge keels. Many have been updated with controls brought back to the cockpit, making them easy for 2 to handle. A lot of 29's were made with bilge keels & a good example will be around 25K. The 32 was used for racing rather more and do not have a lot more accomodation. For slightly more money you could look at the Sadler34, but these were mostly fin keels.

There is an active owners association which may be able to help or try www.mikelucasyachting.co.uk.

Good luck in your search.

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[SouthPark]

We want to be able to take to the ground only occasionally. The (long term) plan is to do a round Britain cruise in this boat in a few years time. It seems to me that the ability to dry out relatively easily makes the planning of where to stop much, much easier.

S.

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[Robin]

In which case go for fin with the option for drying out alongside a quay or with legs. The downside of bilge keels is performance, especially upwind and in bad weather. The bilge keel W33 for example is maybe 0.5kt slower on all points than the fin version (more so upwind) and also not so directionally stable downwind. (This is by way of comparison, either will make a good boat but the bilge keel's advantage really is to use a drying mooring which in some areas can be cheaper.

When we had our W33 fin, we sailed back from S Brittany to Poole in company with a BK version, he had to motorsail every hour or so to catch up, very frustrating. Moral is if you have a slow boat, always sail with one that is slower still!

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[Evadne]

I admit I'm I'm biased, but I think that a long-keeler has everything a mortal man might want, except for reverse. If you want to look at some Elizabethans (and talk to the owners) pop down to Weymouth on Saturday 5th of July for the Owners' assoc. rally. They vary from the 23 (centreplate) through the 29 (LK) to the 30/31 (fin & skeg). Rarer, larger variants like the 33 and 35 exist.

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[oldestgit]

Have a look at the Leisure 29 ..6 berths Bilge & Fin. A good example will only set you back about £20K.

The bilge keeler is slightly slower mainly to windward, but 1/2kt is well worth sacrificing for the ability to safely take the ground, unless you want to go racing !!. These have twin keel and a skeg and are almost bullet proof. I have had one out in a 7 and once reefed a baby could sail it.
All have Volvo engines, best have fresh water cooling.
Great owners site. Www.leisureowners.org

Enjoy.


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[tom_bishop]

You might consider a Westerly Tempest

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[Little_Russel]

Check out the Nicholson 31. And yes I do have one if you need to see one. You would need legs for the drying out bit. It's just that bilge keels and seaworthiness do not go hand in hand...

<hr width=100% size=1>Sail the Se7en seas...

 

[extravert]

In contrast to what Oldestgit had to say, I don't think the performance loss of a bilge keel boat is worth the ability to take the ground, if you want to sail round Britain. Experience from people who have done it seems to show that you spend the majority of the time beating, I don't know why this is, it just seems to be that way. For example, when I did it we were against the wind for most of the first 3 weeks, all the way from Mull of Galloway to Cape Wrath, and then again all the way from Dover to Land's End. Even an extra half a knot of speed and 10 degrees of pointing makes all the difference when your schedule requires you to be somewhere 80 miles upwind by the end of the day.

Because of the longer distances you have to do than normal coastal cruising you can usually find somewhere to stay afloat without much difficulty. The only really limited part for deep water moorings is from Hartlepool to Suffolk, but that part of the coast is not one to hang about on anyway where compared to the likes of Western Scotland, the West Country and South Wales.

<hr width=100% size=1>Adventures of the VAT unpaid <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.xrayted.fsnet.co.uk>Teddy Bear Boat</A>

 

[oldsalt]

I agree. A loss of 0.5 of a knot is probably a 10% performance loss, a bit like driving your car with the handbrake on!

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[billmacfarlane]

Surprise, surprise nobody's mentioned Frenh boats yet. Try the Kelt 29, it's got a fairly unique system for drying out but the boats are prone to osmosis. Some of the First range from Beneteau had a twin rudder and lifting keel that enabled them to dry out. Look at the First 285, First 29, and First 305 with that configuration. And yes they are all seaworthy. From this side of the Channel try the Southerly range which will take the ground beautifully, bit I think the older ones had a fairly modest performance. If you can stretch your budget that bit further and really appreciate a boat that can sail, have a look at the Parker 31 - superb sailing boat with a lifting wing keel.

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[Aja]

You can have mine.

It dries out for 6 months every winter.

Donald

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